How to feed a Chihuahua?

The breed of miniature centenarians is quite popular among novice and experienced dog breeders. Chihuahua can delight its owners for about 20 years. The exact lifespan of a pet is highly dependent on nutrition. Curious dogs are very active, so it is important to provide them with enough nutrients. A complete diet will protect the animal from many diseases.

Comfortable living conditions are the key to a long life and good health of the dog. There are certain rules for caring for representatives of this breed.

1. The food should be lukewarm. Do not put food from the refrigerator or just from the stove into the bowl.
2. It is better to change water 2-3 times a day. Use only clean, filtered. The dog must always have access to the bowl.
3. During the summer heat, feed your dog once a day.
4. You can not treat your pet from the table with food that people eat. The spices in it can disrupt the work of internal organs.
5. You need to feed your pet at the same time and in one place.
6. Give your dog food after walks and active play when he gets hungry. If you take proper care of the animal, follow the rules of walking and playing, then all the food will benefit.
7. The daily allowance must be divided into several doses. The exact number of feedings depends on the age of the dog.
8. If the animal licks an empty bowl for a long time, it is not full. If food remains, overfeed. The latter can lead to obesity and disruption of the musculoskeletal system.
9. Dishes must be freshly prepared. If the food stands for a couple of days, then the Chihuahua can be poisoned.
10. Candy and biscuits are not suitable for treats. Better to reward the animal with diet cheese, fruits, carrots.
11. If you give vegetables and fruits, then rinse them thoroughly under running water, remove the crusts. The latter may contain harmful substances with which the plants were treated during the growth period.
12. Bowls must be placed on the floor on a special support. Adjust the height at the level of the pet's chest.
13. Remove dishes after feeding.
14. Serve dinner no later than 19.00. The dog should use up all calories before bed.

As such, there are no bans on specific products for representatives of the Chihuahua breed. The diet should be formulated in such a way as to use all healthy foods and exclude those that are not beneficial. In some cases, the latter can be harmful, so experts advise to completely abandon them. You can use vegetables and fruits as a delicacy, not flour products and sweets. Foods to include on the Chihuahua menu.

1. Low-fat meat. Use boiled chicken, beef, veal, or horse meat.
2. Fish fillet. Do not give a river, there are a lot of bones in it and there may be worms. Pollock is also contraindicated, as it provokes the formation of kidney stones. Choose the bones carefully.
3. Boiled meat offal, liver, heart or stomachs.
4. Eggs can be given, but no more than 1-2 times a week. Prepare an omelet for the Chihuahua without salt and spices.
5. Cereals need to be boiled, chopped or grinded. You can give any porridge, buckwheat, oatmeal, corn are especially useful.
6. You can rarely give crackers, bread, a small amount of well-cooked noodles.
7. Fat-free fermented milk products. Be careful with cottage cheese, cheese, kefir, yogurt and sour cream, they can cause fermentation in the stomach. If your dog starts to have bloating or rumbling in the belly, then skip these foods.
8. Vegetables should be grated and stewed without salt. This rule applies to carrots, beets, pumpkins, and squash. Potatoes can be boiled.
9. Pre-grind the fruits with a blender until smooth.
10. Melon watermelon.
11. Finely chopped greens.
12. Vegetable oil can be added to food in small amounts.

A properly selected menu will provide the Chihuahua with good health for years to come. Do not mix different foods; group foods wisely. Only in this case it will be possible to identify a product that is harmful if the dog has stomach problems. If you are introducing a new delicacy, then always monitor not only the state of the stool, but also the level of activity of the pet.

Certain foods can trigger gastritis, inflammation in the stomach or liver, tooth decay, and digestive problems. Chihuahuas should not be fed such foods.

1. Pork - it is too fat and can be infected with worms.
2. Raw fish and all types of river fish due to parasites and large amounts of bones.
3. Sausage products, sausages.
4. Pickled, salted, smoked products. They lead to an increase in blood pressure, disturbances in the functioning of the stomach, kidneys, and liver.
5. Grape.
6. Nuts. The high phosphorus content is harmful to the dog's body.
7. Legumes cause bloating, flatulence.
8. Mushrooms.
9. Tea, coffee, alcoholic drinks.
10. Chocolate and sweets provoke the development of obesity and diabetes. Harm the pancreas.
11. Cabbage, radishes, onions and bell peppers in their raw form lead to anemia.
12. Tubular and sharp bones of a bird.
13. Fresh cow's milk leads to indigestion, bloating.

Feeding chihuahuas with dry food has its positive aspects. You not only save time on cooking, but you can easily calculate the portions and the amount of nutrients received. The food must be selected according to the age and weight of the dog.

Saving on the stern is not worth it. Economy class products contain many chemicals, which affects the longevity and quality of life of the pet. When choosing a ready-made food, you should pay attention to such nuances.

