She is pretty tiny (6-1/4 lbs). Probably less than a year old. At the shelter there was food in the pen pretty much available to her from what we saw. Third day at home with us. All good. A tiny bit of a runny nose and kennel cough. Will make an appointment with our vet tomorrow. Nothing of a concern.

We are feeding her twice a day. 1/4 cup with some veggie and meat mixed in. She goes after the veggies and meat right from the get go. Then will eat some of the kibble slowly. Eventually she eats most of the 1/4 cup. She gets a tiny bit of a quality treat. Not much. She seems very hungry between meals.

any suggestion or thoughts on what we are doing?
the shelter gave us some Merrick salmon and rice food. not sure what we will feed her after it?

As slabsides mentioned. We want to keep her girly figure in tact and keep her healthy

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Originally posted by old rugged cross:
S
She seems very hungry between meals.

She's a canine, a strong food drive is what they do! Consider the possibility that she is trying to see how she can influence you to get herself a tasty treat.

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any suggestion or thoughts on what we are doing?

Don't over think it. Every vet I've discussed canine feeding with has said that any brand name food is fine.

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the shelter gave us some Merrick salmon and rice food. not sure what we will feed her after it?

We want to keep her girly figure in tact and keep her healthy

Perhaps try a variety of brands/formulations to determine what she likes. My dog Clark (unspecified hound mix) won't finish his kibble unless he is very very hungry, but with a little topper on it, wolfs it right down. Toppers are usually "gourmet" small can products. "beef stew," "chicken and salmon," etc. Most previous canines were fine with straight kibble for every meal. The key to controlling weight is more to do with controlling the number of feedings per day (including treats) and sufficient exercise, not so much how much is served at each meal. If she doesn't finish her meal, pick it up rather than allowing come-backs (but this will vary depending on the animal).

Most of all, pay attention, and figure out what is right for your girl. Dogs develop habits, good and bad, much like we do, but they at least have a (hopefully) more intelligent and involved overseer to help them.

Twice a day is good. Also make note that Chihuahua's can be very picky especially if they taste something better than what they are used to. I pray she has a long, healthy, loved life with you !!! God Bless

You'll no doubt get a lot of different suggestions so let me add mine.

Our King Charles Spaniel has been on Purina Pro Plan since we brought him home at 12 weeks. We've changed the formulation a couple of times as he's matured, and at the advice of our trusted Vet we avoided chicken in favor of lamb and salmon. Poops good, no digestive issues and he loves it. He especially likes the Shredded blend which has some soft chewable pieces along with the kibble.

Where the pictures hoss?

Whatever you end up feeding, make sure you transition slowly from what she’s currently on to the new food (if you decide something other than Merrick, which is perfectly good stuff). 3/4 old + 1/4 new for a few feedings, then 1/2+ 1/2, then 1/4 + 3/4, and finally 100% new food.
This will take at least 3 days, and watch her stool tbs it’s not too much of a switch too soon. Also, this is a growing pup, so I’d bump up the quantity a little if she seems terribly hungry, but I’d make it kibble only. These little guys get so spoiled on treats
I knew a toy dog once that only ate polish. Not even hot dogs, just polish sausages.
She’ll have you wrapped around her little paw so fast you’ll not even have time to blink.
Has she been to the vet yet? They’ll be able to make specific recommendations and often clinics provide a new puppy packet with info and extras.

Pictures !!!

Small dogs tend to need more kibble in their diet to help reduce teeth problems. Ask your vet.

My Chihuahua has dental issues and has had about a dozen pulled already . He will NOT eat dry dogfood because of the dental issues . He gets fed twice a day and gets plenty of exercise chasing Squirrels all day . His weight has consistently stayed around 6 1/2 lbs .

Chihuahuas can be prone to dental issues even with them eating kibble. We currently have 3 and one had 18 teeth pulled a year back. She doesn't have any issues with eating kibble. We feed them Nuvo Puppy since it's small and limit how much they get due to the caloric intake. For their second meal they get organic green bean, carrots and corn along with either organic beef or chicken. Yes we know they're spoiled but being so small (2 are 4lbs, the other is 6) it's best to avoid any pesticides from normal grown vegetables.

Thanks so much guys. great info. My wife is in the dental field so she gets her teeth brushed every night. Hopefully that will help.

I would advise choosing a good quality dry kibble food. Doesn't have to be one that you need to mortgage the house for, mind you, just a good food.

I would stress here that avoiding a "grain free" food is very important. There's a published list of dog foods that have been linked to pets having cardiac disease CAUSED by deficiencies in ingredients, including grains. That's an oversimplification, and there's much more to it than that, but seek out that list and don't buy those specific foods. Also be aware that some companies that sell boutique brand foods will go out of their way to tell you that it was just one or two studies, and that it was Golden Retrievers, and so it's all a bunch of overblown hooey. If you find yourself in the presence of such snake oil salespeople, please excuse yourself and find a reputable person from which to purchase your pet foods.

Most importantly, talk to a vet you trust about it.