Common Mistakes We Make With Our Dog’s Diet
We love our Chihuahuas. They may even be considered our “babies” and because of that, we want to spoil them. Many pet pawrents are now realizing that feeding their Chihuahua manufactured dog food, whether kibble, canned, or other is not the best we can do for our Chihuahuas.
So, we may decide to feed them a fancy recipe that a friend told them about or find one on Pinterest and begin feeding it to our Chihuahuas.
But, while having the very best intentions, and made out of love, our feeding choices, can turn into huge mistakes! We may be depriving our dogs of necessary nutrients overdoing fats or relying too heavily on chicken and rice.
The critical role of balance in a dog's diet
I can not express enough how very, important — no CRITICAL — balance is when home cooking or following a recipe for your Chihuahua’s diet.
Preparing a diet or recipe from home is increasing in popularity. While I applaud the intention and the love you have for your Chihuahua I advise caution, as do many veterinary nutritionists.
It is critical to use a recipe that is complete and balanced to make sure that your Chihuahua is getting everything that they need. Specifically the right percentage of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats in each meal as well as the amount of each nutrient in the recipe.
Veterinary nutritionists recommend 60% protein, 30% carbohydrates, and 10% of healthy fats.
Too much of one vitamin or not enough of another can cause real health problems. Example: Too much vitamin D can cause kidney issues resulting in kidney failure whereas not enough vitamin K can cause internal bleeding.
For dogs with health conditions, a custom diet designed by a veterinary nutritionist or a canine nutrition specialist is the best plan.
According to Dr. Joseph J. Wakshlag, DVM, Ph.D., a veterinarian of internal medicine from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, feeding home-prepared diets can be problematic because many nutrients are often deficient, like calcium, B12, zinc, magnesium, etc. These deficiencies can lead to “subclinical deficiencies”. What that means is an unstable state which, if untreated, will develop into clinical malnutrition.
The worst of these deficiencies is usually calcium, which can lead to fractures not caused by force or impact in puppies and osteopenia (low bone density) with a risk of fracture in adult dogs.
But your Chihuahua can have their ground turkey cake and eat it too. When considering a diet for your Chihuahua ask a veterinary nutritionist or a canine nutrition specialist to evaluate it for nutritional adequacy.
Other Common Ways We Mess-Up Our Dog's Diets
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING:
Our Chihuahuas love meats and fats, but overly-rich foods don’t always love them back. Overindulging in either of these can irritate your dog’s pancreas and cause pancreatitis. Just another example of how important balance is in a dog’s diet.
Pancreatitis symptoms are nausea, vomiting, lethargy, poor appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever. Pancreatitis is extremely painful and in some cases can be fatal. It can be treated, however at a great expense and those that survive have to stay on a strict, low-fat, and low-protein diet for the rest of their lives to prevent it from recurring.
So, does this mean you can never treat your Chihuahua with something rich or fatty? No, however, only give him or her very small amounts, especially if they have a sensitive stomach.
An occasional french fry or part of your hamburger is also okay, but make sure it is a tiny bite and only occasional!
BLAND DIETS:
There are definitely times when a bland diet of boiled chicken and brown rice can save the day if your Chihuahua has diarrhea or an occasional tummy ache. These will soothe the GI tract and are easily digested.
However, feeding this bland diet (even when adding a few veggies) is NOT a safe diet to feed your Chihuahua long-term. They simply are incomplete in nutrition. They do not give your Chihauhua’s body all that it needs to be and remain healthy.
Conclusion:
Again, if you are now or plan to feed your Chihuahua a home-cooked diet I applaud you! You care very much for your Chihuahua and his or her health.
But, before you do, please consult with a veterinary nutritionist or a canine nutrition specialist. Only these know the importance of balance in a dog’s diet.
Or consult with a canine nutrition specialist. Someone who has spent many years studying and researching canine nutrition.
That is not as difficult as it may seem. Many cities or states have veterinary medical schools. You can make an appointment with a veterinary nutrition specialist at these schools.
