Phew! You made it. The Chihuahua is a small-sized dog with the ability to make any human feel like they are in charge. Their size of 4-6 pounds allows them to carry around like a purse, and their attitude makes it clear that they know they are special. But do you know how much your special dog eats or what you are supposed to feed them? It is time to take a look at how much to feed your Chihuahua and what kind of food you should be feeding them. So, how Much To Feed A Chihuahua?
While you need to feed your adult Chihuahua two cups to four cups in total for every pound they weigh, remember to feed your pup (less than 8 months old) around 100 calories each week. So, keep in mind that these numbers will vary depending on age, weight, metabolic rate, activity levels, and type of food (wet or dry).
However, this does not give you an excuse to feed them anything you want; if anything, it means that your responsibility towards taking care of your Chi is even more important than normal. That’s why we’ve created this ultimate guide on how much food you should feed your furry friend! With that said, let’s jump into this ultimate guide for determining how much to feed a Chihuahua.
How to Decide How Much to Feed a Chihuahua?
The first step to determining how much to feed your Chihuahua is understanding their size.
Let’s start with the basics by saying that puppies need more food than adult dogs, and senior dogs need even less! That being said, the amount of food a Chihuahua eats varies depending on its age.
Age (Young, Adult, or Senior Chihuahua)
Most dogs reach full adulthood at around one year old; however, it is important to note that this can vary from dog to dog— so don’t be surprised if your Chi doesn’t become an adult until they are closer to two years old.
In case you were wondering how much food a puppy needs? They will eat more than adults and seniors because they have higher metabolisms! That being said, puppies should eat three times per day or up to four cups in total for every pound that they weigh each day.
For example: If we have a ten-pound chihuahua, they would need between thirty and forty calories per pound of their body weight.
Weight
Weighing your Chi is a great way to determine how much food they need, but you can also use this as a baseline for determining whether or not they are gaining or losing weight. If your Chihuahua gains more than one pound in less than a month, it might be time to switch up its diet.
Metabolic Rate
A dog’s metabolic rate varies from breed to breed, so the number of calories needed will vary depending on what kind of metabolism they have!
In general, smaller dogs tend to have higher metabolisms and larger breeds of dogs tend to have slower ones. Keep this in mind when thinking about how often you should feed them.
Activity Levels
If you find yourself wondering why your little pup doesn’t eat very much, one of the most common reasons is that they are not active enough!
Dogs need to be running and playing to keep their metabolism up constantly. If your Chi doesn’t get a lot of exercises, then it might be time to increase their daily calorie intake.
Type Of Food – Wet or Dry
There has been some debate about whether you should feed dry food or wet food for Chihuahuas. However, we recommend feeding them both as long as they each make up 50%+ (or more) of their diet. You can read our article on how to decide which type of food to give your chihuahua here.
Understanding Your Chi’s Calorie Needs
Once you have decided what type of food you will feed your Chihuahua and how often, it is time to work out their calorie needs.
Calorie Recommendation:
40 calories per pound of their body weight (adult) or 50-60% of the daily caloric intake for puppies up until they reach six months old.
Suppose you find yourself wondering why this number sounds low keep in mind that most vets recommend between 30%-35%. Don’t worry; we have some recommendations below on what kind of foods will help them gain enough weight!
For example: if our chihuahua weighs five pounds, then they would need 200 calories each day which can be easily achieved by feeding them three small meals at 40 calories each or one large meal at 80 calories.
How Much To Feed An Adult Chihuahua?
It is important to remember that these are only averages, and it is possible for your Chi’s needs to vary based on their age!
That being said— once they reach adulthood (18 months or older), the average amount of food you should be feeding them daily can range from two cups up to four cups in total for every pound they weigh, depending on their activity levels.
For example, If we have a ten-pound chihuahua, this would mean between forty calories per pound of body weight if they are very active during the day and eighty if they spend most days indoors.
Once an adult, dogs typically eat around two times per day or up to two cups for every pound they weigh each day.
