# Diet for 7 week old Chi Pup..



## Blondie87

I think I am totally screwing up Bella's diet. Her previous owners had her on Purina Puppy Chow, so obviously I'm feeding her that now. I can wean her off it it at some point. I just bought some treats yesterday, but just realized they have wheat flour in them, and that's not okay for her right?

Thank goodness I found this site! I have been looking at the raw diets, and it seems like it would be good for her.

I asked someone at Petsmart what food I should feed her, and she recommended some food titled Chihuahua Puppy, then Chihuahua Adult. 

I just want what's best for her. Right now she eats about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the Puppy Chow softened. She is a lil fluffier, she was one of the thicker ones out of her litter, and everyone who sees her says she has a tummy on her. She also seems like she has the hiccups once in awhile. I have noticed her having them twice since I got her 5 days ago. What causes that?

I'm in Oregon. Can someone help me figure out what's best to feed her?


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## flippedstars

Hey, I would get her off the Purina Puppy Chow ASAP. It's a terrible food full of lots of fillers. As a general rule of thumb you want to stay away from foods containing corn, wheat, soy, "meat" as an unnamed animal ingredient.

Http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com rates foods from 1-6 stars. You want at LEAST a 4 star food for your pup, I generally recommend at least 5 stars. You can compare and read more about the Purina Puppy Chow on there as well.


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## jesicamyers

a lot of foods you find in grocery stores are really not good for your dog. look for grain-free and do not let people in the store sway you. Most of those people do not know what to look for in a good dog food. Science Diet and Eukanuba both have tons of ground corn, a huge allergen for dogs.


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## flippedstars

The absolute best of the best dried food is Ziwipeak. Stella and Chewy's comes in second, followed by The Honest Kitchen Embark or Thrive for your pup. These are all dehydrated or frozen raw foods. The best kibbled food out there is Orijen followed by Fromm and Acana. Those are the only privately owned and manufactured kibbles and the only ones I'd feed as they are considered much safer from things like recalls


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## MChis

100% agree with Kristi. You also may want to check your local area & see if there are any pet speciality stores nearby. As a rule there typically aren't any premium foods in grocery stores or big box stores (Walmart, Petsmart, Petco, etc). They do however have some decent foods at Tractor Supply. But definitely check the website Kristi posted or also Dog Food Reviews | Dog Food Ratings. This one also contains the dehydrated raw foods which I HIGHLY recommend such as ZiwiPeak, The Honest Kitchen (Thrive & Embark are suited for puppies), Stella & Chewy's, etc.

But it would definitely be in your and your pups best interest to get her off of the Purina asap! Good luck!!


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## hershey109

I have a 3 month old short coat chi. We just got her 3 weeks ago and loooove her!! The breeder feeds her puppy chow. I gradually switched her to Blue Buffalo puppies (small breed), mixing with puppy chow the breeder gave me and got her off that just last week. Blue Buffalo does not have by-products and she loves the flavor. Blue Buffalo - Compare Dog Food with our Dog Food Comparison Test


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## Blondie87

How long do you think a 2.2 $20 lb bag of ZiwiPeak would last her? I also got her some Canine Carry Out chicken and beef treats for her last night. I am assuming those are really not good for her, right? Any recommendations for a good treat for her? I will definately try to get her on something else soon. 

What am I supposed to do with the rest of the Purina, I prolly have at least 7 lbs left. And the treats?


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## jesuschick

My local shelter was very happy to take food that either we moved away from as well as food and medications for our boy who crossed the rainbow bridge.

My pet store also takes back food and treats that do not work out for her.

For now I have her on Orijen puppy which (depending on site you go to) is a 5-6 star kibble. My girl has had some tummy trouble so for now we are sticking to that and will supplement with Stella and Chewy's later.

I also feed grain free treats. I can get those at even a pet chain store and the ones that she prefers are really not expensive at all.


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## MChis

I would estimate that you'd be buying a new bag of ZP every 6 weeks or so...perhaps longer. It also depends on your pups weight & what their activity level is. You're supposed to follow the serving they recommend on the back based on weight & for pups you double it. But to feed my six adult Chihuahua's one 2.2lb bag lasts them about 7 days. It may be more expensive to feed ZP but I also agree it's the absolute best food out there short of feeding raw. (ZP is dehydrated raw & consists of only meat, organ, vitamins & minerals) Anyway...good luck!


