Mary Allen
No. Nobody needs to worry about their Chihuahua’s eyes just popping out of their sockets and rolling across the floor. This is not possible. Muscles and the optic nerve anchor the eye to the socket.
However, eye prolapse sometimes occurs, especially in brachycephalic breeds. The eyeball protrudes from the socket at different distances. This can happen with a jolt or a push, e.g. when the dog jumps off the sofa. Eye prolapse can also occur if the owner grabs the Chihuahua by the neck or if two four-legged friends play wildly with each other.
This is an absolute emergency. The eye could dry out or be otherwise damaged if the vet is not consulted immediately. In severe cases, the optic nerve may have been torn off and the eye can no longer be saved. If you are lucky, the eye can be pushed back into the socket. Sometimes the doctor then narrows the lid gap a little to prevent later incidents.
The pug and French bulldog are most affected by eye prolapse, but unfortunately, the chihuahua is sometimes affected as well. Especially those specimens that come up with extreme bulging eyes.
If you want to buy a Chihuahua puppy, you should take a close look at the parents beforehand. Are their eyes extremely round and even protruding? How are the puppies doing? Many buyers find these “googly eyes” extremely cute. Unfortunately, like so many ideals of beauty in dogs, it is often disadvantageous and associated with problems for the four-legged friend.
It is, therefore, better to buy a Chihuahua from a breeder whose dogs do not have big eyes, or better still, no bulging eyes at all.