What Is The Best Dog Food For My Chihuahua
As you have already learned, the Chihuahua is a toy breed which means that he needs a nutrient-dense dog food that will meet his needs for energy. The best way to ensure that these needs are met is to select a toy-breed specific formula. When you start shopping, however, you shouldnt just by the first toy-breed formula you find you still need to check the ingredients list and the guaranteed analysis to make sure that the product uses high-quality ingredients. A product that relies heavily on plant-based ingredients may be cheaper but it wont offer the same quality of nutrition as a recipe made with animal-based ingredients. Below you will find reviews for several high-quality dog food formulas that could be a good choice for your Chihuahua:
Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Peas, Rice BranKey Features :
Healthy Ingredients : Turkey breast, turkey liver, kale, carrots, lentilsKey Features :
Healthy Ingredients : Venison, Lamb Meal, Garbanzo Beans, Peas, LentilsKey Features :
Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Whole GroundKey Features :
Healthy Ingredients : Chicken, Chicken Meal , Chickpeas, Turkey Meal, TapiocaKey Features :
Tip #: Inform Yourself Before You Get Another Dog
Getting a new furry family member is always exciting. But dont get caught up in all the excitement just yet
First, get to know what the potential new member is like. You can either choose a breed that goes along well with Chihuahuas or get a mixed breed from a shelter.
Whatever you settle for, do your research beforehand.
The Best Dog Treats For Chihuahuas
As obesity is a big concern for the Chihuahua breed, you should avoid giving your dog too many treats so that they can maintain a healthy weight.
In particular sugary treats can be particularly dangerous for a breed prone to weight gain and hypoglycemia. If you do want to spoil your pup, you can try giving them bananas without the peels.
Bananas make an awesome low-cholesterol, low-sodium, low-calorie treat.
They are also packed full of fiber, copper, magnesium, vitamins, potassium, and biotin, all of which are good for your breed!
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Ii What Should You Look For In Chihuahua Dog Food
According to the AKC , Chihuahuas should weigh no more than 6 pounds.
Now, its no surprise that dogs this small wont be capable of wolfing down piles of food in a single sitting.
Despite this, you might not realize that Chihuahuas actually need more calories relative to body weight than larger dogs.
For a regular dog, a diet delivering roughly 30 calories for each pound of body weight is generally considered ideal. This would mean a 6-pound dog needs at least 150 calories per day. To put that into perspective, an adult female human needs 2000 calories daily, a male 2500 calories.
Making adjustments for activity levels, most dogs of this weight need nearer 250 calories per day.
Like all small breeds and toy breeds, Chihuahuas have rapid metabolisms. These dogs will burn off meals in a matter of a few hours.
Now, unless you address their dietary needs, a Chihuahua can easily develop low blood sugar. In puppies especially, this can be dangerous and even fatal.
You might be asking yourself what this means in terms of the way you need to feed your chi so you can avoid these negative outcomes and set him up with the strongest foundation for life.
In sum, you need to make certain his energy requirements are being met along with delivering him all the vital nutrients he needs. By sticking with one of the best dog foods for Chihuahuas we review today, that will be taken care of for you.
Heres what you should look out for on the buying trail:
- Label
- Meat
What Is The Recommended Caloric Intake For Chihuahuas
Your Chihuahuas caloric intake will depend on different factors. Namely, these factors are age, current weight vs. ideal weight, metabolism, activity level, and any health issues. Suppose you want the exact and appropriate amount of calories to feed your dog. In that case, you may consult your veterinarian and discuss whats the best approach in feeding your precious pup. But for general guidelines, the recommended caloric intake for a typical 5-pound Chihuahua is 200 calories.
For more information, there are also feeding guidelines for specific body weights found at the back of dog food packaging. In puppies, its suggested to provide them 3-4 meals a day, while for adult Chihuahuas, its 2-3 meals a day. Divide the number of meals by the recommended calorie intake per day, and you should get the desired serving for each meal.
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Best Grain Free Chihuahua Puppy Food
Allergies are one of the top three most common health problems in purebred dogs. Often these allergies are caused or worsened by foods, especially grains.
If you think your puppy may have an allergy, it is best to consult with your vet.
Fortunately, there are many options available of wholesome commercial foods that cater to grain free or limited ingredient diet needs.
Here are a few of our favorites.
What Do Chihuahuas Drink
Water. Always make sure your chihuahua has plenty of clean water available throughout the day and night. You may locate that in case you are feeding your chihuahua dry meals they will drink slightly more water than in the event that they were eating a wet food eating regimen. Tap water is perfectly fine, as is any form of still bottled water.
It isnt always a right concept to feed your chihuahua another liquids, specifically teas, espresso or sugary liquids as they are able to include caffeine and xylitol which, as we discussed earlier, can be extraordinarily harmful to your pup.
