How Many Calories Should a Chihuahua Eat?

How Many Calories Should A Chihuahua Eat?

Have you seen that famous Chihuahua meme: ‘Maybe eating those tacos wasn’t cheating on my diet. Maybe going on a diet was cheating on my tacos!’

Chis are notorious for eating and many Chis end up being obese and overweight because of table scraps and begging for human food.

That is why every Chihuahua owner must ask this question: How Many Calories Should A Chihuahua Eat?

There is no fixed answer here as every Chihuahua would have different calorie needs based on its age and activity levels.

Find out how much your Chi should eat and also factors that affect a dog’s calorie-intake.

How Many Calories Should a Chihuahua Eat?

Determining how much food your Chi needs can get tricky because there are no clear-cut answers here. From a veterinary standpoint, the amount of food your Chi eats should be based on its ideal body weight.

Chihuahuas are small dogs. This toy breed ideally weighs up to 6 lb.

There are several factors that will determine ‘How Many Calories Should A Chihuahua Eat’. These are:

1. Age

Your Chihuahua puppy will need more calories as it grows. It needs those calories to sustain its activity and the energy it expends as it runs, trains, and explores the world around it.

Conversely, a senior or aging Chi would ideally need fewer calories as it will mostly sleep all day and not expend much of its energy.

2. Activity levels

This is the second most important factor in determining ‘How Many Calories Should A Chihuahua Eat’. The tiny dog does not need too much exercise but it still needs to walk at least 2-3 times a day for quarter of an hour.

Without exercise, a Chihuahua could not only get obese; it might even become bored, depressed, and worse, destructive.

3. Overall health

Finally, another factor that will determine how many calories should a Chihuahua eat is your pet’s overall health. A pregnant or nursing Chi would have greater calorie needs than average. Likewise, a Chihuahua with kidney disease or tumors might also need more calories to maintain healthy weight.

You might also feed an underweight Chihuahua slightly more food than the recommended calorie-intake per day.

4. The quality of food

It isn’t just the quantity of food that is important but also its quality. Your Chi needs a balanced amount of protein, vitamins, minerals, and healthy carbohydrates. A young puppy also needs DHA, omega fatty acids, and protein for growth and development.

An older or senior Chi might need more fiber, probiotics, and protein for sustaining muscles and aiding digestion.

Some people opt to feed their pets homemade dog food meals. Always discuss your Chi’s calorie needs with your vet and if needed, add supplements to ensure that your pet is getting all the calories it needs.

How Many Calories Should a Chihuahua Eat Calculator

You can easily derived your dog’s calorie needs using a simple calorie-calculator formula:

Calorie-needs in kcal = 1.6 [70 x (weight of your Chihuahua in lb. ÷ 2.2)0.75]

Thus, a 10 lb. adult healthy dog with normal activity levels will need about 340 calories per day. If your Chihuahua weighs 6 lb. then using the above formula, you need to feed it 229 calories per day.

Now that you know how many calories your Chi needs, you will need to consider the calories in each cup of dog food that you feed your pet.

If you feed homemade dog food, then you may want to use this calorie chart to find out how much food to feed your pet.

If you opt to feed commercial dog food, then the calorie value per cup will be mentioned on the label. It might be written something as – 253 kcal/cup.

So if your Chi weighs about 6 lb. and has normal activity levels, then it needs slightly less than one cup of this dog food per day.

In general, an adult Chihuahua needs ½ to 1/3^rd cup of high-quality food. This might seem very less but Chis are small dogs and over-feeding them could rapidly cause weight gain.

You can even choose to divide the total quantity into 2-3 smaller meals.

In the next section, we will discuss calorie needs for a Chihuahua puppy and an aging Chi.

How Many Calories Should a Chihuahua Puppy Eat?

You can use the same formula above to calculate your puppy’s calorie needs.

Remember: puppies eat more and they have faster metabolism. They also expend or burn energy quickly since they are training and moving about a lot.

Therefore, in addition to calorie-counting, it is important to feed your growing Chihuahua puppy small-but-frequent meals per day.

Most vets recommend feeding 3-4 smaller meals to a Chihuahua puppy on a daily basis. This is needed for optimal growth and development. Also, it is very important to feed very high-quality dog food to your Chi puppy to ensure that it gets all the nourishment it needs.

Don’t forget to factor in dog treats in addition to the calories from kibble.

How Many Calories Should a Senior Chihuahua Eat?

Assuming that your toy breed senior dog has normal activity levels, you can feed it ¼ to 1 cup of dog food on a daily basis.

Many vets recommend reducing the calorie intake of senior dogs by nearly 20-30%. This is because a senior dog does not exercise or move about as much as it did in its youth.

In some cases though, it may be necessary to increase the calorie intake if your Chi is losing weight. The additional calories may be necessary to maintain its body physique.

What is Healthy Weight for a Chihuahua?

You can always use a generic dog breed weight chart to know if your Chi is at an ideal weight. As mentioned earlier, a Chihuahua is a toy breed with an ideal weight in the range of 4 to 6 lb.

But, this can vary because different body sizes and body types exist in dogs. Your Chi’s ideal body weight also depends on its parents and bloodlines.

