chihuahuas watery eyes and a shivering chihuahua

Question
Hopefully you can help me. This is not an emergency nor is my dog sick. I have a 10 month old Chihuahua and his eyes water alot and he also shivers alot. I was wondering if this is normal for a Chihuahua. Like I said it is not life threatening nor is this really serious. I am not even concerned about it. I was just curious to find out.

Answer
Hi Feiona,

It's not uncommon for Chihuahua's to shiver. It could be a due to the weather if it's getting cold where you live, or it could be anything from anticipating getting a treat, a fear response, a or sign of pain or that he's not feeling well.

Chihuahua's don't like cold weather, so getting him a sweater to wear (even in the house) would be a simple way to see if the shivering stops.

Entropion is a condition when the eyelashes turn inward. It is a common cause of eye watering. Clean your dog's eyes carefully with a wet cotton pad, using separate pad for each eye and making sure any debris buildup in the corner of the eye is removed.

Some toy breeds just naturally have watery eyes, from a combination of having large eyes and a short muzzle, which tends to allow more eye irritation and less drainage from the tear ducts. There are also diseases such as Glaucoma or allergies which could account for your dog's teary eyes. So if your dog's eyes continue to water, it would be a good idea to have your dog examined by your vet.

Best of luck,
Patti