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## Blondie87

I won't be able to buy the ZiwiPeak until later this week. Will she be okay on the Purina until then? Or is there anything a lil cheaper at my local Petsmart or Petco that is better for her?

Are these treats a big no no? I got her the chicken and beef.

I also have a pack of frozen drumsticks that I need to use. Is there anything I can do with those for her?

She already seems a lil thicker, so I don't want to make her overweight at all.


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## ExoticChis

the more expensive food everyone is mentioning (ziwi) actually works out cheaper in the long run. you feed less and your chi will be much much much more healthy, so hopefully less vet visits


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## flippedstars

I believe either Petco or Petsmart carries a brand called Wellness that is pretty decent.


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## 18453

Thicker or a fat puppy?? I saw she was 2lb at 7 weeks that's quite big but she could just be a bigger chi?

Ziwi is fab I feed raw but use ziwi for lazy day! Id you're going to feed ziwi and arent adverse to raw meat give her 1/2 of a chicken wing per meal
Until your ziwi arrives


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## Brodysmom

Blondie87 said:


> I won't be able to buy the ZiwiPeak until later this week. Will she be okay on the Purina until then? Or is there anything a lil cheaper at my local Petsmart or Petco that is better for her?
> 
> Are these treats a big no no? I got her the chicken and beef.
> 
> I also have a pack of frozen drumsticks that I need to use. Is there anything I can do with those for her?
> 
> She already seems a lil thicker, so I don't want to make her overweight at all.


I personally wouldn't feed Purina, but that is just me. Just about anything you could buy at petsmart or petco would be better. If I had to pick a food from there I'd probably do Wellness (as Kristi suggested).

Those treats should be thrown in the trash. Just my opinion! But read the ingredients!

Canine Carry Outs Grilled Chick'n Strips Chewy Snacks for Dogs
7 oz. - Chicken 
SKU: 847798
Wheat flour, water, chicken, soybean meal, propylene glycol, pregelatinized wheat flour, animal fat (BHA used as a preservative), egg product, natural smoke flavor, salt, titanium dioxide, phosphoric acid, potassium sorbate (used as a preservative), BHA (used as a preservative).

That's like feeding a human infant coke in their bottle with a greasy cheeseburger on the side. It's just junk food of the worst kind. Of course they will like the taste! But it's terrible for them. Wellness carries a line of treats that are decent. You can even buy the cat formula as it's in teensy tiny meat squares that would be perfect for a 2 pound puppy.

If you want to commit to feeding raw, you could probably start her out on drumsticks, but I recommend you do a lot of reading/research and don't just dive into it without doing some reading. The chicken has to be unenhanced so read the label. It must not be more than 100mg of sodium per 4 ounces. A LOT of grocery store chicken is enhanced with a salt solution. A 2 pound puppy would only be eating about an ounce or two a day so you need to know what you are doing.

I'm glad you are here and learning about better ways to feed your puppy! :hello1:


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## Blondie87

Here are some pics I just took of her. Is she fat or just a big puppy?


























Thanks for your help everyone. The drumsticks are all natural, no preservatives. How much do I give her? An ounce the whole day? No puppy food? I really don't cook it at all, just tear off some meat? Do I split it up through the day? I will definitely go do some research on feeding raw now..

I think I will order some Ziwi online now. It will take a lil while to get here tho I'm sure. Anyone know the cheapest place to buy it? Or somewhere with free shipping?


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## Blondie87

So no one answered in time. My friend/neighbor's sister was over at her house and she had fed her previous dog a raw type diet, of chicken and rice and stuff. She said to cook the drum sticks. So I did. After researching more, I see that you shouldn't? Am I supposed to give her the skin and stuff? I did, because she said puppies needed it. Bella devoured it like crazy. After I got all of the loose bones and cartilage off of the drum stick I let her chew on it, and I got some pretty cute pics..  But she loved it.

I did some research, and I do have a Sebastian's Healthy Pet Food store. It has these products. Would any of those be better/cheaper for a raw diet then Ziwi? That way I wouldn't have to purchase online.


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## flippedstars

No definitely don't cook it! The bones splinter and can kill them.

YOu feed them the drumstick, bone and all, completely raw. They eat the bone, chicken bones that are raw are pretty soft.


