Are You Wondering How Long Does It Take a Chihuahua To Digest Food? A Chihuahua takes about four to six hours to digest food. Chihuahua's are very small dogs, which means that they eat very often, and they also have a very fast metabolism. This is a blessing and a curse. The good news is that they have a faster metabolism, which means they have a faster way to burn off energy, and they also are smaller than a large dog, so they don’t need as much. This can make food more expensive. The bad news is that they have a higher need for food, and their food “goes through them” fast, which means they may eat more often than a larger dog.