The quantity-wise feeding is really important for any type of dog breed. Because many owners don’t understand the importance of quantity-wise, which is why they tend to overfeed their dogs which increases the chances of negative impacts on their pet’s health.
This factor is even more important when it comes to feeding small breeds like Chihuahua. Due to being small, the amount of food a Chihuahua should eat must be carefully decided.
Therefore, in this article, we are going to discuss how much a Chihuahua should eat. This article will also include an age-wise feeding chart and also recommended feeding times for Chihuahuas.
How much should a Chihuahua eat?
The amount of food that you can offer to your Chihuahua depends on various factors. But on average, a Chihuahua can eat half a portion or one to a maximum of one-third food per day. It is recommended by the experts that you shouldn’t offer more than one-third of the food to your Chihuahua.
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Chihuahuas belong to toy-sized breeds which is why the dietary plan for Chihuahuas is different from other breeds. Indeed, the amount of food that a Chihuahua will eat per day is a small portion but also this portion needs to be filled with nutritional elements.
The quantity of food that a Chihuahua can eat every day is totally different from other breeds. To be more precise, per day a Chihuahua can eat 1 to ⅓ portion of food.
However, these portions need to be selected depending on the age and size of the Chihuahua. As small puppies need more nutritional food in order to grow their body while adult ones will only have a fixed portion of a balanced diet.
Therefore, there can be variations in the portion of the food per day for both puppy and adult Chihuahuas.
The best suggestion will be to take advice from the vet in order to decide on the quantity of food for a Chihuahua.
Because due to having a small tummy, there is a high risk that the Chihuahuas can have health complications like obesity or diabetes due to overfeeding. Most importantly, you will need to make a dietary chart for your Chihuahua based on its age and size.
Below we have discussed how much a Chihuahua can eat per day depending on their age:
2 to 3-week-old Chihuahuas:
2 to 3-week-old Chihuahuas need to have more meals in order to have constant body growth. Therefore, for 2 to 3 weeks Chihuahuas can eat 4 to 5 times a day.
The portion of the meals can be half a cup or one cup per day. Make sure the meal is full of nutrients.
4 to 5-week-old Chihuahua:
Basically, 4 to 5 weeks old Chihuahua is still a puppy and it needs more food to have regular growth.
Therefore, the portion of the meal of a 4 to 5 weeks old Chihuahua will be similar to the meal portion of a 2 to 3 weeks old Chihuahua.
6 to 7-week-old Chihuahua:
6 to 7-week Chihuahua can eat one cup of portion meal per day. They can eat more than 3 to 6 times per day as they will require more nutritional elements for the growth of their body.
8 to 9-week-old Chihuahua:
8 to 9-week-old Chihuahua can eat 3 to 4 times per day. The meal portion can be half a cup to a maximum of one-third of a cup per day.
But depending on their age the portion can be increased, however, if you increase the portion of the meal then you cannot make them eat 4 to 5 times a day.
10 to 11-week-old Chihuahua:
For 10 to 11- week old Chihuahuas, the everyday required calories for every pound of their body weight will be 40 to 50 calories.
Therefore, they might need to eat 2 to 3 times per day depending on their size. The portion of the meal can be half a cup to one cup per meal.
3-month-old Chihuahua:
For 3-month-old Chihuahuas, they need to feed 2 to 3 times per day. The meal portion can be 1 or ⅓ cups per meal. But make sure that you do not overfeed the puppy as it is slowly starting to become an adult.
4-month-old Chihuahua:
4-month-old Chihuahua needs to have the same amount of food as a 3-month-old Chihuahua.
However, you need to be careful while selecting the meal portion because sometimes the Chihuahua can be overfed which can lead to obesity.
5-month-old Chihuahua:
5-month-old Chihuahua needs to have 200 to 250 calories per day. Therefore, they might need to eat 3 to 4 times per day. The daily food quantity can range from 0.5 cup to 1 cup per meal.
But you have taken one point into consideration that you might need to select the meal quantity depending on the weight of the Chihuahua. Because being overweight can have a negative impact on the pet’s health.
6-month-old Chihuahua:
For 6-month-old Chihuahua you might need to change the dietary plans. A 6-month-old Chihuahua needs to eat 4 to 5 times a day.
The diet needs to be nutritionally balanced as well as you will have to make sure that you do not overfeed the Chihuahua. Also, make sure you select the quantity of the meals based on their weight.
7-month-old Chihuahua:
A 7-month-old Chihuahua is basically an adult one, therefore, 2 to 3 times a meal is enough for its health.
8-month-old Chihuahua:
8-month-old Chihuahua needs to be fed 3 times a day. The meal quantity can start from 1 cup to ¼ cup per meal.
9-month-old Chihuahua:
9 -month old Chihuahuas can eat 2 to 3 times per day; breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can offer snacks in between the meals.
