These small dogs are very popular all over the world. It is unlikely that there will be someone who will remain indifferent to these tiny and cute creatures. Many believe that the modest dimensions of dogs mean only one feeding per day. This opinion is extremely erroneous. Little friends need a frequent and balanced diet. Therefore, every future owner of the dog should know everything about how to feed a chihuahua and how to regulate his diet.
Important nuances of feeding
High-quality food of a pet is a guarantee of its health and good mood. A complete Chihuahua food should include the vitamins and minerals necessary for its development. You can feed the dog with natural products or ready-made food, which is sold in pet stores. If the choice fell on feeding live food, care should be taken to supplement the diet with mineral supplements. Even if the pet's menu is precisely balanced, it will be very difficult to calculate the right amount of vitamins in his food. Therefore, you need to add special tablets to meat and cereals that will make up for the lack of nutrients.
If there is no time for daily thoughts on what to feed the Chihuahua, you can choose the option of eating ready-made dry food. This is very convenient, since it is already well balanced with all the necessary trace elements, is stored for a long time and is easily dosed. The required daily serving of food is always written on the package. When determining the daily feed rate, you should always pay attention to the weight of the dog. This norm should be divided into several meals. If you pour the entire portion at once into the bowl, the Chihuahua’s stomach will not digest it properly and the dog will feel discomfort. Thinking about how to feed a Chihuahua from the products of a pet store, you need to choose only premium food.
Chihuahua feeding schedule
Dog food should be at room temperature, and the water in the drinker is always clean. Change the water daily by washing the bowl before each change with a soaped sponge. Chihuahuas can be very moody and choosy about food. Therefore, do not indulge their desires to eat something tasty from the master's table. When feeding ready-made food, their diet should not be mixed with natural products.
Veterinarians recommend feeding an adult Chihuahua 2-3 times a day. The puppy needs to eat more often - from 6 to 8 times a day. After each meal, the bowl of food must be removed. A few hours later, when the time comes for the next feeding, a hungry dog will eat the entire portion of the proposed food. If she persistently refuses food, you should contact your veterinarian - maybe the pet is sick. The doctor always knows how much a chihuahua eats during an illness. Therefore, he will quickly determine the cause of the ailment and help establish a pet's appetite.
Bowls with food and water should not stand on the floor, but on a special stand, which is adjusted to the level of the chest of the animal. Thus, the spine of the dog will not be subjected to unnecessary stress.
Useful and natural products for chihuahua
Proteins, carbohydrates and vegetable fats should be in the diet of every dog. Also, the body of a Chihuahua no less than the human needs mineral and vitamin supplements. Every day, the pet should eat meat, which several times a week is allowed to be replaced with fish or liver. Many owners of these dogs doubt whether Chihuahua can have a liver. However, these doubts are absolutely groundless. The liver is a very healthy product that is saturated with a huge amount of nutrients.
How to feed your pet with natural food
Before you feed the chihuahua chicken fillet, it should be boiled. The rest of the meat can be given to the dog raw. No need to give your little friend chicken eggs more than 1 time per week. Serve them only in boiled form. Of cereals, it is recommended to give preference to rice, buckwheat or millet. You can mix cereals with sour-milk products: fermented baked milk, homemade cottage cheese, kefir or natural yogurt.
Chihuahua vegetables must first be boiled. Some owners doubt whether Chihuahua can be raw carrots. Yes, it’s quite possible to give the dog this raw vegetable, chopped on a grater. You need to fill the carrots with sour cream or sunflower oil. Fruits for the dog must be selected only the freshest. To make the dog more comfortable to eat them, you need to finely cut into cubes. The most useful fruits for chihuahuas are considered bananas and apples.
What can not feed a pet
Not all natural foods are suitable for small friends. Among the prohibited foods for chihuahua are the following products:
- Fatty fish and meat. Fat adversely affects the digestion of the dog, so meat must be lean for feeding. For a chihuahua diet, it is advisable to choose beef.
- Pollock. This variety of fish violates the normal process of assimilation of products containing iron. It also provokes the appearance of urolithiasis.
- Sausage. Due to the huge amount of harmful additives, this product is not recommended for human consumption.
- Nuts. They, like pollock, will contribute to the appearance of stones in the urinary tract.
- All kinds of legumes. Only cramping and bloating will cause.
- Paprika. Increase the risk of possible gastritis.
- Onion.
- Whole milk. Many owners do not even think about whether Chihuahua can milk. While it causes pain and flatulence in the dog’s stomach.
