Worried Owner Takes Dog To Vet As She Stops Eating—Unprepared for Diagnosis

A new dog owner’s anxiety reached a peak after their recently adopted chihuahua refused to eat, leading to a trip to the vet.

But instead of a scary medical diagnosis, they received a much more relatable—and hilarious—explanation that many other chihuahua owners can understand: their dog is perfectly healthy, just a picky eater with a quirky personality. Since their post was shared, it has received comments and likes from people relating hard to the chihuahua idiosyncrasy.

The owner, u/ProperPollution7337, shared their initial fears in a Reddit post describing how their 9-month-old chihuahua was not eating anything—even the food he was given at the pet store.

“He’s still pretty active and running about and playing, but it scares me that he refuses to eat,” they wrote. The dog was also vomiting after drinking water too quickly and showing little interest in treats.

After receiving advice from the Reddit community, they took their pup to the vet for a checkup. The follow-up post was a relief for everyone.

“I brought him to the vet for a general checkup, and she says that he’s perfectly healthy and just being extra picky,” they wrote. The pup’s strange eating habits continued, however: “Currently, he only eats one kibble at a time from my hand and refuses to eat from his food bowl. He throws up because he drinks his water too fast.”

The owner noted a peculiar quirk: “For some reason his appetite increases after I brush his teeth, not sure why.”

The Funny World of Chihuahuas

The post and the adorable photo of the chihuahua drew a flood of comments from other owners who shared similar stories of their own picky and dramatic pets. The consensus among many was that this behavior is simply part of the breed’s unique charm.

Even a vet weighed in, admitting that they, too, fall victim to their chihuahua’s antics. “I’m a vet myself and even I’m not immune to my chihuahua’s propaganda and charm,” they wrote. “It’s really hard not to spoil them.” She added that her own dog “has three different types of food at home and still always chooses the wet food. She knows what she’s doing, and I can’t be angry with her either.”

Another person shared a story about their dog, Murphy, whose dramatic behavior earned them an expensive vet visit.

“Our dog Murphy was squealing when trying to walk one day,” they wrote. “We had been out of town for a few days, so he was with my parents who didn’t dote on him like we do. $600 later, the vet tells us ‘He just likes the sound of his own voice and he was probably doing it for attention because you guys were gone for a while.’ Literally nothing wrong with him.”

Picky eating appears to be a particularly common trait for the breed.

“My chihuahua is the same way,” another commenter shared. “My cupboard is filled with all kinds of different dog food that she may eat for a short time but then refuses. She’ll eat if I pretend it’s coming from my plate but sometimes catches on and stops. Having a picky dog is so exhausting.”

The Upside of Pickiness

While the behavior can be frustrating, one Reddit user pointed out a potential silver lining, suggesting that pickiness could be a built-in survival instinct for such a small dog.

“I think they’re picky eaters as a survival instinct,” they shared. “They’re so small they can’t tolerate it if they eat something poisonous. As long as she doesn’t go longer than 24 hours without eating, I don’t worry.” The user contrasted this with their larger dogs who “eat all kinds of weird stuff off the ground,” concluding, “I used to get annoyed with her not eating, but actually now I am grateful my chihuahua is picky, I think it’s kept her alive—like she’d never scarf up a stray raisin, chocolate chip or an Advil or anything.”

In the end, the owner’s initial fear was replaced with the relief that their little dog is happy and healthy.

Newsweek reached out to u/ProperPollution7337 for comment via Reddit.