Halle is currently only 1 lb and 8 ounces. She is 5 months old now and has not gained an ounce since I got her. She weighs the same as the day I picked her up. I never limit her food, always have dog food in the bowl for her. My vet says she may not get much bigger. What is ya'lls experience? Should she be gaining? When should I expect her to be done growing? I have found lots of info on what the weight standards are but nothing that would answer my question.
Does she eat her food well or is she picky ??If being picky maybe try giving her boiled mashed up egg ,cottage or plain yogurt occasionally ,Some chihuahuas are done growing by the time they are 6 months and some not until much later,Everyone of them is diff .Also depends on their linage .Looks like she is taking after her grandpa .He weighs only some over 2lbs
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She doesn't seem picky, but she doesn't seem to eat alot all at once either. It's more like she just nibbles all day long. Would you recommend a soft food? If I give the yogurt or egg would you give it mixed with her food? I remembered you said her grandpa was on the small side, but then I read about everyone else's chi's and their weight then I started to really wonder. I know she is healthy, no doubt about that, I just started to worry about the weight.
Mixing the egg or yogurt in with her food should be fine or just by itself would also be okay .I do it both ways.The dog food i am currently feeding (Life'Abundance ) is formulated for both puppies and adults , when i 1st start puppies on food i take the dry kibble and pure hot water over to get it all mushy and soft for them .I do the same for my adults once a wk and will occasionally mix in yogurt or egg and they love it lots more this way then dry ,but will have to watch the teeth when feeding soft food regularly ,teeth need to be cleaned to prevent decay ,Chewing on dry food helps keep teeth clean.Hope this helps
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I wouldn't worry too much if she is actually eating and drinking and seems happy and healthy. She certainly looks it! Ellie has never been a big eater either; she nibbles all day too like you described. I give her fresh (cooked) meat once a week too. Usually chicken. She weighs 4.5lbs now, and she is 15 months. I'd say she stopped growing at around 9 months, but toy breeds are meant to be fully grown by about 6-7 months of age. She might just take after her Grandpa.
Thanks for the advice. I may go ahead and try the egg to see if she likes it. I do slip her little pieces of meat from my plate on occasion but then I doen't want to teach her to beg either. Maybe she will just be on the "petite" side. Very hard to find sweaters to fit, they are all to big!!!
you know im having the same problem well almost cause ur dog wont grow and mine wont stop growing and shes already like 3 years old shes a big chihuahua its so weird shes huge.funny huh. i had always thought they stop growing like around 6 months or at one year but i guess not.
One way to check if she's got any more growing to do is to look at her 'knees' on her front legs. If the joint lookd big then she'll grow more, but if it looks like a normal size on her (so not bulky) then she's probably finished growing. Do you have any pictures of that part of her?
I dob't have any pics of her legs but will try to get her to sit still long enough for one. My oldest son syas she can't gain any because she runs it off to fast! She doesn't stop!
This is, of course, just my opinion, but I dont think you really want her to gain weight, you want her to grow. Halle doesn't seem to be underweight, just very small framed. What you want is for her to grow more, not get fat. And if she's eating ok and seems happy and healthy (and if she's charging round like your son says I'd say she's fine) then really all you can do is wait and see. If she's going to grow more you'll soon know, but it sounds rto me like she's done growing really.
definately don't want her to be overweight! I've done the hard boiled egg and she LOVES it. I also bought a large container of fat free plain yogurt and I add one spoonful to her food in the morning and she's lovin that too! I think I have to agree. I do believe she is done growing. My husband says that is just fine. My dad says she's just "a little bit" so I guess that is that. I think I do worry too much and over think things with her. I guess because I have always had large dogs and she seems so fragile compared to the 130 pound Rottweiler I used to have. Oh well. Thanks for all the advice!