The best food for Chihuahuas. What to feed a Chihuahua at home

The Chihuahua is a very small, but active dog that expends a lot of energy. This should make owners think about the pet’s complete diet and understand what to feed their Chihuahua. The main thing in a dog's nutrition is, first of all, the quality of food, and not its quantity. This means that it is necessary to maintain a balance and provide the animal with the most nutritious foods.

Despite its tiny size, do not forget that the Chihuahua is a full-fledged dog, and therefore a predator. And her diet, for the most part, should consist of protein foods. The basis is protein of animal origin, but the diet must also contain vegetable proteins, carbohydrates, fats and essential microelements - the presence of calcium, phosphorus and.

• meat - beef, horse meat, veal, lamb, poultry;
• fish;
• eggs;
• cheese products;
• fermented milk products.

However, not all of them are suitable as food for Chihuahuas. It is worth taking a closer look at all the components of the menu of these dogs.

It has already been noted that meat for dogs of this breed is the basis of their diet. Chihuahuas can be fed lean meats - beef, veal, horse meat. It is not advisable to serve it raw; before serving, it can be boiled or doused with boiling water.

Porridge must also be present in the diet of a tiny pet. It can be buckwheat, rice, corn or rolled oats.

Absolutely any vegetables are welcome, both heat-treated (steamed is best) and raw. In the latter case, in order to increase their digestibility, the vegetables can be chopped on a fine grater and seasoned with low-fat sour cream or vegetable oil. Among all vegetables, carrots are especially useful for Chihuahua dogs. Carotene, which this vegetable contains in large quantities, has a beneficial effect on the condition of the coat.

You can give your little pet fresh fruit as a treat. Among them, it is better to give preference to apples and bananas.

There are a number of foods that can be included in a Chihuahua’s diet, but you should do this no more than once a week:

• Meat by-products - heart, tongue, liver, lung, kidneys - can be given to dogs, but only in boiled form.
• Chicken meat is given to your pet no more than two or three times a month, exclusively boiled, since raw chicken may contain the dangerous salmonellosis virus. Before serving, it is necessary to remove all bones from the meat, since Chihuahuas can choke on small fragments and remove the skin. Chicken meat should be introduced to dogs' menus with caution, as it is considered quite allergenic.
• Fish – sea fish can be offered to your pet more often – twice a week. It is worth choosing low-fat types; it should be boiled or steamed, thoroughly cleaned of bones.
• Eggs – one egg per week is enough; it is given to the pet in the form of an omelet or boiled and chopped. Can be served on its own or added to other foods. Raw eggs are not recommended.

Prohibited Products

Chihauhuas are special pets that need diet adjustments. What other dogs need is strictly prohibited from being given to these:

• Raw meat - only boiled, or, as a last resort, scalded with boiling water. It is forbidden to give pork (neither raw nor boiled).
• All confectionery products - chocolate, sweets, waffles, etc., must be completely excluded from the diet, since their consumption entails various health problems - disruption of the digestive system, destruction of tooth enamel, as well as development.
• Fried and fatty foods are harmful food not only for this breed, but also for other dogs and even for humans.
• Milk – in some breeds it causes a laxative effect, and Chihuahuas also belong to this category of pets.
• Pollock and river fish - for many reasons they should not be on a dog's menu.

In addition, this group of products also includes nuts, onions, all legumes, salty and spicy foods.

An example of the daily diet of an adult Chihuahua

The amount of food for this small breed is calculated as follows - from 60 to 80 grams of food per 1 kilogram of body weight. Thus, a two-kilogram pet will need an average of 140 grams of ready-made food per day. 65-70% of them should be protein in composition, the remainder consists of all other components.

The answer to the question of how many times a day to feed a Chihuahua is 2 times, divided into morning and evening feeding. And during breaks, it is permissible to treat your four-legged friend with various delicacies - special bones, rye crackers, dry biscuit-type cookies.

The food must be warm, and the pet must have round-the-clock access to drinking water.

A dog's menu might look like this:

• Morning feeding - lean meat (preferably beef, veal) or fish (steamed or boiled), cut into small pieces, with the addition of porridge cooked from rice or buckwheat. The ratio of products should be as follows - three parts meat to one part cereal. You can supplement the dish with grated raw vegetables - zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, seasoned with a teaspoon of sunflower or olive oil.
• Daytime snack - you can give your dog only one product - fresh fruit, kefir or yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese. Sometimes it can be an egg omelet or yolk.
• Evening feeding - meat cooked or cooked in boiling water with stewed or steamed chopped vegetables.

