Chihuahuas are a huge craze in today’s society. In fact, over the last decade the demand for them as pets has grown at an increasingly fast pace. This huge rush for them has led many people to not fully understand all the important aspects of keeping them safe, such as what not to feed your Chihuahua.
For many owners, feeding their Chihuahua table food is a part of their everyday routine. Whether it’s the leftover chicken, or maybe some steak, owners often feed their Chihuahua the same foods we consume. While this might seem like typical behavior for some, it can actually be quite dangerous depending on what food they are consuming.
Foods that we eat and don’t affect us in an adverse way, may be extremely dangerous and life-threatening to a small Chihuahua. Their bodies are obviously much smaller than a humans, so things they consume affect them to much higher degree.
Before I tell you what foods may be threatening for your Chihuahua, let me first say that it is best to only feed your Chihuahua only dog food. I know it might seem cruel at first, but a regular diet on a premium dog food will help your Chihuahua stay healthy and fit. However, there are certain foods, such as cooked, skinless, boneless beef and chicken.
Some of the most dangerous foods that Chihuahuas can consume are your everyday fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes, grapes, raisins, avocados, apples, and onions can all be life threatening for a Chihuahua. Remember, keep all fruits and vegetables away from your Chihuahuas all the time!
I bet you’ve probably heard never to feed your dog chocolate, because it can kill them. Well, most chocolate that is in the typical candy will not be life threatening, some chocolate, such as bakers chocolate can cause death for a Chihuahua. This is something you should be sure to keep away from your Chihuahua, even if it’s not the dangerous kind.
Not only should you avoid feeding your Chihuahua table food, but you should also not be feeding them bones. That’s right, even bones can be dangerous to a Chihuahua. Once a Chihuahua starts chewing on them, they can splinter and cut their insides if they swallow it.
Sticks can be just as bad as bones. If you see your Chihuahua chewing on a stick, stop them immediately. It’s best to never let them get in the habit of chewing them.
You can still spoil your Chihuahua once in a while with some cooked, skinless, and boneless beef. Just don’t add anything else to add, such as salt and seasoning. Trust me, your Chihuahua will still love it.
Joseph Long
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/be-careful-what-you-feed-your-chihuahua-688914.html
Is anyone familiar with Wellness Chicken and Sweet Potato Formula Wet Food?
My little 3.5 pound Chihuahua Zoe, has Liver Disease.
This is Little Zoe!
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk159/ChihuahuaMommy_photos/My%20Little%20Cuties/OurLittleCuties159-1.jpg
This is little Zoe, playing with her big brother Gizmo!
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk159/ChihuahuaMommy_photos/My%20Little%20Cuties/OurLittleCuties018.jpg
Zoe has been eating Canidae Chicken and Rice Wet Food, because that’s all she will eat! She will pick at the Canidae All Life Stages dry food, but doesn’t eat enough of it to feed that only! Lately I’ve noticed a really bad smell coming from the cans of Canidae, and I’m afraid to feed any more of the Canidae to Zoe and I want to switch her to a different Low Protein Wet Food. I have to be very careful about what food I feed her, because of the Liver Disease! I just went out and bought some Wellness Chicken and Sweet Potato Formula, to try. Have any of you fed this to your dogs, or do you know if this would be a good food for Zoe? It has 8.0% Crude Protein in it! The problem is, weaning her off of the Canidae Wet Food and onto the Wellness Wet Food!I don’t want to mix the Canidae Wet Food with the Wellness, because the Canidae smells, like there is something wrong with it.The Canidae Wet Food, has a really Rancid smell to it! According to the person that I purchase my food from, this is not the first time he has heard complaints about the smell of the Canidae Wet Food and I don’t want to take any chances with Zoe getting any sicker than she already is! Do you think it would be too harsh on Zoe’s digestive system, to just go ahead and try the Wellness, without mixing it with the Canidae, to see if she will even eat it, or do you think it will be too harsh for her little tummy to switch her over to the Wellness suddenly like that? If any of you know anything about the Wellness, I would appreciate your opinions, Please!!! Thanks!
ADD: Can you please, Star this question for me, so my contacts can also see it! Thanks!
To Brittany! I have asked my vet, and I don’t just trust strangers on the Internet. My vet asked me to feed Zoe Science Diet L/D, if you know what that is. It’s a food specially made for Liver Disease. I have tried feeding it to Zoe, and she refuses to eat it, and I can’t say I blame her, because anything Science Diet makes, is pure garbage! When a dog has Liver Disease, they don’t have too many foods that they can have, so you have to find a food that they will eat, be able to keep down, and at the same time is safe for them to eat, where the food will not cause more damage to the Liver! I’ve been using this site way too long and I know which people to trust and which people not to trust. When it comes to my dogs, I don’t just trust anybody. I love all my dogs too much to risk, doing something, that is not approved by the vet first!
