Does your precious chihuahua have to deal with a sensitive stomach? As a pet owner, it is absolutely natural for you to be concerned about something that can affect your chihuahua’s diet. Remember that chihuahuas with sensitive stomachs will have higher chances of developing an upset stomach after eating than regular dogs. This can lead to specific problems such as disinterest in food and digestive complications, which can affect your pet’s overall health.
That begs the question, how does this health issue affect the chihuahua breed? Being smaller than other dogs, Chihuahuas are prone to some health issues that other dogs don’t usually have to deal with. In this blog, we will reveal all about chihuahuas and their correlation with stomach sensitivity. We will mainly explore what foods you can give them and how to detect if your chihuahua does indeed have a sensitive stomach.
So here are the types of dog foods suitable to your chihuahua’s particular case.
What Can You Feed Your Chihuahua If They Have A Sensitive Stomach?
This section will talk about the different kinds of food you can feed to a chihuahua with a sensitive stomach. Since all dogs can have other triggers on a case-to-case basis, we will present you with different methods that can generally deal with various scenarios.
🐶 The Classic Bland Diet
The classic bland diet is usually recommended for dogs with digestive issues. It is also advised to those who have been through an illness that caused them to lose appetite. Bland diets consist of cooked white rice and boiled lean meat, such as chicken and hamburgers. This diet makes digestion easier for your chihuahua’s stomach. It can also replace the proper meals for a short while he is still recovering. However, it is vital to know that this diet is not a long-term diet but merely an alternative option for sick dogs.
When it comes to serving this type of diet, be sure to remove any skin, bone, and fat if you are using chicken as the lean meat. If you are using a hamburger, it will typically be boneless already. But! You need to make sure it does not have any excess fat as lipids will be harder to digest for your chihuahua. It would help if you also remembered to serve this diet frequently in small amounts. This is to motivate your chihuahua to eat without overwhelming him with large servings. And for our best choice, try Dave’s Restricted Bland Diet.
Dave's Restricted Bland Diet
This dog food from Dave is a restricted bland diet specialized for those having sensitive stomachs. It is suitable for all breeds because the dosing is based on the weight of your dog. Well, it is clear that a chihuahua will need some kind of temporary sustenance that is easy to digest and consume. However, it does not contain the important nutrients for your chihuahua to rely on as its main diet. A bland diet, like Dave’s, is merely a temporary option that you will slowly transition away from as your dog recovers. Gradually replace the content of the bland diet with a healthier and more balanced diet until your chihuahua has fully transitioned into its regular sustenance.
The great thing about this treat is that it calms your chihuahua’s stomach preventing aches during the peristaltic movement. It’s also gluten-free dog food making it easily digestible and packed with lots of vitamins and minerals.
🐶 Wet Canned Dog Food
Giving wet canned dog food to your chihuahua must be under the supervision of a vet. This is because the downside of this diet is that there may be some ingredients, fillers, or additives that can trigger your chihuahua’s sensitive stomach. Another major downside is that chihuahuas with a hard time digesting fat (which is a likely occurrence). And, this will not be suited for this diet because of its high-fat contents. Typically, wet dog food will contain more fat than dry dog food. This means that though it is easy to digest for most dogs, those with a sensitivity to fat specifically will have a more challenging time.
This is the main reason why a bland diet is still preferred over wet dog food for sick dogs. The higher fat contents can also lead to long-term problems such as pancreatitis and coronary complications. This may be a good alternative for those who have already recovered after being on a bland diet. However, it is not the best choice for chihuahuas that are recently diagnosed with sensitive stomachs. But if the vet recommends a wet food diet, try Canidae Pure dog food.
Canidae Pure For Small Breed
If your chihuahua has a sensitive stomach and likes to eat wet food, then this minced dinner from Canidae is the best option. It is suitable for small breeds, especially chihuahuas. Thanks to its moisturized contents, Canidae wet canned dog food is usually recommended for dogs with sensitive stomachs. This type of dog food will be easier to digest for your chihuahua, especially since it is soft like the previous diet. However, unlike the bland diet, wet dog food will usually come with a variety of nutrients in its contents. This makes it a preferable choice for chihuahuas with sensitive stomachs.
This dog food is minced thoroughly to make it balanced for your chihuahua’s tiny stomach. It is also packed with probiotics and antioxidants. These help him digest his needs while having a healthy coat and bones at the same time.
🐶 Commercial Food
There are a variety of commercial foods and formulas (whether or not they are classified as dry or wet) that are specifically catered for chihuahuas with sensitive stomachs. An example is Hill’s Science Diet and the Purina One. These are designed for small dog breeds with sensitive stomachs and sensitive skins. These meals are easier to digest than regular brands while still providing the proper amount of nutrients that your chihuahua is going to need.