Features of nutrition of dogs bearing offspring and puppies

Naturally, a pregnant animal needs a special diet, as does a nursing mother and her little children. First of all, it is necessary to increase the amount of calcium-rich foods in your pet’s diet - cottage cheese, cheese, apples, cauliflower, rolled oats.

Since during pregnancy a process of protein oversaturation occurs in the dog’s body, it is necessary to remove all meat and fish foods from the expectant mother’s diet a week before giving birth.

What to feed a Chihuahua puppy? From the age of three weeks, puppies can be given meat as food - minced meat from lean beef or veal. For the first time, its quantity should not exceed one pea.

Gradually, the portion must be increased, and within a month the puppy will be able to eat porridge with meat and kefir.

Ready-made food for Chihuahuas

If the owner decides to feed the pet with special food, then this definitely makes the task easier. There is no need to painstakingly calculate the required rate; just look at the table indicated on the package. Using it, you can easily determine the portion for one feeding, knowing only the weight of your little pet.

For such crumbs it is available in the form of small granules (the larger the pet, the larger they will be), which can be given dry or pre-soaked in a small amount of water. It is preferable to give canned food in the form in which it is.

Food made using the latest technologies attracts pets no less than natural products. In addition, manufacturers take into account the balance of nutrients calculated for a specific type of dog and their condition (elderly, young, large, small, bearing puppies, etc.) Therefore, you can be sure that the pet will receive everything necessary for its growth and full development. With this type of feeding, the dog does not need additional vitamin and mineral supplements, since they are already included in the food.

After your pet eats food, only the food remaining in the bowl needs to be removed; dry food can remain there constantly. It does not deteriorate and can retain its properties at room temperature. This is convenient if you don’t have time to wait until the dog is completely satiated.

There are a lot of different companies specializing in the production of dog food. And if you want to give your pet the best, you should opt for well-known brands that are tested by large breeders and belong exclusively to the premium category. This type of food is made from high quality products and enriched with necessary additives. In addition, you can consult with experienced Chihuahua breeders about food. Whatever the owner chooses for his beloved pet, it is important to maintain a balance in nutrition.

The Chihuahua is a small dog that, oddly enough, is prone to gluttony. Therefore, issues of proper nutrition for Chihuahuas must be taken seriously and responsibly. You need to care for your pet with love and feed it in the same way, with tenderness and love.

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Natural puppy diet

Question: “What to feed a Chihuahua?” - one of the most important and needs to be addressed from the very first day of birth of babies. The nutrition of a Chihuahua in the first three weeks of its life, as a rule, does not raise questions for the owner - only mother’s breast milk is present in the diet. But then the time for the first feeding inexorably comes.

The beef scraped off with a sharp knife and fresh cottage cheese are rolled into small balls the size of a match head and literally stuffed into the puppy's mouth - only this way! In the first days, the puppy is given several balls, and then the number and size of the balls gradually increase.

On the thirty-third day of life, dog experts recommend taking the puppy away from its mother, but to maintain immunity, they advise placing the small dog close to the mother 2-3 times a day. This feeding of the Chihuahua continues until the first vaccination, which is given at 2-2.5 months. These manipulations are necessary for the correct formation of the dog’s skeleton. You might think: well, he sucks milk - and let him suck it, what’s wrong with that? Shouldn't you give him dry food? But it's not that simple.

If the menu is not compiled correctly, the pet may develop a deficiency of minerals, which will lead to deformation of the animal’s bones. You should feel them freely, but at the same time they should not visually stick out. If the ribs protrude outward, it means the dog is malnourished. If you can’t feel the bones with your hands, you are overfeeding her.

There is another way you can check how your puppy is eating. To do this, you need to touch his tummy after eating - if it is swollen, but gives in to your pressure, then everything is fine. If your stomach is hard, you've overdone it a little. If you purchase from a kennel, try to write down your dog’s diet, and also find out whether vaccinations were carried out, when worms were removed, and be sure to find out how this was done, so that then, if necessary, you can repeat it at home.

Try to stick to the established diet for the first time. Chihuahuas need to be transitioned to a new diet gradually. By the age of 1.5 months, the puppy should begin to be accustomed to cottage cheese, kefir, bifidok, as well as buckwheat, rice and oatmeal porridge with meat. You can still feed your dog milk. You might ask - why not yet?

The fact is that an adult Chihuahua digests milk very poorly, but a puppy’s body can still cope with this product. But we advise you to give up milk by the third month of life, as this can lead to diarrhea, flatulence and other troubles.