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## flippedstars

Oh, she isn't fat, just a bigger pup


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## Blondie87

Ha.. too late it's already cooked! Guess I should never listen to my neighbor and her sis anymore. I figured a raw diet meant RAW meats, but they swore it should be cooked, and no one was answering here and Bella was hungry cuz I took her Purina away. 

I didn't think her teeth were strong enough to bite any bone off, cooked or uncooked, so I didn't think it'd splinter. You think she'll be okay? I won't give her any of the other chicken leg bones.

I thought she was big for just 7 weeks being 2 lbs already, assuming the scale I weighed her on was correct. She'll prolly be a bigger Chi then huh? I just wish I knew what she'll look like full grown! I'd say I can't wait, but I almost wish she'd stay this small forever..


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## flippedstars

I think 7-9 lbs is a safe estimate. I would keep that cooked bone away from her too. They definitely have strong enough teeth and jaws to cause themselves some real damage with cooked bones but hopefully she didn't get that far. You have to feed her something til you can get the other food, if its the purina for 4 or 5 more days, its not gonna kill her hun.


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## Blondie87

But I can feed her the cooked chicken right? I deboned it. Obviously its not how it was supposed to be... But would that be enough for her?


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## flippedstars

No she will get a nutrient deficiency very quickly. She also won't be too interested in dog food again any time soon if you keep it up


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## Blondie87

Ahhh.. Bummer! That sucks that I screwed it up! Did you see my link to the Sebastian's Pet Food place? Is there any good raw brands there comparable to Ziwi?


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## Chihuahuasloveme

evo is good not raw tho
wellness

natures variety which is raw i believe not sure of the cost

candidae
dogswell

etc those were all on the 5 star list of the site heather posted

Five Star Dog Foods


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## Chihuahuasloveme

i think you should just go to the store and look at the foods and prices and find out what works for you write down a list of the ones you want to compare


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## 18453

Oh gosh she's not fat just a bigger chi 

There is a time difference with some of us so you don't always get a response straight away 

No cooked bones EVER is bad bad bad raw bones are good!!


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## woodard2009

I wouldn't worry about the hiccups; it just means your puppies eating so fast that he's swallowing air causing the hiccups. You've got great advice here & I agree to get the pup on better food. My chi is proof that these foods mentioned are the best out there & they're worth every penny. People think these foods might be pricey, but by keeping your animals on low-grade food, you wind up spending more money on vet bills for sick animals. Because your pup is only 7 weeks, it's important that he gets the protein he needs as he is developing. Puppies are supposed to have little tummies as they will slim as they grow & become extremely active playing.


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## jesshan

At 6-7 weeks old, she shouldn’t have been sold! Mine are still partially on mother’s milk until they are at least 8-9 weeks old! Mine have treats such as goats milk, scrambled eggs, occasionally mince and small pieces of cheese. 

I do think a complete food for them is better – mine are on Royal Canin, (junior until they are at least 8 months old too)


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## appleblossom

I feed Fromm 4 star & my chis do great on it. I would highly recommend it to anyone...I took a look at the site you posted & would choose the Wellness Puppy food. Ive fed wellness puppy to 2 of my chis & they did good on it Ive also fed wellness super5mix & wellness core which IMO were great foods..AS for the purina your puppy will be fine eating it for a few more days till you decide what you would like to feed. I have a 10 year old chi who ate kibbles n bits for years before I found this site & discovered it was a bad food..


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## woodard2009

appleblossom said:


> I feed Fromm 4 star & my chis do great on it. I would highly recommend it to anyone...I took a look at the site you posted & would choose the Wellness Puppy food. Ive fed wellness puppy to 2 of my chis & they did good on it Ive also fed wellness super5mix & wellness core which IMO were great foods..AS for the purina your puppy will be fine eating it for a few more days till you decide what you would like to feed. I have a 10 year old chi who ate kibbles n bits for years before I found this site & discovered it was a bad food..


I bet your chi LOVED Kibbles & bits! Many moons ago I used to feed that to a mixed breed I had (thought it was one of the best foods out there) couldn't believe how much my dog loved this food. My concern came when he never seemed to gain weight & I fed him scraps like spaghetti as well. Thought he was just burning it off from being so active. But he seemed starving all the time. Asked vet about it?! She said they love it because it's all SUGAR! No wonder! No Nutrient value what-so-ever!! I felt so bad because I was literally starving him to death for 4 years. Thank goodness I was feeding him table scraps when I had them (of course I don't feed my chi table scraps) I've learned a lot since then.


