# adult size & feeding



## Lesley (Jan 7, 2011)

Hi All, 

Sorry if I have posted this in the wrong topic, but I was wandering if anyone could tell me at what age (roughly) a Chi pup reaches their approx adult size? 

Radley is coming up to 10 weeks old and weighs in at just about 900g, which is 300g more than he was 2 weeks ago, so he is growing quite quickly at the moment.

Also, I am feeding him Royal Canin Junior 33 Mini at the moment, and was wandering if someone could confirm how much he should be having a day? I have been giving him about 25-30g over 4 meals a day.

Thanks and again sorry if these are silly questions or in the wrong place, I am new to Chi's.

Thanks

Lesley


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## 2Cheese (Feb 21, 2010)

I dont feed kibble so I dont know...but I just wanted to say what a cutie he is and Welcome to CP!!


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## princess prada (Nov 28, 2010)

I feed Prada 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons of chicken soup for each meal
Growing puppies need about 1 ounce (.02 kg) of dry, premium dog food per pound (.45 kg) of body weight every day. This is distributed throughout 3 to 4 meals, depending on the age of the puppy.
Puppies under 3 months or under 2 pounds should be free-fed
From 3 months (and at least 2 pounds) to 6 months, 3-4 scheduled meals should be given
From 6 months to 1 year 2-3 scheduled meals should be provided
From 1 year on you may choose to offer 2 meals (morning and night) or 1 meal at dinner
Adult dogs need less: Approximately 1/2 ounce (.01 kg) of dry dog food per pound (.45 kg) of body weight every day. Adult dogs (over 2 years old) can usually eat just one meal per day.


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## 2Cheese (Feb 21, 2010)

Oh forgot to add....Chi's reach their full adult size at 18 mos. Your little guy is charting to be a 5lb adult.


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## Lesley (Jan 7, 2011)

Thanks Princess Prada, Do you cook the soup? Sorry if thats a silly question. I am a bit rubbish as weight conversions, what is 1lb in grams?

Also, 2cheese, thanks for that guestimate on his adult size. Would you say he sounds quite small or about right? Both his parents were quite dinky, especially his mummy, who he takes after most. The breeder thought he may be quite small in size.

Thanks


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

princess prada said:


> I feed Prada 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons of chicken soup for each meal
> Growing puppies need about 1 ounce (.02 kg) of dry, premium dog food per pound (.45 kg) of body weight every day. This is distributed throughout 3 to 4 meals, depending on the age of the puppy.
> Puppies under 3 months or under 2 pounds should be free-fed
> From 3 months (and at least 2 pounds) to 6 months, 3-4 scheduled meals should be given
> ...


Where did you get this from?? 

It's not correct food amounts depend on the food they are being fed, the individual dog and it's activity levels and growth weight

Chicken soup is also full of salt (unless you make it yourself) 

Anyway to the OP - your average chihuahua puppy does most it's growing up to 7 months it's fast they gain quickly and one minute they are tiny the next they are full grown!! Height finishes about 9 months in my experience some before

They gain between 1/2 -1lb from 9 months to 18 months but this is just average neither of mine have followed this rule

Your pup is 1.9lb I agree you're looking at. 5ish pound adult if this pup is average!! Some people go by double the 12 week weight and add a pound but it didn't work for my adult but she's 14 months. 

But large growth spurts are normal in kibble fed dogs too!!


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## princess prada (Nov 28, 2010)

Daisydoo said:


> Where did you get this from??
> 
> It's not correct food amounts depend on the food they are being fed, the individual dog and it's activity levels and growth weight
> 
> ...


I do cook the chicken soup. It is very basic but it makes prada like her food more.
I cook 2 chicken legs in a cup of water until done, then
cut it up into small bits and put the broth and chicken into
some small plastic containers and add some to her dry kibble (I personally use orijen)
Sometimes I add fresh baby carrots too

