Pet Lovers

[Mz iMac]

How often do you feed yours a day?  I have been doing a lot of research on them.  Feeding them is all over the place.  Some places say once a day (1 cup of  kibble) because of their size & others say a small amount 3xs a day.

I plan on adopting a young adult+ Chihuahua sometime next spring.  

[qvcfreak]

My Oreo will be 16 in December and I put a little cup in his bowl and it takes him about 3 days to finish it.  I also give him a little baked chicken every now and then. 

[Mz iMac]

@qvcfreak  "I put a little cup in his bowl and it takes him about 3 days to finish it."

Out of all the stories I've read from Chihuahua owners, yours is the first about feeding time lengt.

Thank you for your response.  I have added it to my "Chihuahua Research" folder.

[Memebell]

I do 1/2 cup in the morning and 1/2 cup for supper.      She eats it ALL!  

[Foxxee]

@Mz iMac 

Very small breeds sometimes have hypoglycemia or since they are so active, can't eat much at one time because of their small stomachs and may suffer from low blood sugar.

Since yours is a small and active breed, good idea to look up symptoms of hypoglycemia, low blood sugar, and how much to feed every day just to be on the safe side.  

I had a very small breed who I nearly lost because of hypoglycemia when she was young.  I had no idea it was fairly common in very small dogs.  It was then I was told to feed her at least three times a day.  Vets tell us nothing to watch out for when we take our pups for checkups.  

[Mz iMac]

@Foxxee  Thank you for the hypoglycemia info.  After reading your comment, I researched hypoglycemia regarding Chihuahuas.  Boy was that an eye opener.   I realize that breed is highly energetic & needed the proper kibble but, hypoglycemia was NOT on my radar. 

My vet is going to help me w/the proper kibble recommendation for highly energetic small dogs when the time comes.

@Memebell  I was sort of leaning to your feeding schedule w/a few treats inbetween (after command training is completed).

Thank you both.  I have added your comments to my "Chihuahua Research" folder.

[BornToShop]

My girls are 12 and 14; have had them since they were 8 wks old.  Every Vet they have been to over the years have been advocates of feeding 2x a day with a "treat" in the middle of the day.  I used to be able to leave out dry kibble but Carlita is missing some teeth so it's hard for her to chew.  They currently eat 1/2 a cup of Royal Canin 2x a day & are doing very well!

               

[GingerPeach]

@Mz iMac 

I feed my 5+ pound Kiku three times a day. Her vet agrees this is a good idea as they typically don't take in enough calories to last longer.

ETA: I just read @Foxxee 's post and she said it better than I did.

There are also judicious treats and snacks (sometimes more than judicious, if I'm honest). 

Kiku is somewhere between 6 and 8 (not "young" adult, but not really old for a very small dog). But then it is more about size than age.

All the best with the new adoption! We'll have our own two year anniversary this September.

       

[Sheila P-Burg]

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@qvcfreak wrote:

My Oreo will be 16 in December and I put a little cup in his bowl and it takes him about 3 days to finish it.  I also give him a little baked chicken every now and then. 

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Years ago when I had my chihuahuas one of them had stomach troubles. The vet advised us to boil a chicken breast for him.

[on the bay]

@GingerPeach -

She is so pretty and looks like she has a sweet personality