A big downside to this diet, however, is its price. Due to their higher price, these types of commercial dog food will require you to allot more budget towards your chihuahua’s diet. These formulas are usually accompanied by higher levels of investment than some dog foods. Though you may find cheaper options than the one we mentioned, they will still require you to prepare some extra cash to get the diet suitable for your chihuahua. And here is one of Purina’s dog food formulas for your chihuahua.
Purina Sensitive Systems Formula
Purina dog food has many variations, but this featured product specializes in chihuahuas with sensitive guts. It has real salmon that is in a small pellet formation and is appropriate for your chihuahua’s digestive system.
Aside from this, Purina Smart Blend has Omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E for healthy skin and heart. It is highly digestible because they put no fillers to have the optimum health results.
🐶 A High Fiber, Low-Fat Diet
Fiber is a very beneficial nutrient for chihuahuas with sensitive stomachs to have. Foods with high fiber content will usually be more digestible than foods with lower fiber or those with higher fat content. This means that a higher fiber, low-fat diet is a very viable choice when it comes to picking diets for your chihuahua. However, you must be able to determine which foods to place in that diet.
Foods with high fiber but with low fat? All evidence points to certain fruits and vegetables, which your chihuahua can fortunately eat. Some of these choices include apples, leafy green vegetables, flaxseed, pumpkin, carrots, and green beans. There are also other alternatives, such as brown rice, that can provide a hefty amount of fiber. However, it would help if you avoided raisins, grapes, and avocados at all costs. This is because these can all harm your chihuahua, worsen its condition, and can even lead to death. And one of the most popular dog foods is Hill’s dog prescription diet product. Check out the feature of low-fat food below.
Hill's Low-Fat Prescription Diet
Hill’s products are one of the vet recommendations for chihuahuas with a sensitive digestive tract. It is full of low-fat ingredients to help digestion work uninterrupted and make the gut flora stronger because of the prebiotic in each bite. This is also highly digestible but is absorbed quickly through the walls of your chihuahua’s stomach.
But remember that before buying this dog food, make sure you have the prescription from your vet.
🐶A Specified Diet From Your Vet
Considering the previously mentioned precautions and recommendations, you should still consult your vet to get the best choices available. Each chihuahua is different, and taking them to the vet can determine what specific diet suits them the best. It also has the bonus of detecting any signs of underlying conditions that can potentially jeopardize your chihuahua’s health.
Your vet will usually offer some treatments that can soothe the symptoms of a triggered sensitive stomach. They may also inform you about some methods that can slowly but surely transition your chihuahua to adapting to the standard diet. Without a doubt, this is the best choice you can make as you will be able to work with a trained professional to treat your beloved companion.
Are Chihuahuas Prone To Have Sensitive Stomachs?
Chihuahuas don’t usually have to deal with gastrointestinal issues, but they are prone to developing a sensitive stomach. Some chihuahua owners have experienced seeing their dog constantly vomit after eating, which is actually quite common. The reason for vomiting could stem from a variety of reasons. It may be stress, ingesting foreign objects, bloating, or a sudden change in diet. For these occurrences, chihuahuas are considered at risk of developing a sensitive stomach. And this is especially if they are at a younger age.
However, this can be affected by many factors such as genetics and the food they grew up eating. It can depend on whether or not the breeder you got the chihuahua from has taken some precautions to prevent the emergence of a sensitive stomach. If you are going to take care of chihuahuas that your pregnant chihuahua may give birth to soon, we have some precautions listed in later sections of this article.
It is also vital to note that dog parents should be able to pinpoint if their chihuahua does indeed have a sensitive stomach. Lack of observance can cause your dog to reach a point of no return if they reach a certain level of sensitivity. It will be harder to treat a stomach that has been tuned to have a sensitivity level that rejects the most valuable food content.
Symptoms That Indicate A Sensitive Stomach
As we previously mentioned, it is vital to know the symptoms to watch out for to indicate a sensitive stomach. Below are some of the symptoms you are going to need to watch out for:
🟢 Nausea And Vomiting
These two symptoms will typically occur together mainly as a byproduct of nausea. Nausea is the standard term for feeling sick, usually related to stomach-related discomfort. You may also see your chihuahua being disoriented during this point, as nausea can lead to other symptoms such as dizziness. Another side effect is seeing your chihuahua constantly swallowing even though it is not drinking or eating; since they are trying to hold the vomit in.
Nausea will eventually lead to vomiting, which can become constant as long as the symptom of nausea is still present. Vomiting can be pretty normal for some dogs, especially in curious pooches who tend to eat random materials. However, in a context where other symptoms are present, vomiting can be a sign of an illness you should be concerned about. The other symptoms in this list can accompany nausea and vomiting in the event that your chihuahua has a sensitive stomach.
