Best Food For Chihuahua Puppy Dogs

How Much Should A Chihuahua Puppy Eat?

As anyone who’s ever owned a puppy knows, they rarely sit still. All that running, jumping and playing requires serious energy and serious fuel. Puppies eat a lot. They have to! They’re growing their muscles, developing their immune systems and strengthening their bones. But you don’t want your puppy getting overweight, as it’s bad for them.

Puppies do best with multiple small meals a day. Feed at regular times, in regular amounts. Don’t worry if your puppy picks at his food, he could just be telling you that you’re giving him too much! Portion sizes vary according to each dog. Let your puppy guide you and keep an eye on his weight.

Feeding Progression

When you bring them home at 8 weeks old, it is best to continue with the same food and frequency your puppy has been eating at the breeder’s. If you want to make changes, wait at least 2 weeks, and then gradually taper onto the new food while tapering off the old food.

Up until 12 or 13 weeks, go with a moist food. At around 12 or 13 weeks, you can start gradually introducing dry kibble if you prefer. Chihuahuas should be fed puppy-specific food until 9 months of age. At 9 months, or possibly 10 for males since they grow more slowly, they can gradually transition from puppy food to adult food.

Feeding Schedule

The recommendation for feeding frequency for a Chihuahua puppy is 4-6 times a day. Chihuahua puppies, due to their tiny size do best on more frequent feedings than their larger cousins. This is for several reasons.

We already talked about the importance of food frequency on preventing hypoglycemia. Smaller, more frequent meals also helps to prevent bloat.

Chihuahua Puppy Dietary Requirements

While they are generally a healthy breed, the Chihuahua has a few health vulnerabilities that can be addressed with diet.

Hypoglycemia

Small breed puppies, such as Chihuahuas, are at risk of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. In fact, this is one of the most common health concerns for the Chihuahua. While the solution is simple, ignoring a hypoglycemic attack can lead to the pup dying.

The best thing is prevention. Feeding your young Chihuahua 4-6 times a day will keep her with a steady supply of food energy to keep enough sugar in her blood.

Signs of hypoglycemia include weakness, confusion, disorientation, and muscle tremors or seizures. If you see these signs in your young Chihuahua, it’s best to either offer food if she’s up for it, or take her to the vet immediately if not.

On a long term basis, speak to a vet if you are concerned your puppy isn’t eating enough.

Tracheal Collapse and Joint Problems

The trachea, or windpipe, is supported by rings of cartilage. In the Chihuahua, these are susceptible to weakness and collapse. If they collapse, it causes inflammation and pain in the windpipe lining.

One thing that can help maintain the strength of your pup’s cartilage is glucosamine and chondroitin. These also support the cartilage in the joints, which is great because the Chihuahua can also experience a few kinds of joint problems.

Dental problems

While one study comparing different commercial foods has shown no difference in dental issues between different commercial foods (raw diets were not included). It is probably a good idea to avoid giving your pup sugary treats. It is also essential to invest in a Chihuahua toothbrush and get her used to the routine early.

Best Dog Food For Chihuahua Puppy Dogs

Dog food for Chihuahua puppies can come in many forms. Some owners choose to feed their dogs dry food, some wet food, and others a combination of both. Only you can decide what’s best for your dog.

From wheat-free to all-natural, the many choices can be overwhelming. There are concerns that canned meat may not provide all the nutrition a puppy needs. Kibble, or dry food, is the most economical and most popular choice. There are many brands out there, with various flavors and numerous specialized options.

Toy dogs like the Chihuahua need smaller morsels of kibble to reduce the risk of choking. So be sure to choose a puppy formula suitable for small breeds.

Best Wet Chihuahua Puppy Food

Many puppy caretakers like to give their puppy a little or a lot of their food as a wet food. In some cases, this can really help with a puppy who is having decreased appetite or difficulty managing dry kibble.

It can also provide some additional variety and appeal to give your pup a more enjoyable experience of food.