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## woodard2009

Blondie87 said:


> But I can feed her the cooked chicken right? I deboned it. Obviously its not how it was supposed to be... But would that be enough for her?


If you're not comfortable feeding raw, there are many good foods on the market. These foods are made with raw meats and you can choose from dehydrated, freeze dried or Kibble. These are 3 that I use, but there are several others out there. You can go to the food & nutrition section for more info. I feed The Honest Kitchen, Ziwipeak and Acana. 

You need to watch your chi to make sure she passes the cooked bone o.k. There's a lot you need to know if you're going to feed raw, so please read all the post on here so you're thoroughly informed. Never give your chi any meat without holding it to keep from swallowing whole; unless you cut it up in itsy bitsy pieces. 

If you're unsure about anything, wait til you get a response from the forum or call your vet. These little creatures are very sensitive & you can injure or kill them easily if you don't know what you're doing.


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## Brodysmom

oh goodness - never ever feed cooked bones to a dog. That is asking for an obstruction/perforation of the intestines. Cooked bones are hard and splinter. ONLY raw bones should be given and even then, they are only 10% of the diet. A raw diet is mostly meat, a little bone, a smidge of organ. Continue to do some reading and researching!

Of the brands at the store close to you, I'd probably recommend the Natures Variety. It's a pre-made raw frozen food. It's already made up for you and frozen. You just take out a medallion (little cube of food), thaw and feed. It's a good way to ease into do-it-yourself raw while you are still doing your learning about a raw diet. 

But ANY of those brands are better than what you get at the grocery store and miles and miles ahead of Purina. You can go to some of the dog food comparison sites and plug in the name of the food and read about it and decide what you would like to feed. You can skimp on a lot of things with dogs, but diet is not one of them.


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## Blondie87

I'm okay with raw, I just didn't know what to do with the drum sticks. I thought raw, cuz they wouldn't cook it in the wild, and that's what a RAW diet means, but my neighbor and friend said they could get sick. So much for what they knew! I will go to that store and check stuff out today.

Tracy, every time I see your siggy, I can't help but stare that that bottom pic of Brody! He has such a defined little body! He looks awesome.


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## Blondie87

So I went today and they actually had Ziwi there! After looking at everything, I liked the Natures Variety the most. But when I saw the Ziwi, I was asking her about that. She said that she'd start out on the Natures Variety, then go to Ziwi if I wanted. Her son has Chi's and they feed the puppies this thing there that was like Northwest something, little nuggets, and the adults Holistic something. 

I have a medallion thawing out now. Should I divide it into 2 or 3 pieces to feed her? It's crazy, it doesn't seem like it would be enough for her, but I know it is.. 

I also returned the Canine Carry Out treats and got her some Wellness Just for Puppy treats. She had 1 today, but she's not a huge fan for some reason.. ?


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## Brodysmom

Blondie87 said:


> I'm okay with raw, I just didn't know what to do with the drum sticks. I thought raw, cuz they wouldn't cook it in the wild, and that's what a RAW diet means, but my neighbor and friend said they could get sick. So much for what they knew! I will go to that store and check stuff out today.
> 
> Tracy, every time I see your siggy, I can't help but stare that that bottom pic of Brody! He has such a defined little body! He looks awesome.





Blondie87 said:


> So I went today and they actually had Ziwi there! After looking at everything, I liked the Natures Variety the most. But when I saw the Ziwi, I was asking her about that. She said that she'd start out on the Natures Variety, then go to Ziwi if I wanted. Her son has Chi's and they feed the puppies this thing there that was like Northwest something, little nuggets, and the adults Holistic something.
> 
> I have a medallion thawing out now. Should I divide it into 2 or 3 pieces to feed her? It's crazy, it doesn't seem like it would be enough for her, but I know it is..
> 
> I also returned the Canine Carry Out treats and got her some Wellness Just for Puppy treats. She had 1 today, but she's not a huge fan for some reason.. ?


