You will notice that Chihuahua puppies are quite round. They have extra fat on the body that is needed to provide warmth and fuel reserves. There is no need to be concerned about a pup being overweight. Puppies are full of hyper energy and it is very rare for a puppy to have a thyroid or other health issues that would cause excess weight.
During the course of the first year - and for up to 6 months afterward for some - the body will lean out. As the Chihuahua matures into an adolescent and then an adult, he will have a sleeker, leaner appearance. There will be a gradual slimming around the up-tuck of the flank (sides of the body) and the ribs as the fat layer thins out.
While it is rare for adolescents or adults to be overweight, health issues that impede a dog from being active can cause unhealthy weight gain. This is true for
senior Chihuahuas as well; if exercise decreases but calorie intake remains the same, there will be weight problems. When an adult is too weighty, this will most often show in the stomach area.
There is a method to estimate the
weight that a Chihuahua puppy will be once fully grown. This is done with a weight chart. These, are of course, estimates. However, this reference chart is usually accurate within 1/2 pound.
The size of the full grown adult Chihuahua will depend on several factors, including:
- The size of both the parents
- The activity level of the dog
- If the dog receives proper nutrition
- If the dog has any inherited genes which have skipped a generation, in other words...size can be affected by the dog's grandparents and up to 5 generations back
Preliminary Instructions
Using the Chihuahua Growth Chart is easy: All numbers are in ounces. The Final Adult Weight numbers are in pounds.
You may weigh your Chi at home if you have a baby scale that shows weight in ounces or the veterinarian will be able to tell you how many ounces your pup weighs.
If you only know your Chihuahua's weight in pounds, you can use this formula to convert ounces to pounds:
The number of solid pounds x 16 + the number of percentage of pounds.
Example:
For a dog that weighs 1.2 pounds, the formula would be : 1 x 16 + 2 = 18 ounces
In other words:
1 (the number of solid pounds of the puppy) x 16 (the number of ounces in a pound) + 2 (the number obtained from the .2 in the pup's weight)
Another Example:
For a dog that weighs 2.1 pounds, the formula would be: 2 x 16 + 1 = 33 ounces
In other words:
2 (the number of solid pounds of the puppy) x 16 (the number of ounces in a pound) + 1 (the number obtained from the .1 in the pup's weight)
Directions for using the Chihuahua Growth Chart
1.
Look at the column all the way to the far left, going down until you find the age of your puppy
2.
Stay on that row and follow along to the right, until you stop on the weight that your puppy currently is
3.
Follow down that column, all the way to the bottom, until you stop at the Final Adult estimated weight