10-month-old Chihuahua:
10-month-old Chihuahua is an adult one which is why it can be fed 2 times per day. But make sure you check the weight and do not overfeed or underfeed the Chihuahua.
Chihuahua feeding chart:
| Age | Expected dog Weight (pounds) | Recommended amount of food per day (cups) | Daily calorie intake | Feeding frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 weeks | 2.5 to 5 ounces | 0.5 to 1 cups | 8.25 to 17 calories | 4 to 6 times a day |
| 3 week | 6 to 18 ounces | 0.5 to 1 cups | 20 to 61.6 calories | 4 to 6 times a day |
| 4 week | 8 to 21 ounces | 0.5 to 1 cups | 27.5 to 72.5 calories | 4 to 6 times a day |
| 5 week | 9 to 23 ounces | 0.5 to 1 cups | 30.8 to 78.6 calories | 3 to 5 times a day |
| 6 week | 10 to 23 ounces | 0.5 to 1 cups | 32 to 78.6 calories | 3 to 4 times a day |
| 7 week | 11 to 25 ounces | ½ to ⅓ cups | 37.4 to 85.8 calories | 3 to 4 times a day |
| 8 week or 2 months | 11.5 to 32 ounces | ½ to ⅓ cups | 39 to 100 calories | 3 to 4 times a day |
| 9 week | 13 to 33 ounces | ½ to ⅓ cups | 45 to 110 calories | 3 to 4 times a day |
| 10 week | 14 to 35 ounces | ½ to ⅓ cups | 48 to 120 calories | 3 to 4 times a day |
| 11 week | 15 to 41 ounces | ½ to ⅓ cups | 53 to 140.8 calories | 3 to 4 times a day |
| 12 week or 3 months | 15 to 45 ounces | ½ to 1/4 cups | 53 to 154.55 calories | 3 to 4 times a day |
| 4 month | 20 to 59 ounces | ½ to 1/4 cups | 68.7 to 202 calories | 3 to 4 times a day |
| 5 month | 25 to 60 ounces | ½ to 1/4 cups | 80 to 206 calories | 2 to 3 times a day |
| 6 month | 1.7 pounds to 4 pounds | ½ to 1/4 cups | 94 to 220 calories | 2 to 3 times a day |
| 7 month | 2 pounds to 6 pounds | ½ to 1/4 cups | 110 to 330 calories | 2 to 3 times a day |
| 8 month | 3 pounds to 8 pounds | ½ to 1/4 cups | 165 to 440 calories | 2 to 3 times a day |
| 9 month | 5 pounds to 10 pounds | ½ to 1/4 cups | 275 to 550 calories | 2 to 3 times a day |
| 10 month | 6 pounds to 11 pounds | ½ to 1/4 cups | 330 to 605 calories | 2 to 3 times a day |
Are you overfeeding your Chihuahua or not feeding enough?
Overfeeding or not feeding your Chihuahua enough completely depends on the quantity of the food that you provide. Also, overfeeding or not feeding also depends on the calorie intake and the weight of the Chihuahua.
For instance, if your Chihuahua is 6 months old and has a weight of more than 4 pounds then surely you are overfeeding your Chihuahua. On the other hand, if your Chihuahua has underweight which is less than 2 pounds then underfeed your pet.
In addition, you have to daily notes on the calorie intake of your Chihuahua because the calorie intake plays an important role in the weight management of a Chihuahua.
How frequently do you feed your Chihuahua?
The feeding of your Chihuahua depends on the age. The feeding frequency is a very important fact to be considered because the feeding frequency actually controls the overfeeding or not feeding enough cases of a Chihuahua.
For instance, Chihuahuas that are under 6 months can be fed 3 to 6 times to 3 to 4 times per day. You will need to increase the feeding frequency because at this age the body of a Chihuahua starts to grow.
Also, Chihuahuas that are over 6 months need to be fed 2 to 3 times per day because at this age there is a risk of overfeeding.
Recommended feeding time:
Chihuahuas that are under 6 months need to be fed 4 to 5 times per day. The meal can be small portions or medium portions which can vary from ½ cup to ⅓ cup.
However, the meals should be full of nutrients that are necessary for the Chihuahua’s growth.
On the other hand, the Chihuahuas that are fully adult or above 6 months need to be fed three times a day.
The meals can be given as breakfast, lunch and dinner. In between the meals you can offer Chihuahuas small snacks or treats for lighting up their mood.
Final Thoughts:
The meal quantity for a Chihuahua depends on its age and size. If a Chihuahua is under 6 months then it can eat 4 to 5 times per day. If the Chihuahua is above 6 months old then it can be fed 2 to 3 times per day. The meal portion can be ½ cup to ¼ cup per meal for both puppy and adult Chihuahua.