Is it normal for my chihuahua to be this skinny?
I have a sweet, loving year and a half old brindle chihuahua named JoJo. I got him about a year ago from a lady who had gone through a divorce and had to move to an apartment that didn't allow pets. JoJo is very skinny though, you can see his ribs and I can almost wrap my hand around his waist middle finger to thumb. I haven't weighed him for a while, but last time I did, he was about 3.5lbs. He has food and water available to him 24/7 but doesn't really eat much. We've tried getting him expensive foods but he wouldn't even touch them, so we settled on a costco brand of dog food that he occasionally nibbles on. He absolutely loves people food though, if im eating chicken and mashed potatoes or steak i'll let him have little bits of my meat but i try not to let him have anything that i know will be bad for him. He has had a healthy litter with my moms chihuahua named Ellie. He enjoys playing with her, but unfortunately our other dogs are way too big to play with him. We live on a 10 acre farm in Oregon and our other dogs (including Ellie) love to run and play all day long, sometimes he will go out and play with them, but given an option, he would rather sit in someones lap all day long.
I guess my question is just this: with my JoJo's chosen inactive lifestyle, is it ok for him to be so skinny? Is there anything else I should try to get him to eat more?
chris l
i only clicked this Q to look at your profile pic closer
FidosCityGuide
A chihuahua is going to be different than a farm dog, they are more lap dogs than working dogs. The expect to be pampered. You said your dog likes chicken, I mirowave chicken breasts, dice them and mix them in with our dogs food everyday. The extra protein is good for them, it is not bad for them.
What part of Oregon are you in? Wilsonville here. Are you the JoJo's Mom that was part of the Forum at FidosCityGuide.com? I am Fido and Lady's mom. Lady is a chihuahua mix, probably the exception to the rule very active. Most chihuahua I know would rather sit in your lap than walk across the room, I'm guessing you are just having trouble adjusting to the difference between a lap dog and a farm dog.
Please feel free to contact me if you need any referrals ( PNW dogs are our business). 3.5 lbs isn't that small for a chihuahua, but seeing his ribs is not good. A little chicken won't hurt, but not begging, in his bowl and not when you are eating.
By the way Kirkland brand food is considered good quality food, don't feel bad about feeding it. .
Theresa E
I have a chihuahua mix dog also, who is skinny. She's picky with dog food but loves people food. Sometimes I have to hand feed her puppy canned food to get her to eat dog food, so it's possible we just have some spoiled little dogs :)
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