In the second month of life, a Chihuahua puppy should eat six times a day. In the period from two to four months - five meals a day. Until the age of six months, the number of meals should be reduced to four times a day, and by one year - to three meals.

Banned food: what a small pet should not eat

Taboos for this dog include fried foods, hot, sour, salty, and sweet peppers. Eating such food can lead to the appearance of.

Smoked and salty foods lead to increased blood pressure and can lead to kidney disease. Fried foods contain a lot of fat, pepper and salt. You understand that all this is harmful for the Chihuahua.

Sweets that are high in sugar and low in nutrients lead to obesity. In exceptional cases, the dog can be given “sweet treats” (sweet dry food of the super premium type), purchased in special stores for dogs.

Walnuts are generally poisonous for Chihuahuas. They disrupt the metabolism in bone tissue, making dog bones fragile. In addition, the remains of walnuts settle in the bladder in the form of stones.

To summarize, we can say that feeding Chihuahuas walnuts, as well as beans, as well as some types of meat (pork, lamb, horse meat, rabbit), lard, raw fish and any canned food (stewed meat and canned fish). In addition, the diet of an adult Chihuahua dog should not contain milk, sour cream, cheese, fatty cottage cheese and cream.

Consumption of vitamins and microelements

Never give your dog concentrated vitamins or fish oil. Contact a veterinary pharmacy, where they will select a special vitamin complex for you, which is created for puppies. Also, Chihuahua puppies must be given mineral supplements containing calcium gluconate, glycerophosphate, phytin, bone meal and other substances required for the good formation of the dog’s bones and spine.

Such supplements can be brewer's yeast, seaweed, eggshells (crushed) or Irish Cal. Just do not abuse these drugs; an overdose can lead to brittle bones. However, this only applies to Chihuahua puppies; this does not threaten an adult; excess nutrients will simply be washed out of the body.

If your pet is on canned food, then he does not need any pills - all the necessary nutrients are already in the ready-made food. Remember that an overdose of vitamins is a risk of serious diseases in your dog.

Choosing the ideal ready-made food

Canned dog food is a balance of microelements, calories and vitamins. If you decide on this type of food, we recommend that you pay attention to super-premium canned food from manufacturers such as Brit. In addition, we can recommend premium food “RoyalConin”, super premium “Total”, premium “Proplan”, premium “Purina”, super class from Bosch, as well as premium “Hills”, super class from “Nutro”. Chihuahua loves dry food, but we recommend soaking it in hot water. In this form, dry food is better absorbed in the dog’s body.

The dog should not be fed hot or cold food. All food, even dry food for Chihuahuas, should be at room temperature.

If you don’t know what to feed your Chihuahua in the morning, you can give your dog low-fat cottage cheese with finely chopped herbs. Occasionally, you can cook an omelet with a small amount of milk or just give an egg yolk.

During the day, it is recommended to give chopped boiled veal meat or boiled fish. We recommend feeding chicken meat very rarely; Chihuahuas may be allergic to it. In addition to meat, the dog should be given a side dish during the day, for example, it could be boiled rice or buckwheat (but less often, given its high calorie content).

And in conclusion, I would like to give one more piece of advice on how to properly feed and care for your dog: pay attention to your little one, if she is quite athletic and energetic, then adjust her daily diet towards plant-based nutrition. Products of this origin should occupy a third of the daily diet. After all, a Chihuahua dog is a descendant of wolves and in the depths of its tiny soul it still remains a predator and a real superhero, albeit a very small one.

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Video "Rules for feeding large and small Chihuahuas"

In this video we will talk about how to properly prepare a diet for Chihuahua dogs at home, whether it is possible to give your dog ready-made food, and whether premium food is good.

Chihuahuas are distinguished from other dwarf dogs, including terriers, by their good health and balanced disposition. However, the miniature size puts forward special nutritional requirements. High energy coupled with a small stomach volume leads to frequent hypoglycemia. In order not to lead to a coma, you need to know exactly how, what, and when to feed your Chihuahua at home.

Dry food or natural

The difficulty of feeding dwarf dogs is that a small portion needs to contain all the proteins, vitamins, micro- and macroelements they need. Modern industrial feeds cope with this better than natural products. The following arguments support ready-made mixtures:

1. The composition of dry croquettes and wet canned food is balanced taking into account the needs of dwarf breeds.
2. Developers introduce the optimal amount of nutrients into ready-made diets.
3. It is possible to choose hypoallergenic recipes.
4. The vitamin content of regular foods is lower. When feeding naturally, you need to give your dog additional vitamin and mineral complexes.

