# Explanation of TeaCups/Tinies/Micros



## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

On another post, Marj provided a link to Foxtones Maltese. I spent some time on their site, and found the information in this link very informative. 

http://www.foxstonemaltese.com/teacupmaltese.htm


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## littlepeanut (Dec 5, 2004)

Thanks for posting that! I can't even tell you how many people come up to me to and say that Peanut is big. He's between 5 and 6 lbs. He's tiny to me, but this whole craze with the tiny dogs is getting out of hand. The health of those little ones should be the main concern, but of course $$$ always comes first







I read an article somewhere about their skulls never being fully developed and that can lead to dangerous injuries with a simple fall or bump on the head.


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## Laceys mom (Nov 12, 2004)

Lacey weighs just over 7 pounds. I have had so many people tell me she is huge! My vet has also told me that she is seeing lots of health problems in the tiny dogs. She thinks Lacey is a great size and wishes she saw more of the toy dogs that weren't breed to be so tiny.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Those extra small dogs not only come with a huge price tag, they also run up huge vet bills.

* They break bones easily, especially legs, by jumping on and off furniture. There have been cases of bones shattering on impact from normal playing or being held too firmly.

* Their mouths are usually not big enough to accomodate all their adult teeth and they have problems with overcrowding, decay, etc.

* Internal organs may not be fully or adequately developed.

* They have trouble regulating their own body heat. They can literally starve to death because they have to expend so much energy trying to maintain a normal body temperature.

* They have trouble regulating their own blood sugar.

* They are more prone to diarrhea and vomiting. Since they can dehydrate so quickly, even a simple case of diarrhea can become life threatening and require a trip to the vet, possibly hospitalization.

* Extra and expensive tests are needed prior to routine teeth cleanings and surgeries. 

* Even with the best of care, it's not unusual for so-called "teacups" to die at very young age, sometimes living only 2 or 3 years even with the best of care.

The author of one of the articles I read suggested that if a 5 pound dog is too heavy for you, get a stuffed animal!

Good advice!


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## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

Thanks for the info Marj...you're a wonderful resource. Wouldn't it be nice if an afternoon of surfing on SM (especially your posts) were a requirement to puppy ownership? I'm just so glad I found SM before we got our pup.


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## FannyMay (Nov 18, 2004)

HAHA yeah I always say that you should have to pass a test to own a pet and even to have a baby (of course that one would be harder lol). But come on, you have to pass a test to drive so why not have to pass a test to own a pet? It is after all a life we are talking about here!


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## Sisses Momma (Dec 29, 2004)

Great advice as always Marj, thank you!! Several more reasons for having a "plus size" puppy as you call it!! I am so thankful Sis is not so "delicate"......


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## Laceys mom (Nov 12, 2004)

Thank you for the info. When I was looking for a maltese I wasn't looking for a tiny dog...I was looking for a healthly dog. Lacey weighs 7.2 pounds and I can't begin to tell you how many people tell me she huge! People tell me that maltese are tiny little dogs and she can't possible be a full maltese. I can't believe it and most of the time I just stare at the person until they go away. I am very happy with her size and she is a healthy dog and that is what should be important.


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## kodie (Aug 24, 2004)

> _Originally posted by LadysMom_@Mar 23 2005, 12:53 PM
> *Those extra small dogs not only come with a huge price tag, they also run up huge vet bills.
> 
> *  They break bones easily, especially legs, by jumping on and off furniture. There have been cases of bones shattering on impact from normal playing or being held too firmly.
> ...


[/QUOTE]
1st of all... Kodie is refered to as a "teacup" (I hate that when people call him that!!!!) anyway.... These are a very good list of things to worry about when "waiting" a tiny dog and getting one that was bred toooo tiny. 

Kodie has a few of these problems...
*I do not allow him to jump on anything too high, like furniture because his bones are so tiny he could hurt himself. I also tell people to be extra careful when holding him because of his tiny bone structure. Hes never around small children and always watched when hes with other dogs.

*Kodie's mouth is also too tiny for his teeth. He had 7 baby teeth pulled and his big side teeth are staggered down his jaw because his mouth can not fit all of those teeth. His jaw isnt developed correctly either. He chews always on the one side because i'm guessing that he cant chew on his other side because of how the teeth are aligned!?! I just know the vet told me that his jaw isnt formed too great but is better looking than his little sister that passed away. 

