What Should I Feed My Chihuahua? or asking What I Feed My Chihuahuas?
What is the best food for a Chihuahua? That is one of the questions I get asked most often. “What should I feed my Chihuahua?” or “What do you feed your Chihuahuas?”
I’m happy to answer that question because I know that the right nutrients in the right portions for your Chihuahua are vitally important to their lifespan, health, and wellbeing.
It is my passion that began many years ago to share with others my knowledge of the best food for a Chihuahua. My knowledge of canine, specifically, Chihuahua nutrition consists of extensive canine nutrition research from canine nutrition medical journals, veterinarian teaching hospital libraries, as well as consultations with my own veterinarians.
I want to do all I can to share this knowledge with other Chihuahua owners, guardians, and lovers because good nutrition is absolutely vital for the health and well being of our precious Chihuahuas. Their lives and health are literally in our hands. We all want to do the very best possible for them.
My recommendation is that you provide the most beneficial and nutrient-dense diet. I wholeheartedly believe that proper nutrition is the cornerstone of eliminating inflammation, potential diseases, and maintaining the highest energy, as well as a longer life for your Chihuahua.
My Recommendations:
- Select diets with real, whole-food ingredients: If you aren’t aware of the ingredients, find another food.
- The best food for a Chihuahua should be lower in calories. In fact, most Chihuahuas are — or should be — primarily indoor pets and have a lower energy requirement than most other dog breeds, but at the same time, the smaller the dog, the more nutrient-rich foods he or she will need to burn just to maintain his or her ideal weight. Make sure not to exceed recommended amounts, as that is what leads to obesity and other health issues.
- Senior Chihuahua? Contrary to outdated information that you may find, senior dogs need more protein, not less.
Your Chihuahua’s dietary habits directly relate to how well or unwell they grow and develop. Chihuahuas are unique in their own ways and require healthy calories to maintain proper growth and internal health. I am as passionate about your Chihuahua’s health and well-being as I am about my own Chihuahua’s health and well-being.
My Challenge To You:
I challenge you to talk to your own veterinarian. Don’t ask him or her to recommend or ask “what should I feed my Chihuahua?” because a veterinary clinic or hospital is, after all, a business. They sell dog food and much of their profit is from dog food and other supplies that they sell.
Instead, ask them point-blank what they feed their own dogs or pets. If they are honest with you, they will tell you that they feed their dogs’ fresh whole-food dog food. If they don’t have a dog … find another veterinarian.
What to consider when choosing the best food for a chihuahua
Whenever I am asked the question “so what should I feed my Chihuahua?” I yearn to share my vast knowledge and experience. What nutrients and in what portion depend on several factors, including:
- Age
- Health history
- Reproductive status
- Medications
- Activity level
- Allergies
- Ideal weight for your Chihuahua
- And of course, taste!
Chihuahuas can be finicky eaters. Contrary to popular and outdated ideas, your dog is an omnivore, not a carnivore, (meaning they need plant-based carbohydrates and whole grains just as we do) it is imperative that you provide top-quality food for their daily meals that benefit every aspect of their health and well-being.
What About Grain-Free Dog Food? Isn’t It Better For Dogs?
That whole idea came from the fact that a dog’s digestive system cannot break down and absorb processed grains as you will find in all manufactured, store-bought dog food, even the raw and frozen that you can buy. If it is in a grocery, supermarket, or pet store it has gone through a processing plant.
What I feed my Chihuahuas
I feed my Chihuahuas my own dog food recipes made with whole-food ingredients. However, I strongly discourage you to do that. Without extensive research on canine nutrition, you run the risk that your Chihuahua is not getting the right nutrients in the right balance and even malnutrition. Some foods that are good for us are toxic and potentially dangerous for dogs as well.
My recommendation for the best food for a Chihuahua:
Recipes found on the internet are created by well-meaning, but uninformed pet parents. So, don’t rely on them for your Chihuahua’s diet.
The specific dog food that I recommend is NomNom (formerly NomNomNow) or Spot & Tango. I know that these two companies are as passionate about dogs and pet nutrition as I am.
They both are made from real whole-food ingredients and are formulated by (NomNom) or overseen (Spot & Tango) by veterinary nutritionists. Spot & Tango also has what they call “unkibble” as well as fresh whole food recipes. Although their unkibble is in my opinion one of the better-processed dog foods, it is still, nonetheless, processed.
I quizzed all eight veterinarians at the veterinary hospital where my dogs have been loved and cared for all their lives and each and every one of them said they feed their pets a whole-food diet and not one of them fed their pets manufactured dog food from the pet store (or from their office).
Four of the eight feed their dogs either Spot & Tango or NomNom. The others used either another fresh dog food delivery service or made their own.
Only through ChiChis And Me you can get started with NomNom for 50% off!
Now you can get started with Spot & Tango for 20% off!