Proponents of natural nutrition make various arguments in favor of conventional foods. But, as the breeders themselves admit, their “Chihuahuas” became much more energetic after switching to industrial feed.

Even if one brand of formula is not suitable for your dog, you can choose another option. Don't be afraid to buy expensive formulas: toy breeds need little food.

And holistic formulas, with their 100% digestibility, saturate dogs with minimal volume. Granules are used sparingly.

How to choose ready-made food

When feeding with industrial formulas, the basis of the diet should be dry food. To diversify the menu, the dog can be fed wet canned food. It is advisable that they be the same brand. It is better to use holistic and super premium formulas. They are rich in protein, healthy fats, fiber, micro- and macroelements. Special additives protect teeth from tartar formation.

Choose food depending on the age and special needs of your pet. Among the various formulations there are formulas for puppies, adults, pregnant, sterilized, aging dogs. For allergies or sensitivity of the digestive tract, use hypoallergenic granules and canned food.

Check the expiration date of products. Do not accept food in damaged packaging.

Diet from birth to one year

For growth and development, newborn puppies need large amounts of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Up to three weeks, mother's milk provides everything necessary for little Chihuahuas. Then comes the turn of complementary foods.

From 1 to 2 months

In order for the immune system to develop correctly, puppies are recommended to be breastfed until they are two months old. But from three weeks you can gradually give cottage cheese and beef. The meat is scraped off with a knife, rolled into a ball the size of a match head, and pushed into the baby’s mouth. Give several of these balls a day, gradually increasing their number.

Seven weeks after the birth of a Chihuahua puppy, they begin to feed bifidoc and kefir. Little by little they get used to boiled cereals with meat. Use rice, buckwheat, oatmeal. Veterinarians allow puppies to be fed cow's or goat's milk with a fifth of a boiled egg.

If you decide to feed your pet commercial formulas, you can gradually introduce him to small breed puppy kibble. The mixtures are soaked in warm milk or water.

When complementary feeding begins, puppies are fed to the breast once or twice a day. Don't leave nutrition to chance. The abundance of fat in breast milk can distort developing bones. Check your Chihuahua's ribs periodically. Ideally, they are not noticeable, but can be easily felt with a finger. If the puppy has lost weight and the ribs are visible, it means that you need to increase complementary feeding. If the bones cannot be felt, then the pet is overeating.

2–3 months

At 8 weeks, the puppy is weaned and fed six times a day. At this age he is able to eat from a bowl. It is important to stick to the regime and give food in small portions.

Chihuahua breeders offer the following feeding regimen:

Overfeeding is just as dangerous to your health as undernutrition. After feeding, your Chihuahua's belly may swell. If it is soft when pressed, then everything is fine. A hard belly means the puppy is overfed.

3–4 months

At 3 months, you can feed your Chihuahua five times a day. The menu doesn't change. At this age, milk is still digested. Periodically it can be replaced with a mashed egg. Feed your puppy finely chopped boiled meat. It is mixed with rice porridge, but the meat mass should be twice as much.

4–6 months

At four months, Chihuahuas no longer produce milk. It is no longer absorbed and can cause poisoning and diarrhea. By six months the number of feedings is reduced to four times a day.

6 months – year

By 10 months, the frequency of feedings should decrease to 3 times a day.

If the puppy eats natural foods, proteins should predominate in its diet. Otherwise, the diet remains the same, increasingly resembling the diet of an adult dog.

The table shows the approximate daily intake. It needs to be divided by the number of meals. The volume of products is given in grams.

If you are using dry food for your Chihuahua, just follow the manufacturer's recommendations on the back of the package. Feed your pet wet canned food periodically.

Nutrition for an adult dog

When eating “natural” food, the basis of the diet – approximately 70% – should be proteins:

• beef;
• lamb;
• turkey fillet, chicken;
• fish.

Meat must undergo heat treatment. Giblets are given once every seven days, only in boiled form. Chicken sometimes causes allergies, so it is introduced into the diet with caution, no more than once a week.

Choose low-fat fish. It is boiled or steamed. All bones are removed before serving. Eggs are an additional source of proteins. One per week is enough. You can make an omelet from it or give it in crushed form. Consuming it raw can cause intestinal upset.

In addition to proteins, a small amount of cereals, vegetables, and fruits is introduced into the Chihuahua's diet. You should choose fresh, high-quality foods and prepare them separately for your dog. Food from the host's table is not recommended.

