Grooming Your Chihuahua

Coat

There are two types of coats; long-hair and short-hair. Long-haired chihuahuas are higher maintenance since brushing, washing, and trimming hair is necessary. Shedding also requires lots of vacuuming! Most long-haired chihuahua owners take their chi monthly to a local dog groomer. If you take your chihuahua to the groomer you can request tick and flea shampoo. Although short-haired chihuahuas do not need the brushing and trimming of hair, they still require washing and flea and tick protection.

Avocado will also promote a silky coat.

Here is a helpful video on bathing chihuahuas:

Nails

Your chihuahua will also need his/her nails clipped monthly, especially if your home has hardwood floors. Your local groomers typically include nail clipping with the wash, but you can also clip your chi’s nails yourself with a dog nail clipper that you can buy from your local pet store. Be sure to cut just the very tip of the nail since approximately half of the nail is connected to flesh.

From Chihuahuapuppiesguide.com:

Your Chihuahua’s nails keep growing just like our toenails and need regular clipping. If you let them grow to long it will be uncomfortable for your Chihuahua, and you! You can get nail clippers in the guillotine and scissor varieties. I prefer the guillotine style nail clippers, myself. Your Chihuahua puppies nails have a blood vessel running through them. The problem here is if you nick this vein it will bleed, and your Chihuahua will probably cry. The trick is to trim the nails beyond this vein. However, everyone nicks the vein from time to time so be sure to have some Kwik Stop powder on hand to stop the bleeding if you do nick the vein. If your Chihuahuas nails are clear you can easily see where the vein is so as to avoid it. If your Chihuahuas nails are darker, however, you will need to shine a light behind the nail. When you’re ready to start clipping, clip back the nail little by little. If you do hit the vein, simple apply some of the Kwik Stop powder.

Eyes

If your chihuahua gets goop under his/her eye, take a wet paper towel and wash below the eyes. Your groomer will also take care of the goop for you. Be careful not to touch the eye or wipe under the eye too frequently as it can cause irritation.

Bathing Tips

• Check the water BEFORE washing your chi.  Luke warm water is best.
• Use shampoo specifically for dogs, not humans.  Human shampoo can dry out your chi’s skin and cause irritation.  One brand I recommend is Tropiclean Oatmeal/Tea Tree Dog Shampoo. Be careful not to get shampoo in your chihuahua’s eye or ears.
• Place a rubber mat in the bottom of the tub to prevent your chihuahua from slipping.

Grooming Your Chihuahua