As with all breeds of dog, chihuahuas need to now not receive cows milk as it is able to reason sickness and diarrhoea. Dogs digestive structures are not designed to digest cows milk as they are lactose intolerant, that is a not unusual digestive problem wherein the frame is unable to digest lactose, a kind of sugar particularly located in milk and dairy products.
Signs your chihuahua isnt getting a healthy, balanced, nutritional weight loss plan:
Soft food can every now and then get stuck amongst their teeth, whereas difficult food might be bitten into small bits and swallowed before it will become tender.
Brushing your chihuahuas tooth once a day can help save you dental troubles from arising or escalating. Check out our article on How To Look After Your Chihuahuas Teeth for greater statistics.
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Artificial Flavors Colors And Other Non
Dogs dont see color as humans do and dont really care what color their food is.
So, artificial color is more for attracting human buyers and not very necessary at all.
Flavor should come from freshness and be tasty enough so that nothing more need be added. Artificial flavor is not needed nor are preservatives.
In fact, a Chihuahuas sensitive stomach can really be hurt by preservatives.Bone meal is quite unnecessary but meat meal is an acceptable source of protein.
Orijen Puppy Dry Dog Food
- Chicken and brown rice
- 4 pounds
- Adult dogs
The penultimate Chihuahua food on our shortlist today comes from Orijen. This formula is designed to meet the needs of small breed puppies. What do you get in the package, then?
This is the chicken and brown rice flavor that should appeal to most dogs. Of the multiple sizes up for grabs, this is compact 4.4-pound bag, ideal if you have limited space for storing large packages of dog food.
The recipe contains fully 85% of animal ingredients, so youre giving your Chihuahua a healthy whole food diet that should get him living to a ripe old age.
The food is packed with organs, bone, meat, and cartilage from animals, all beneficial for baby Chihuahuas.
What you feed any dog is important, but with volatile small breeds like the Chihuahua, this is doubly important. Place your trust in an industry expert and treat your baby pooch to the tastiest food imaginable, and food that caters for all his nutritional needs.
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Your Chihuahuas Nutritional Needs
Chihuahuas are high-energy level dogs that are constantly active and burning calories. Therefore, their diet should reflect their needs for them to live a healthy and happy life.
The information listed here is meant to be used as a guide for reference. If you have any doubts or confusion, always consult a veterinarian. They will be able to assess your dogs needs based on its age and current condition to provide a better answer for you.
What Does Your Chihuahua Like To Eat
- 541 views
Like humans, chihuahuas want a healthful, balanced food regimen with masses of vitamins to preserve properly fitness and wellbeing. Although not liable to many illnesses, chihuahuas, like another dog breed, can be liable to malnutrition, obesity, hair loss, dental issues or even diabetes if they are living on a negative weight-reduction plan.
As with humans, too many treats and too bigger portion size can easily cause turning into overweight or even becoming obese. Chihuahuas are the smallest breed of dog and it is very smooth to overfeed them.
Your chihuahua will depend upon you for food and snacks so it is continually really useful to be aware about the sorts and the quantity of meals, vitamins and treats which you are giving them.
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Rachel Ray Small Dog Formula
- No poultry by-product meal, filler, wheat, or wheat gluten…
- Natural dog food with added vitamins & minerals
If you click the link above and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
This is also made with smaller kibble that is the perfect size for smaller dogs and is full of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids that keep his coat healthy and looking shiny. It supports high energy smaller dogs and it lists carrots and cranberries in the ingredients, and it is these antioxidant ingredients that provide him with the good stuff he needs to maintain a healthy oxidative state, as well as a healthy digestive system.
We love that the first ingredient is U.S farm raised chicken, so not only is it rich in protein but it is also ethically sourced protein.
Nutrients For Senior Chihuahuas
Many dog owners underestimate the power of good nutrition, and they do not realize that poor quality kibble can actually do a lot of harm to their beloved pet, so it is really important that you give yours the very best. This is especially true for senior dogs, as dogs have different nutritional requirements as they age.
As your chihuahua gets older, youll want to make sure that you monitor their weight. Older chihuahuas are known for eating in excess and becoming more sedentary. While their joints and hips wont be as susceptible to injury as larger breeds, its still good to make sure that the food you feed your senior contains glucosamine and additional antioxidants to keep your elderly Chihuahua healthy.
If possible, make sure to rotate some pet-friendly fruits and vegetables into the food rotation for your older chihuahua. Adding this will help keep your pups diet fresh, add additional vitamins and minerals while giving your pup additional fiber that may not be available to them just by eating food. Its quite possible as your pup ages, that your vet will recommend a higher fiber content food as well.
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Chihuahua Puppy Feeding Progression
So, whats the best food for Chihuahua puppies at different stages?