Adult Activity Level And Meal Plan
Once your Chihuahua becomes an adult (18 months or older), you can implement a meal plan tailored towards the amount of activity your Chi typically does each day.
It’s important to note that if your dog has never had any health problems before but suddenly starts having issues after reaching adulthood, this could be due to an underlying medical condition.
This means it is even more necessary for them to have regular vet checkups! Under these circumstances, we recommend increasing food intake by 30%-50% every three days until you feed twice daily. Adult dogs should eat around twice per day or up to two cups for every pound they weigh.
What Kind Of Food To Feed An Adult Chihuahua?
While we would love to say that all Chihuahuas can eat various foods, it is important for their digestive system and overall health to stick with one type.
Adult Chihuahuas tend to prefer dry kibble and will most likely turn away from wet food unless it’s mixed with other things like tuna juice.
For adults, we recommend feeding them between two cups per pound each day, which can vary anywhere between three cups for a six-pound Chi.
How Much To Feed A Chihuahua Puppy? (Weekly And Monthly Timeline)
It is important that your puppy eats what they need— not more or less! When it comes to puppies, six months old and younger, their stomachs are smaller than most adults; this means you must feed them very small amounts throughout the day rather than two larger meals.
We recommend feeding around 100 calories each week until your pup is eight weeks old. You can start introducing dry kibble into their diet alongside pureed food if necessary! If we have a ten-pound chihuahua, we recommend feeding them up to four cups per day.
Puppy Activity Level And Meal Plan
The easiest way to determine how much food your puppy needs each day is by using the pound-for-pound guideline! A healthy six-month-old chihuahua should be eating thirty percent of their daily caloric intake in total; however— if they are very active throughout the day, you may need to increase this number up to forty percent or higher depending on their size (this will most likely only apply for large breed dogs like Labradors).
For example: If a ten-pound pup eats between eighty to one hundred calories per pound, he should eat up to four cups daily.
What Kind Of Food To Feed A Chihuahua Puppy?
It is important that they eat what they need— not more or less! A six-month-old chihuahua should be eating thirty percent of its daily caloric intake in total.
However, if your puppy is very active throughout the day, you may want to increase this number up to forty percent, depending on how big (or small) they are.
When And How To Transition From Puppy Food To Adult Food
This process will depend on the rate at which your pup grows and how active they are throughout the day. You can start to slowly integrate adult food into their diet after eight weeks of age, but this is not set in stone!
If you notice that your puppy isn’t doing well with certain types of kibble or becomes picky once it reaches adulthood, then simply continue feeding them what works— no matter if there has been a recent change in size!
How To Know When Your Chihuahua Is Ready For Adult Kibble
Once you have successfully transitioned from wet food to dry kibble for 12 months straight, your dog is ready to eat an adult ration full-time!
Keep in mind that some dogs may be ready for adult food after six months of age instead; this is typically the case with small-breed dogs.
This means it is even more important to take them in for regular checkups! Under these circumstances, we recommend increasing food by 30%-50% every three days until you are feeding twice daily— which should be up to two cups per pound that they weigh. Adult Chihuahuas need around two times a day or up to two cups total for every pound that they weigh on average.
Adult chihuahuas tend to prefer dry kibble and will most likely turn away from wet food unless it’s mixed with other things like tuna juice.
For adults, we recommend feeding between two cups per pound each day, which can vary anywhere between three cups for a six-pound Chi.
Conclusion
When it comes to puppies, six months old and younger, their stomachs are smaller than most adults; this means you must feed them very small amounts throughout the day rather than two larger meals. We recommend feeding around 100 calories each week until your pup is eight weeks old. You can start introducing dry kibble into their diet alongside pureed food if necessary!
The easiest way to determine how much food your puppy needs each day is by using the pound-for-pound guideline! A healthy six-month-old chihuahua should be eating thirty percent of its daily caloric intake in total. However— if they are very active throughout the day, you may need to increase this number up to percent or higher depending on their activity level and age.
