I was going to be receiving a chihuahua pup but it died suddenly there were no symptoms..what could cause this

Question

luckily the owner is willing to give me a different chihuahua. They are both 5 1/2 weeks old.

I'm not getting the puppy at 5 1/2 weeks... that's how old it is as of now.

Answer 1

It could be an illiness or a birth defect, what ever I would be cautious of taking a puppy, if you take this puppy you need to make an agreement with the breeder that you have at least 48 hours to get the pup vet checked, it is always a wise thing to do even if the pup looks healthy. I raised and bred dogs for over 20 years and this was part of the agreement in my contract that they get the pup vet checked, also make sure that the pup has been wormed at least twice and has puppy shots. If the person is a good breeder she will agree with the vet check.
I would recommend that anyone buying a new dog do the vet check thing just for their own piece of mind. You will also want to check out the living conditions that the pups are in, are they clean etc.
Hope you make the right decision. Good luck.

Answer 2

There are a number of reasons that a seemingly healthy pup could die suddenly. Maybe it was born with a heart murmur or some other defect. Maybe it was full of worms, that sucked the life out of it. Maybe it had a disease like parvo. Maybe it was dropped or some other kind of injury that the breeder did not tell you about. Maybe it got hold of some sort of poison. Maybe it had low blood suagr which is quite common in small Chihuahua pups. Maybe the breeder had weaned the pups and was not feeding it enough. Maybe the mother dog had already weaned the litter and they were not being fed dog food. Before you get another pup from this breeder, make sure the pup has been vet checked and is found to be healthy and make sure the breeder will give you a health guarantee. Read up about Chihuahuas and Chihuahua puppies. Good luck. I hope you are able to get a healthy baby to love,.

Answer 3

I also would worry about accepting another puppy from this person. If they were a good source to get a pet they would have taken the puppy to the vet to find out for sure why it died and then been able to at least tell you or at least in case to help the rest of the litter.
If the puppy would have appeared sick, they would have taken it to the vet.
Chihuahua puppies have a soft spot on their head just as a human baby does. I mean you know all kinds of things could have happened Chihuahuas are very, very, very delicate their whole lives even if they act so bad but and have bit attitudes they can be hurt so easily let alone when babies.

Answer 4

Chihuahua and other toy breeds are very very delicate creatures when they are small. They are also prone to heart problems and all purebred dogs are prone to health problems. Take your new puppy to the vet right away to make sure he's healthy. Your vet will know to look for the typical things that breed is prone to and things like parvo, kennel cough, etc. If it's not healthy, take it back to the breeder and look elsewhere. Make sure you get it in writing that your breeder will take the dog back though. Most reputable breeders will, in fact, many will make you sign a document promising that you will bring it back to them if you don't want it anymore.

Likely if it is a viral or bacterial disease, your other puppy will be showing symptoms before he's ready to come home with you.

Answer 5

ok, first, 5 1/2 weeks is way to young to be separated from its mother...why do you want to take a baby from its mother so early? the earliest is 8 or 9 weeks. if the owner is willing to sell you or give you a 5 1/2 week old puppy, sounds like the owner / breeder doesnt know what he is doing.
go to the animal shelter, humane society or resuce and SAVE a chi chi from being put down.

Answer 6

it happens to puppies, unfortunately. it's hard to tell why.
i would recommend getting a pup that's been with it's mother at least until it is 7 wks. that's a good time for weaning. 5 1/2 wks may be too soon.

also, since you're getting another pup from the same breeder, i would get a health guarantee. check with some other breeders and find out what their guarantees include.
if your pup dies in 3 months, you don't want to have to pay for another...you should get a free one from that breeders next litter or your money back.
when i bought my chocolate lab puppy i encountered many breeders that "guaranteed" their puppies health. i would check into what a good gurantee entails and make sure you get the next one guaranteed.

take care and i wish you luck with your new pup!

Answer 7

No doubt there was an illness that was the result of poor breeding and/or deplorable living conditions.

I hope you're not bringing this dog home at 5.5 weeks. Puppies should not be separated from their mothers before 8 weeks of age.

Answer 8

parvo usually the symptoms are not as evident as others but this is deadly and will kill your pup if it is not taken to a vet for re hydration. My chihuahua had parvo and luckily we took her in on time. She is alive and well :)

Answer 9

Sometimes puppies can die suddenly of a disease known as parvo. Very rarely are there symptoms and if there are symptoms they include lethargy and vommitting. I would be very wary about recieving another puppy from this owner.