I am seeing far
too many
Chihuahuas out
there who are
being slowly
killed by their
loving owners!
Go, look at your
little darling
right now with
an objective eye
and ask
yourself, "is
my baby
overweight?"
I know how easy
it is for this
to happen
because this
photo shows I
have been guilty
myself.
The Chihuahua
breed is
particularly
susceptible to
this problem for
several reasons.
First,
Chihuahuas are
indoor pets and
sometimes they
lead sedentary
lives. (they do
love their naps)
But the biggest
culprit by far
is their ability
to lull their
owners into a
habit of babying
them, especially
with food and
snacks. This
breed is a
master at
manipulation and
can train its'
owner in no time
to feed it all
sorts of
human snacks
and treats. I
know you think
it's cute when
your cute little
pets beg for one
of your potato
chips, but trust
me, you're
putting a stake
right through
their tiny
hearts!
What is the
correct weight
for your
Chihuahua?
The Chihuahua
breed standard
calls for them
not to exceed 6
pounds. The
"before" photo
above was taken
in January 2000
when Gypsy was
over 6 pounds
and well on her
way to 7. Her
more desirable
weight is shown
in the "after"
view at about 5
pounds, 8
ounces. Look
closely at her
"before" photo
and you'll see
the extra weight
around her chest
and the rolls of
fat settling
around her
hindquarters. I
had to get
control of this
situation or it
would only get
worse!
Why should
you be concerned
about what your
Chihuahua
weighs? For
the same reasons
obesity is
harmful to
humans or other
animals...it
will lead to
coronary heart
disease and
shorten pets'
lives!
How can you
turn this
situation around
in
your
pet/pets?
First of all,
cut out all
those snacks,
especially any
human food.
The biggest
cause of
overweight
Chihuahuas is
being fed food
designed for
human
consumption.
It's a dog!
Feed it food
formulated for
dogs.
Read pet food
labels. Look
for dog food
brands which
offer the lowest
possible fat
content. Gypsy
eats diet canned
food prescribed
by her
veterinarian
under the brand
name Hill's
Prescription
Diet Canine R/D®.
(R/D stands for
"reduced diet")
It has a lower
fat content than
any OTC
commercial food
and she eats it
with gusto. She
has been on this
prescription
diet for over
four years and
is in excellent
health. If it's
impractical for
you to buy
prescription
food, at least
use commercial
food with the
lowest possible
fat content.
Your local pet
shop employees
can guide you in
which brands are
top quality with
proper nutrition
and low fat
content.
Measure the
amounts you are
feeding and feed
on a regular
schedule.
Now, honestly,
think about how
much you're
feeding your
pet/pets per
day,
including snacks,
and you'll
probably come to
the same
conclusion we
did. No wonder
it's overweight!
We now use a 1/4
cup measuring
utensil to be
accurate and
feed Gypsy 3
times a day.
Occasionally she
gets a couple of
little pieces of
dry chow added
for "crunch",
but that's
all.
Yes, your pet
may pout a few
days and it may
not eat at
first, but trust
me, it's not
going to starve!
It will take
some time to get
your pet back in
shape depending
on the severity
of the abuse.
(and it is
abuse)
Last of all,
weigh your
pet.
Veterinarians
use a digital
baby scale, but
you can simply
weigh yourself,
then pick up
your Chihuahua
and weigh
together and
you'll figure it
out. Weigh it
periodically
even after it
gets back down
to its' proper
weight just to
keep the
situation under
control.
I have probably
stepped on a few
tiny toes by
posting this
article, but my
heart breaks
every time I
visit a web page
displaying a
helpless
overweight
Chihuahua. I
know their
owners love them
or they wouldn't
have a website!
Please take an
honest look at
your Chihuahua
today and ask
yourself...am
I killing my
pet?