Vets recommend considering your Chi’s Body Condition Score. Based on this, a Chihuahua at the ideal body weight should have:

• Easily palpable ribs with minimum fat covering.
• Its waist should be easily seen when you view your dog from the top.

An underweight Chihuahua might have:

• Ribs evident from a distant
• No discernible fat
• Loss of muscle mass
• Bony prominence
• Obvious waist and abdominal tuck.

An overweight Chihuahua will have:

• Heavy fat cover
• Ribs palpable with difficulty
• Heavy fat deposits over lumbar area
• Abdominal distention.

It is important to know your Chi’s ideal body weight so you can feed it the right calorie amounts on a day-to-day basis. Whether your Chi is underweight or overweight, knowing its ideal weight will help you determine underlying health issues and also tailor its exercise and calorie-intake based on it.

Best Dog Food for Overweight Chihuahua

There are several great dog food brands in the market which are low in calories and ideal for weight management and weight loss.

Here are our top pics:

1. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight Small & Mini Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food

Hill’s Science diet Perfect Weight Small Dog food is formulated by vets. Nearly 70% dogs lost weight in 10 weeks after starting this food.

The main ingredients in this food are pearl barley, chicken, brown rice, and pea fiber. This fiber rich and protein rich food can keep your Chi full longer, resulting in weight loss. It also contains apples, broccoli, cranberries, and green peas.

Please note that this food could lead to more number of bowel movements.

2. Natural Balance Fat Dogs Low-Calorie Dry Dog Food for Overweight Adult Dogs

The special fiber and protein blend in Natural Balance Fat Dogs Low-Calorie kibble helps keep your small pet full longer.

Besides this, it also contains l-carnitine that helps maintain your Chi’s ideal weight. It also has a blend of added vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to boost immunity in your pet.

Note that this dog food contains grains and may not be suitable for Chihuahuas with allergies.

3. Purina ONE SmartBlend Natural Healthy Weight Formula Adult Dry & Canned Food for Dogs

Purina One SmartBlend Healthy Weight kibble contains 25% less fat and 15% fewer calories. This makes it ideal for dogs that are on strict, calorie-restricted diets.

Purina’s tender and meaty morsels can improve immunity, provide healthy energy, and also give your little pet a shiny and radiant coat.

It also contains glucosamine for better joint health.

How To Get an Overweight Chihuahua to Lose Weight

Helping an overweight Chihuahua to lose weight can also prolong its lifespan. Here are some tips to help your overweight friend lose weight:

1. Feed less, exercise more

The obesity equation in dogs has the same solution as it does for humans.

Your pet must eat less and work out more. Start by knowing your Chi’s ideal weight so you can work towards that goal.

Exercising with your Chi will also be good for your health!

2. Refrain from free-feeding

You now know how many calories your Chihuahua needs to eat. (Please use the caloric intake calculator formula given above).

Avoid feeding your pet freely. Instead establish a feeding schedule. Some Chi parents feed their dogs once a day while others choose to feed smaller, multiple meals.

If your pet is allowed to eat ½ to 1/3^rd cup of Chihuahua food, then divide this into two to three meals every few hours.

3. Don’t guess – use proper measures!

Always use the same 8-ounce cup measure to scoop out the right amount of food in your pet’s feeding bowls. Do not guess as doing so can make a huge difference in the calorie-intake.

4. Monitor its progress

Weigh your dog every few weeks to see if the diet and exercise regime is working. If you use the steps above, you should see at least 1% weight loss per week.

Ensure no one is cheating and feeding your pet treats or table food and also prevent your little dog from eating from the trash can.

FAQs on How Many Calories Should a Chihuahua Eat

1. Is it cruel to feed a Chihuahua once a day?

Many Chihuahuas do well on once-a-day meals. However, this is a small dog breed and they are prone to hypoglycemia – which means their blood sugar levels could drop dangerously. In this case, it is cruel to feed your pet once a day. You might want to feed it 2-3 smaller meals making sure you are sticking to the daily calorie needs for your pet.

Some vets recommend a breakfast-lunch-dinner option for dogs to prevent hyperacidity.

However, most dogs do well on one-meal per day. If you have an overweight Chihuahua, feeding once a day could be good for weight loss and increasing its lifespan. An older Chihuahua or senior Chihuahua that is rapidly losing weight needs to be fed several small meals a day.

2. Should I walk my Chihuahua after or before its meal?

It is best not to walk a dog right before or after its meals. You can walk your pet and then let it rest for an hour prior to feeding. Also leave a gap of 30 minutes to an hour after its meals if you want to take it out for a walk.

3. At what age will my Chihuahua puppy start eating less?

Your Chihuahua pup should ideally lose its pudginess and belly fat by the time it turns 6 months of age. At this point, you could cut back on its meals – for example, if you were feeding it 4 times, cut it down to thrice a day meals. An adult Chihuahua can be fed just once or twice a day, or as recommended by your vet.

Conclusion – How Many Calories Should a Chihuahua Eat

The calorie needs of your Chi will depend on its age, overall health, and activity levels.

In general, a healthy adult Chihuahua will need ½ to 1/3^rd cup of high-quality dry dog food to meet its daily calorie needs.

You can also calculate your Chi’s calorie needs using the formula given above. If in doubt, discuss with a vet.