If you’ve owned a dog long enough, he must have stared at you with pleading eyes till you gave in and shared your snack. You’re not alone – many people share their food with their pets. Is there anything wrong with that?
Sometimes there is a problem. Humans and dogs digest and metabolize food differently. Some human food is safe for your dog or even healthier than his special formula kibble. Conversely, some foods that are healthy and safe for you might be toxic and life-threatening for puppies.
So, what can a Chihuahua eat? Due to the small size of Chihuahuas, their tolerance to potentially harmful human foods may be lower than larger dogs. But that doesn’t mean that everything you eat will make your pet sick.
What Human Food Can a Chihuahua Eat?
We have compiled a list of common human foods and specified whether they are safe or risky for your Chihuahua.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Watermelon?
Watermelon is safe for your Chihuahua, but you should remove the seeds and rind. Besides being a choking hazard, many dog owners say that the skin and seeds cause digestive issues in canines.
If you can avoid these two parts, the fruit will give your Chihuahua lots of essential nutrients like vitamin A and C. Another advantage is that the fruit is low in calories.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Meat?
Beef, mutton, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, and seafood are safe for your Chihuahua. Just be sure to remove sharp, brittle bones, like the ones in fish and chicken. If you ignore the bones, they can splinter and cause injuries to the gut or intestinal blockage.
Also, be careful with the spices you use to season your meat. As we shall see later, ingredients like garlic and salt can be problematic to your dog’s health.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Apples?
Apples are okay for Chihuahuas. Just like watermelons, these fruits provide your dog with a high amount of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. They are high in fiber and great for your pet’s digestive system.
However, you must not let your Chihuahua eat the core and the seeds since they contain cyanide. If consumed in high amounts, the chemical can be poisonous. So be sure to slice apples and get rid of the seeds before feeding the fruit to your dog.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Mushrooms?
Mushrooms are an excellent low-calorie source of protein, fiber, and antioxidants. They also have a wealth of thiamin, copper, selenium, phosphorus, and magnesium. These nutrients and minerals offer many health benefits to humans and dogs.
These minerals can improve your Chihuahua’s immunity and digestive system. However, not every dog will love eating mushrooms. If your Chihuahua doesn’t like them, mix them with his dog formula kibble or something he enjoys, like eggs. He will devour everything.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Salmon?
Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which both humans and dogs need. The nutrient helps reduce inflammation and improves skin health. It also strengthens your hair and your pet’s fur.
Be sure to remove the bones from the fish and cook it before giving it to your Chihuahua. When uncooked, the fish might contain the rickettsial parasite, which causes salmon poisoning in dogs. The disease is potentially fatal, and its symptoms can take a week to appear.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Broccoli?
If you’re looking for a vegetable snack for your Chihuahua, you can’t go wrong with broccoli. It contains many different nutrients and low calories per serving, making it healthy for dogs.
However, your Chihuahua should eat broccoli in moderation, whether raw or cooked. The reason is that the vegetable contains isothiocyanates, chemicals that can irritate a dog’s stomach if overconsumed.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Eggs?
Like other dogs, Chihuahuas enjoy cooked eggs, and it’s good to give them the treat once in a while. One medium egg can have 6.25 grams of protein, 13 vitamins and minerals, and a whopping 70 calories. This combination makes a great source of protein and includes virtually all the vitamins and minerals a dog needs.
However, it’s essential to consider the extra calories your Chihuahua gets from eggs. Adjust the amount of food you usually serve your pet whenever you give him eggs to prevent excessive weight gain.
Further, many people believe that feeding raw eggs to dogs helps relieve stomach upsets and nausea. Unfortunately, your Chihuahua can ingest harmful microorganisms like salmonella, which typically breed in uncooked eggs. As a result, you can get the bacteria from your Chihuahua and suffer from salmonella poisoning.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Potatoes?
Cooked, plain potatoes are healthy and safe for dogs, including Chihuahuas. On the other hand, raw potatoes are potentially toxic due to the presence of solanine. Cooking suppresses the amount of the compound.
Potatoes have high levels of carbs, so they can cause rapid weight gain if consumed regularly. Control the amount of potatoes you feed to your Chihuahua and the frequency to prevent the risk of obesity.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Oranges?
Dogs can eat oranges. The fruit is an ideal treat for Chihuahuas because of its high nutritional value and low-calorie levels.
However, oranges can cause stomach upsets in dogs due to citric acid. Thus, your Chihuahua should only eat a small piece with no seeds.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Blueberries?