You will hear all kinds of things about raw once you start. People will tell you your puppy will get sick, she won't grow right, your whole family will get salmonella, etc. It takes some guts (literally) to feed raw and be confident about it. There's lots of naysayers out there. So really do your reading, check out the links in the beginning raw thread in the raw section. Join the yahoo group and read what 18,000 raw feeders are talking about. You will learn alot and soon you will be up to speed. It's not hard. But you do have to KNOW what you are doing and WHY and to be able to get through the bumps without freaking out. You will become a student of your dog and that's a good thing.  

oh, and thanks for your comments on Brody.  

I can't remember what the bag says for nature's variety for feeding puppies. Brody was 4 months when I started him and I think he got 2 medallions a day for breakfast and dinner with some diced raw chicken breast for lunch. That is if you got the medallions which are like little ice cube sized. I know they also have the patties which are burger sized. Anyway, read the label to get an idea of how much to feed and you can go from there.

Yes, just let it thaw and then I mashed it up with a fork and then put it down. She may love it, she may not. It's hard to say. If she's used to purina puppy chow, she's used to a cheeseburger and fries with a coke on the side! Now she's being served chicken with veggies and a little fruit and it's quite a change. Healthy food does take some getting used to. But pups are adaptable. I'm guessing she'll do fine. 

Get back to us with questions and we will help you!! If you hang out in the raw section here you will learn alot as well. Everyone who starts has questions, so ask away.


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## Blondie87

Yeah, I'm in the middle of reading your "Are you considering a raw diet?" thread. She didn't seem to LOVE the part of the medallion I gave her.. lol. Not sure if she just wasn't very hungry or something. She had a few bites, but I had to be right there with her egging her on. They are the 1 oz medallions. The lady at the store said prolly 1 medallion a day, maybe a lil more depending on her. The directions on the bag don't go below 5 lbs, but it says 2 for 5 lbs.


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## Brodysmom

One medallion is NOT enough food for a baby puppy. I went to the natures variety site and did their calculator and they say 3.6 ounces for your puppy. So that's a little over 3 1/2 medallions a day. So do one at breakfast, one at lunch, one at dinner. Puppies require more food than adults. 

Feeding Guide | Nature's Variety

As she grows, you will increase the amount of NV you are feeding to keep up with her growth.


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## Blondie87

Really? That's alot! So if she does eat 3 a day, the bag I got will last 16 days... Wow. I think getting the $25 2.2 lb bag of Ziwi would have been alot cheaper right...? Being that it'd last her 6 weeks.


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## Blondie87

She doesn't seem to be liking it... :'( What do I do? She's only had 1/2 of one today.. And that took her like an hour. And she won't eat anymore... ? Is that normal when it's something new? Will she get used to it?


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## Brodysmom

Well if she doesn't like it, then I'd probably try something else. Even though she's 2 pounds, she could still have low blood sugar. Very young puppies like her need to be eating at least 4 times a day. A tablespoon or so every few hours throughout the day. If she doesn't like the NV, then maybe try something else. 

Will she eat raw chicken? Thaw out a drumstick that you had in the freezer and cut off about an ounce or so (the size of a medallion) and see if she will eat that. If so, you can add in some of the NV since it has the bone in it. If not, then let her gnaw on the raw chicken bone. She can eat the softer bones at the ends.


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## Blondie87

She ate a lil more recently, but the max she's been eating so far is almost 1/2 an oz. every 3 hours or so. I can't really imagine her eating more than 2 oz a day. Not sitting down eating a whole medallion every meal. Will she eventually start to eat more?


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## Brodysmom

Let's make sure we're on the same page. The medallions you are talking about are the size of an ice cube, right? And your puppy weighs 2 pounds? Then yes, she should be able to eat one 3 times a day. If she doesn't like the NV, you can try just plain raw unenhanced chicken mixed with it, or even canned. I wouldn't give any kibble - but that's just me. If you do want to do kibble, don't mix it with raw. Feed kibble at least 8 hours away from any raw meals.

Are you feeding the NV straight out of the fridge? Some dogs like it warmed to room temperature or so. do NOT microwave it. It has bone in it and that could cook the bones and cause problems. Put a medallion in a baggy and float it in a bowl of hot water. It will warm up that way. 

Let's see how she does today.