If youve purchased your Chihuahua puppy from a breeder they can also advise on the amount and type of food the puppy is used to eating. Its best to continue with the same food and frequency your puppy has been eating at the breeders. If you want to make changes, wait at least 2 weeks, and then gradually taper onto the new food while tapering off the old food.
Up until 12 or 13 weeks, the American Kennel Club recommends feeding moist food. At around 12 or 13 weeks, you can start gradually introducing dry, unmoistened food.
Chihuahuas should be fed puppy-specific food until 9 months of age. At 9 months, or possibly 10 for males since they grow more slowly, they can gradually transition from puppy food to adult food.
Ingredients To Look For
Next, lets take a look at the different ingredients that you should look for in your dogs food.
There are some key ingredients and food groups that you should look for in your dogs dog food to ensure that they have a healthy diet that allows them to lead a happy life.
The first thing that you need to look for is protein. Just as with humans, protein is key for a healthy lifestyle as it provides energy and allows for healthy muscle mass.
Small dogs, like the chihuahua, are prone to gaining weight incredibly quickly so protein is the best way for your dog to have a healthy amount of energy without gaining weight.
Protein also helps make your dog feel full after every meal and ensures that they do not eat food unnecessarily.
As well as protein, you should also look for a dog food that includes lots of carbohydrates to ensure that your dog has enough energy for its busy lifestyle.
Finally, there are some things that you should look for that will supplement your dogs diet.
It is good to look for dog food that contains vitamins and minerals, and also probiotics. Additionally, you should look for dog foods that contain omega fatty acids.
All of these supplements will benefit your dogs health in different ways, for example, probiotics will help your dogs immune system and gut health, and omega fatty acids will keep your dogs skin and coat healthy.
So it is best to look out for things like this when you are buying dog food.
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How To Know You’re Giving Your Chihuahua The Best Dog Food
Remember how we said in the introduction to this article that no 2 dog breeds are alike when you’re shopping for dog food? So what do Chihuahuas eat?
To make this point more clear, Chihuahuas are one of the smallest dog breeds on earth, weighing at an average of 10 lbs and standing at an average of 10 inches tall.
You wouldn’t go ahead and feed your Chihuahua the same dog food that worked when it came to feeding your 50 lbs Labrador Retriever now, would you?
It just doesn’t make any sense. Your Chihuahua would need somewhere around 400 calories during a day, while your 50 lbs Labrador Retriever might need somewhere around 1500 calories during a day. See the difference?
While there are different Chihuahuas out there with different ages levels of activities, different metabolisms and different activity levels , the average Chihuahua needs just about 400 calories every day.
When it comes to choosing the best dog food for your Chihuahua, you’re going to have to fight off a whole lot of hype and marketing noise that couldn’t be any farther from the truth. Some brands want you to believe that the higher price you’re paying for a certain dog food, the better suited it is for your Chihuahua, but that’s not always the case.
Even if the premium dog food at hand is high quality in and of itself, it might not be the best option to feed your Chihuahua.
Nulo Small Breed Dry Dog Food
- Seafood
- 11 pounds
- Adult dogs
As we near the end of our quest for the best dog food for Chihuahuas, we have a superb offering from Nulo thats designed with the exigencies of small breeds firmly in mind.
The first thing to note is that this is a seafood flavor. If your dog isnt partial to fishy foods, you might want to rethink. This is a large 11-pound bag, so it makes sense not to take a chance unless youre confident Rover will lap it up.
Made in Texas in the US, this is a grain-free recipe that has no corn, soy, white potatoes, or wheat. There are no artificial preservatives or flavors either, giving you an all-natural extravaganza created with your chis needs uppermost.
Thanks to the small pieces of kibble, your Chihuahua wont need to chew much and he should find his digestion is optimized.
This recipe doesnt contain too many carbs, so it can work to effectively manage your small dogs weight, something thats absolutely critical.
The patented probiotic laced into this formula ensures that Fidos gut health is fully catered for and completes a winning package from an industry heavyweight.
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Choosing A Dog Food For Chihuahuas With Health Problems
Chihuahuas are a generally healthy breed, with many of these small dogs living longer than 15 years.
However, Chihuahuas can develop lifestyle-related health issues due to their impressive longevity, especially in their senior years. This includes obesity, diabetes, and arthritis.
To keep your dog healthy, focus on food made from high-quality ingredients. You will also want to feed this high-energy breed small portions of food frequently.
Foods that contain chondroitin or glucosamine can help to ward off joint problems, like luxating patellas.
They also can battle skin and coat-related issues, which are sometimes caused by food allergies.
High protein diets containing no allergens, like corn, wheat, or soy, will help you avoid some of these common health concerns.
Foods high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids will also assist in promoting a healthy coat.
Chihuahuas are also prone to dental issues, in which case kibble or semi-dry foods are best for this breed they will help clean the teeth while your dog eats.