Blueberries are a safe, nutritious source of antioxidants that can help your Chihuahua fight disease. They are rich in vitamins, mineral salts, and fiber, all of which improve your pet’s health. The best part is that they are small-sized and low in calories, making them an excellent treat for your little Chihuahua.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Popcorn?
Many people love popcorn, but is the snack okay for a Chihuahua? You can feed plain, air-popped popcorn to your Chihuahua occasionally.
Salt can be toxic to dogs, while high-fat ingredients like butter and oil can increase the risk of rapid weight gain and pancreatitis. Therefore, your pet should not ingest them.
Further, only give your dog perfectly-popped popcorn. Otherwise, kernels might get stuck between your Chihuahua’s teeth or pose a choking risk.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Bread?
Whole grain or white bread is safe for your Chihuahua and most other dogs, but it should be an occasional treat. If your puppy overeats wheat products, he will gain weight quickly. So, don’t give an overweight Chihuahua bread.
Ensure the bread you’re giving your dog doesn’t contain ingredients like raisins or garlic. Also, some pets have a wheat allergy. If your Chihuahua shows signs of allergy after eating bread, don’t give it to him again.
What Foods Are Bad for Chihuahuas?
Most vets advise people not to share meals with pets because of behavioral and nutritional reasons. For instance, a dog that gets used to your food will often salivate or beg when you’re eating something.
Further, some foods we consume can cause obesity and illnesses in pets or even death. Continue reading to discover some Chihuahua toxic foods that your little dog shouldn’t eat whatsoever.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Chocolate?
If you have ever given chocolate to your Chihuahua, you should never do it again. However, not all chocolate ingredients are toxic to dogs. The problem is two stimulants – theobromine and caffeine.
Darker, less-sweetened chocolate products like cocoa powder are more lethal to dogs than sweeter varieties like milk chocolate. Nonetheless, you should never feed your Chihuahua any type of chocolate product.
Chihuahua Chocolate Poisoning
While theobromine has multiple health benefits in humans, it can have devastating effects on pets. A human’s body can metabolize theobromine and caffeine efficiently. However, a Chihuahua cannot do it fast enough. If allowed to accumulate in the body, the compounds become toxic.
Symptoms of chocolate poisoning in canines include diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration. In severe cases, your Chihuahua can experience muscle tremors, seizures, internal bleeding, which might result in death.
If you suspect a case of Chihuahua chocolate poisoning, contact the nearest vet office right away. They will advise on the best treatment.
Typically, inducing vomiting is a great way to save your pet. Even if your Chihuahua looks okay, it’s best to administer the aid immediately. Poisoning symptoms can take up to nine hours to appear, and it might be too late to induce vomiting.
Can a Chihuahua Drink Milk?
There isn’t a direct answer to this question, but it’s advisable to avoid giving milk to your Chihuahua.
Milk contains lactose, a sugar that requires enzyme lactase for digestion. When puppies are nursing, their bodies have a lot of lactase, enabling them to tolerate milk. The production of this enzyme diminishes as the young ones continue growing.
Eventually, some dogs become lactose intolerant, leading to an allergic reaction when they drink milk. Signs of milk-related allergy dogs include vomiting, diarrhea, skin irritation, and redness.
Therefore, don’t feed milk to your Chihuahua unless you’re sure he can tolerate the lactose. Also, be cautious with cheese and other dairy products.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Onions?
Onions, in any form, are toxic to Chihuahuas and other dog breeds. They contain a compound known as N-propyl disulfide, which damages red blood cells, leading to anemia. As a result, the blood fails to pick up oxygen and circulate it throughout the body effectively.
A dog that has eaten onions might demonstrate weakness, lethargy, and low appetite. In severe cases, your Chihuahua will lose consciousness and die if he doesn’t get a blood transfusion. So keep onions and their cousins like leeks out of your dog’s reach.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Salt?
A Chihuahua’s diet should not contain salt if possible because it can lead to the inability of a dog’s body to retain water. Even a tiny amount can cause dehydration.
Signs of salt poisoning in dogs include diarrhea, vomiting, and seizures. It can even cause death if consumed in large amounts. Therefore, if you happen to share salty food with your Chihuahua, ensure the pet has a bowl of water around to keep rehydrating.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Macadamia Nuts?
Another food you should never let your Chihuahua eat, even in the smallest quantities, is macadamia. These nuts contain a toxin that can lead to vomiting, hyperthermia, tremors, muscle weakness, and depression in dogs. For this reason, never feed macadamia nuts to your Chihuahua.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Almonds?
