Chihuahua Foods To Avoid (The Complete Guide)

What foods you should not feed your Chihuahua? Great question! Even though it's hard to resist their puppy eyes as you eat your delicious meal, you must be aware that not all human food is good for your dog. In fact, some of it can be extremely dangerous to your Chihuahua's health and even have lethal consequences. This time we bring you:

• The list of Chihuahua foods to avoid at any cost
•  The food Chis can eat only in a limited amount
•  The human food you can feed them freely

Many human foods are totally safe for Chihuahuas, but some foods and ingredients can be potentially harmful to their tiny little bodies. One of them is salt. When consumed, salt binds the water molecules in the body. Too much salt intake can leave your Chi's body pretty much dehydrated.

Symptoms of salt poisoning: vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures. If the salt intake is high, it can even be fatal for your Chihuahua.

Why is this information so important? Because many human foods contain or are seasoned with salt.
Another thing you should closely pay attention to is your Chihuahua fat intake. Too much fat-saturated foods (even if the fats are good) can be toxic to your Chihuahua, and damage their liver, even cause pancreatitis.

Now that we have determined the two most common food ingredients to avoid, let's see what are the other Chihuahua foods to avoid.

Chihuahua Foods To Avoid – Alcohol

It goes without saying that alcohol is toxic even for humans, let alone for dogs, especially toy breeds such as Chihuahua. Consuming even a small amount of alcohol can lead to ethanol poisoning.

While we strongly believe no one gives alcohol to their dogs if they are dear to them, some foods can induce alcohol poisoning:

•  Fermented fruit
• Fermented soda
• Yeast dough
• Sugarless gum
• Antibacterial soap
• Mouthwash
• Hand sanitizer

Alcohol poisoning symptoms: vomiting, dehydration, weakness, wobbly walk, panting, lethargy, hypoglycemia, abdominal pain, and in some cases seizures, coma, metabolic acidosis, and even death.

Besides alcohol beverages, make sure to keep all of the things from the list out of your Chihuahua's reach.

Chihuahua Foods To Avoid – Caffeine/Tea

Nothing like quiet mornings with a cup of coffee and your Chi sitting in your lap, cuddling. Quite a picture, right? But, did you know how toxic caffeine can be for your little one?

Even small amounts of caffeine overwhelm your Chi's nervous system. It increases their heart rate, and can induce vomiting, seizures, tremble, or even death in severe cases.

Keep your cup of coffee away from your Chi, even if they try to lick it. The same should be applied to tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, and chocolate.

Chihuahua Foods To Avoid – Chocolate

Dogs like sweets, but that doesn't mean they should eat them.

In fact, Chihuahuas must not eat chocolate at all.

But why is chocolate among Chihuahua foods to avoid?

The core chocolate enemy of your Chi is a chemical names theobromine. While theobromine is totally safe for us, humans, it can be very harmful to your Chihuahua. Chihuahuas can't digest it easily and the more theobromine gets into their system, the more health complications it can trigger.

If you have reasonable grounds to believe your Chihuahua consumed chocolate, do not hesitate to call the vet. In case the vet is unavailable, try inducing vomiting. Don't delay your actions, as the symptoms of chocolate poisoning may appear 9 hours after the chocolate has been eaten, and by then, it can be too late to resolve anything with induced vomiting.

Chihuahua Foods To Avoid - Xylitol

Another Chihuahua food to avoid is xylitol. But what is that exactly?

Xylitol is an artificial sweetener that can be found in sugar-free products.

On the other hand, food products don't have to be sugar-free to contain xylitol.

Being as it may, xylitol is pretty unhealthy for humans, let alone doggos, so make sure there are no such products or their wrappers in the vicinity of your Chihuahua.

Chihuahua Foods To Avoid  - Bones

How come bones are bad for Chihuahua? All dogs like bones.

Yes, but not all bones like dogs.

Chicken and fish bones should definitely be on your list of Chihuahua foods to avoid. While chicken and fish are totally fine for your dog to eat, be careful with their bones.Chicken bones may splinter and damage your Chihuahua esophagus and digestive tract.

Chihuahua Foods To Avoid - Garlic and onions

Onions and garlic are extremely toxic to Chihuahuas. Onions contain N-propyl disulfide, a chemical that prevents Chihuahua red blood sells from binding oxygen, making your Chi feel energyless. The same can apply to leeks and chives.

If your Chihuahua consumes too much onion, it may fall unconscious. And when it comes to garlic, even a little bit of it can make your pooch sick.

Be careful, for many store-bought foods today contain garlic or onions, or both.

Chihuahua Foods To Avoid - Unbaked dough

Baking dough is fun, as long as you avoid feeding your Chihuahua with it. Why is dough on the Chihuahua foods to avoid list?

Dough is pretty heavy on Chihuahua stomach. When consumed, it can swell and cause bloating and digestive problems.

Additionally, dough contains yeast, and yeast produces alcohol. Since we already mentioned the potential harm alcohol may cause to your little one's body, you know what to do.

Chihuahua Foods To Avoid - Avocado

Yes, avocado is great for you, but is really bad for your Chihuahua. How come? Here's the thing. Avocado contains persin, a chemical that is super toxic for animals.

If you are a fan of avocado and consume it often, be careful not to leave the seeds, the rinds, or actually any part of avocado near your pooch.

The same applies to guacamole.

Chihuahua Foods To Avoid – Lemon

Just when you thought it would be fun to give lemons to your Chi just to see their reaction...