- Various sweets. Ice cream, sweets, chocolate - all these harmful products attract dogs very much. Do not succumb to the temptation to please a doggie tasty. From such a meal they will have a stomach ache and digestive problems.
In addition, the chihuahua food must not be allowed to be too hot or cold. Having prepared the dog meat or fish, you need to remove all the bones from them so that the pet does not choke.
What should be the daily diet
When compiling a daily diet, it is worth remembering that the daily dose of food is 50-80 g per 1 kg of dog weight. An adult Chihuahua who weighs about 2 kg should eat 100-160 g of wholesome food per day. The daily dose must be divided into 3 parts, so that 2/3 of the proteins. The rest of the diet should contain plant foods.
Those who decide to feed the pet with natural food can stick to the following menu:
- Breakfast: low-fat cottage cheese mixed with finely chopped herbs and fruits.
- Lunch: boiled fish or porridge with vegetables.
- Dinner: boiled lean meat with stewed vegetables.
In the evening, chihuahuas are best fed with light foods that are quickly digested. If you feed the dog just before bedtime, the products do not have time to assimilate in the stomach. Then the pet can suffer from bloating and gas all night.
Pregnant Chihuahua Eating
It is not surprising that many are breeding these beautiful creatures. A pregnant chihuahua should eat according to a special regimen that will promote the growth and health of her babies. The first month of gestation does not require adjustment in nutrition. You can then add more raw meat and egg yolks to your Chihuahua diet. Do not forget about the required amount of vitamins A, B1, E, D. They should be given to the dog from the very beginning of pregnancy.
If the litter is supposed to be large, you need to supplement the Chihuahua menu with calcium, and also try to feed a large number of dairy products. The source of valuable protein will be marine fish. It must be cooked to such an extent that all bones are softened.
Feeding a dog with ready-made food
Not all owners have enough free time to cook something that a Chihuahua loves, several times a day. Therefore, many choose dry food for its nutrition. This is an excellent solution, since it will not be necessary to supplement the dog's diet with vitamins and minerals - they are already included in the feed. It is easy to dose to the daily rate, store in reserve, and it does not spoil in the heat at all, as is often the case with natural dishes. Having poured a little food into the bowl in the morning, you can safely go to work without worrying that the pet will eat the missing product after a few hours.
In the market you can find a huge number of different dog foods. Of these, you need to choose only one that is suitable for small dog breeds. You can not take cheap feed with a poor composition. Thinking about how to feed a chihuahua, it is advisable to consult a veterinarian to choose the best and best quality food option for your pet.
What is important to know about dry food
Feeding with dry food not only provides the pet with all the necessary vitamins and minerals, but also prevents the appearance of tartar. Gnawing hard granules daily, the animal prevents the development of gum disease. You just need to choose the optimal size of the granules and make sure that the Chihuahua dog likes their taste.
Dry food contains many useful substances that activate the immune system and form its protective properties. Due to the variety of ready meals for dogs, you can choose the food that best suits the needs of a small chihuahua. Do not give in to advertisements and buy the most popular feed. Usually it is not of good quality. Manufacturers who produce a truly useful product do not need widespread advertising of their products.
Canned Food For Chihuahua
With either of the two possible nutritional options, hosts sometimes feed their canned Chihuahua dogs. It is convenient to take them with you on a trip, they do not take up much space in a travel bag, you do not need to dose a portion or worry that the dog will not like the food. Chihuahuas simply adore canned food and always will not mind tasting such a treat.
This food, like dry food, is saturated with all the necessary vitamins and nutrients. Therefore, do not worry about the balanced diet of a Chihuahua. Of course, this condition is only feasible if canned food is not cheap, and their production is fully approved by the association of veterinarians.
What supplements does a dog need?
When feeding natural food, care should be taken to ensure that the dog receives all the vitamins and minerals necessary for a healthy life. Conventional foods are deficient in nutrients. Therefore, the diet of a chihuahua must be supplemented with the following additives:
- Vitamin A. It is found in large quantities in the liver and fish.
- Vitamin D. It is abundant in chicken yolks and meat.
- Vitamin C. To supplement it in the diet of a Chihuahua you need to add more herbs and vegetables.
- B vitamins. It can be obtained from raw meat.
If the dog doesn’t get the beneficial substances from food, you can make up for their shortage with vitamins, which you can buy at a veterinary pharmacy. Tablets need to be dosed strictly according to the instructions and mix the pet with food.