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## AC/DC Fan

hershey109 said:


> I have a 3 month old short coat chi. We just got her 3 weeks ago and loooove her!! The breeder feeds her puppy chow. I gradually switched her to Blue Buffalo puppies (small breed), mixing with puppy chow the breeder gave me and got her off that just last week. Blue Buffalo does not have by-products and she loves the flavor. Blue Buffalo - Compare Dog Food with our Dog Food Comparison Test


This is what I feed my three too. Also, it's the only food our local Chihuahua rescue feeds (kind of where I learned about it). I buy their treats and canned food (little pink can) too. You can actually see the peas and carrots in the canned food and it doesn't smell bad at all. They only get that occasionally though. 
Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble gives Blue Buffalo Small Breed Chicken & Brown Rice 4 stars (same for the puppy variety). I'm good with that!
I just don't want to get into something that's difficult to get or costs a fortune (Blue Buffalo is expensive enough!). I'm amazed at how much 3 little Chihuahuas can eat!

Blondie87, your baby doesn't look fat to me at all. All puppies look kind of "fat" but that just what puppies look like. She doesn't look big in the pix but it's very hard for me to discern size from a pic. At 8 weeks, each of my girls weighed 8 ozs. So I guess they were smaller than yours but I swear they look the same size as yours to me.

Puppies get hiccups all the time. Mia got them a LOT. Nothing to worry about.

Best of luck with whatever food choice you make!


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## Blondie87

Brodysmom- I did thaw it/warm it up that way yesterday, since I didn't have time to let it thaw out by leaving it in the fridge all night. So far, she will eat it, it's just like she can't eat more then 1/2 a medallion at once. So if she eats 6 times or so a day she might be able to eat 3 medallions. And yes, they're about the size of ice cubes.

AC/DC Dan- 8 oz at 8 weeks?! :-O Bella is going to be a big girl! Thanks for the for the food advice, I'll have to see how she does with the NV.

I don't thinking wanna stick with NV to feed her. Ziwi seems cheaper, cuz the $25 2.2 lb bag lasts about 6 weeks with her right? I want something good for her, but we don't have a ton of money right now. So I'm trying to figure our the best but cheapest way to feed her.


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## Brodysmom

I don't blame you on the NV. Yes, it is expensive. Especially considering it has fruits and veggies in it which just add bulk and aren't needed in the diet. If you want to commit to prey model raw, it is cheaper. But you will have to do some reading and research. It's not as easy as opening a bag and pouring some food out. 

I'm not exactly sure how long a bag of Ziwi would last. You could try one and try it! It's excellent as well but also expensive.

If you go with kibble, I'm sure others can advise you on products that are good but won't break the bank. I think Taste of the Wild qualifies as a great food but it's cheaper than some of the ultra premium foods and it's a plus that it is grain free.


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## AC/DC Fan

Blondie87 said:


> Brodysmom- I did thaw it/warm it up that way yesterday, since I didn't have time to let it thaw out by leaving it in the fridge all night. So far, she will eat it, it's just like she can't eat more then 1/2 a medallion at once. So if she eats 6 times or so a day she might be able to eat 3 medallions. And yes, they're about the size of ice cubes.
> 
> AC/DC Dan- 8 oz at 8 weeks?! :-O Bella is going to be a big girl! Thanks for the for the food advice, I'll have to see how she does with the NV.
> I don't thinking wanna stick with NV to feed her. Ziwi seems cheaper, cuz the $25 2.2 lb bag lasts about 6 weeks with her right? I want something good for her, but we don't have a ton of money right now. So I'm trying to figure our the best but cheapest way to feed her.


Yes, ma'am. Mia is now almost 17 months and Skylar is almost 14 months and they weigh about 5 lbs. each. 
FWIW, I've always free fed my dogs.


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## jaromi

jesshan said:


> At 6-7 weeks old, she shouldn’t have been sold! Mine are still partially on mother’s milk until they are at least 8-9 weeks old! Mine have treats such as goats milk, scrambled eggs, occasionally mince and small pieces of cheese.
> 
> I do think a complete food for them is better – mine are on Royal Canin, (junior until they are at least 8 months old too)


On the site that was recomended onthe first page to grade your food royal canin was only a 2 star i think.


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## Blondie87

She is loving the Nature's Variety raw food.. lol. But it seems like a ton to spend on dog food being that she has to eat 3.5 medallions a day. She loves it though! Right now she is on it, and some Wellness food (which is a 4 star) because it seemed like the best/cheapest option at the moment. 

