Choosing a Healthy Diet
Gone are the days when dogs were expected to survive on whatever scraps a family could scrounge up for their pets. Gone also are the days of one-size-fits-all dog food. As consumers, pet owners now have an incredible array of food choices not only for adult dogs but for all life stages: puppy, adolescent, adult, senior, and geriatric. Food choices now include the convenience of commercial pet foods, all-natural diets, and home-prepared meals developed by veterinary nutritionists.
When choosing a diet for your Chihuahua, there are several basic characteristics that play key roles in whether your Chi will thrive or just survive on the food you've chosen:
Aroma — Some researchers believe that toy breeds do not have a finely tuned sense of smell, which in turn can affect their perception of whether something is tasty or not. The better a food smells to your Chi, the more likely she is to taste it.
Palatability — Not only does the food have to hold the promise of tasting good (aroma), it has to be scrumptious, too.
Bite size — The Chihuahua needs foods that can be easily eaten. Larger chunks of kibble or raw foods can be difficult or impossible for a puppy or small Chi to eat.
Digestibility — It can taste and smell great, but if a food cannot be digested and its nutrients aren't absorbed, a Chihuahua could become malnourished.
High quality in, less quantity out — The less filler that is used in a food and the higher the digestibility of the ingredients, the less stool a Chihuahua will produce. This is a good thing if you are using a litter box or pan.
Odor — A food that is highly digestible will produce less gas and, depending on the ingredients used, less fecal odor, too.
