Is she inbred?

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sparkyallen1
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Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2019 11:25 am

Is she inbred?

Post by sparkyallen1 »

Hello All,
I have a 2yr old Chihuahua Mix of some sort named Mya. I’ve had her since she was 5 weeks old. She was posted on Facebook for free and I fell in love. Her living conditions were less than desirable to say the least and her condition reflected that. She had ringworm and was infested with fleas. From what I could tell, it wasn’t a puppy mill....just a poor family who couldn’t afford to spay or neuter and as a result...PUPPIES!
These are her issues that concern me as to whether or not she may be the result of inbreeding.
-Mya has a severe heart murmur. Her vet said the “backflow of blood” occurs in all of the valves in her heart. I can’t take her for walks because after a short period she collapses and sprawls all 4 legs out on the ground.
-Although you can’t really tell in the pictures I have attached, she has a significant underbite. So much so that her tongue hangs out most of the time. At her first vet appt the vet seemed saddened by the extent of it and expressed his concern for her ability to eat. Ummm, nope...no problem there. She eats like a horse!
-Her legs are pretty short and stubby.
-She is very impulsive. It’s almost as if she has ADHD! Training her has been extremely difficult.
-Mya is VERY timid. Let’s just say she takes “stranger danger” to a whole new level. She growls at almost anyone and everything despite my best efforts to socialize her.
-She is ok with dogs and cats she knows and has a blast playing but it takes her FOREVER to get to that point. I can’t take her to our dog park because she won’t even let other dogs sniff her without growling and scooting away.
-She is extremely territorial of me. Regardless of whether she is laying on me or laying on another piece of furniture, if either of my other pets even thinks about coming near me...she will aggressively chase them away and return to where she was laying as if nothing has happened. My other pets run away and just turn around and come back....she ignores them then. Note: She has never bitten anyone or another animal. She doesn’t do this consistently so I have a difficult time correcting her.
Despite all of these issues, she is a sweet and loving little girl. I love her and wouldn’t trade her for anything.

What are your thoughts? I welcome any questions you may have concerning traits I haven’t covered. I have done some research on inbred dogs but haven’t found anything concrete.
Attachments
5D2CD07B-223C-4B17-BADA-8346C73DCE07.jpeg
Sleeping with her tongue hanging out.
Sleeping with her tongue hanging out.
48DB5A46-2C20-434B-A2DD-666581934A3D.jpeg
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CarolC
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Re: Is she inbred?

Post by CarolC »

Hi sparkyallen1,

She's awfully cute, whatever she is. You could almost imagine some shih tzu in her, couldn't you. I really don't know about the inbreeding. Chronic valvular heart disease occurs early in some breeds such as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Chihuahuas also get it, but 2 is very young. Shih tzus get mitral valve disease. Has the vet suggested starting her on any medication?

I am not surprised if she gets tired out with all the valves leaking. Have you thought about getting her a stroller to take her for walks? Here are some pictures to give you the idea. It can be a human stroller or they make pet strollers as well.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17212&p=89891&#p89863

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17581&p=91249&#p91249

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17066&p=89619&#p89619

The personality doesn't sound all that uncommon for small dogs, if you ask me. :wink:

:gang:
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critters
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Re: Is she inbred?

Post by critters »

:whale: My ancient Pom Charlie had a bad heart, so he liked to travel in a baby backpack I modified to better fit him. I pinned the leg holes together and put a large towel inside to raise him up. I then put the seatbelt strap through his harness to keep him in it. I could even bend over with him safely inside.
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critters
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Re: Is she inbred?

Post by critters »

PS--She may be inbred, but who knows? For behavior, you need to find the right key for the lock; for most critters, food usually does the trick. Reward the behavior you want to see again!!! Even brain damaged ones can eventually learn. The hard part is when you can't find the key!
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