Sample menu

An adult dog should be fed in small portions, three times a day. A Chihuahua weighing 1 kilogram is given 80 grams of food per day. For those representatives of the breed whose weight reaches 2 kilograms, the volume of the diet can be increased to 150 grams. To prevent sugar levels from dropping, during breaks you can feed your Chihuahua dog biscuits, biscuits or special bones.

Breakfast should make up half of the entire daily diet. It’s good if by the evening the Chihuahua uses up the calories it received during the day. After dinner, take her outside. But don't hold your breath: toy dogs don't like long walks.

Monitor your bowel movements. Bloating and rumbling indicate that the product is not suitable.

On dry food

If you choose industrial food, immediately accustom your Chihuahua to one formula. Any changes in diet cause digestive upset in the dog. Small breeds eat small portions.

Since dry croquettes swell and take up volume in the stomach, it is advisable to soak them in warm water for 10 minutes before serving.

Do not mix natural food and industrial mixtures. It is no less dangerous to give your pet food from your table. Follow the recommended dosage. If food remains, the daily feeding rate can be reduced. If the dog licks the bowl after eating, the portion can be increased.

Feeding an older dog

With proper care, a Chihuahua can live up to 20 years. From about 8 years of age, animals of dwarf breeds are considered elderly. At this time, it is recommended to switch to lower calorie formulas. Developers of ready-made food take into account age-related changes and add calcium to the recipes to prevent osteoporosis, chondroprotectors for joints, and prebiotics to improve digestion.

As dogs age, they become less active and gain weight faster. Therefore, mixtures marked “senor” contain a minimal amount of fat. At the same time, they contain everything necessary for the health, energy, and longevity of animals.

When eating “natural” food, you need to adhere to the same principles:

• reduce the amount of fatty foods;
• introduce lean varieties of meat and fish into the diet;
• give vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, prebiotics;
• Grind food if your older Chihuahua has dental problems.

Diet for a pet with poor health

The holistic and supremium lines offer formulas for animals with special physiological needs. Whether we are talking about various diseases or hormonal changes in the body during pregnancy, lactation or sterilization, dogs need special food at this time.

Pregnancy, feeding

If the line of the brand that the Chihuahua is accustomed to does not have a separate food for pregnant and lactating females, formulas for dwarf breed puppies are suitable. They are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals - everything that an expectant mother needs.

When breastfeeding, increase the amount of lactic acid products and apples in your diet.

For problems with digestion and kidneys

Depending on the disease, you need to adhere to one or another diet. For pancreatitis, limit protein intake. In case of kidney disease, fish is removed from the diet, as it contains a lot of phosphorus.

If your dog has a sensitive gastrointestinal tract, grains are not recommended. Replace porridge with potatoes.

Dietary food developers take all these features into account. Therefore, sometimes veterinarians switch sick animals to holistic or medicinal formulas.

For allergies

Remove products that cause allergies from your Chihuahua's diet. These can be cereals, chicken, dairy products. Or switch your pet to special hypoallergenic food for dwarf breeds.

After castration, for obesity

Spayed or neutered animals and inactive dogs have a lot in common. Both groups are prone to obesity. Low calorie but high protein foods are available for them. Such formulas give energy and the desire to move actively.

If there is no food for low-active dogs in the line, switch your neutered Chihuahua to a formula for aging pets.

When breastfeeding, reduce the amount of fats and carbohydrates in the diet.

Popular brands

When choosing ready-made mixtures, forget about economy and premium class. It is better to take formulas from the holistic and supremium categories. They occupy the highest place in the ranking of industrial feeds.

Royal Canin

The French manufacturer offers special food for the Chihuahua breed. You can switch to it from 8 months, and feed the dog until the end of its life.

The miniature size of the granules is designed specifically for tiny jaws.

Royal Canin for Chihuahuas contains poultry fillet, rice, and medicinal plant extracts. The percentage of protein in the feed is 28, lipids – 16.

Hills

The American company Hills produces medicinal and daily formulas for animals. Canned food and dry croquettes from the “Perfect Balance” series are suitable for miniature breeds. The Scientific Plan line includes formulas for miniature dogs:

1. Pappy Small and Miniature – for puppies of dwarf breeds.
2. Kanin Adult Small with chicken or turkey for adult Chihuahuas.
3. Adult Fitness Mini for neutered or sedentary small dogs.
4. Kanin Miniature for strengthening the immunity of small breeds.

Proplan

The developers offer the following dry formulas for miniature animals:

1. Proplan Optistart for dwarf breed puppies.
2. Optibalance for adult pets of miniature sizes.
3. Optiage for small breed pets over 9 years old.
4. Optiderm for toy dogs with sensitive skin.
5. Proplan Duo Delis is a wet food for toy breeds.

