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Chihuahua eating problems

When dealing with a Chihuahua’s diminutive stature, chihuahua eating problems frequently arise. Each response to the most frequently asked inquiries that are emailed to us has been compiled in this guide.

My Chihuahua is picky

All dog owners want to feed their Chihuahua something that the dog thinks is delicious. But what matters most is that the food is good for the dog. Try no more than two manufactured brands (4 or 5 stars), and then be steadfast in your choices.

You can experiment with different foods when cooking at home; perhaps your Chihuahua is a fan of pasta over rice or carrots over peas. A low-sodium chicken or beef broth, warmed in the microwave (just until warm, do not overheat), is good with kibble, to make it more enticing.

Furthermore, keep in mind that your grownup is eating enough if he is maintaining.

My Chihuahua Never eats or Doesn’t eat Enough

Your Chihuahua is eating just as much as he needs to, even though it may seem like he never eats if your puppy is developing steadily or if your older Chihuahua is maintaining.

Recall that Chihuahuas require very few calories.

Therefore, even though it might seem like just a little bit of food to you, this tiny miniature breed truly needs that amount. There can be a major health problem if your adult Chihuahua is losing weight or if your puppy is not growing. Appetite loss can be an indication of several medical issues, so you should seek the advice of your vet as soon as possible.

If the dish is not the right size for the Chihuahua, this could be another reason why the dog is reluctant to eat. If the dish is excessively deep, the dog may occasionally bang his forehead on the edge or struggle to eat in a comfortable posture. A dog may stop eating as a result of this, or he may take the food and consume it somewhere else.

This little dog will only eat if I feed it by hand

This can be a trap for many people. Your Chihuahua has only been hand-fed a few times, but he knows what to expect now. He wants you to do it and won’t eat until you do it. You need to stop this bad habit and get things back on track.

You should check your Chihuahua’s bowl again to make sure it’s one he likes. Chihuahuas who like to be fed by hand often do better with higher bowls. He might like a floor bowl or a flat plate if his bowl is higher. After that, put his food in his bowl or on his plate. He will try to stay away at first, but he will get so hungry that he will give in. You’ll have to wait for him. It’s in a dog’s nature to stay alive. When it comes down to it, no dog will refuse to eat.

Crop casual man sitting on sofa with snacks in palm and feeding cute chihuahua dog at home

My Chihuahua hides his food

There’s no reason for a Chihuahua not to test you when it’s time for dinner. Sometimes they don’t want to do what you say or just want to see how far they can go. This is why a dog might hide or run away with food:

  • The fact that the dog was the smallest baby in the litter may have made it more likely to behave in this way. Most of the time, the little dogs are pushed to the side. The runts of the litter can die of hunger or thirst if no one is keeping a close eye on them. The puppy that had to fight for food might want to hide it and run away with it to “protect” it.
  • This is also something that rescue dogs tend to do. This is because many of them are used to being hungry all the time, so when you give them food, they feel like they need to guard it.
  • Dogs who don’t trust that their food is safe will move it to a different place where they do trust that it is safe. This could happen if the kitchen is a very noisy place if there are other dogs in the house and the Chihuahua thinks it needs to fight for food, or if someone sits or walks too close to the dog food dish.

The Fix:

Make sure your Chihuahua has a nice, quiet place to eat. This should be a place where no one walks by, there are no loud noises, and no one talks to or tries to play with your Chihuahua while he eats. There will be a better chance that your Chihuahua will feel safe when he eats in this area.

If your Chihuahua takes food out of the dish, you need to put it back right away. You should be ready for your dog to test you. He might try to move it 10 times before giving in. It’s going to be worth it.

It might look like a game, but it’s not. By keeping a close eye on your Chihuahua and not letting it eat anywhere else, you will teach it that if he wants to eat, he has to do it where you tell it to.

Do not give up, and always be true to yourself. Don’t forget to pack snacks. In what other parts of the house do you give your dog treats? To make this teaching work, the dog needs to learn where he can eat. If your Chihuahua has this habit of taking food to different places, you should only give it treats in the place it is supposed to eat.

Is there a way for me to get my underweight Chihuahua to eat more? 

People who own dogs are often worried that their pets are too thin. Good news: the Chihuahua is usually the right weight. As a small toy dog, it shouldn’t weigh a lot or look heavy and strong.

That being said, if your Chihuahua has dropped weight or if your vet tells you that your dog is underweight, you should be worried and take some steps to help your dog gain weight.

One-third of a tablespoon of fish oil can be mixed into meals if you feed three meals a day. 1/2 tablespoon at each meal if you eat twice a day. You can also mix the cottage cheese into food or give it to your Chihuahua with a spoon if that’s how it likes it.

Once a week, check to see if your Chihuahua’s weight has gone up. A food scale can be used for very small Chihuahuas. For bigger Chihuahuas, you can put a basket on a scale, put your dog in it, and then see how much it weighs more. If your pet doesn’t gain weight after three weeks on the plan we talked about, you should talk to your vet again.

First, let’s remember:

  • The Chihuahua is a small dog. Adults shouldn’t look “beefy,” they should look lean.
  •  A lot of different health problems can make your chihuahua lose weight. Before you try to help your Chihuahua gain weight, the most important thing is to make sure it doesn’t have any health problems.
  •  You can do some things once you’re sure your dog doesn’t have any health problems.

Since you know your pet isn’t sick and your vet says it’s okay for it to gain weight at home, you can do the following:
1. Be sure to keep working out. Walking your Chihuahua every day will burn some calories, but what they eat is what counts. You don’t want to add to their health problems by keeping them from moving around while you try to help them gain some healthy weight.

