Chihuahuas

Question
My mom has a 3 yr old chihuahua, She goes in for her regular check ups by the vet and they say she is a healthy little dog, however once in a while she will be doing fine than it seems like she gets herself so anxious, that she gets almost like an attack.  She gets real stiff and she shakes, after petting her and calming her down she likes to hide.  Do you have any idea why this could be happening?

Answer
Hi Kathy,

Without actually seeing one of these "attacks", I can't say what's going on. Even though she's been having good reports from the vet, have you ever mentioned these "attacks" to the vet?

It could be nothing more than the high strung trembling that some small breed dogs do when they're over-stimulated, or excited, or it could be seizures, which is something that could be quite serious and would require medical care.

If these attacks seem to happen frequently, you should have the dog examined by the vet. Untreated seizures can kill a dog, so it's really something you need to rule out.

Best of luck,
Patti