The line also includes formulas for maintaining a healthy weight and for cleansing the oral cavity. The company offers dog biscuits as a delicacy.

Akana

It is produced by a Canadian company that has been producing food for dogs for several decades and puts forward the highest demands on the quality of raw materials, recipes, and production technology.

Only dry food is sold under the Akana brand. The following formulas are suitable for Chihuahuas:

1. Adult Small Breed with fillet of free-range chickens, flounder, vegetables.
2. Pappy Small Breed for miniature breed puppies.
3. Pacifica with ocean fish fillet, medicinal herbs.
4. Senior Dog for elderly pets.
5. Sport and Agility for sedentary or neutered animals.

Must-have products

If a dog eats natural foods, its menu should always include the following products:

• beef;
• fillets of sea fish, except pollock;
• chicken fillet;
• turkey;
• eggs in the form of an omelet;
• oatmeal;
• buckwheat;
• low-fat cottage cheese;
• bifidokefir;
• fermented baked milk;
• boiled vegetables;
• raw fruits.

Food must be subjected to heat treatment: steamed or boiled. Any bones or veins are removed. Meat and fish are cut into small pieces or ground.

Forbidden food

The Chihuahua's digestive tract is highly sensitive.

• fatty meat, which leads to cirrhosis of the liver;
• river fish;
• any bones;
• legumes – cause bloating, flatulence;
• confectionery products - lead to obesity, damage teeth, cause lacrimation;
• salted, peppered, smoked – harms the kidneys;
• nuts – provoke the formation of stones in the bladder;
• onions - leads to anemia;
• cabbage, as it causes stomach cramps;
• milk – provokes diarrhea.

Give your dog filtered or still mineral water. It is not recommended to drink boiled or tap water.

Permitted delicacies

You can add vegetables and fruits to your Chihuahua's diet:

• cucumbers;
• fresh tomatoes;
• watermelon pieces;
• pear slices;
• grated apple;
• grape;
• currants;
• mashed banana.

As a delicacy, use mineral bones to cleanse your teeth and dog biscuits.

Vitamin and mineral supplements

Super-premium and holistic-class industrial feeds already contain all the nutrients necessary for small breeds.

When breastfeeding, Chihuahuas should be given additional vitamin complexes.

It could be:

• 8 in 1 Excel Small Breed for dwarf breeds;
• Happy Dog Hair Special Forte for beautiful coat;
• 8 in 1 Excel Glucosamine for cartilage health;
• 8 in 1 Excel Pappy - multivitamins for puppies.

Chihuahuas do not need concentrated vitamins or fish oil. Overdosing on minerals can lead to brittle bones, so consult your veterinarian before taking any supplements. He will help you choose the most suitable complex.

The Chihuahua is a miniature and very active dog. To ensure such mobility, it must be fed accordingly. The dog's diet must be balanced, which is taken into account in super premium food. The article discusses the question of what to feed a Chihuahua: what foods can be given, what ready-made food is better, what cannot be fed.

Natural pet diet

In order for a dog to grow up healthy and cheerful, you need to properly care for it and know what to feed your Chihuahua at home.

The Chihuahua's diet should contain proteins of plant and animal origin, carbohydrates, fats, and it should also contain the required amount of minerals (calcium, phosphorus) and vitamins.

Meat forms the basis of the Chihuahua menu. Suitable meats include lean beef, veal, and horse meat. The meat should be given either raw or scalded with boiling water. Your pet's menu should definitely include porridge from the following cereals: rolled oats, rice and buckwheat.

Any vegetables can be given. It is advisable to give them raw, as in this case they contain more vitamins. But you can stew and boil vegetables. It is advisable to grate raw vegetables and add half a teaspoon of sunflower oil or sour cream. The most beneficial for Chihuahuas are carrots, which contain carotene, which improves the condition of the animal’s coat, and essential oils.

Fruits, especially apples and bananas, will be a treat for Chihuahuas. You can feed your pet offal, you can cook kidneys, liver, heart for them. By-products should be given once a week, not more often. Your pet's diet may contain sea fish, which should be given no more than 2 times a week. It should be boiled and boneless.

You can add raw quail eggs to the menu 2 times a week. Adult dogs can be given low-fat kefir and calcined cottage cheese.

Food taboo: what should not be given?

It is important to know not only what you can give to your pet, but also what you cannot feed your Chihuahua.

Some types of foods are not recommended for Chihuahua dogs, as they can negatively affect their health:

Water is a real problem for Chihuahuas. You cannot drink tap water, as well as boiled water. Mineral water without gas or water passed through a filter will do.