Dogs can tolerate some nuts like plain, unsalted almonds. They are a good source of healthy monounsaturated fats, protein, fiber, and other different essential nutrients. However, their high-fat content can cause undesirable health conditions like obesity and pancreatitis.
If not appropriately chewed, almonds can choke your pet or result in digestive issues, leading to vomiting and diarrhea. If your Chihuahua isn’t overweight, he can consume small amounts of almonds occasionally.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Avocado?
No matter how much your Chihuahua begs, don’t feed avocado to your puppy. From the trunk to the leaves and the fruit, the entire avocado plant contains persin, a chemical that is poisonous to dogs.
A dog that has eaten avocado can accumulate fluid in the lungs and chest, leading to difficulties in breathing, oxygen deprivation, and death.
Can a Chihuahua Drink Coffee or Tea?
Are you a coffee or tea lover? If so, please don’t give these beverages to your dog. The reason is that coffee and tea have high caffeine concentrations. In fact, no amount of the stimulant is okay for your Chihuahua.
Caffeine can overstimulate your dog’s nervous system, resulting in disturbing behavior and symptoms. The pet can become hyperactive, vomit, develop an elevated heart rate, diarrhea, tremors, and seizures.
Too much caffeine can cause irregular heartbeats, lung failure, and eventual death. Whether in coffee, tea, chocolate, energy drinks, soft drinks, or any other form, caffeine should be off-limits to your Chihuahua.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Garlic?
Garlic is one of the Chihuahua toxic foods that might be tricky to avoid if you share meals with your pets. It’s an ingredient that occurs in almost everything you cook at home or buy from your favorite eatery.
Thiosulfates, which are plentiful in garlic, can damage your Chihuahua’s red blood cells, leading to anemia. Symptoms of garlic poisoning in dogs include vomiting and diarrhea.
Even a few ounces of garlic can impact your dog’s health. If your Chihuahua ingests a significant amount of the ingredient, only a timely blood transfusion can save him. To be safe, ensure that the snack you’re giving your dog doesn’t contain garlic.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Xylitol?
Are you wondering what xylitol is? It’s an artificial sugar substitute used to sweeten sugar-free items like chewing gum, toothpaste, and soft drinks. Some candy containing sugar may also have xylitol to attain the desired sweetness with less sugar.
Xylitol is harmful to dogs, so your Chihuahua should not ingest anything containing it. The product can cause your Chihuahua’s blood sugar to fall rapidly, resulting in muscle weakness and seizures. In severe cases, your pet can suffer liver damage and die.
Can a Chihuahua Drink Alcohol?
Alcohol affects virtually all animals, but some, like dogs, have a problem breaking it down and recovering from its effects. Due to the Chihuahuas’ tiny bodies, a small quantity of liquor can lead to ethanol poisoning. It causes lack of coordination, weariness, diarrhea, vomiting, and seizures.
Overconsumption by a dog can induce more life-threatening symptoms like lung failure, heart attack, and coma. So whether it’s alcoholic beverages or products that contain alcohol, they should be out of your dog’s reach. Household products that may contain ethanol include cleaning products, mouthwash, perfumes, and more.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Nutmeg?
Whenever you prepare a dish with nutmeg, please don’t share it with your Chihuahua. The ingredient is nutritious and beneficial to the human body, but it can adversely affect your dog.
When consumed in large quantities, the chemical myristicin poisons dogs.
Potential side effects include increased heart rate, high blood pressure, indigestion, dry mouth, disorientation, and seizures. Therefore, nutmeg and anything containing it should be out of your Chihuahua’s diet.
Can a Chihuahua Eat Yeast Dough?
Yeast dough is a health risk for dogs, especially the smaller breeds like Chihuahuas. It can cause stomach upsets because it’s hard to digest.
Raw yeast dough is even worse, as the fermentation process produces alcohol, leading to the alcohol poisoning symptoms we’ve already highlighted. Furthermore, the dough will most likely cause bloating as it expands in the dog’s tummy. It can result in breathing difficulties and muscle weakness.
The Bottom Line
The food you consume can be safe or harmful to your Chihuahua, but we hope this list will help you make informed choices. Should you decide to prepare dog meals at home, avoid fatty food items.
Be careful with common ingredients like salt and garlic, which might make your pet ill. Make sure to cook foods such as eggs and meats thoroughly to kill harmful parasites. A vet can advise you on the correct portion sizes to keep your Chihuahua satisfied.
For more information on what to feed your Chihuahua, continue reading about shrimp, strawberries, cheese, and grapes. Keep your Chihuahua happy, healthy, and full!