anyone else's actions regarding the information on this web site. I am not a Veterinarian, nor do I portray myself to be one, so if you have medical questions please call your Vet first and foremost. Feeding your Chihuahua Rules of Thumb to Feeding: When you first receive your young puppy, it's best to keep him or her on the same food that the breeder uses, unless your Chihuahua seems to be having problems. Switching may not only cause your puppy to become a finicky eater, but he/she could be allergic to the new food or worse get an upset stomach or diarrhea. It's very important to keep your puppy on a regular eating schedule. Young puppies should be fed 3 to 4 times daily. Fresh water and plenty of it is a must and needs to be changed daily. When your puppy reaches the age of about six months it is best if you discuss their diet with your vet and at that time make decisions for the future. Some dogs can have problems if kept on puppy food for too long. When switching foods, always do the change gradually. Be careful adding gravy and special treats to your puppies diet, these could be high in fat content and cause your Chihuahua to become overweight. Sometimes if gravy is used to coax the Chihuahua to eat, it will only teach them that if he/she refuses their regular meal you will give in and add the extra treats. Snacks for your Adults and Puppies: Milk bone biscuits are good exercise for any age dog. It helps keep teeth clean and keeps a teething puppy occupied. To help prevent your Chihuahua from becoming overweight we suggest that you keep jerky and sausages treats to a minimum because these have a high fat content. Pig Ears: Lately there has been some controversy regarding pig ears containing ethylene glycol, the same chemical found in antifreeze. Use care if you choose to give these to your pet (always read the ingredients on the label). Rawhide: Rawhide isn't a real good chew snack. This is very hard to digest and it is well known that dogs have swallowed large pieces that break off and can cause intestinal blockages. What many breeders and owners avoid: We suggest that you don't use raw eggs in their diet. They have been known to cause Salmonella and may cause the albumin level to rise and cause kidney problems. Warning! Does your dog like to munch on the indoor greenery? House plants can add so much to the home environment, but there are many house plants that can be poisonous to dogs. Dogs don’t eat plants due to a lack of something in their diets—they just like to eat them! The degree of toxicity varies from mild mouth irritation or stomach upset to being downright deadly! The following have been considered dangerous house plants for dogs: • Ivy • Philodendron • Dieffenbachia • Easter lily • Caladium • False Jerusalem cherry • Oleander • Azalea • Rhododendron • Common or cherry laurel • Mistletoe You may want to consider visiting www.aspca.org or www.ansci.cornell.edu for a full list of plants that are poisonous to dogs and other animals.
Chocolate is toxic to dogs. The worst a Hershey bar can do to you is add an inch to your hips. But that same candy – even in relatively small amounts – can make a dog or cat very sick. Make no mistake: For them, chocolate is poison. In addition to a high fat content, chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, two different types of stimulants that affect the central nervous system and the heart muscle, as well as increasing the frequency of urination. Symptoms of Poisoning If your 50-pound dog gets his paws on a single chocolate-chip cookie, it probably won't cause him serious problems. However, if he gobbles up more – a pan of brownies, say – he may develop vomiting or diarrhea. Once toxic levels are reached, the stimulants kick in, and this is when you really have to worry. Symptoms include: restlessness, hyperactivity, muscle twitching, increased urination and/or excessive panting. If your pet isn't treated, he could go into a seizure – possibly even die. How Much Is Toxic? The amount of chocolate that it takes to poison your pet depends on the type of chocolate he's eaten and his weight. White chocolate has the least amount of stimulants and baking chocolate or cocoa beans have the highest. Here is a list of the most common sources of chocolate and the amount that leads to toxicity: White Chocolate - Mild signs of toxicity can occur when 45 ounces per pound of body weight is ingested. Severe toxicity occurs when 90 ounces per pound of body weight in ingested. This means that a 20-pound dog would need to ingest at least 55 pounds of white chocolate to cause nervous system signs. A 10-pound cat would need to ingest 27 pounds. Yes, that is twenty seven pounds! White chocolate has very little real chocolate in it. Therefore, the levels of caffeine and theobromine are very low. Tremendous amounts of white chocolate need to be ingested in order to cause toxic signs from chocolate. It is highly unlikely that white chocolate ingestion will result in the toxic neurologic signs but, the severe gastrointestinal effects from a high fat food develop with much less white chocolate ingestion. Milk Chocolate - Mild signs of toxicity can occur when 0.7 ounces per pound of body weight is ingested. Severe signs occur when 2 ounces per pound of body weight is ingested. This means that a little less than one pound of milk chocolate can be toxic to the nervous system of a 20-pound dog. A 10- pound cat would need to ingest 1/2 pound. Semi-Sweet Chocolate - Mild signs of toxicity can occur when 1/3 ounce per pound of body weight is ingested. Severe signs occur when 1 ounce per pound of body weight is ingested. This means that as little as 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate can be toxic to the nervous system of a 20-pound dog. A 10- pound cat would need to ingest 3 ounces. Baking Chocolate - Mild signs of toxicity can occur when 0.1 ounce per pound of body weight is ingested. Severe signs occur when 0.3 ounce per pound of body weight is ingested. Two small one-ounce squares of baking chocolate can be toxic to a 20-pound dog. A 10-pound cat would need to ingest 1 ounce of baking chocolate. This type of chocolate has the highest concentration of caffeine and theobromine and very little needs to be ingested before signs of illness become apparent. Even if your pet doesn't eat enough chocolate to induce toxicity, the candy's high fat content may cause him to vomit or have diarrhea at much smaller amounts than those shown. If that happens, watch him carefully. If his symptoms don't clear up within eight hours, call your veterinarian (if your pet is very small or young, call within four hours); aside from toxicity issues, you don't want the animal to dehydrate. Try to be as precise as you can about the type of chocolate the animal ate, how much he took and approximately when he ate it. Your Chihuahua is a baby. Please treat him or her accordingly, taking all precautions. |
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