When you come across a Chi pup in a litter that is unusually smaller than it’s littermates, more times than not they have some form of congenital problem. Some of these problems lead to Hydro. We have had a few here experience this. Often times they will not know, nor the breeder what the exact cause of death at a young age is, because it requires a necropsy to know for certain. Or prior diagnosis that requires more extensive means than a normal Vet visit. But chances are in these cases, early problems and death are due to Hydro, or heart problems, or both. Common signs in these puppies are slow to thrive, slow growth, clumsy, not as active as it’s littermates, not meeting the appropriate milestones for it’s age, poor coordination, sluggishness, lethargy, etc…..
A tale tale sign that a pup has hydro is a large odd shaped dome, and the eyes give it away almost every time. They will push downwards, and many times out to the side due to the cranial pressure of the fluid. It is very evident when looking at the pup. To someone not familiar with this condition the pup may just seem “passive.” A new parent may not notice, and just wake up one morning to find their new pup not alive.
I can't find any really good pics, but here are 2. Too many these pups may look perfectly normal, but it is very evident if you have seen Hydro that they are not. So if you come across a Chi pup that seems much smaller than the average Chi pup, to save yourself some heartbreak, have it thoroughly checked out, and that can mean expensive testing. Otherwise you can end up with a new pup that you have to make the call to either put it down, have the tests to diagnosis the problem, and very expensive treatment for the pup to even live a short life. An experienced breeder will know the signs of a pup that is possibly ill, and will not sell it until they know for sure. However, there are many that will sell them, and once they are your’s, you are faced with the expensive bills and the heartache. Not that you won’t get another pup from the breeder if the contract states it, but that doesn’t help your heart heal, nor compensate you for all the 1,000’s of dollars that you will have to spend.
As the pressure builds in the brain, the best way that I can explain it is, that the pup will start looking as if it's head/eyes are going to "pop."
Hydrocephalus
Linear Mode