To graduate from veterinary medical school only 3 hours of nutrition is required to graduate. Your veterinarian is NOT a veterinary nutrition specialist unless he or she specialized in nutrition.
My Canine Nutrition Journey
Meet my Pebbles. Pebbles was born on August 8, 2006. She died at age 15 on August 31, 2021.
I took Pebbles to the vet for her routine annual wellness check-up when she was approximately 6 years old (2007 or 2008).
While listening to her heart he noticed a murmur. Not uncommon with Chihuahuas, but he noticed something else wasn’t quite right.
After 2 X-rays, an ultrasound, and a second opinion, my precious Pebbles was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. (CDM).
CDM is a serious heart disease that is irreversible and leads to heart failure and ultimate death. She was only about 6 years old at the time and my vet didn’t hold out much hope. Her heart was so big that it completely encompassed her entire chest cavity.
I went into mama bear mode and began studying everything I could about canine nutrition. I knew that proper nutrition could help support her heart. Not cure it, but through nutrition I could boost her immune system and add nutrients that would target and help support her heart, thereby slowing the progress of the disease. I learned then how important balance is in a dog’s diet.
Mama bear mode:
Then I began intensely studying canine nutrition. I studied veterinary medical journals, visited veterinary medical school libraries, and read every science journal that had anything to do with canine nutrition.
I learned how important nutrition is to my Chihuahua’s overall health and how to use certain nutrients, micronutrients, minerals, and enzymes, to target certain organs in the body to help support and nourish them. The healing power of nutrition!
Later I went to work part-time in a very busy veterinary hospital and while there I learned even more about canine diseases and the importance of proper nutrition, to prevent, treat, and maintain optimal health for your Chihuahua!
Once I was satisfied that I knew exactly how to help her through nutrition I began formulating my own recipe that was specifically for Pebbles and her heart issue. That was in approximately 2012 or 2013.
the unbelievable results!
I am HAPPY to report that my precious Pebbles lived to be 15 years old! Much, much longer than my veterinarian had predicted in 2006 or 2007!
She passed away peacefully on August 31, 2021, at age 15!
He marveled at her amazing strength every time I took her in for her routine visits. He absolutely agrees with me that it was her diet and her mama bear mom that helped her to live a longer and happier life!
Although we still miss her every single day, I am so grateful that we were granted more time with her and that she lived a normal and happy life right up until the end!
Then in 2018, I read that the FDA was recalling some dog food brands that had been found to “potentially” cause CDM. One of those was the “PREMIUM” dog food that I had been feeding to all my Chihuahuas before I began my canine nutrition journey!
This only strengthened my opinion that the manufactured dog food on our grocery and pet store shelves is shortening our dogs’ lives.
I am so, so glad that I learned about conine nutrition and the importance of balance in a diet in time or Pebbles would not have lived the much longer and happier life that she did!
just a few of our amazing adventures together
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- Beach at Galveston, Texas
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- Omni Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia
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- Blog Paws in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
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- Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas
NOW AVAILABLE: TWO OF MY BALANCED AND COMPLETE RECIPES
Get recipes that you know have all the nutrients that your dog needs for a longer healthier life. And more importantly, are balanced and complete! (For Dogs With No Known Health Issues)
I continue helping other chihuahua pawrents
Since 2015 I have helped many dogs with the healing power of nutrition. I have formulated balanced diets for some of my client’s dogs with the following health issues:
- Heart Issues
- Some Cancers
- Itchy Skin
- Joint Issues
- Liver Shunt
- Addison's Disease
- Pancreatitis
Proper nutrition is not a cure, however, targeted nutrition in the right balance will boost your dog’s immune system, and by adding specific nutrients that would target and help support his or her body’s healing power, thereby slowing the progress of the disease.
i offer special recipes for dogs with health issues
Want to try the healing power of nutrition? I can create a special balanced diet for your dog’s health issue. To learn more and get your recipe email me at:
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