Fat Chihuahua: How To Slim Down An Obese Chihuahua

Do you show your Chihuahua love and affection by feeding him more treats and food than he needs? All of a sudden, you noticed he has gained some weight? Perhaps you read about how obesity can negatively impact your Chihuahua’s health and quality of life. 

Maybe you’re the kind of owner who knows a Fat Chihuahua isn’t healthy but don’t know how to help him get back into shape. Don’t fret because you’ve landed in the right place. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll discuss how to tell if you have an Obese Chihuahua, why do Chihuahuas get fat, how it affects their overall health, and ways to help your Fat Chihuahua slim down.  

Before diving into the specific details below, it’s important to note that your Chihuahua’s weight issue can affect how long he lives. Feel free to jot down some notes from the information below to find out how to slim down an obese Chihuahua and help him live longer. Let’s get started!

Fat Chihuahua: Is my Chihuahua Fat & how can I tell?

In the year 2008, the American Kennel Club (AKC) produced a two-page physical description of what they considered and recognized as the Chihuahua standard. On the first page under Size, they stated that a Chihuahua dog that is “over 6 pounds in weight” does not qualify as a Chihuahua.  

This is quite harsh to hear, but it also tells us one of the most crucial information about the Chihuahua dog breed. They should be at 6 pounds in weight or under. 

Here are other ways to know whether your precious Chihuahua is fat, chubby, or overweight.

Difficulty feeling the bones in your Chihuahua’s body

When Chihuahuas eat excessively or ingest food that contains too much sugar, it can affect your Chihuahua’s metabolism. When their metabolic changes can change your canine companion’s fat storage, muscle tone, energy levels, and immune system. 

As a result, when you feel your Chihuahua’s abdomen, spine, hips, and shoulders, you may have a hard time feeling his bones. If this is the case, then you have a Fat Chihuahua dog. The reason why you were unable to feel the bones is because of the thick fat that is surrounding the bones. 

Thoroughly examine your Chihuahua’s waist

Your Chihuahua’s waists are another way to tell if he is fat or overweight. When you look at your pooch from above, his waist should go in. If you examine your Chihuahua’s waist from the side, his waist should be tucked up a little bit. Essentially, the dog’s waist is visible since the body is slightly smaller from the back of his rib cage to his hips. 

Here is a video to help you figure out if your precious Chihuahua is fat and overweight or at a healthy weight. 

The Chihuahua dog breed is categorized by the AKC as a small or little dog and here’s how they define the body proportion of a Chihuahua: 

“The body is off-square; hence, slightly longer when measured from point of shoulder to point of buttocks than height at the withers. Somewhat shorter bodies are preferred in males.”

AKC, Official Standard of the Chihuahua

Therefore, if you allow your Chihuahua to become fat, then he will generally grow larger and outward can grow up to 10 pounds or more. 

Read Also: Chihuahua Growth Stages: How Big Do Chihuahuas Get?

Why is my Chihuahua so Fat?

If you’re wondering, “why is my Chihuahua so big and fat?” there are many reasons and factors that cause our little Chihuahua to gain weight and become fat. Let’s go over 4 common causes that lead to a Fat Chihuahua or an Overweight Chihuahua. 

1. Feeding your Chihuahua too much food (Overfeeding)

One of the main ways we show love and affection to our canine companions is by sharing our food with them (including our human snacks like a (sweet Mochi dessert) or giving them way too many treats on a regular basis. 

Over time as we continue to do this, our Chihuahuas will continue to pack on the pound. Be careful if you do feed your small Chihuahua sweet human snacks since this can lead to dental issues like tooth decay, cavities, and other forms of dental disease. 

That’s because the bacteria in your dog’s mouth use the sugar to produce acid and this acid is what breaks down the tooth’s enamel, which is the outer coating that protects the tooth. 

Tooth decay and cavities not only cause bad breath in dogs, but also it can be painful. Your Chihuahua may suffer from gum disease which is agonizing and this can affect how they feel, their mental and physical health, and their overall quality of life. 

What we recommend Chihuahua owners to do is to feed our fur babies just the right amount of food and a diet that is well-balanced, nutritious, and healthy. The right proportion of food should not make your Chihuahua full, but rather satisfied. 

