Hello everyone!!

I'm new to this forum and hoping I can get some answers about my baby, Ellie Ann. She is a long hair chihuahua and 4 yrs old. Right now, she has her winter coat and like a butterball. She is a very picky eater so I have to make her chicken and green beans and she gets two chicken chewies a day but she seems to be bigger than what I think she should be. We walked this past Spring, but too cold out now..I was wondering if anyone has any diet tips for a picky eater. Her Mom was a 6lber and her Dad was a 3lber and she is about 7 or so lbs, I would really like to get some weight off of her but don't think (in my mind) she is eating a lot...any tips?

The other issue is when I play with her, she gets excited and will do the honking, but sometimes she will cough, like a gag reflex, does anyone know what this is? She is healthy, playful, up to date on all shots, but I didn't want to take her in to the vet yet because this only happens when I throw a toy and she chases it..any ideas? Thanks so much for any help.

Lex

Hi, Welcome to you and Ellie Ann. The cough you mention sounds like 'reverse sneezing' that people here talk about. There are youtube videos that show this, so looking at something like that might help you compare what your dog is doing to that. People here say that is a chihuahua trait. Maybe you could do more doggie exercises in the house for her fitness. Going up and down stairs, or chasing a toy on a string that you drag around for 15 minutes maybe?

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How much chicken are you feeding her? For her weight, since my Spacely is about the same size, she should only be getting about 3 oz a day (and that may need adjusting, Spacely eats 6 oz a day to maintain his weight) Green beans are just filler for dogs, usually people feed them to give their dog something to eat, not very nutritious.

Feeding only one type of protien may lead to allergies so I would suggest changing her diet to either a premium brand of kibble or a raw diet. Cooked chicken is not really the best thing out there. Picky eaters are made, not born and with a bit of tough love, she will stop being a food diva and eat what you put down. You are the boss of her food, not her.

If she is honking, more than likely, she has a collapsing trachea. This is not uncommon in Chis. Spacely does it when he gets overly excited, upset or excercises a lot. I gently stroke his throat to help it open back up and calm him down. At all other times, he is fine.

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~ Denise
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Tinsel - English Springer Spaniel
Spacely - LH Chihuahua

Why yes, I am very cute!

Thank you for your responses.

Denise...I have tried every food out there, I remember the raw diet it gave her terrible diarrhea. This is how picky my little one is...when she was a pup, we tried everything, it turned into a trip to the vet because she went into hupoglycemia, she just would not eat any dog food. She was a very slow grower, the vet wouldn't even spay her until she was 3 lbs, which was at 9 months, she's always been tiny but within the last maybe 2 yrs she has gotten her big girl coat and, I swear looks like a hand muff...maybe I am over reacting and this is her weight, I'm just not sure, the vet has never said anything but people are always commenting on how big she is for a chi.
Also, I don't even give her maybe half a chicken breast and mashed up green beans, I kept wondering if it was the chicken chews but read the package and there is like no fat in them at at.. Am I a overreating Chi Mommy???

Lex

I found that chasing laser get my dog exercise at the times when I can't take him out for a long time. You can get laser tags in many stores. It is usually fun toy for them to play with. My daughter has Zhu Zhu pets hamster toy which provides hours of entertainment for my dog as well. He will chase him until I will be tired of him running around

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Dmitry

Are you feeding her only chicken? If so, that isn't balanced and she won't get the nutrients she needs. Pick a food and stick with it.. Don't switch foods because she turns up her nose. Dogs won't starve themselves. I have a picky eater too!

Have you tried Stella & Chewy's or Ziwipeak? Those are both foods that a lot of dogs really like.

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Thanks LS!

A healthy dog will not starve. If she is close to 7 lbs, you can certainly do tough love with her.

Pick a quality food, put it down for 15 minutes at meal time and take up whatever is left at the end of time. Repeat at next meal. Don't give treats between her meals until she is eating it regularly.

It is very easy to fall into the "oh no, she didn't like this, I must try something else!" trap. I think all of us have at one time or another

She has learned that you will break out yummy things to entice her to eat if she doesn't eat. You just have to teach her that you are the boss of food and you get to decide, not her.

Cooked chicken breast and mashed green beans is not really the ideal diet, there are better alternatives out there. Ziwi Peak is a good food, a lot of people here feed it. Mine are on raw but they have had Ziwi Peak in a pinch.

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~ Denise
Save a Life - Donate Blood


Tinsel - English Springer Spaniel
Spacely - LH Chihuahua

Why yes, I am very cute!

Thjanks Denise! I ordered the 2lb bag of ziwipeak since looking at the posts on this board and it seems like the ideal dogfood and alot of the chi's are eating it. When I receive it I will follow your advice on the feeding. I really appreciate the help.

Lex

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