She saw the vet today, and he recommended I put her on Royal Canin (which is a 3 star), especially if she becomes a finicky eater which I guess most Chi's are. He said 3 out of 4 Chi's like it. He also said "You know what is a great treat for them? Cheerios!" And gave her a few Cheerios after her shot. I thought wheat wasn't good for them, so Cheerios wouldn't be?


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## jesuschick

My girl seems to have an issue with grains so no Cheerios for her! Right now she is getting organic boiled chicken that I have smashed into little bits as her treat (I openly admit to bribing her for potty on her pad, you know).

She was just a day or two shy of 9 weeks when we got her and she weighed 1.5 lbs. At 12 weeks she was 2 lbs and now and 16 weeks (tomorrow) she is a bit over 2.25 lbs. I do not know if that helps. Compared her to 3 remaining litter mates and she was TINY compared to them although when we chose her they were all roughly the same size. 

We currently have her on Orijen puppy kibble. It is a 6 star, grain free food and I did not find it any more expensive than other high quality kibble. Perhaps $19 for a 5.5 lb bags. At least I think that is what it was.

I bought her a trial box of Honest Kitchen Embark and it should be here Thursday. Her stools are just always pretty soft. She has been checked for worms and parasites and she is clean. Sensitive tummy.

Your girl is just precious!


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## LovesMyPups

Blondie87 said:


> She is loving the Nature's Variety raw food.. lol. But it seems like a ton to spend on dog food being that she has to eat 3.5 medallions a day. She loves it though! Right now she is on it, and some Wellness food (which is a 4 star) because it seemed like the best/cheapest option at the moment.
> 
> She saw the vet today, and he recommended I put her on Royal Canin (which is a 3 star), especially if she becomes a finicky eater which I guess most Chi's are. He said 3 out of 4 Chi's like it. He also said "You know what is a great treat for them? Cheerios!" And gave her a few Cheerios after her shot. I thought wheat wasn't good for them, so Cheerios wouldn't be?


LOL. 3 out of 4 children prefer ice cream to vegetables, right? Doesn't mean it's best for them. I would have been fishing those out of my chi's mouth so fast...  I'll bet she was jazzed though! 

I'm glad she's enjoying the NV now, even though it's pretty expensive... I remember you were considering ZiwiPeak, which is what I feed. My puppers love it, no hesitation from day 1!


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## Blondie87

I am considering Ziwi Peak, but I just wish I knew how long the 2.2 lbs would last her. I don't want to spend a ton. The Nature's Variety Raw is about $18 for just a couple weeks worth of food. I don't even spend that much on my food right now! I want the best for her, but I don't want it to drain us either.


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## leiahrandy

Blondie87 said:


> I think I am totally screwing up Bella's diet. Her previous owners had her on Purina Puppy Chow, so obviously I'm feeding her that now. I can wean her off it it at some point. I just bought some treats yesterday, but just realized they have wheat flour in them, and that's not okay for her right?
> 
> Thank goodness I found this site! I have been looking at the raw diets, and it seems like it would be good for her.
> 
> I asked someone at Petsmart what food I should feed her, and she recommended some food titled Chihuahua Puppy, then Chihuahua Adult.
> 
> I just want what's best for her. Right now she eats about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the Puppy Chow softened. She is a lil fluffier, she was one of the thicker ones out of her litter, and everyone who sees her says she has a tummy on her. She also seems like she has the hiccups once in awhile. I have noticed her having them twice since I got her 5 days ago. What causes that?
> 
> I'm in Oregon. Can someone help me figure out what's best to feed her?






oh gosh i wish my randy would at least take a sniff of doggy chow or any kind of pup food! :foxes15: hes spoiled && thats bad.


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## cherper

My 10 mo. old chi is on Taste of the wild. I can get it locally at our Tractor supply store. It is grain free and has Bison, lamb and chicken as its main meat sources. She is doing great on it!


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## Blondie87

Is this horrible for her? DH brought them home from work for her. There is a lot of fake stuff in there, so I'm assuming it's not good. There is some good stuff in it though. Obviously she wouldn't consume the whole thing in one day. But is it bad enough to now even give her a spoonful a day or anything?


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