How to feed a chihuahua?

Breed of miniature long-livers is quite popular among novice and experienced dog breeders. Chihuahuas can please their owners for about 20 years. The exact lifespan of a pet depends largely on nutrition. Inquisitive dogs are very active, so it is important to provide them with enough nutrients. A full diet will protect the animal from many diseases.

Comfortable living conditions - a pledge of long life and good health of the dog. There are certain rules for the care of representatives of this breed.

1. Food should be a little warm. Do not put products from the refrigerator or only from the stove into the bowl.
2. Water is better to change 2-3 times a day. Use only clean, filtered. The dog should always have access to the bowl.
3. During the summer heat, feed the dog once a day.
4. You can not treat a pet from the table food that people eat. Spices in it can disrupt the functioning of internal organs.
5. It is necessary to feed a pet at the same time and in one place.
6. Give your dog food after walking and playing games when it gets hungry. If you properly care for animals, follow the rules of walking and games, then all the food will benefit.
7. Daily rate should be divided into several stages. The exact number of feedings depends on the age of the dog.
8. If an animal licks an empty bowl for a long time, it does not eat. If the food is left, overfeed. The latter can lead to obesity and disruption of the musculoskeletal system.
9. Meals should be freshly prepared. If the food lasts a couple of days, then the chihuahua can get poisoned.
10. Candy and cookies are not suitable as treats. It is better to encourage the animal diet cheese, fruit, carrots.
11. If you give fruits and vegetables, then rinse them thoroughly under running water, remove the crusts. The latter may contain harmful substances with which the plants were treated during the growth period.
12. Bowls should be placed on the floor on a special stand. Adjust the height at the level of the pet's chest.
13. After feeding, remove the dishes.
14. Dinner is served no later than 19.00. The dog must consume all calories before sleep.

As such, there are no bans on specific products for representatives of the Chihuahua breed. The diet should be designed to use all the useful products and exclude those that do not carry the benefits. In some cases, the latter can harm, so experts advise to completely abandon them. As a delicacy, you can use vegetables and fruits, not flour products and sweets. Products that should be included in the Chihuahua menu.

1. Meat low-fat varieties. Use chicken, beef, veal or horse meat in boiled form.
2. Fish fillet. Do not give the river, there are a lot of bones in it and there may be worms. Pollock is also contraindicated, as it provokes the formation of kidney stones. Bones carefully select.
3. Meat by-products, liver, heart or stomachs in boiled form.
4. Eggs can be given, but not more than 1-2 times a week. Cook for the Chihuahua omelet without salt and spices.
5. Cereals need to boil, chop or grind. You can make any porridge, buckwheat, oatmeal, corn are especially useful.
6. It is rare to give crackers, bread, a small amount of well-cooked noodles.
7. Dairy products skimmed. Be careful with cottage cheese, cheese, kefir, yogurt and sour cream, they can cause fermentation in the stomach.If the dog begins to bloat or rumbling in the stomach, then refuse such products.
8. Vegetables must be grated and stewed without salt. This rule applies to carrots, beets, pumpkins and zucchini. Potatoes can be given boiled.
9. Fruit pre-crush blender until smooth mashed potatoes.
10. Melon watermelon.
11. Chopped greens.
12. In a small amount of food can add vegetable oil.

Properly selected menu will provide chihuahua good health for many years. Do not mix different foods, group products reasonably. Only in this case will it be possible to identify a product that is harmful if the dog has stomach problems. If you enter a new delicacy, then Always monitor not only the state of feces, but also the level of activity of the pet.

Some foods can provoke gastritis, inflammation of the stomach or liver, tooth decay, problems with the digestive tract. You can not feed the Chihuahua such products.

1. Pork - it is too fat and may be infected with worms.
2. Raw fish and all types of river fish due to parasites and a large number of bones.
3. Sausage products, sausages.
4. Marinated, salted, smoked products. They lead to an increase in blood pressure, disturbances in the work of the stomach, kidneys, and liver.
5. Grapes
6. Nuts High phosphorus content harms the dog's body.
7. Legumes cause bloating, flatulence.
8. Mushrooms
9. Tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages.
10. Chocolate and sweets provoke the development of obesity, diabetes. Harm the pancreas.
11. Cabbage, radishes, onions and Bulgarian pepper in their raw form lead to anemia.
12. Tubular and sharp bones of a bird.
13. Fresh cow's milk leads to indigestion, bloating.

Chihuahua feeding dry food has its positive sides. You not only save time on cooking, but you can also easily count portions and the amount of nutrients you receive. Food must be selected according to the age and weight of the dog.

Save on the stern is not worth it. Economy class products contain many chemicals that affect the duration and quality of life of a pet. When choosing ready-made food you should pay attention to such nuances.