Vitamins and microelements in the Chihuahua diet

Little “Chihuahuas” need additional vitamin and mineral supplements if they are fed natural food rather than super premium food.

Vitamins should not be given in concentrated form. In order not to harm the animal, when asking what vitamins and microelements it needs, it is better to contact a veterinarian. He will prescribe the necessary vitamin and mineral complex, which can be purchased at a veterinary pharmacy. Instructions for use are included with all medications.

Small dogs need mineral supplements containing calcium gluconate, bone meal, phytin, glycerophosphate and other substances that contribute to the formation of the skeleton.

These drugs include drugs like Irish Cal. You can give seaweed with calcium, crushed egg shells, brewer's yeast. It is better to consult a doctor about the dosage, as an overdose can make bones brittle, which can lead to broken limbs. An overdose is dangerous for puppies; in adults, excess minerals are simply washed out of the body.

If your pet is on super premium dry food, then all the necessary minerals and vitamins are contained in the food. Therefore, the dog does not need additional vitamins, and an overdose of vitamins can cause serious disorders in the dog’s body.

Choosing the ideal ready-made food

If you feed your Chihuahua with ready-made food, then you need to select super-premium food that contains all the useful substances. The amount that should be given to the dog is stated in the instructions for the food printed on the packaging. The table shows the required amount of food taking into account the age, weight and size of the dog.

There are two types of ready-made food: dry and wet in the form of canned food. They are made from high quality meat products. Dry food is available in granular form. They can be given either dry or soaked. To do this, the granules need to be moistened with boiled water and given to the dog when cooled to room temperature.

The dog must eat the food prepared in this way within 10 minutes; it cannot be given again. Dry food can be kept in the bowl all the time without spoiling. The advantage of dry food is that it helps remove tartar, which is a problem for Chihuahuas.

Canned food can be fed neat or mixed with herbal supplements or added to dry food. Wet food should not be left, it must be put in the refrigerator so that it does not spoil. Feed should be given at room temperature.

Modern ready-made super premium food is balanced and contains all the necessary nutrients. You don’t have to worry about your pet, as he will receive everything his body needs. When choosing food, you need to consider what dogs it is intended for. There are dietary foods that are prescribed for dogs with health problems.

Below are some of the best super premium foods:

• Nutra Gold;
• Belcando;
• Bosch;
• 1st Choice;
• Almo Nature;
• Hill's;
• Purina;
• Orijen.

There is a large selection of different companies that produce ready-made animal feed. If you care about your pets, then you should purchase food only from trusted super premium manufacturers.

When purchasing food for a Chihuahua, it is better to consult a breeder or veterinarian. It is important to decide on the manufacturer and buy food only from this company. Therefore, it must be widespread enough so that it can always be purchased. If the food is replaced, this may negatively affect the health of the pet.

Adult and young Chihuahuas should be fed according to a schedule, puppies more often, adults twice a day: morning and evening. It is contraindicated to feed your pet too late, before bedtime. For an older dog, feeding once a day will be enough, but feeding a Chihuahua three times a day is also possible, it depends on the animal itself.

To prevent your pet from being picky about food, you need to make sure that he does not know any other food other than what is in his bowl. That is, he should not be given any other tasty food. If a specific type of super premium industrial feed is selected, it should not be changed.

A Chihuahua's daily diet should contain:

• proteins;
• fats;
• minerals;
• carbohydrates;
• vitamins.

The best option for feeding a Chihuahua would be a ready-made, balanced super-premium food containing all the substances necessary for the dog’s body. If you take good care of your Chihuahua and feed it properly, the dog will be cheerful and active.

Chihuahua dogs should eat well, but not overeat, as they are often prone to obesity. Fasting is a great danger for dogs of toy breeds, as they are prone to hypoglycemia.

Video “Elsa – Chihuahua: about the breed and care”

This video from Shima bty talks about the Chihuahua Elsa: her character, habits, preferences. It also provides general information about the Chihuahua dog breed: how to care for it and what to feed it.

The Chihuahua is both a tiny dog ​​and a very balanced breed compared to other representatives of dwarf dogs.

It is very rare that you will see a hysterical dog of this majestic breed.

It is not for nothing that such small dogs are compared to courageous warriors of short stature.

The natural Chihuahua is very beautiful and has a proud appearance. Although the Chihuahua is a small dog, he considers himself equal to you.

Let's figure out what is best to feed a Chihuahua, what food is suitable for a Chihuahua, and what vitamins to give preference at home.

