Loose skin

Penny's Girl · 01-04-2005, 07:06 PM

I was wondering, my chihuahuas have really loose skin. Is that a bad thing? They have had it ever since we got them when they were 6 weeks old.

Barrett · 01-04-2005, 07:26 PM

I think most breeds have a little loose skin. My dachshunds have very loose skin. They were bred to go down holes and hunt badgers. The loose skin helps so roots and branches don't tear and scratch their skin. If the skin was tight it would tear and rip easily if scratched against bushes and such. Do all chichuahuas have loose skin? What were they bred to do?

Penny's Girl · 01-04-2005, 09:52 PM

Chihuahuas were breed to be cave dogs and dig. Mine are the first ones I known in the chihuahua breed so I could not tell you if the whole breed had them or not. Thanks for your input that is very logical I never thought about that before.

Rip's Girl · 01-05-2005, 01:22 AM

Yup, I agree with Barrett.. And your two don't have that much loose skin, I wouldn't call it anything really out of the ordinary.

linnie · 01-07-2005, 03:05 AM

my girls did when they were young but now they are matronly and they are rounded so the skin is tighter lol

flyndog · 01-07-2005, 10:29 AM

Rips, it's not dehydration, right? Just loose skin?

linnie · 01-07-2005, 02:37 PM

Good point flyndog.
Rip the way you can tell if a dog is dehydrated is to pull the skin in at the nape of the neck if it stays pinched in then that show the dog is dehydrated. If it moves back reasonably straight away then they are fine

Rip's Girl · 01-07-2005, 04:07 PM

Definitely not dehydration, at least not that I noticed when I had them with me. Their skin is nice and elastic, they just have some excess.

Penny's Girl · 01-07-2005, 05:06 PM

just elastic, Grace. HAHA. you can pull it up like almost half a foot.

smkie · 01-22-2005, 01:20 AM

Have you seen the man on guiness that has the extra whatever that makes his skin extra stretchy? During the show they explained that he just had an excess of whatever it was that the rest of us have only in moderation. Maybe your pup has the same thing....just a thought..our bird dog had such loose hide you could roll it over the top of his head and cover his eyes......

***Cassiepeia*** · 01-22-2005, 06:26 AM

I'd say it was perfectly normal, as my boy has fairly loose skin also. Although, like you, my baby is my first real experience with the breed.

Cass.

01-04-2005, 07:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
Penny's Girl Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Idaho Posts: 61 Rep Power: 74	Loose skin I was wondering, my chihuahuas have really loose skin. Is that a bad thing? They have had it ever since we got them when they were 6 weeks old.

01-05-2005, 01:22 AM	#4 (permalink)
Rip's Girl Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 2,580 Rep Power: 141	Yup, I agree with Barrett.. And your two don't have that much loose skin, I wouldn't call it anything really out of the ordinary.
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01-07-2005, 03:05 AM	#5 (permalink)
linnie tibbie girl Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 3,051 Rep Power: 171	my girls did when they were young but now they are matronly and they are rounded so the skin is tighter lol
	__________________ Caution...Dogs can leave footprints on your heart

01-07-2005, 10:29 AM	#6 (permalink)
flyndog Unleash The Possibilities Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Marfa, TX Posts: 3,969 Rep Power: 183	Rips, it's not dehydration, right? Just loose skin?
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01-07-2005, 02:37 PM	#7 (permalink)
linnie tibbie girl Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 3,051 Rep Power: 171	Good point flyndog. Rip the way you can tell if a dog is dehydrated is to pull the skin in at the nape of the neck if it stays pinched in then that show the dog is dehydrated. If it moves back reasonably straight away then they are fine
	__________________ Caution...Dogs can leave footprints on your heart

01-04-2005, 07:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
Barrett dachshund Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Washington Posts: 2,758 Rep Power: 156	I think most breeds have a little loose skin. My dachshunds have very loose skin. They were bred to go down holes and hunt badgers. The loose skin helps so roots and branches don't tear and scratch their skin. If the skin was tight it would tear and rip easily if scratched against bushes and such. Do all chichuahuas have loose skin? What were they bred to do?

01-04-2005, 09:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
Penny's Girl Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Idaho Posts: 61 Rep Power: 74	Chihuahuas were breed to be cave dogs and dig. Mine are the first ones I known in the chihuahua breed so I could not tell you if the whole breed had them or not. Thanks for your input that is very logical I never thought about that before.

01-07-2005, 04:07 PM	#8 (permalink)
Rip's Girl Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 2,580 Rep Power: 141	Definitely not dehydration, at least not that I noticed when I had them with me. Their skin is nice and elastic, they just have some excess.
	__________________

01-07-2005, 05:06 PM	#9 (permalink)
Penny's Girl Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Idaho Posts: 61 Rep Power: 74	just elastic, Grace. HAHA. you can pull it up like almost half a foot.

01-22-2005, 01:20 AM	#10 (permalink)
smkie Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Kansas city Posts: 84 Rep Power: 74	Have you seen the man on guiness that has the extra whatever that makes his skin extra stretchy? During the show they explained that he just had an excess of whatever it was that the rest of us have only in moderation. Maybe your pup has the same thing....just a thought..our bird dog had such loose hide you could roll it over the top of his head and cover his eyes......

01-22-2005, 06:26 AM	#11 (permalink)
*Cassiepeia* Chihuahua Mum Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: NSW, Australia Posts: 8,281 Blog Entries: 9 Rep Power: 284	I'd say it was perfectly normal, as my boy has fairly loose skin also. Although, like you, my baby is my first real experience with the breed. Cass.

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