1. Use expensive premium or super premium feeds. In their composition there are meat and vitamin complexes.
2. Choose products that are specifically for the Chihuahua. For example, the company Royal Canin offers a wide range of feed for each breed. Veterinarians recommend treating this rule as the main and most important. In this food provides all the features of the body of the animal.
3. To determine the size of portions should read the instructions on the package. Manufacturers usually provide special measuring glasses for simplified calculations. Watching this is important because Chihuahua dogs are prone to obesity.
4. Be sure to consider the physiological characteristics of the pet. Manufacturers offer different products for puppies, pregnant, elderly dogs. Also, a separate menu is provided for sterilized and neutered Chihuahua, during the period of illness and recovery. Each such product has a unique composition, in which there are important trace elements for the dog.

Do not use various nutritional supplements with vitamins and minerals in combination with dry food. Quality ready-made food is already enriched with all the most necessary. If you think your dog is missing something, consult your veterinarian first. Many people prefer to feed the Chihuahua that way, because Crackers are considered excellent prevention of the formation of a stone on the teeth.

Chihuahua eats mother's milk during the first weeks of life. During this period, you need to follow exclusively its diet. If a small puppy cannot eat milk for any reason, then it is necessary to purchase a special mixture. Such products are in all pet stores. Choose only well-known companies and do not save on it.

Feed the puppy with a pipette or syringe every 3 hours. Over time, you need to start introducing lure. The first 2 months of a Chihuahua's life should receive such products.

1. From 3 weeks start to give boiled lean meat in small quantities. In the same period, you can feed a low-fat cottage cheese.
2. From 4 weeks, give the puppy porridge boiled in milk or water. Use different cereals, such as rice, oatmeal, semolina, buckwheat.
3. From 5 weeks cook for animal soups in chicken or fish broth.

This is directly related to the peculiarities of the work of the stomach during this period of life. Cottage cheese must be diluted with non-fat milk, mix until smooth. Twist the meat in a meat grinder or chop with a blender.

It is impossible to sharply transfer babies from mother's milk or a mixture to solid food. Such recklessness will lead to problems with digestion. Proper puppy maintenance implies a gradual change of food. At the same time, it is important to combine the new food with the old one. Gradually increase the volume of the first and reduce the amount of the second.

The formation of food habits begins at 3 months of age.. During this period, the puppy understands what products he likes. Further food depends on what kind of food you prefer, ready (food, canned food) or natural. Moreover, the choice can be made as you wish, and guided by the tastes of the dog.

It is not recommended to change the type of feed unless it is absolutely necessary. Combine natural food with crackers can not. The dog produces certain enzymes for the digestion of food, so they will take time to reorganize the body.

Monthly puppies are fed natural food, so new owners can continue to feed the animal as well. However, in this case, you will have to give certain vitamin and mineral supplements. They will help the animal to grow and develop properly. Dry food and bones can be given to puppies only after the complete replacement of milk teeth with the root ones occurs.

The growing body needs a different number of meals for full development. A small puppy needs to be given small portions more often, and a large one - large portions, but rarely. Approximate feeding scheme by age:

• up to 2 months - 6-7 times a day;
• 4-6 months - 4 times a day;
• 6-10 months - 3 times a day;
• 10-12 months - 2 times a day.

So gradually the puppy is accustomed to 2 single meals. Distribute meals in the morning and evening so that the dog has time to get hungry. Do not allow indulgences, do not lure an animal during the day. It is allowed to give extra food exclusively during the trainings.

Chihuahuas require special attention during the period of gestation. It is necessary to increase the amount of calcium in the diet of a pregnant dog. Use cottage cheese, cheese, apples, cauliflower, sea fish, yogurt when making the menu. Remember that all foods must be dietary. Fish should be boiled soft to make bones soft.

From the first days of pregnancy, the female needs such vitamins as A, B1, E, D.

Approximately 7 days before the intended delivery, you can feed the Chihuahua an unlimited amount of dry food.Fish and meat need to stop giving. This is due to the fact that the body can overwhelm animal protein, which leads to eclampsia. In most cases, the disease leads to death.

After giving birth, while the dog feeds puppies with milk, its nutrition should also be strictly controlled.. To improve lactation, give her tea with milk and honey. Sometimes it is necessary to feed the dog forcibly, because after childbirth appetite decreases.

Increase feeds to 4-5 per day. In the menu, include cereals, meat (you need to boil water beforehand), boiled fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts, dried fruits (raisins, dried apricots), dietary curd. Enrich the diet with phytin and calcium gluconate, supplements needed daily.

To recover from childbirth, you should immediately reduce the number of meals the dog has after weaning puppies. On the first day, do not feed the animal at all to stop the production of milk. Over the next week, return the animal to its usual diet, as before pregnancy. Provide chihuahuas with constant access to fresh water.

Chihuahua feeding nuances are presented in the next video.