It is true that the amount of food depends on the dog, however what I have stated is a guideline that I personally used and it is quoted from one of my chihuahua care books.
It has worked for me so I thought I would share.
You can use guidelines and tailor them to meet your dog's needs
Growing puppies need more food than adults. Each pup is different, however on average: A 3 lb. puppy needs about 1 cup of food per day A 5 lb. puppy needs about 1- 1/4 cups per day A 6 lb. puppy needs about 1 ¾ cups per day
A puppy will eat more as he or she is in their growing stage and then eat less once they settle into their normal adult weight.
This is distributed throughout 3 to 4 meals from 2 months old up to the age of 6 months. A Chihuahua puppy's stomach is very small so meals must be very small as well.
Since every dog is very different based on: Size Activity Metabolism
The best way to know how much to feed your puppy or dog is to allow them to eat for 15-20 minutes at each of the designated times. What they have not ate in that amount of time, they do not need.
At 6 months old a Chi can work down from 4 meals to 3 meals or from 3 meals to 2 meals.
2 years old Chihuahuas can now be eating adult dog food and will eat a bit less. Adult dogs can usually eat just one meal per day. Some owners do choose to feed 2 meals: this does not mean double the food! This means the food, divided into 2 smaller meals. Do keep in mind that if you feed your Chi a breakfast in the morning, he or she will need to eliminate soon afterward. This is one of the reasons that feeding 1 larger dinner time meal is usually done.

And 1 pound = 453.59237 grams


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## LovesMyPups (Apr 18, 2010)

princess prada said:


> The best way to know how much to feed your puppy or dog is to allow them to eat for 15-20 minutes at each of the designated times. What they have not ate in that amount of time, they do not need.


:lol::lol:LOL LOL OMG, I can picture letting Dexter eat for 15-20 min at each meal: He would be a giant ball of ZiwiPeak. LOL:lol: But I agree, if there is miraculously food left after 15-20minutes, they apparently don't need it, or something is seriously wrong. 


princess prada said:


> Do keep in mind that if you feed your Chi a breakfast in the morning, he or she will need to eliminate soon afterward. This is one of the reasons that feeding 1 larger dinner time meal is usually done.


Personally, I don't feel that it's "best" to feed a chi once a day, especially not for an owner's convenience of only having to take them out once or twice a day to eliminate...
I have seen my own standard size chis throw up bile and whatnot because they needed food more regularly, and would never make them eat all their day's food in one sitting. If they choose not to eat a meal during the day, that's fine, but it that's their choice! 

ETArincessPrada, I know these are just quotes from your books, I'm not putting you down at all here.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

I would never advise someone to feed a chi only once a day. Most do well on twice a day throughout their lives.


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## N*T*M*4U (Nov 10, 2008)

I can't just feed my chis one a day.......I don't think it's fair cause I know I eat more than one meal a day...


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

Paris if you fed an adult chi puppy food until it was 2 it would be fat!!!

It depends on the type of food. Honestly not being rude but I would seriously not give that sort of information out advising people to feed their dogs once a day is ludicrous chihuahuas are a specialist breed!! They aren't like big dogs!

Prada comes home next week right? I would honestly get advice off people feeding the food you are rather than the box of the bag or fr wherever!

I have a 4 1/2lb adult who vomited bile when she's hungry in the mornings has even done it at 4am she eats twice a day!! Also feeding a small dog once a day is just waiting for a hypoglycaemic attack to happen.. Both mine are good weights but they would be flat out if fed them once a day. They poop after their evening meal too sometimes an kibble fed dogs would poo after theirs too

I'm not getting at you and I have no experience in dry foods as I don't agree with them at all but I would honestly look into canine nutritional needs in small breeds.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

princess prada said:


> I feed Prada 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons of chicken soup for each meal
> Growing puppies need about 1 ounce (.02 kg) of dry, premium dog food per pound (.45 kg) of body weight every day. This is distributed throughout 3 to 4 meals, depending on the age of the puppy.
> Puppies under 3 months or under 2 pounds should be free-fed
> From 3 months (and at least 2 pounds) to 6 months, 3-4 scheduled meals should be given
> ...


I'm curious as to how you feed Prada this food when she isn't at home with you yet? According to the website you link to on your profile, she is at the breeders house for another week. So how do you feed her orijen and homemade chicken soup?


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

When pups are under 4 months, I do feel it's best to feed them 3 x a day. If they are under 2 lbs, I make that 4 meals a day. This is just what I have found works best, what keeps them the most satisfied, and also gives their body the appropriate amount of time to use the amount of food they've eaten instead of giving it time to turn to fat  So, with B I did 7 am, 11:30 am, 5 pm and 8 pm for his four meals. That gave him time to eliminate before bed time and be on "empty" when he went into his crate. It took awhile for me to nail down those times, but it worked out pretty well. He was 1 lb when I started feeding him in this manner. As yours is close to 2 lbs, 3 meals a day should be just fine  7 am, 11:30 or 12 pm, and again between 5 and 8. I have never seen a dog regulate what it eats appropriately...LOL. So glad some people have these miracle animals, but if I left a bowl of food down for 20 minutes, my dogs would all be fat hahaha.