Getting some exercise can also make your Chi hungry.

2. If your vet says it’s okay, give your pet about 150 extra calories daily. One tablespoon of salmon fish oil (123 calories) and one-fourth cup of whole cottage cheese (55 calories) every day can help your Chihuahua reach this goal.

That means the fish oil has 123 calories and the cottage cheese has 55 calories, adding up to 178 calories more each day. Most Chihuahuas can handle both things, and they are both good for them.

My Chihuahua eats too fast! 

It’s not good for the stomach or digestive system when dogs wolf down their food as if it’s their final meal. A dog may experience gas and, in rare circumstances, throw up immediately after.

This can be fixed by filling the dish you already have with slow-feed stainless steel balls or by using a slow-feed dog bowl. Both function to move food around, making it take a dog longer to finish his meal.

My Chihuahua Eats Everything!

Here, two factors are in play.

Chihuahua eats everything, including non-food items

1. Regardless of the dog’s age, puppy-proof the house. It is extremely harmful to mouth, chew on, and maybe swallow objects. You should thoroughly inspect the house’s outside and inside. Everything that can be moved to a new stop or raised higher should be picked up. This covers, among other things, clothes, shoes, books, remote controls, and bags of any kind. All surfaces the Chihuahua may access, including floors, should be kept as uncluttered as possible. You should move Items to new places, such as closets, counters, hangers, and hooks.

2. Secure unsecured electrical wires and keep them out of sight for anything you are unable to relocate. To keep cords secure from your puppy, run them through PVC pipe, cord concealers, or spiral cable wrap. If your Chihuahua chews on furniture or other large items, apply a good deterrent spray.

3. Spend some time selecting high-quality teething toys if your Chi seems to be eating everything. Seek methods to reduce tension if your Chihuahua is experiencing separation anxiety, for example.

Chihuahua eats food non-stop

1. Type of Food

The type of food a dog is eating is frequently the cause of his constant eating without ever feeling full or satisfied. He may not be getting enough “real” food if he is being fed food of extremely poor quality that has inexpensive filler. This might be a serious issue. Review the things you are providing for him. Changing to a higher-quality brand might have a significant impact because your Chihuahua will genuinely feel satisfied after eating.

 2. Weather

Dogs often consume less food in the sweltering summer and more food in the chilly winter months. An owner may not always notice the summertime decline, but the wintertime appetite is noticeable. For a year, everything evens out, and these seasonal changes are quite natural.

3. Increased Activity

Similar to humans, a dog’s body needs more nourishment as it burns more calories. Some owners may be unaware that their level of exercise or other activity has increased. This shift typically affects those who reside in places where seasons fluctuate. Dogs are more frequently walked, taken to dog parks, and accompanied by their owners on errands during the warmer months with favorable temperatures. It’s normal for your Chihuahua to be more voracious if he’s getting more exercise.

4. Chewing needs

When a puppy is teething, he may feel the desire to chew anything in sight, which frequently manifests as an increase in food intake, particularly if the kibble is crunchy and provides a similar level of comfort as chew toys. Offer flavored or plain ice cubes, which are low- or no-calorie options that provide a satisfying crunch without requiring the consumption of additional food. Rotating teething-appropriate toys will also be beneficial.

When mature Chihuahuas exhibit constant hunger, it could be the result of stress or worry manifesting as a nervous chewing behavior that consumes excess food. The causes of stress are a variety of circumstances for dogs. The most common causes include separation anxiety, having a new baby in the family, having a family member move out, or moving to a new residence. Please take action to assist him in overcoming his separation anxiety as an adult.

The best remedy for a dog who is stressed out and overeating because of a change in surroundings is time. Dogs frequently experience depression as a result of losing an animal or human family member. Bringing a dog to a new location that he has never been before is one way to provide quality time with novel and engaging activities.

5. Need For Water

If a dog isn’t getting enough water, their appetite may grow. If a dog’s only means of staying hydrated is through food, then by all means he should eat. Make sure there is always access to cold, clean water. When exercising your Chihuahua, carry water in a collapsible bowl or a 2-in-1 travel container.

6. Health Conditions

A dog may overeat and put on weight due to a few different medical conditions.

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency 

Although this is uncommon in the Chihuahua breed, the ailment is caused by insufficient production of digestive enzymes. The food then exits the body before the nutrients have a chance to be digested, leaving the dog perpetually hungry.

Diabetes

An increase in appetite may be associated with insulin-related malignancies at the outset of diabetes. A dog suffering from this illness may eat a lot but lose weight.

Cushing’s syndrome

When the adrenal glands are not functioning properly the result is an excess of cortisol production. An increase in hunger is one indication of this, but there are other, more obvious ones as well: Loss of fur, skin discoloration, increased thirst, enlarged stomach, weakness, and loss of muscular mass.

Worms

A dog with worms may eat a lot and yet be underweight. The veterinarian can examine stool samples to check for worms, and he will recommend the appropriate deworming medicine.

Behavioral issues

Sometimes owners don’t understand that their overindulgent eating habits are only the result of their Chihuahua accepting extra food too frequently. Owners may unknowingly fall victim to this trap. While preparing dinner, your Chihuahua is staring at you with puppy dog eyes. You cave and give him a morsel of your meal. “How can my Chihuahua eat so much?” you ask yourself. In actuality, though, a sated dog is enticed by the sights and scents of food and is unlikely to decline an offering, even if his stomach is full.

Maintaining a rigorous feeding schedule and just providing food during meal and snack times are easy ways to break this kind of habit. Although your Chihuahua might not like the extra attention, you can easily replace the extra food with pats, kisses, and maybe some playtime.

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