Chihuahua Nutrition
Here, you will find information on feeding your puppy, including what food we feed, how much and the different options and recommendations for feeding schedules.
When your puppy goes home, he will be eating Purina Pro Plan All Life Stages Chicken and Rice 30/20. We do feed it dry, and most puppies are eating only that when they go home. If your puppy is on a canned food, Shayna will let you know that by email well before your puppy goes home.
We free feed the puppies, so they have access to food at all times. We recommend that you keep your puppy on a free feeding schedule if possible. If it is not possible, you will need to offer your puppy food at least 4 times per day until he gets the idea that he doesn't have access to food at all times. Another consideration is his size. Small breed puppies must be fed more often until they get big enough to eat enough at one feeding to maintain their energy requirements. So, Chihuahua puppies should be fed at least three times per day until they are approximately 4-6 months old. At that point, you can back it down to two feedings per day.
You should expect your puppy to consume 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food per day, but calorie needs to vary from puppy to puppy. For free fed puppies, you should split the amount between morning and evening time, refreshing the food twice a day. A good rule of thumb for determining how much to give a free fed puppy each morning and evening is if the puppy stands at the bowl and eats until it is gone each time you put food in it, then you should try bumping up the daily amount by 1/4 cup. For puppies on a feeding schedule, the right amount to feed is the amount that the puppy eats in a 10 minute time frame at feeding time.
We know that your puppy's continued balanced nutrition is essential for him to enjoy a happy, healthy life. We know too that with hundreds, even thousands of pet foods on the market, it's difficult to tell which ones offer the best possible nutrition for your new puppy. It is important to start with a premium food, even a holistic food if you prefer, but that is not enough to ensure your puppy's optimal development. In reality, no commercial food, if fed alone, offers complete and balanced nutrition. If you're concerned about selecting a high quality food for your puppy, please consult Shayna She can instruct you on reading dog food labels and making a good selection for your baby.