Until the 3rd week is over, everything is simple: only mother’s milk! Then it’s time for the puppies’ first feeding.

Now cottage cheese is perfect for the puppy, as well as beef, which must be scraped off with a knife and rolled into a ball the size of a match head.

All this is pushed into the puppy’s mouth. You need several pieces per day, increasing the size and quantity over time.

Dog experts advise separating a puppy from its mother on the thirty-third day, but to maintain the immune system until almost two to two and a half months (the time of the first vaccinations), it is better to apply the puppies to the bitch’s nipples once or twice a day.

Why not leave feeding your Chihuahua uncontrolled: let them eat as much as they want until they refuse? For the benefit of the puppies themselves.

Their growing bones can be deformed by excess fat found in their mother's milk. To prevent this from happening during artificial feeding, you can check by touch.

You should be able to easily feel the ribs; they do not visually protrude, but are covered with a small layer of fat.

If the ribs are visible, the puppies are malnourished; when they cannot be felt, the puppies are overfed.

Another way to see if you are overfeeding your puppy is to feel his belly. If after feeding it swells, but gives in when pressed, everything is normal. When a dog has a hard tummy, you have overfed it.

When the puppy was bought from the nursery, completely rewrite its previous diet (at the same time, check what vaccinations were given, what and when the worms were poisoned with), at first it is better to maintain such feeding of the Chihuahua.

The transition to a new diet at home should be gradual.

When, he should receive food 6 times a day, 2-4 - 5 times a day.

Up to 6 months, meals are reduced to 4 times a day, per year - up to three times a day.

At 1.5 months the dog is accustomed to the following foods:

• kefir;
• bifidocus;
• cottage cheese;
• oatmeal;
• rice and buckwheat (with meat).

At 3 months the dog eats the same thing; milk can still be given, the body still absorbs it.

At 4 months it is correct to stop giving milk, otherwise the dog will get diarrhea, flatulence and other troubles with such food.

What to give? Vegetables, cereals or meat, or dry food? How much food can you give per day?

This question will arise when a baby dog ​​stops drinking breast milk: what is the right thing to give – dry food or natural food?

Everywhere there are advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of canned food is the balance of microelements and calories, vitamins. Which one should I take?

Royal Canin, Hills, Proplan, Purina and so on are perfect. Dry food should be soaked in hot water (you can use warm water, the instructions say this). Swollen food is digested easier and faster.

When you want to change food, watch how the dog and its stomach react to the new food over the course of 5-7 days.

If you feed dry food, then you don’t have to give vitamins - it contains everything. However, it is much easier for a dog to take natural food. You can give canned food and regular foods. When the owner gives “live” food, it should be remembered that the puppy needs vitamins and other supplements.

Once a day, for example, you can give him vitamin D - 0.5 ml per 1 kg of weight. Beef, fish, egg yolk, banana and apple...

When you choose a natural diet for your dog, you need to include a wide variety of foods:

• First of all, meat. Beef, chicken, turkey. The poultry should be finely chopped, raw minced beef should be poured with hot water for a while;
• Do not, under any circumstances, give your puppy a bone. At least until all the teeth have appeared;
• fish can be given boiled or raw, as well as cut into pieces or ground. It is recommended to do this 1-2 times a week. Exclude fatty fish, pollock, as well as sea and river species;
• 2 times a week you need to mix egg yolk into the food. The yolk must be boiled to avoid infection with salmonellosis;
• Among fruits, give preference to apples and bananas. Apples must be wiped, and bananas must be mashed with a fork. By the way, it is an excellent cure for diarrhea.

Do not give concentrated vitamin supplements! No fish oil needed. In a veterinary pharmacy you can choose a complex that is created specifically for Chihuahua puppies, for example. It contains detailed instructions.

You need mineral supplements that contain bone meal, phytin, and other substances necessary for good formation of bone tissue and the spine.

You can get more detailed advice in the Chihuahua sections of kennel clubs.

Avoid overdoses, which can cause bone fragility or limb fractures.

This is not scary for an adult dog: all excess minerals are easily washed out of its body.

Nutrition for an adult dog

An adult dog needs food 2 times a day - morning and evening. During breaks, you can throw her a special biscuit for dogs, biscuits or ox skin bones, pig ears, and give her fruit.

In hot weather, it is advisable to reduce your pet's meals to once.

Elderly pets can be fed three times a day. This is a completely normal diet for old Chihuahuas. Sometimes your pet may not eat all day, but this is normal: dogs don’t always have a good appetite either.

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