All jokes aside, lemons are off-limits to your Chi princess, limes included.

The fruit is rich in psoralen, which, if consumed, can make your Chihuahua sick.

The symptoms of psoralen poisoning: dizziness, walking troubles, gastrointestinal troubles, all of which can lead to serious liver damage and even death.

Chihuahua Foods To Avoid – Macadamia nuts

Nuts are usually pretty safe for Chihuahuas, but this one is not – macadamia nut.

Macadamia nuts are toxic to Chihuahuas as they contain a yet unknown chemical that can cause vomiting, weakness, shakiness, and hyperthermia.

But other than that, you want to limit feeding nuts to your dog as many of them are fat-saturated, and remember, too much fat is no good for your little one.

Chihuahua Foods To Avoid – Grapes

Another human food well high on the list of Chihuahua foods to avoid are grapes and raisins, for guess what? They are toxic to Chihuahuas.

Even a small amount can make your doggo sick, and even cause kidney failure.

Chihuahua Foods To Avoid – Nutmeg

Many baked products contain nutmeg, and nutmeg contains myristicin, an ingredient that if consumed in large amounts by dogs, can cause serious health damage.

The aftereffects nutmeg causes are confusion, dry mouth, stomach pain, increased heart rate, high blood pressure, even seizures.

But what human foods can my Chihuahua eat?

Slowly but steady, we're getting there. Although we have listed a bunch of Chihuahua foods to avoid, there are foods that are allowed in controlled amounts.

Dairy

While dairy products are not off-limits to Chihuahuas, you should be vigilant about these.

A bit of milk every now and then should go without problems, low-fat if we may add, but consuming milk on a daily basis can cause your Chihuahua digestion problems.

Tomatoes

Don't feed green tomatoes to your pooch, as they contain a chemical toxic to them.

Green tomatoes can cause dizziness, weakness, and increased heart rate. They are good as long as they are ripe.

Cashews

Just like we already mentioned, nuts are fine as long as they're in moderation.

Since cashews are rich in fat and calories, you might want to limit the amount your doggo consumes.

Cinnamon

While cinnamon is not toxic to your Chi, consuming it can cause irritation to their digestive system. Additionally, cinnamon is powder, breathing it in provokes coughing, choking, even breathing difficulties.

Maybe you want to keep your Chi out of the way of this one.

Honey

Again, not toxic, but full of sugar. Consuming too much honey can lead to obesity.

Cherries

It's totally safe for a Chihuahua to eat fresh fruit, although in a limited amount.
The first reason being all the sugar they may consume through the fruit, and the other being specifically related to Cherry pits.

Cherry pits contain cyanide, a chemical that is poisonous for Chihuahuas.
Besides that, they are easy to choke on, especially being the small doggo that Chihuahuas are.

At the same time, you want to limit your Chihuahua cherry intake, as they can cause diarrhea if overconsumed. Maybe it's best to eat just one or two occassionally.

Chihuahua Foods Not To Avoid

By now, you're probably asking yourself, but what human food CAN my Chihuahua eat?

Now that we have seen what are Chihuahua foods to avoid, and what foods are allowed but should be limited in consumption, let's get into the matter of what human foods have benefits for Chihuahuas.

Meat

What types of meat can a Chihuahua consume? The great answer is: all of them. Be it chicken, fish, beef, or pork, feed them to your Chihuahua without fret.

Though, be careful about fish and chicken bones. As we have previously said, they can be quite dangerous for dogs' esophagus and digestive tract.

Also, avoid seasoned meat, especially with garlic or salt, as these are toxic to you Chi.

Shrimp

Since we are talking about meat, shrimp, which also belongs to the meat family, is totally fine to feed your Chihuahua when they are de-shelled and properly cooked.

Rice

Feel free to share some of the rice from your plate with your Chihuahua, as rice is also, fine. Just make sure it's not seasoned with garlic or salt.

Eggs

Eggs are a great source of protein, and Chihuahuas can eat them, but only if cooked.

Oatmeal

Make it with water. Don't use milk or sugar, and you're good to go.

Also..
• Potatoes (watch out for garlic and salt seasonings)
• Sweet potatoes
• Corn (watch out for the cob as Chis can choke on it)
• Pumpkin (remove the seeds)
• Peanut Butter (watch out for salt and fat)
• Bananas
• Oranges
• Mango
• Celery (great source of minerals and vitamins)
• Strawberries
• Coconut
• Apples
• Blackberries
• Watermelon (remove the rinds)
• Pineapple
• Blueberries
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Green peas
• Bread
• Mushrooms
• Popcorn (only air-popped)

This was the list of all human foods that are totally safe for your Chihuahua if consumed and prepped properly. Some of them are richer in nutrients than others, but most important is what your Chihuahua loves to eat and what are their diet needs.

Human foods can be great options for treats, even if Chihuahua consumes dog food.

At the end of the day...

It's paramount to be aware that even though some foods bring us, humans, benefits, they can be toxic, poisonous, and even deadly to Chihuahuas.

The second important thing is, even though we have listed Chihuahua foods to avoid, limit, and not to avoid, you still need to be careful when feeding human food to your Chihuahua.

Know that dog to dog differs, and what may be a great option for mine, does not have to be a good one for yours.

Keep an eye on the human food consumption of your Chihuahua, combine it with the dog food they usually eat and everything should be just fine.

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If you've found this article interesting you may also want to read: Why Chihuahuas Bark So Much (And How To Teach Them To Stop)