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

Hahaha...my dogs would be 30lb Chi's if I left food down that long for them. :lol: Also...I don't feed kibble but when I did my pups only ate 1/4c a day. Even as puppies they ate that much! If they ate 1c of food a day...good grief!! LOL 

You have to take any advice from a book with a grain of salt. It doesn't go for all dogs...or all dog foods. A premium dog food you feed MUCH less because they utilize most of the food rather than just crapping it all out. :lol:

As for feeding once a day...I actually did this when I did raw this summer. Matilda was one that was most likely to vomit bile but doing once a day she did not because I always mixed the times up. They did OK on once a day...but I do twice a day now & I think they do better so I stick with that. I don't totally disagree with feeding once a day but sometimes once works. Sometims it doesn't. 

All my pups I started feeding right off the bat 2 times a day. The smallest one was about 1lb 12oz when I brought her home & she did great. She did get treats through out the day though...


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## imadigger (Sep 5, 2010)

I try to feed Chico twice a day. He gets 1/2 cup kibble around 8am. Sometimes he will eat it, and most times he won't. I have to pick up his food dish as Shanghai will gobble it up. Shanghai is 5yrs old peke, and doesn't need all the calories in the puppy food. Most of the time Chico eats just once a day at supper time (5:30pm). He is hungry then and will eas 1/2 cup of kibble with either some chicken, carrots, or stringbeans mixed in the kibble. I wish he would eat twice a day, but most times not. He goes to potty first thing in the morning (7am) and does both. Most times he will have a bm around 4:30 in the afternoon. Otherwise it's after his evening meal. He is going to be neutered on Wednesday, so I'm sure his schedule will change a little. 
The vet says he's doing beautifully, so whatever he is eating is working for him. Every pup is different and you have to feel your way to do what's good for your own pup.


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## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

I rescued Jazz when she was 11 weeks old. Initially I fed her tiny bits of food every couple hours, because she was very sick. Once she was well, I started her out at 4 feedings a day, which I was able to reduce to 3 a day by the time she was about 16 weeks old. Within a month and a half, I reduced that again to twice a day, which I consider a maintenance diet for a chi. Tango's fed 2X a day, too. 

Tango is a 3 lb 8 oz adult, and Jazz is a 3 lb 14 oz adult (at last weigh in anyway, she may have gained another ounce or two.) They each get a total of about 1/4 cup kibble daily, spread over two feedings, about 1/8 cup each. Jazz gets a few kibble more at each feeding than Tango, because she's slightly bigger. But they are at ideal weights on these amounts and this schedule. How do I know they're at their ideal weights? Not just because my Vet tells me so, but also because I can see, and feel, that they are. They are well formed, with barrel chests and nicely nipped in waists, and no rolls of fat or tissue anywhere. While I can feel their skeletons easily under their fur, there is also just enough padding between their fur and their skeletal systems that no bones are jutting out or feeling sharp under my fingers.

No matter what your Vet says, or what a book advises, or what the dog food label suggests, feeding a dog is very individual for each animal, and takes a degree of trial and error to get what's right for each. Feeding "by the book" can easily result in over- or underfed chis, because of their individual nutritional needs, their level of activity, how much they're exercised or walked, how many treats and what kind they get, etc. In other words, there are so many unique/random factors with each chihuahua that will contribute to their overall health, there is simply NO "one size fits all" solution, nor is there any book, or Vet, or forum, that can give you a completely accurate answer.


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

I had to add that it is dangerous for a Chi pup at this age to eat 1 meal a day. A Chi puppy especially an active puppy would need a t least 3 meals a day to keep from having Hypoglycemia attacks. I was told at a PetsMart from a food rep/vet tech (if she was a vet tech she should have been fired) that they are only supposed to eat once a day (I told her what an idiot she was and that she would cause the death of puppies if she didnt stop spouting these myths) I then reported her to PetsMart (she had some of the worst advice I had every heard?)

Also expect your pup to gain a bit around 3 yrs old or after ;-)


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## ExoticChis (Jun 20, 2010)

2Cheese said:


> Oh forgot to add....Chi's reach their full adult size at 18 mos. Your little guy is charting to be a 5lb adult.


18 months, lol I always thought it was 12 months thanks for that!


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