1. Use expensive premium or super premium feed. They contain meat and vitamin complexes.
2. Choose products that are designed specifically for the Chihuahua. For example, Royal Canin offers a wide range of feeds for every breed. Veterinarians recommend treating this rule as the main and most important one. In such food, all the features of the animal's body are provided.
3. To determine the serving size, read the instructions on the package. Manufacturers usually provide special measuring cups for simplified calculation. Keeping an eye on this is important because Chihuahuas are prone to obesity.
4. Be sure to consider the physiological characteristics of your pet. Manufacturers offer different products for puppies, pregnant, elderly dogs. Also, a separate menu is provided for sterilized and castrated Chihuahuas, during the period of illness and recovery. Each such product has a unique composition, which contains trace elements important for the dog.

Various vitamin and mineral supplements should not be used in combination with dry food. Quality prepared food is already enriched with everything you need. If you think your dog is missing something, then consult your veterinarian first... Many people prefer to feed Chihuahuas this way, because Crackers are considered an excellent prevention of dental calculus.

Chihuahua feeds on mother's milk for the first weeks of life. During this period, you need to monitor exclusively her diet. If a small puppy cannot eat milk for some reason, then a special mixture must be purchased. These products are available in all pet stores. Choose only well-known companies and do not skimp on it.

Feed the puppy with a pipette or syringe every 3 hours. Over time, you need to start introducing complementary foods. The first 2 months of a Chihuahua's life should receive such foods.

1. From 3 weeks start giving small amounts of boiled lean meat. During the same period, you can feed with low-fat cottage cheese.
2. From 4 weeks old, give the puppy porridge boiled in milk or water. Use different grains such as rice, oatmeal, semolina, buckwheat.
3. From week 5, cook soups for the animal in chicken or fish broth.

This is directly related to the peculiarities of the stomach during this period of life. Be sure to dilute cottage cheese with low-fat milk, stir until smooth. Twist the meat in a meat grinder or grind with a blender.

You can not abruptly transfer babies from mother's milk or mixture to solid food. Such recklessness will lead to digestive problems. Proper maintenance of puppies involves a gradual change in food. At the same time, it is important to combine the new food with the old one. Gradually increase the volume of the first and decrease the amount of the second.

Eating habits begin at 3 months of age... During this period, the puppy understands which foods he likes best. Further nutrition directly depends on what kind of food you prefer, ready-made (feed, canned food) or natural. Moreover, the choice can be made at your own discretion, and guided by the tastes of the dog.

Changing the type of feed is not recommended, unless absolutely necessary. You cannot combine natural food with crackers. The dog produces certain enzymes for the assimilation of food, so it will take time for them to rebuild their body.

Monthly puppies are fed natural food, so new owners can continue to feed the animal in the same way. However, in this case, you will have to give certain vitamin and mineral supplements. They will help the animal to grow and develop correctly. Dry food and bones can be given to puppies only after the complete replacement of milk teeth with molars has taken place.

A growing body needs a different number of meals for full development. A small puppy should be given small portions more often, and a large puppy larger portions, but rarely. Approximate feeding scheme by age:

• up to 2 months - 6-7 times a day;
• 4-6 months - 4 times a day;
• 6-10 months - 3 times a day;
• 10-12 months - 2 times a day.

So gradually the puppy learns to eat 2 times a day. Distribute the meals in the morning and evening so that the dog has time to get hungry. Do not allow indulgences, do not feed the animal during the day. It is allowed to give additional food exclusively during training.

Chihuahuas require special attention during the period of bearing offspring. It is necessary to increase the amount of calcium in the diet of a pregnant dog. Use cottage cheese, cheese, apples, cauliflower, sea fish, yogurt in your menu. Remember that all foods must be dietary. The fish needs to be boiled so that the bones become soft.

From the first days of pregnancy, the female needs vitamins such as A, B1, E, D.

About 7 days before the expected birth, you can feed the Chihuahua with an unlimited amount of dry food. Fish and meat should be stopped. This is due to the fact that the body can be oversaturated with animal protein, which leads to eclampsia. In most cases, the disease is fatal.

After giving birth, while the dog is feeding the puppies with milk, its nutrition should also be strictly controlled.... Give her milk and honey tea to improve her milk supply. Sometimes you will have to force-feed the dog, as appetite decreases after childbirth.

Increase the number of feedings to 4-5 per day. In the menu, include cereals, meat (you must first douse with boiling water), boiled fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts, dried fruits (raisins, dried apricots), dietary cottage cheese. Fortify your diet with phytin and calcium gluconate, supplements are needed daily.

To recover from childbirth, you should immediately reduce the number of meals your dog takes after weaning the puppies. On the first day, do not feed the animal at all to stop milk production. During the next week, return the animal to its usual diet, as before pregnancy. Provide your Chihuahua with constant access to fresh water.

The nuances of feeding a Chihuahua are presented in the following video.