Tips for adopting a Chihuahua or small dog on a fixed income?

These are very long days to expect a dog to be left alone, especially in such a hot climate and you should think very carefully before adopting any dog (puppy or adult) on a tight budget with limited access to veterinary facilities - it is important to always expect the unexpected. It may be worth contacting local shelters to see if they need volunteer help when you are not in college or if they have dogs which need fostering (ensure that they would then be providing back up for veterinary fees and other expenses if required)

In a very general sense, most shelters or rescues will let you visit and get to know animals you are interested in. Some require that you fill out an application to be considered for pet ownership, and others simply require that you pay a small adoption fee to take the animal of your choice home. I'd recommend visiting several shelters in your area, or find rescues for specific breeds you are looking for by using search engines.

Adopting a dog is a big financial responsibility and adopting one with an issue can be even bigger. It depends what medication Sammy is on to determine if the cost of the medication is going to be expensive or not. I would discuss with the person you are considering adopting Sammy from and see if they know what the typical cost of the medications are. Understand that throughout the dog's life you may need to change medications (which may be more expensive), perform routine blood work (once or twice a year) and do more then once or twice yearly examinations. This cost can add up. You can also look into pet insurance, but many companies will not cover pre-existing conditions which this is. It is an amazing thing to take in an animal that has a problem, if financially you are able to take it on. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello, it's great that you're doing your research to find a dog who's a good fit! I wouldn't say Australian cattle dogs are any more or less expensive to own than the average dog, though they can be very intelligent and high energy dogs so make sure you're prepared to meet his needs with lots of stimulation and exercise. Most breeds can do fine in an apartment, but that would mean you *need* to make sure you're finding ways for him to release his energy, by taking him places where he can run every day, since you won't have a yard for him to run in. Cattle dogs can also be vocal, which is something to consider in an apartment. As far as the cost of owning a dog - there are several websites out there that can help break down the many costs both expected and unexpected. Here are a couple: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2106&aid=1543 https://www.moneyunder30.com/the-true-cost-of-pet-ownership You will get different input from different people about pet insurance. My own personal thoughts are that if you have the finances to deal with an emergency of several thousand dollars, then you may not need insurance. However, if you would not have that resource, then insurance may be extremely helpful if you were to find yourself in an emergency with your dog. Of course, know what the insurance plan will and will not cover before you purchase it - just like all insurance plans, the least expensive plans tend to also be less comprehensive and vice versa. Hope this helps!

It would certainly be very nice of you to adopt two special needs dogs. You should however be prepared to have some medical expenses in the future if you do intend on doing something like this. My suspicion is that the chihuahua's knee cap is not actually missing but simply sliding in and out of place which is known as a luxating patella, an extremely common condition in very small breeds of dog. Depending on the severity of the luxation it might just be left alone or could potentially require surgical procedure to fix it at some point. IN terms of bleeding from the ears I am not aware of any sort of genetic abnormality that would cause this sort of clinical sign but that is not to say that it's not possible. In general genetic abnormalities can certainly happen in multiples but there is no guarantee either way.

Skin problems can occur for a number of reasons other than mange including allergies, infections, fleas and autoimmune problems. I would try to talk to the staff at the shelter to see if they can give you a better idea of what the underlying cause is. Some problems such as allergies or autoimmune conditions can result in a lifetime of care that may be expensive well others may be managed relatively easily.

Adopting a new dog is so much fun! Whenever bringing a new dog into the home, it should be done slowly with the existing animals already there to make the transition smoothly. The new dog should be kept separated from the other animals when home alone to avoid any problems, and their interactions should be monitored when you are home so you can separate them at any problem. I'm not sure if you have any additional animals in the home, but if you have cats for example, it's normal they will hiss at the dog. Do not allow them to swipe at the dog, separating them right away if you notice the cat getting upset. Also do not allow the dog to chase the cats. If you don't have any other animals in your home, then just be patient with the dog as it acclimates to his new house. Moving into a new home can be stressful, and some dogs may not eat or drink at first. This will pass in time. Shelter dogs should be taken care of just like any other dog: Fed twice a day, make sure they are up to date on their vaccines, flea and deworming treatments, and feed them a high quality dog food :-)