The question that worries a Chihuahua owner is that how many puppies they can have. This question mostly arises when the Chihuahua is pregnant. Sometimes unplanned pregnancy of the Chihuahua dog can also worry the owners because of all the rumors that they hear from here and there. Although it might be true that the pregnancy of the Chihuahua ends up with a cesarean section while giving birth. But this does not mean that it creates any kind of complications or it is risky in any way. This is widely seen in humans also where the women give birth by cesarean section.
Facts and Expectations
Before talking about the numbers of puppies they can give birth to, let’s talk about the pregnancy of the dog and what can you expect from it.
#1 It might sound weird, but a Chihuahua can actually get pregnant from two different dogs. And not only two different dogs, but also it can mate with a dog to bigger breed and still give birth to puppies. But this makes complications in the pregnancy and can be life-threatening for the mother.
#2 If the Chihuahua is pregnant, then it can be totally identified by its behavior. A pregnant Chihuahua will feel tired all the time and the stomach will get enlarged very quickly. Moreover, the nipples of the dog will also become bigger and a change in behavior can also be seen. A pregnant Chihuahua prepares its body for nesting and sometimes vomits light fluids.
#3 This is a little-known fact that a Chihuahua can become pregnant as soon as it reaches puberty. This means a Chihuahua of 6 to 7 months of age can easily give birth to more Chihuahuas. It is advised by experts to breed the dogs during the second heat cycle which is more appropriate for the dogs.
If a Chihuahua is pregnant, then you can expect it to give birth to puppies anywhere between 2 to 5. This is an expected range between which the Chihuahuas give birth, but this is not necessary. There had been cases when the Chihuahuas have given birth to 10 puppies in one litter which is surprising to both vets and the owners. According to AKC, if the Chihuahua is smaller in size, then it will tend to give birth to less number of babies. So if your Chihuahua is small and weighs less than 4 pounds, then you can expect at most 3 puppies and if the Chihuahua weighs more than 5 pounds then the number of puppies significantly goes up.
False Pregnancy
Many times the owners get fooled into the lie and they think that their Chihuahua is pregnant. This is actually nobody’s fault. This happens when a chemical is triggered in the dog’s body, making it think that it is pregnant when it is actually not. This happens for a small interval of time, but the dog might show all the signs of pregnancy during this period of time from a swollen belly to enlarged nipples.
Expert Advice
The best advice you can get is from a vet. If you think your Chihuahua is pregnant, then it is time to visit a vet as soon as possible because Chihuahuas can give birth within 60 days of conception. So it is best for your dog if you visit the vet within 40 to 45 days so that the vet can examine the mother. After 40 days, a vet will be able to examine the dog’s uterus easily and also the x-ray reports will be able to predict the number of puppies one can expect from the dog.