Wellness Complete Health

This food made by Wellness Complete* contains a variety of real-food ingredients and supplemental nutrients to make for a complete and balanced diet. We love the absence of fillers and the fact that it is made in North America.

Canidae Grain Free Pure

With protein covered by high omega 3 fish, including salmon and mackerel, we love this natural wet food* that is good for puppies as well as dogs. Based on a handful of real food ingredients, it also contains nutrient supplements to make it a complete and balanced food for your pup!

Nutro Grain Free Wet

Based on either beef or chickenNutro has made a balanced wet puppy food* for those who want to feed their best friend wholesome safe food. It is produced in the USA and manages to avoid GMOs in addition to fillers and artificial colors/flavors/preservatives.

Best Dry Food for Chihuahua Puppies

Dry food may be the most classic option and possibly a great baseline for your puppy’s diet. It is convenient to store, can be left in a dish all day, and easy to take with you on the road or trail. These choices are also considered complete and balanced diets, so you don’t have to worry too much if your pup is getting the nutrients she needs.

Wellness Complete Small Breed

A popular natural food choice is Wellness Complete dry puppy food*. This one is based on chicken and rice, but also contains omega 3s from flax and guaranteed amounts of glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health. You can also rest a bit more securely knowing it is made in the USA of carefully sourced ingredients.

Blue Buffalo Life Protection

A reliable brand for wholesome dog food, Blue Buffalo makes a great puppy food for small breeds*. It contains meat as the first ingredient and wholesome grains and veggies. It has added DHA for brain health as well as added antioxidants to support the developing immune system. We appreciate the lack of fillers and artificial additives.

Nutro Wholesome Essentials

This natural dry puppy food* is based on chicken, brown rice and sweet potatoes. We especially appreciate the care to assure ingredients are from non-GMO sources.

Best Grain Free Chihuahua Puppy Food

Allergies are one of the top three most common health problems in purebred dogs. Often these allergies are caused or worsened by foods, especially grains. Fortunately, there are many options available of wholesome commercial foods that cater to grain free or limited ingredient diet needs.

Blue Freedom Grain Free

Blue Freedom Grain Free Small Breed Puppy Food* has a strict policy when it comes to ingredients. No by-product meals, no corn, wheat or soy. In fact, nothing artificial at all. This formula is designed to support healthy growth and development while avoiding grains. The main ingredient is delicious deboned chicken as the main ingredient.

Instinct Raw Boost Small Breed

This puppy food especially for tiny pups* is a great choice for a naturally nutrient dense food. It contains all the nutrients your pup needs to grow well and no artificial junk.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein

This high protein grain-free puppy food* is a well-thought-out blend of real meat and antioxidants that covers all your little puppy nutritional needs. Ingredients are carefully sourced.

Best Food For Sensitive Stomachs

Some puppies tend to have a more sensitive stomach. For these ones, it may help to try a food that is a less complex (and all natural) formula. This simply leaves fewer things to potentially aggravate their stomach. Of course, if your pup is having ongoing digestive issues, we definitely recommend checking in with the vet as well to be sure there is nothing that needs attention.

Castor & Pollux grain-free organic food

For some pups, pesticide residue in the food might be contributing to GI upset. For an organic option, this food*  covers the bases. It is based around organic, free-range chicken and contains flax for omega 3s and blueberries for phytonutrients and antioxidants.

Nutro Ultra Puppy Food

Nutro Ultra puppy food* is a relatively simple recipe that includes salmon and chicken and many highly nutrient-dense foods including chia, kale, and blueberries! We like that it is free of common irritating factors like artificial preservatives or colors. It is a small kibble designed specifically for ease of eating by younger dogs.

Raw Feeding Chihuahua Puppies

A growing number of owners are now feeding their pets a raw food diet. These types of diets typically include bones and organ meats with supplemental veggies. The benefits of this diet have not been scientifically assessed but many dog-lovers say their pets thrive on it.

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