Best Dog Food for Chihuahua in 2020

What is the Best Chihuahua Dog Food in 2020? Top Brands for Chihuahuas Reviewed

If you are a fun-loving chihuahua you’ll notice that they have a lot of special needs. Chihuahuas are a very adorable dog, and what you feed them matters a lot for their necessities. We’ll get into that later though. You may notice that chihuahuas have a very unique temperament and they’re extremely loyal dogs.

Once a chihuahua picks its owners or gets used to them, they’re very protective of those they love and who love them. The average lifespan of a chihuahua is supposed to be anywhere from twelve to twenty years, and it’s important that their diet helps them with that as well. In this guide, we’re going to give you some information about dog diets and give you a hefty list of the top 10 best dog foods for chihuahuas out there.

Top 5 Dog Food Brands for Chihuahuas

① Royal Canin Chihuahua Dry Dog Food **TOP PICK**
② Eukanuba Chihuahua Adult Dry Dog Food
③ Blue Buffalo Small Breed Dry Dog Food
④ Nutro Wholesome Essentials Small Breed
⑤ Hill’s Science Diet Small Breed Chicken Dry Dog Food

Feeding Amounts May Vary

Before we get started into this, we’re going to explain a few things. Chihuahuas aren’t like most large dogs, so they’re stomachs aren’t meant to handle as much food as we would normally feed larger pups. Even when they’re puppies, while they may eat more throughout a day, you generally don’t want to give them more than approximately half-cup (as puppies, you may end up needing to feed them about a cup of food per day). 

The quality of the food is one of the most important factors when it comes to a healthy chihuahua and different foods work for different chihuahuas, as well as their own preferences. Chihuahuas can be very finicky eaters, and it depends on their age also on how you feed them. For puppies, until they’re about 2lbs in weight, you’ll want to generally leave their food and water available to be accessed all day. If their food is too hard for them to eat after they’re about 8-weeks old, you can soften it with a little bit of warm water for them. Just be sure to keep it fresh and change it daily.

For adult dogs, they’ll generally eat dry dog food unless they have troubles chewing them. If they do, you may need to go with a softer or chewier dry dog food. You can usually give them about 1/3 of a cup or a half cup split out into three times per day, plus little treats throughout the day, otherwise, you can still free-feed them. If they do eat the 2/3 of a cup, don’t bother feeding them more than a cupful throughout a day. The most important key thing to note is that chihuahuas don’t necessarily need to eat a lot. The chihuahuas that eat more than 2 cups a day are usually extremely active larger breeds of chihuahuas, or there’s a good chance they’re actually overweight.

Food Allergies

Chihuahuas are very prone to food allergies, along with many other external allergies. Since they’re so small, they have very sensitive skin, so skin and coat problems are quit common. Also because their bodies and immune systems are specially designed, they have a higher chance to develop external signs of allergies compared to other dogs. Hot spots and hair loss are generally due to internal allergies, as well as gastrointestinal problems and cancer. Some of the most prominent reason why chihuahuas develop allergies more often is also because of the quality of ingredients, not just the ingredients that are in the food.

Best Dog Food for Chihuahuas List

Now that we have all of that information out of the way, we’re going to get into some of the best high-quality dog foods that you can feed your little teacup or mini dog. Note, some of these prices vary greatly and we’ll cover the pros and cons as well.

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① Royal Canin Chihuahua Adult Dry Dog Food 10-lb Bag

With Royal Canin’s Chihuahua dog food, you can create a good diet for your pooch and treat them like the royalty they are. This balanced dog food has been carefully created by experts that promote digestion as well as helps to give your dog a nice coat that they deserve to have. It’s specially formulated to a small size and many dogs and owners love it over any other brand as the food is also designed to give your dogs all of the right nutrients and help reduce the smell of their stools too. It’s packed with healthy ingredients and with numerous vitamins and minerals that will help your mighty mini pup thrive.

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② Eukanuba Breed Specific Chihuahua Adult Dry Dog Food, 3-lb Bag

Eukanuba’s chihuahua adult dry food comes in 3lb. bags and is an all-natural product consisting of about 28 percent protein and 18 percent crude fat that also gives your dogs numerous healthy other proteins and essential minerals. It’s designed to help support their bones and joints, as well as infused with their patented DentaDefense ingredients that can help reduce tartar and plaque buildup as well. It also has ingredients in it to help your dog burn fat, and it’s also perfect for toy terriers and min-pins.

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③ Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Small Breed Adult
Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe 15-lb Dry Dog Food

Blue Buffalo has been a leader when it comes to selling dog foods, and there’s no surprise as to why with their small breed adult dog food. They offer a variety of premium dog food that is also more budget friendly than some other brands. Their ingredients in the Life Protection formula is meant to give your dog the extra boost for their bodies that most chihuahuas need because they have higher energy needs. The bites are designed for tiny jaws so your chihuahua can eat it a lot easier than the normal sized dog food. This dog food delivers a healthy balance of protein, fat, fiber, and other nutrients that you

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④ Nutro Wholesome Essentials Small Breed Adult Farm-Raised Chicken 15-lb Bag

Nutro has done it again with its small breed adult dry dog food made from farm raised chickens. You can get a 15-lb bag that is full of healthy ingredients that your dog will love. Rather than giving you wheat flour or corn, they include healthy whole oats in their food to make it more nutritious. Not only that, but the pieces are just the right size for your smaller chihuahua as well.

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⑤ Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Small Breed Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food 15-lb Bag

Hill’s famous Science Diet dry dog food has been specially formulated for smaller dogs. They even have a long haired chihuahua on the package to market it! It’s specially formulated for dogs like chihuahuas with a sensitive stomach and sensitive skin. It’s specially made with special beet pulp fiber as well to help improve your dog’s stool, as well as other ingredients all made right in the USA.