🟢 Lack Of Appetite And Eventual Fatigue
Your dog will be disinterested in food at this point. This is because of either nausea or the thought of having to get sick because of their food. This can significantly impact their overall health, especially when you consider two factors. First is your chihuahua’s age: younger chihuahuas still have developing bodies that require proper sustenance to grow properly. And second is any underlying conditions your chihuahua may have, especially at an older age. Lack of sustenance can cause detrimental health effects. This happens by allowing the progression of underlying conditions or suppressing the development of bodily functions.
Prolonged periods without sustenance can cause your chihuahua to develop fatigue and lethargy. It will usually stay in one spot for long periods of time without a hint of the energy it will typically have. You may also notice that your chihuahua will lack the energy to interact with the other dogs or pets in your house, even if they usually get along well.
It is crucial to monitor your chihuahua’s weight at this stage. This is because sudden weight drops can indicate various harmful changes in the body. If your chihuahua still refuses to eat and has lost some weight within 48 hours, immediately take them to the vet.
🟢 Signs Of An Upset Stomach
This group of symptoms will typically accompany each other. Also, you can easily identify these as they are part of the digestive processes of your chihuahua.
You may notice that your chihuahua will either have constipation, excessive flatulence, or diarrhea. It can even reach the point where your chihuahua will have a bloody stool. These are typical symptoms of an upset stomach. They are usually the aftermath of exposure to the material that triggered the sensitive stomach. Your chihuahua’s digestive tract will try to remove the foreign material out of the body actively, thus the irregular defecation along with vomiting.
Hypersalivation may also accompany these symptoms. Unusually excessive amounts of drooling can signify that your chihuahua has an issue with its digestive tract or an oral problem such as tooth decay. You may also see your chihuahua concealing its stomach from you. Bonded dogs will usually allow their owners to rub their bellies as a sign of friendliness, but in this case, your chihuahua will be in too much pain to do so. Attempting to touch their bellies may lead to aggression as this spot can be particularly sensitive to touch.
🟢 Recurrence After The Consumption Of Foreign Material
The most important thing to remember is to know what your chihuahua ate before the symptoms suddenly appeared. Doing so will help you determine what material (whether foreign or familiar to your dog’s diet) caused the symptoms of a sensitive stomach in the first place.
If you ignore this step, the symptoms may occur again once the chihuahua eats the material that triggered the condition. In this case, you should be able to determine what your chihuahua ate at that time to avoid the recurrence of these symptoms. Your vet can also use this information in the future to find a way to treat the condition.
How To Treat Your Chihuahua’s Sensitive Stomach
It will be vital that you bring your chihuahua to the vet if it is experiencing other symptoms besides the ones we mentioned. The vet will take the chihuahua into a bunch of screening sessions to see if it has a problem with its GI tract. This is also vital to find out if it has any food allergies. Usually, the vet will resort to withholding food for a few hours in order to pinpoint the root of the problem clearly.
Once the coast is clear and your vet doesn’t diagnose any problems, you can start the progressive treatment. This involves feeding your dog a bland diet for a few days to a few weeks. But this depends on how well he responds to the served food. If he is eating the bland diet at a faster pace, you can start putting some dog food or cooked food mixed with the bland diet until your chihuahua has fully transitioned into a regular diet.
How To Prevent Your Chihuahua From Developing A Sensitive Stomach
One of the best ways to prevent your chihuahua from developing a sensitive stomach is through probiotics. If your chihuahua is still young and is having its regular vet visits, then you can ask your vet about probiotics that are appropriate for your dog’s age, weight, and health status. These probiotics contain a variety of good gut bacteria that aid in digestion. If given correctly, probiotics can prevent the development of a sensitive stomach in the long run.
Besides probiotics, you may also want to talk to your chihuahua’s breeder or previous caretaker about pre-existing conditions. Sometimes, your chihuahua’s parents (if you got it from a breeder) will have certain digestive disorders that may be mild in their case but can worsen in their offspring’s case. This information can help you prepare and attempt to prevent the condition through the help of your vet while the sensitive stomach has not fully developed yet.
Bottom Line
It is almost unbearable to see your energetic and playful chihuahua, which has an enormous appetite, turn into an opposite version. Fortunately, modern treatments are now available in order to save our chihuahuas from this discomforting condition.
Just remember to take your chihuahua to the vet if they refuse to eat within 48 hours. This is because long periods of hunger can significantly impact their health. Lastly, these food diets we listed may be effective in most cases. But! You should never forget to be observant when it comes to your beloved companion.
Here at ILoveChihuahua, we share our personal experiences as owners of this feisty breed. We talk about recommended methods, dog supplies picks, and advice on common Chihuahua problems. Our goal is to promote responsible dog ownership, so there would be fewer Chihuahuas in shelters.