Since Chihuahuas are a smaller dog breed, they only require fewer calories each day as compared to a medium or larger dog breed. This is why offering your pooch too much food or overfeeding him will heavily affect their size and weight. 

2. Your Chihuahuas are allowed to eat table scraps and food off your plate 

While it is tempting to share our food with our Chihuahuas, it’s best that we don’t make this a habit or do this on a regular basis. While we’re eating (and I do this too as a Chihuahua owner), we tend to peel a little bit of meat from our plate and share it with our four-legged friends. 

Sometimes our guests share their food with our Chihuahuas as well. This occurs especially during the Thanksgiving dinner. 

Last Thanksgiving, we had our aunt, uncle, and cousin over, and they couldn’t help but sneakily feed my Chihuahua some Turkey meat, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Although every once in a while is fine, it’s best not to do this every day or regularly. 

That’s because there are tons of sodium, sugar, fat, and calories in the food we eat, which is neither healthy for our small Chihuahua nor canine-friendly. Loads of sugar, fat, and calories can cause our furry family members to gain weight and become fat. Additionally, ingesting too much sodium can cause salt poisoning in dogs.   

3. Your Chihuahua isn’t getting enough daily exercise

In addition to overfeeding our Chihuahuas, they may not be getting enough exercise each day. Our furry companions need their daily dose of exercise to strengthen their muscles, expend their energy, maintain their healthy weight, explore their surroundings, get some fresh air, and have fun. 

Even Chihuahua owners who feed their pooch the right proportion of food may have a fat Chihuahua if their Chihuahua isn’t meeting their daily exercise quota. 

Chihuahua owners should walk their small K9 friends at least 1 to 2 times each day. During the walk, make sure they’re getting enough steps in and that you do not carry them the majority of the time. This is a bad habit and only allows your Chihuahua to become lazy and too relaxed instead of being physically active. 

Since our Chihuahua dogs are small, it’s best that we don’t over-exercise them. As long as your Chihuahua exercises daily and is consistent with it, he should be able to maintain a healthy weight or slim down. 

4. Food portion and calories need to be adjusted as your Chihuahua grow older 

When your Chihuahuas are in their younger years (puppyhood), they tend to eat more since they need more food to grow. However, as they grow older, owners need to adjust their food proportions accordingly.  

This is crucial because as the Chihuahua grows older, their diet changes a bit since they only require fewer calories each day per pound of body weight. 

In this way, you’ll want to adjust their calorie intake. Their calorie intake should be lowered by 10 to 60 calories each day. With the right proportion of food and a consistent exercise schedule every day, your Fat Chihuahua will be able to slim down.

Fat Chihuahua: 9 Reasons why obesity is dangerous in Overweight Chihuahuas

Canine obesity is a serious health condition that dog owners should not take lightly. When it comes to obesity in dogs, it’s important to note that it can affect other areas of your canine companion’s life such that he or she may not want to go out and play and would prefer to lay around the house all day. 

In turn, when dogs aren’t as active, it can affect their metabolism, weight, mood, and this can affect their overall health and quality of life. 

The good news according to VCA Animal Hospital is that canine obesity is preventable. They also added:

“In North America…Approximately 25-30% of the general canine population is obese, with 40-45% of dogs aged 5-11 years old weighing in higher than normal.”

If you know your Chihuahua is fat or overweight, it’s important to start taking steps to get him to his healthy weight again. If you’re not sure, we highly recommend that you bring your dog to see a veterinary professional. 

There, your vet will be able to confirm whether your Chihuahua is overweight or fat and provide you with advice or instructions on how to get him down to his normal weight. 

These advice and suggestions should be taken seriously to avoid putting your Chihuahua’s health at risk. 

Some health issues your Fat Chihuahua may experience if this isn’t appropriately attended to are:

1. Mellitus (Type II Diabetes).  

2. High blood pressure. 

3. Joint problems. 

4. Difficulty breathing. 

5. Heart disease.

6. Spinal and back issues. 

7. Pancreatitis.

8. Low quality of life. 

9. Shorter lifespan.

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The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Resources:

https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2019-03-01/study-finds-overweight-dogs-live-shorter-lives

https://www.wikihow.com/Play-with-a-Chihuahua