*I dunno if Microvascular Dysplasma has anything to do with developed organs but he has MVD. (which is a liver disease) (any dog can get this)

*Kodie was vomitting after going to the groomers for the first time and he had to be put on IVs and hospitalized over night because he was soooo sick. (He hasnt had any diarrhea yet so i dunno about that... but i'm sure if he ever gets that i'll have to take him to the hospital.) My vet tells me to NEVER wait if kodie gets sick, just bring him in.. hes tooo tiny to ever wait.... quicker the better!

* * "Extra and expensive tests are needed prior to routine teeth cleanings and surgeries." 
Isnt this the truth! Before Kodie had his baby teeth pulled and neutered... he had to have all this blood work done because of his liver and they KEPT him OVER NIGHT when other dogs would go home... instead Kodie was put on IVs after surgery to make sure he was dehydrate after being neutering and his teeth pulled... normal dogs dont have to be put on IVs for this!

Now... Kodie isnt as tiny as the dogs they are refering to in this article but he still has some characterisitics of what happens when you breed two tiny dogs together just to get tiny babies. I'm sure a lot of you remember me posting that Kodie was the only pup to survive the litter. His little sister (which fits ALL of these characterisitics in this article) died at 6 months old... she never made it to even 1lb, thats how tiny she was.


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## Quincymom (Oct 17, 2004)

> _Originally posted by LadysMom_@Mar 23 2005, 01:53 PM
> *Those extra small dogs not only come with a huge price tag, they also run up huge vet bills.
> 
> *  They break bones easily, especially legs, by jumping on and off furniture. There have been cases of bones shattering on impact from normal playing or being held too firmly.
> ...


[/QUOTE]
Could you give the name/author of these articles? I would love to pass this on to a friend of mine who has decided that a Mi-ki dog is too big for her, and now wants an "apple head' chi, one less than 2 pounds at adulthood no less!
Thanks,
Quincymom


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## FannyMay (Nov 18, 2004)

Chihuahua's are normally smaller than Malts though aren't they? Does anyone know what the standard size is?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Chis should be "not over 6 lbs" according to the standard...so similar in size to many Malts with 4-6 being the avg in my experience.


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## kodie (Aug 24, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Quincymom_@Mar 24 2005, 04:41 PM
> *I would love to pass this on to a friend of mine who has decided that a Mi-ki dog is too big for her, and now wants an "apple head' chi, one less than 2 pounds at adulthood no less!*


Thats sick.


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## Quincymom (Oct 17, 2004)

Yes, I think so too. She isn't really a friend, but a coworker. She doesn't know that I have dogs, but I have been trying to collect good information to pass on to her. Hopefully, she will pay attention and go looking for a healthy dog instead of a tiny one.
Quincymom


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## littlepeanut (Dec 5, 2004)

I'm so glad to hear that you are trying to look out for your coworker. It's hard to pass on important info when they are staring into the eyes of a teeny pup. Sorry I don't have any info though...The only thing I know is that a coworker of one of my friends has a chi, and it has gone through countless surgeries and has tons of joint problems. I think this chi is maybe 2 years old max...the owner is completely broke because of the dog's med. bills.

I just remembered an article about 'apple head' chi's...I will try to find it. If I remember correctly it is very dangerous for the dog because the skull doesn't properly fuse together with age. I could be totally wrong, but I will try to find the article for you.


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## kodie (Aug 24, 2004)

apple heads? I was wondering what your refering to? I never heard that term before. Are you talking about the soft spot on the top of a pups head and if it doesnt close up when its fully grown?


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## Brit'sMom (Aug 18, 2004)

My best friend, stevie had been looking for a chihuhua, and she wanted one "tiny like Paris Hilton's", which actually Paris' dog isn't that tiny, Tink is pretty standard. But I conviced her to look a quality more than size, and now she has a very healthy pup who loves to play and chase cats. I think she will be about 5 pounds full grown which is still totally small.


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## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

I wonder if "apple head" is one of those terms that some breeder's use to make people think they are getting something special for their extra cash.


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## littlepeanut (Dec 5, 2004)

I swear I read an article about the 'applehead' chi's, but I can't find it. I did see that a lot of sites say something about apple head, apple shaped.....

