# How much food per day?



## rms3402

I tried looking for a thread on this already but couldn't find one... I see so many different things from how much to feed, to what food is best, etc... and I assume it's partly because it's a matter of opinion. 

So, how much food should I be feeding Roxy each day total? She is almost 5.5 months old. She weighs 3.5 pounds. Right now, I feed her Purina Pro Plan for toy breed puppies. It's a dry food. That's what she was on when she came from the breeders. I've tried to do my research... I see some sites that say this food is good, and other sites I see that it says it is TERRIBLE! Our breeder said she really likes it and thinks its a good food. She really is a great breeder and I know her dogs are VERY VERY VERY well taken care of. When we get another chi, it will definitely without a doubt be from her. Even our vet said we got a great quality chihuahua.. one that is not typical of chihuahuas, in a very positive way! So, I trust her... 

...but do you think Purina Pro Plan is a good dog food? If not, what is? I don't want to have to order food offline or anything like that. I want to be able to get it in my local pet store like Pet Smart, etc.

Also, the back of the bag says I should be feeding her 1/2 cup total per day. Is this too much? Is it too little? I've seen some people that only feed their chi's 1/4 cup total a DAY. In MY opinion, I don't think that is enough at all. But I don't know? I guess that's why I'm asking, LOL. I by NO means want a fat chihuahua, but I do not want an underweight chihuahua either. 

Any opinions/input would be greatly appreciated!


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## jesuschick

It can be confusing! Puppies do need more food than an adult dog. They are building brains and bodies! My 2 breeders are outstanding and their dogs also very well taken care of but neither feed a food that I would feed. 

These two sites are really outstanding in terms of unbiased food ratings:

Purina Pro Plan Dry Dog Food | Review and Rating

Dog Food Reviews - All Products - Powered by ReviewPost

You will want to strive for a 5-6 star food. Corn and wheat are really fillers in pet food (think junk food for kids) so you'll want to avoid those and you may wish to avoid other grains as well.


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## mrfiero

I too find it confusing. I feed fromm puppy kibble. The package say 1 to 1&1/2 cups per day. At 10-12 months of age we will switch to adult fromm. The package says for a 5 pound dog only 1/2 cup per day? 


I think you use the back of the package as a guide, but every dog will be differnt. My hazel runs all the time. My previous dogs laid around thinking that they were cats. So the amount of food will differ.


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## amyalina25

I think its wat suits.. My chi`s are on james wellbeloved kibble and so it doesnt get boring i put a teaspoon of natures diet which is 100% natural food for dogs.
they have around 10 pieces of kibble with a teaspoon of meat every morning and evening.
Lola was getting a bit round but i think it was all the treats she was getting!! so we cut them out and she looks fine. 
Both my girls love it and get excited when its dinner time so thats good


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## MChis

Which food is good or not is a matter of opinion BUT there is also a matter of knowing what is in the food your feeding. I agree there are a couple of great non-bias review sites you'll want to take a look at. Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble & Dog Food Reviews | Dog Food Ratings 

I can tell you right off the bat any Purina dog food is not good. In addition, any dog food that contains corn is not good. Corn is incredibly hard for dogs to digest period. It's used because it is cheap. Most foods you find at the grocery store are generally not good quality foods. To find a premium food you'll want to see if you have a local pet speciality store. Even Tractor Supply carry some premium foods like Taste of the Wild, 4Health, etc. 

Now for my "opinion".  I've been researching dog food & dog nutrition for a few years now. I'm super passionate about it. For me, I will never feed a kibble based on the fact that any & all kibble (premium & otherwise) goes through SO much processing to get to kibble form. It's difficult for dogs to process it--they need tons of moisture to break it down enough & I feel it's just hard on their system. There are some wonderful prepackaged alternatives...these are known as dehydrated raw foods. Foods that don't go through a tremendous amount of processing & are incredibly gentle on the system.

ZiwiPeak I think is the best prepackaged food out there in the dehydrated raw category. It contains only meat, organ, vitamins & minerals. It's pricey ($25 for a 2.2lb bag) but to feed one average sized Chi...the 2.2lb bag would last around 6 weeks. Another great "raw" food is Stella & Chewy's. And another is Honest Kitchen. We add all of these foods to our raw rotation but we mainly feed prey model raw. (which mostly includes raw chicken & pork from the grocery store & some meat/bone/organ grinds from hare-today.com) But I mix it up a lot between all of these foods. Gives a great variety of foods & keeps the pups very happy and exceptionally healthy.


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## jan896

MChis said:


> ZiwiPeak I think is the best prepackaged food out there in the dehydrated raw category. It contains only meat, organ, vitamins & minerals. It's pricey ($25 for a 2.2lb bag) but to feed one average sized Chi...the 2.2lb bag would last around 6 weeks. Another great "raw" food is Stella & Chewy's. And another is Honest Kitchen. We add all of these foods to our raw rotation but we mainly feed prey model raw. (which mostly includes raw chicken & pork from the grocery store & some meat/bone/organ grinds from hare-today.com) But I mix it up a lot between all of these foods. Gives a great variety of foods & keeps the pups very happy and exceptionally healthy.



I have to agree... I started Chico on the RAW a couple of months ago and won't ever go back to kibble.... I had to start ZiwiPeak when I had my arm in a cast and now he get rotated from raw to ZP... I thought the ZP was pricey too but its lasts a LONG time.... he looks so much better now...


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## Libsy

*Feeding my Jesse*

I am sometimes guilty of giving Jesse an broiled piece of oxtail to chew on. He loves it, and it keeps his,teeth clean (along with brushing), but usually I use a few types of food:

Royal Canin Chihuahua Adult is very tasty and tiny sized, which I mix with PetFresh, which s raw refrigerated and he loves it. I also use some Royal Canin prescription for sensitive tummy. 

Jesse is a big walker and can seriously walk 2-3 miles a day. My Vet says he is an athletic boy and his knees are fine, so I go with it. Also, Vet says Chi's burn lots of energy, but not to over feed. A fat Chihuahua is an unhealthy one. I really need to get better about no human food because I want him around for a long time.


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## Moonfall

I feed acana and we do well with that. 

My guy eats very little- around a half cup TOTAL per day.


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## Natsumi2014

My chi is so sensitive I feed her Acana singles Duck and Pear she has improved so much better no more itching and she eats it 😊😁


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## AngelicMisfit13

I feed my now 5 month old Chi-Min Pin...1/4 cup each meal (3 meals) but I think she's decided 2 meals is all she wants...so I guess she's ready for just 2 meals a day.

We are using up the rest of her Wellness Complete for Small Breed puppies...while also transitioning her to her Holistic Select for Small Breed puppies...she seems to really like it. I still have not figured out why she itches...there is no sign of fleas, her dandruff has cleared up, and i have bathed her in oatmeal shampoo. Maybe once I get her on a more raw diet, maybe it will clear up...that will happen in the next 3-4 months (just got the Holistic Select and next on the list is Nature's Variety Instinct Raw Boost kibble [comes in 5 pound bag]...THEN Nature's Variety Instinct Raw Bites).


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