My 1.5yo chihuahua is neurotic, help!

Question
Ok, I've had this chihuahua since he was 5mo old. I found him directly in front of my gate one day. He took to me, my husband and my daughter perfectly. He had no tags and we took him to the vet, no chip and perfectly healthy. We couldnt find any "lost" signs and his nails were very long and he was a little under weight so we felt he may have been neglected and didnt pursue the previous owner.

He is terribly neurotic. The vet told me that he is a "social" eater, because he will not eat without one of the family there (yes, I've counted kibble left in his bowl when leaving and returning as a test). And at first, he wouldnt even eat out of a bowl or plate. He was frightened of them whether they were ceramic, glass, plastic, or metal. He would drink water but never eat food from them. He eats very well all day, but at first I had to give him one kibble at a time from my hand on the floor or my leg, sometimes he would eat from my hand. Now he can eat from a bowl once in a while but still prefers a flat surface. So I use a placemat. He refused all forms of soft dog foods, and would only eat kibble. I went through every brand at my pet store and he turned his nose up to everyone. Now once in a while he'll eat pro plan natural cans, but only  if its a "treat" 1/2 cup once every few days.

He eats well and is a very healthy 5lb unneutered dog. But he is so fickle, I  must change dog foods (slowly integrating a new one) or he loses interest and will, yes, starve himself all day. I learned this the hard way because I thought "a dog wont starve himself". He drank water but turned up his nose to my food. Added new food in and boom, ate perfectly again.

I also give him treats of bits of carrot and apple every few days as well as half of an egg once a week or so. I try to keep human foods away from him as much as possible.

Onto the rest of his behavior. He is an awesome dog, he is well trained, playful, and well loved. But it seems that since the winter snow and cold came into chicago, despite my 72 degree home, my dog lazes about and looks sad most of the day! He eats, plays, and goes straight back to his spot on the couch. He seems to be sleeping more although when he's awake, he can run around like usual and act totally unlethargic, so i know it isnt his health. But he acts so...sad. Can a chihuahua have seasonal depression? During the warm months he would sleep with me and then have a nap in the middle of the day with my daughter. And inbetween then he was active. Cold came and he's trying to hibernate. He wasnt this way as a puppy but then again, he is getting older.

Thats about all. I'd like to know if there is a way to maintain some type of better eating habit. The vet was no help. She suggested a BARF diet but I heard of chihuahuas dying from that. Right now I use Chicken Soup For the Dogs Soul mixed with a little Purina One Smart Diet Lamb and Rice but I try to keep him on CSDS.

Answer
Hi Jay...

First off, I wanted to let you know that the AllExperts site must be experiencing some sort of "glitch" because I never received your question. I just happened to go onto their website today to check why I hadn't received any questions lately and saw that there are several questions waiting for me for which I received no notification. I'll try to get some technical support to have that fixed just as soon as I help you out with your question first.

Jay, I understand that you found your Chi when he was 5 mos. old.  Did a veterinarian determine that he was 5 mos. old?  What is equally significant to me is knowing how long you've had him and how old you believe he is now.  That information is very important for me to know so as to be able to best answer your questions. You indicate that he's "getting older now", yet he is unneutered, so I'm a bit confused. Can you write me back with this information please?

Some of what you're describing as "neurotic" behavior is actually very much Chihuahua behavior! A picky appetite is very common with many, many Chihuahuas.  I have run a number of Yahoo groups for Chihuahua owners for years and one of the most common discussions that comes up is in regard to food and picky eaters.  I can't tell you how many owners have told me about how their Chis take one kibble at a time out of a dish and take it over to a little rug to eat.  And, many prefer to be hand fed instead of eating on their own.  I personally feel that if you offer a high quality, premium diet to a Chihuahua, you're going to see that dog more readily consume their food without all the little "games".  Playing with food for both kids and dogs often indicates boredom with what's being offered. Additionally, it can indicate that the animal is overwhelmed with the amount of food being offered at one time. I have a little Chihuahua that will not eat out of any dish other than her little, almost flat bowl that she's eaten out of for years.  That's what she's use to and feels comfortable with.  My Chi that has a rather long deer-like nose prefers to eat on a flat surface rather than out of a bowl because it's easier for him.  I have heard of dogs that have been rescued that obviously had never eaten off of a dish before and preferred their food on the floor - most likely food was just thrown out on the ground for them in their original homes.

About food:  With all due respect, I think that you could be feeding this Chi a much better food and that may help quite a bit. Pro Plan, Purina and the majority of dog food that you find at places like Petco and PetSmart are not high quality, premium foods. They're full of fillers, grains and chemicals that your dog doesn't need and shouldn't have.  Although the ingredients in Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul are pretty good - I'm not a big fan of their products.  The adult, dry food has brown rice and oatmeal which are common allergens with out little dogs and two things that our dogs don't really need in their diet. Your vet was on the right path for sure when she suggested a BARF diet and yet I can understand your reluctance to try that kind of diet. People that have their dogs on a BARF diet swear by this type of diet and yet there still remains a lot of controversy over homemade BARF diets.  I prefer to take it down a notch and not risk bacteria, improper supplementation (BARF diets are not easy to make when done properly) and feed something that is ALSO appropriate for a carnivore and more in line with what our dog's ancestors ate.  All of my dogs were on EVO (high protein - no grain) for a long time, but since Proctor & Gamble bought out the manufacturer (Natura) last summer, I don't feel comfortable feeding their products to my dogs any longer and have been researching NO GRAIN foods and slowly changing my dogs over.  I'm thrilled with the results.  Two of my dogs are now on a high protein, no grain product made by Evanger's and one is on ZiwiPeak which is all venison. There's certainly no pausing at mealtime - everyone eats like they're starving. I'm willing to bet you that your little Chi would gladly eat their Chunky Chicken Casserole Dinner. Two of my dogs get this and beg for more.  It has a very small amount of pasta, but none of the grains. You can research the grain-free foods out there and determine if any of the dog boutiques in your area carry them.  You can also order any food you're interested in online as well.  You can call the manufacturers and ask for samples, too.

It is my opinion that a 5 lb. dog should be fed 3 small meals per day.  A dog that small digests better and is more apt to really dig into a smaller meal instead of playing with it like they do when they're offered one or two large meals per day.  I think you will see an increase in energy when your dog is fed often and well (meaning a very high quality, premium food). It's important that such small dogs keep their blood sugar level up and three or more meals per day strongly helps accomplish this. The apples, eggs and carrots are wonderful treats.  You might also try cooking fresh green beans and offering those as treats.  My dogs just love them!  When I make a turkey soup or chicken soup from scratch, I pull some of the broth out before I season the soup and save that to put in very small amounts on the dog's food.  They just LOVE it!

I don't think there's anything unusual at all about a Chihuahua sleeping more during the winter months.  They're close to the ground and feel the winter chill even in a house that is artifically heated to be 72 degrees all the time.  I have 3 Chis in the other room snoozing away right now and I'm in one of the warmer states...  However, I really want to know how old he is before I pursue this issue any further. And what do you mean when you say that he looks "sad" all day when he's laying around?  Can you give me an example or even attach a picture? If you'll write me back and tell me how long you've had him and tell me his age, I'd appreciate that.  I'd also like to know if he's ever had any blood work done...things like that.

I hope that the information that I've given you thus far is helpful and I look forward to hearing back from you.  Give me a day or so when you write back because I'm having that issue with AllExperts not sending me notification on questions that are waiting and need to catch up with some other folks and answer their questions, too.

Jo Ann