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⑥ Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Shredded Blend Small Breed
Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food 6-lb Bag

Purina has been a revolutionary leader when it comes to dog food in America. They offer their Pro Plan special shredded blend of dog food to your fearless miniature breed. Real chicken is the main ingredient in the food, and it’s packed with probiotics as well to help them better digest the food, along with additional ingredients to give your dog essential vitamins and nutrients it needs to survive and thrive actively.

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⑦ Wellness CORE Grain-Free Small Breed Turkey & Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food 12-lb Bag

If you’re looking for a completely grain-free recipe, Wellness CORE has provided you with a healthy turkey and chicken recipe dog food that is meant to give your dog a high amount of protein, crude fats, and fiber along with numerous vitamins they need. They even use ground flaxseed and salmon oil for extra omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

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⑧ Nature’s Recipe Small Breed Grain-Free Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe 12-lb Bag

Nature’s recipe small breed grain-free recipe is loaded with sweet potato and pumpkin for extra nutrients. Of course, the main ingredient is chicken, which dogs will love. Other than that, there is no grains in it, and it’s a high fiber, fat, and protein diet that your dog needs in order to promote healthy skin and coat. It’s also full of natural vitamins and minerals that your little dog needs in order to have a full life.

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⑨ Rachael Ray Nutrish Little Bites Small Breed Natural Real
Chicken & Veggies Recipe Dry Dog Food 14-lb Bag

Everyone knows Rachel Ray loves to cook, but many people don’t know that she has a dog food line. The little bites and Nutrish line is made of All-American raised chicken as the primary ingredient, and is full of antioxidants and healthy carbohydrates that can give your little dog the energy it needs because it’s a smaller breed. 

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⑩ Pedigree Small Dog Complete Nutrition Roasted Chicken,
Rice & Vegetable Flavor Small Breed Dry Dog Food 15.9lb Bag

Pedigree’s Small Dog Complete has a healthy dose of flavor for your dog all packed into every single meat-tasting bite. It’s loaded with poultry meal and even bone meal to help give your dog the extra calcium and joint care they need as a toy breed. Not only that, but Pedigree has been around for years.

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Conclusion & What is the Best Dog Food for Chihuahuas

As we wrap up our contest, it’s been proven that while there are some popular name brands on the list, some of these are actually the worst of the best for your dog. They offer the right amount of nutrients, but there’s a big possibility that your dog won’t eat them, and even if they’re a reputable brand, they’re not as whole and nutritious our number one pick. That’s why Royal Canin’s Chihuahua Food (CHECK BEST PRICE HERE) is our number one pick.

The fact that it packs all of the nutrition and more than what most other dog foods have to offer are the reason why we picked it for the number one spot. Not only that, but a lot of dogs love this food, and even if they’re a higher-priced, foods like this one are well worth their weight in kibbles because they have a higher quality than some other factory produced foods that have been using a standardized ingredient for years.

While we don’t by any means say that you have to buy the foods on this list, we know that you want the best products for your toy breed, and that’s why we put this list together. You can find many of these foods available on sites like Chewy, Petco, and even Wal-Mart and they’re one of the most widely distributed and specially formulated chihuahua foods. Why spend precious money on your dog if you’re not going to spend the right kind of money it takes to help them with their special nutritional needs?

By choosing a food like our number one pick, you can ensure that your dog is going to live a full and healthy life (if not, it’s not because of the dog food you picked of course) and be able to have years of fun play with your little pet. Me and my wife have a chihuahua named Lady, and let me tell you, not only does she love Royal Canin’s Chihuahua food, but she is still full of bounce and plays like a pup at 7 years old after having three litters of puppies!

Why Diet is Important

Diet for your chihuahua is one of the most important factors that affect not only the allergy issues that we listed above, but also their activity levels, as well as how they age and how long they can survive and thrive fully. You might end up having to switch dog foods numerous times in order to find the right balance for your tiny little pooch, but there is also a special way to go about it. Keep in mind that if you do end up changing food, you need to take about 2-3 weeks to complete the transition. 

The first phase should last 5-7 days and you should use 3/4 of the old dog food with a fourth of the new. During week two and up to the third week, make the old/new mixture half and half, then about 1/3 to a quarter of the old food with the rest being new food during the end of the second week into the third week. Generally, by the middle of the third week, you can change the rest of the food completely. This will greatly help reduce the risk of food allergies caused by a sudden change in dog foods. 

You also have to remember that obesity is a huge health risk not only for dogs, but also especially for chihuahuas. This can shorten their lifespan, and you have to remember, you should see their ribs ever so slightly. You should be able to feel their ribs without having to press on their sides, and they should have a small waist. For a chihuahua, even being a half a pound larger than they should be makes them fall into the obese category.

Food Matters During Pregnancy and Breeding

If you are breeding your chihuahua, you need to know that during pregnancy and whenever they’re breastfeeding (before they wean their puppies) that you need to give them the proper amounts of nutrients. Also equally important is their hydration. Just like with humans, dogs need the right amount of hydration and vitamins and nutrients to be able to continue breastmilk production for their puppies, but unlike humans (except in special cases), you also have to remember they’re eating for up to 8 puppies, not just one. 

Therefore, it’s important that you give your dog a diet that’s great for active dogs or a good mix of 30 percent of protein and twenty percent fat (the rest being other nutrients), or a wet food that is at least seven percent protein and five percent of fat. While they may have a set diet, you may also want to give them up to a cup and a half of dog food, as they’ll generally eat more to maintain themselves and have an increased appetite for feeding. Try to avoid calcium and other supplements unless you have a veterinarian prescribe them for your dog though.