Click to Go Back 11. Why does a Chihuahua sometimes run on three legs?
It’s a condition called Patella Luxation, and it’s arguably the single most important genetic problem facing Chihuahua breeders today. Unfortunately it’s polygenetic in nature. Polygenetic means that more than one gene controls it and a range is possible. Unlike the simple gene that causes say eye colour, where you either have blue eyes or you don’t, things of a polygenetic nature can have a range. The most common example is size where either large or small is possible PLUS a wide range in between. The other problem in dealing with this fault is that it usually doesn’t show itself until the dog is quite a bit older and probably has already had, or produced, puppies. There is at present no DNA test available to breeders to test for its presence and opinion is divided on whether it can be physically detected in a younger dog. This all leads to major hurdles in eliminating the problem.
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- Click to Go Back 11. Why does a Chihuahua sometimes run on three legs?
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