Chi info


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## Quincymom (Oct 17, 2004)

I don't know too much about chi's but I think it is a term like "teacup". It refers to the round dome shaped skull, and like the other poster said, often the fontanel remains open, and usually the dogs have problems like hydrocephalus. Sad that breeders are trying to intentionally breed dogs with birth defects, isn't it?
Quincymom


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Quincey's Mom, I can't find the articles I used to put the list together, but here's a good one (with a link!) about the dangers of buying a teacup Maltese:

Maltese:

"There is no such thing as a 'teacup Maltese.' Unknowledgeable
breeders use this cutesy phrase as a 'marketing term' for the smallest
Maltese, but in reality, there is only one Maltese breed, ranging from
about 2 pounds up to about 10 pounds.

You do NOT want a Maltese under 3 or 4 pounds, no matter how cute it
is. These individuals are great risks in the health department. Their
bones are fragile, there is not enough room in their mouth for healthy
teeth, and their internal organs are often very weak.

They tend to have lots of health problems and great difficulties
regulating their blood sugar. Often they live a few years and then
their owners wake up one morning and find them dead in their baskets
from sudden heart or other organ failure.

To make matters worse, some breeders actually charge MORE for these
high-risk Maltese. There are breeders on the Internet taking advantage
of naive buyers with prices of $1000, $1500, $2000 for "teacup"
Maltese. Don't be taken! Stick with Maltese who will be 4 pounds and
up at maturity. 

Your Purebred Puppy
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/maltese.html


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## puppylucy (Jan 8, 2005)

Quincymom- I don't think it's a birth defect - here's something from the breed standard. By the way, I'm totally not trying to correct you.



> *Chihuahua Breed Standard *
> 
> *Head*
> A well rounded "apple dome" skull, with or without molera[/B]


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## kodie (Aug 24, 2004)

> _Originally posted by puppylucy_@Mar 29 2005, 03:01 PM
> *Quincymom- I don't think it's a birth defect - here's something from the breed standard. By the way, I'm totally not trying to correct you.
> 
> QUOTE*


*



Chihuahua Breed Standard 

Head
A well rounded "apple dome" skull, with or without molera

Click to expand...

*<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=47234
[/B][/QUOTE]
what is molera?


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## Sisses Momma (Dec 29, 2004)

molera 
A molera is a "hole" in a Chihuahua's head; it is the same as a fontanelle in human babies. Historically, the Chihuahua as developed in Mexico and the United States has displayed a "hole in the head". In times past, this has been accepted as a mark of purity for this dog breed, and it is still mentioned in most Chihuahua breed standards the world over. The bones of the head in all foetuses are not firmly knitted together, but in most mammals, the different bones of the skull join with cartilaginous sutures as the animal matures. The Chihuahuas' moleras vary in size and shape, occurring on the top of the head where the parietal and frontal bones come together.

The simple fact that a Chihuahua has a domed head with an open molera does not predispose it to hydrocephalus as found by a study done by Greene and Braund in 1989, which concluded that "Many clinically normal toy breeds and brachycephalic (short faced) breeds also may have open fontanelles without associated hydrocephalus." Also, "There did not appear to be any relationship between the presence or size of the fontanelle and the concomitant presence of hydrocephalus." When the dog seems normal but displays enlarged ventricles of the brain (under ultrasound), its hydrocephalus is termed "occult" (having no clinical signs).


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## Quincymom (Oct 17, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Sisses Momma_@Mar 30 2005, 12:41 PM
> *molera
> A molera is a "hole" in a Chihuahua's head; it is the same as a fontanelle in human babies. Historically, the Chihuahua as developed in Mexico and the United States has displayed a "hole in the head". In times past, this has been accepted as a mark of purity for this dog breed, and it is still mentioned in most Chihuahua breed standards the world over. The bones of the head in all foetuses are not firmly knitted together, but in most mammals, the different bones of the skull join with cartilaginous sutures as the animal matures. The Chihuahuas' moleras vary in size and shape, occurring on the top of the head where the parietal and frontal bones come together.
> 
> ...


[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the clarification--I heard the previous info "somewhere", lol
Quincymom


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## kodie (Aug 24, 2004)

is that the same thing as a soft spot?


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## Sisses Momma (Dec 29, 2004)

Yup......


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## kodie (Aug 24, 2004)

Kodie has that still!


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