To Jimmy! I don’t want a High Protein Diet for Zoe. I want a Low Protein Diet for Zoe!
For anyone saying to feed Zoe dry food instead of wet food, she eats Canidae All Life Stages Dry Food on occasion and does fine with it, but she doesn’t eat enough of it, to get the nutrition she needs for one day. The vet has ok’d feeding Zoe wet food for now, because it seems to be easier on her digestive system for some reason! When she gets better, she will go back to dry food again.
Well, what I was afraid was going to happen, just did! For the first time, in the last three months, Zoe just got sick to her stomach twice! It was all the Canidae Chicken and Rice Wet Food, she ate earlier today! I knew there was something wrong with it and in this particular can, the food, looked and smelled perfectly fine, that’s why I gave it to her! She was doing so good and now this!
I guess I’m not the only one having problems with Canidae. Here are some testimonials I just found.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/canidae.html
I don’t think I’m going to be feeding Canidae anymore!
You should ask your vet. Don’t trust strangers with your dog’s health
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Hi,
I feed a little Merrick, Wellness, and Old Mother Hubbard canned food along with my dogs regular kibble. I have had pretty good luck with Wellness. I know my vet recommends Purina NF and EN for sensitive stomachs/health problems but I am not sure on what kind of ingredients it has anymore. Usually dogs can switch canned foods easier then regular kibble. You may want to discuss this further with your vet just to be sure though because of her liver disease. Best of luck!
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Hi i am Bobby and i am a CVT certified Veterinarian technician.When i get bored i get on to try to assist people to the best of my knowledge.Take away all of her food for 6 hours then give her the wellness and lots of water and usually the dog will be fine.
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Actually, i feed my dog, Sassy, Wellness… I used to feed her Royal Canine and she would leave it there all day with billions of flies and she would sleep ALL day… i figured it was her food doing that to her so i changed it… to Wellness! Now, i want her to go to sleep! she wants to play ball ALL day… She will bring her ball to me and start crying! i think that Wellness is great food for dogs, and for your chuahua, if you get her the dry food, the best one for her is, "wellness, smaall breed" its kind of a reddish, purplish bag. It has a picture of a standing chihuahua in the background.
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I starred you first =P
Well, 8% in wet food does not mean 8% always. 8% protein when it’s wet isn’t enough, either. When you warm it in the microwave for about 30 seconds or so, that 8% will turn into 30% or so. After all, over 25% protein is what causes liver problems, and I’m sure she eats enough. At times, I give my 12lb dogs some canned food, and 1/4th cup is too much for them, so why don’t you go for some dry kind? It’s better for the teeth as well. You can mix it with water and it taste like gravy, regardless of texture. Merrick dog food might be good for her.
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Wellness has a high protein canned food called Wellness Core canned food. It has 12% protein. It is very good. They also have 95% canned meats like venison, beef, chicken, salmon in which the canned food is 95% of that meat. However, the 95% stuff isnt meant to be eaten by itself because it doesnt have the vitamins and minerals that the others have.
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Im really not sure but i will star for you!
Im praying for Zoe!!
God bless you and your pooches!
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Hello Chihuahua addict, I use wellness white fish and sweet potato wet food, my Pekingese likes it allot, so she gets about a tsp on her dry food. The white fish and sweet potato has the omega 6 fatty acids and betta carotene for the sweet potato,
There is going to be some protein in there can food I’m just sure how much, I do know that Wellness is a great quality dog food.
My little Pekingese is very picky she loves the white fish and sweet potato.
I wish all the best for Zoe she is still in my prayers
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LB
Well i do know that Canidae has recently changed their formula and many dogs have been getting diarrhea from eating Canidae. The Wellness food is a good quality food. I don’t think you need to wean Zoe from one food to the next being that Canidae and Wellness are both a high quality food. The only time you need to wean a dog from one food to the next is if you are feeding a crappy food like Science diet or Pedigree then switch to a high quality food. That is when you would have trouble with diarrhea.
Also another good quality food you could feed Zoe is Merrick. They have more varieties of flavors and some of their canned food is good for dogs that are diabetic. It is low glycemic. It has 9% Protein. Merrick is just like feeding your dog people food. It has real chunks of meat and vegetables is a gravy sauce. It is a perfect food for the most finicky eater. http://www.merrickpetcare.com/store/detail.php?c=15&s=20310
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Work at a pet store that only specializes in human grade holistic dog and cat foods.