It’s pretty obvious that the amount of energy that Chihuahuas give off is huge. Take a quick glance at these micro-pets and you’ll realize how they are full of life and personality.to keep them lively we must find tips on avoiding Chihuahua weight issues.
Normally, a chihuahua will burn at least three times much energy as a normal-sized dog. That fact withstanding; it’s quite easy to realize that diet is important to these pretty little creatures.
in this section we will cover:
- The dangers of obesity in chihuahuas
- Tips to avoid obesity
- How to tell if a chihuahua is in the best condition
- Obesity in senior chihuahua dogs
Dangers of chihuahua weight issues
Being overweight in chihuahua will certainly lead to a lot of health conditions including, diabetes, wearing down of the joints, heart disease, short lifetime, and arthritis. For this reason, you should get serious about your little dog’s life. Your chihuahua is obese means that he is in trouble.
A lot of dogs are overweight, especially in well-developed countries like the United States. This should tell us something, their owners don’t take their pet’s health seriously. Don’t let yourself do that.
The best way to fix this issue is to treat it early before it is too late. Here are some additional health issues that could be the result of chihuahua obesity.
- Type II Diabetes as their bodies will need insulin. So, if your little dog gets diabetes he will need insulin injections on daily basis, or their little body will go into trauma.
- Arthritis is a result of the extra weight putting pressure on the chihuahua’s bones and joints.
- The back issue, because their small body not being able to support the extra weight. Their bones may fracture, their spinal discs can slip, and their ligaments can tear.
- Heart disease is the greatest danger of being overweight.
- High blood pressure
- If your chihuahua already suffers from a disease like Patella Luxation, obesity will make the situation even worst.
Like any other dog, Chihuahuas have special nutritional needs that can make them enjoy a long healthy life. The small size means that you can’t approach nutrition from any angle and hope that your cute friend will be in their best form. It’s good to realize that there has to be a unique way of treating this unique small pal.
Insights to help you deal with Weight issues
Plump is not optimum
The key to a healthy pet is good nutrition and Chihuahuas are no exceptions. But it’s very hard to bump into an owner who is not spoiling their pet. Food is the most used item when as a treat for these fellas. While this is very good in, maintaining the relationship between you and your Chihuahua it could be unhealthy for the pet.
One of the impressive traits of Chihuahuas is how they think. They are so small from the outside yet so big inside. They simply believe themselves to be bigger than they actually are.
And maybe they have successfully hypnotized their owners to believe the same. Why else would we be feeding them more than they need?
It’s so easy to buy into this massive bravado that you’ll actually end up feeding them more than they require for a healthy, balanced diet. What we achieve is welcoming obesity as the biggest health issue for Chihuahuas.
Innocent but guilty
Since many owners don’t realize that their pets only need tiny portions to keep them going, the well-meaning gestures continue until it becomes a health issue if not a hazard. With other types of dogs, this is not a serious issue due to their size, but to these little beauties a treat here and another there could actually amount to more than half their daily dietary requirement.
No table scraps
By all means, avoid treating your dog with table scraps and start spoiling it in the right way. Normally, letting your dog overeat will eventually lead to problems that start during puppyhood and can carry over into adulthood. To name a few:
- Bone weakening
- Rickets
- Skin problems
- Obesity
Most importantly, avoid overfeeding a pup because in so doing you interfere with the normal composition of fat cells by magnifying the size of fat cells. This will easily lead to an obese adult Chihuahua.
Recognize obesity early and deal with it
A significant part of this problem is that owners do not recognize the obesity problem and they can’t tell what amount of food is too much. And mind you, as little as 4-6 ounces in extra feeds will make it fat.
Exercise Your Chihuahua
A rule every chihuahua owner should remember is that despite their small size, chihuahuas need to play and run every day even if they are not obese. Because if you don’t exercise them on daily basis they will naturally gain weight.
If you notice that your chihuahua is gaining weight, allow her to exercise by creating methods that will increase her activity level.
If your chihuahua is already obese don’t allow her intense exercise because this could be so harmful. Instead, try to increase gradually her activity level.
THIS ARTICLE MAY HELP: chihuahua Exercise
Healthy Training Treats
Treat you are feeding your little chihuahua play also a big role. Instead of giving them regular treats, switch them to healthier alternatives. In fact, a lot of treats are high in fat, sugar, and calories. Bypass those treats and try to feed your dog turkey bacon or chicken treats. Because these treats are high in protein and don’t contain sugar.
How do you tell a Chihuahua is in the best condition?
It’s easy to tell:
- The ribs must be barely visible
- They should have a slight ripple crossing over the ribs
- When you touch the dog, the ribs should be felt without much pressure
- It should have a little waist that is clearly visible when standing over the dog and looking down
- From the sides, you should spot a “tummy tuck” sloping upward from the chest to the hind limbs
Obesity in Senior Chihuahuas
When your chihuahua is eight years or older, there will be things you should put into consideration. Firstly, you need to adjust their calorie intake(they will need up to ten fewer daily calories per day), depending on their weight. Secondly, you should adjust their activity levels too, a senior chihuahua will need less exercise.
Older dogs are less active naturally. However, in order to prevent them from gaining weight, you should exercise them when possible. But avoid intense exercises.
Give them a good diet
The objective of having a good proportion is to maintain a lean dog throughout its entire life. As you will notice, when dogs are fed diets that are high in calories and proteins they eat less and that’s okay because this is quality food. Lower quality food has few calories so the dog eats multiple times to derive satisfaction.
A huge determinant of what the dog should be fed on is its life stage and most importantly, the activity level. Pups will require more proteins and calories for growth while adult dogs require a maintenance diet. Senior dogs, on the other hand, will need a good maintenance diet plus some high protein food to help in retaining the muscle mass which is prone to loss as the dog progresses in age.
In addition, senior dogs will need more antioxidants to maintain a healthy immune system.
THIS ARTICLE MAY HELP: Senior chihuahua care tips
Last word
It’s quite normal for you to want to give treats to your Chihuahua and that’s excellent because it shows you care. However, try to make your treats less risky to your dog: adopt healthier treat approaches. Understand that Chichis are small dogs and no matter how many times they may try to convince you with some bravado, don’t buy it. Remember, small rations for a small lovely dog.
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