Hi Joan, It was me that made that statement. I have to disagree with your reply on this one, because the smaller breeds tend to be more active then the larger breeds, which means that they burn their proteins and fat at a faster rate then the larger breeds, and they do live longer as well. All dogs are still growing, their bones, muscles, etc till they are at least one year old depending on the breed.
The larger breeds especially Labradors are susceptible to protein deposits which forms lumps in their system if feed a too high protein diet for to long. Some Labs that are prone to fast weight gain as puppies are taken off the puppy food at 8 months. This is not the case with the smaller breeds. If you were to read the feeding directions on most puppy foods, and research Vets recommendations, they all say to feed a puppy until they are at least one year old or longer. I personally, do not like Royal Canin food because it is rendered chicken and has way to many grain products in it which are just fillers and run through a dog, which is why they can loose weight when it is fed as a regular diet. A good food will maintain the dogs weight, and not make a dog loose weight or gain weight if fed at the correct proportion. Peggy -------Original Message------- From: Joan Croft Date: 2/10/2011 2:50:29 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [Chihuahuas] Another question... Someone wrote earlier that Chihuahuas need puppy food longer than other breeds. It is just the opposite. Chihuahuas can start adult food at 8 months. The larger breeds need puppy food longer because their growing stage is longer also. As I said, I feed Royal Canin Chihuahua and I just looked at the bag and it confirmed that is for Chihuahuas 8 months and older. Puppy food has a lot of added calories and fat that puppies need to grow. If you keep your Chihuahua on puppy food too long, you are not doing it any favors as the added fat and calories can cause heart problems and joint problems later in life. Desi was already a little hefty as my vet said; the ve t had me put him on adult food at 4 months and it still took another 6 months to get the fat off of him. He is doing well, has more energy than Dolly ever had and grew well with the puppy food. Perhaps you should check with your vet to see what he/she believes is the proper age to change the food to adult food. From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Joan Croft Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2011 11:14 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [Chihuahuas] Another question... I have Dolly & Desi on Royal Canin Chihuahua food. Royal Canin has a small puppy food also I was feeding Desi that when he was little. The only time that mine have stomach issues is when they are at someone elses house and eat the food that they have left out for their dogs. Dolly had serious colitis as a baby and so she was on Science Diet ID and a little canned puppy food, but when she was old enough to be on adult food and her stomach had been doing well, I put her on the RC. I knew that it had a money back guarantee if she didnt like it. Dolly loves it; Desi loves it .Desi loves anything that he can eat! My vet says that I shouldnt change a thing because they are both doing so well on it. The RC Chihuahua has everything that the Chihuahua needs stuff for their coats, their hearts, their more sensitive tummies, and for their joints. I know others feed other food; but I just have to say that RC Chihuahua has been excellent for my two. The kibble is very small also, and quite easy to chew (although Desi refuses to chew his food!) From: Chihuah [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Angela Mose Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2011 8:45 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Chihuahuas] Another question... I am wondering what would be the best diet to wean our new chis to? The breeder starts them on Science Diet, then for some reason, she switches to Puppy Chow. I think she said it was because some of her pups were have stomach upset. I was thinking of using Royal Canin eventually, but I need some input form you much more seasoned chi parents. I know that RC is very expensive and I'm not sure if it is really the best diet for them or not. I have read that because chis are so small that it is vital for them to get as much useable nutrition as possible for thei r small stomachs. I also have read that they need frequent small meals, but I'm not sure about free choice feeding because I do want to be able to housebreak them. Any pratical guidance would be appreciated, as I want to get off on the best foot possible. See, my big dog is very low maintance. The only thing he can eat is a lamb and rice diet because anything else just runs through him, especially the food he steals off of the 3 yr old's plate. You'd think that after eight years he would realize that food in bowl good, food not in bowl, bad. Oh, well. At least he (big Alex) is a rescue dog. I would have liked to adopt a chihuahua, but, they are scarce around here. Thank you so much for all of the help allready. Peace and Blessings to you all, Angela M
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