They claim that good things arrive in small packages, and this is particularly true for the proud owners of small puppies. Small dogs are convenient to lift and transport, excel as apartment pets, have a lower cost, require less time for grooming, and generally have a longer life expectancy. Furthermore, compared to their larger counterparts, they also possess distinctive dietary requirements.
Small dogs are typically very active and burn a lot of energy throughout the day. Their metabolic rates are higher than large breeds, more than twice as high, and they have smaller stomachs. Therefore, they thrive on high-energy diets and smaller meal portions. The ideal dog foods for small dogs are rich in calories and have small-sized kibble. Additionally, small dogs with dental health issues can benefit from food that aids in protecting their teeth.
Which dog foods are recommended for small dogs? Our recommendations include those personally recommended by Dr. Georgia Jeremiah, a pet nutrition expert and one of Wag!’s veterinary consultants.
Nom Nom Dog Food
Nom Nom recipes, which have been developed by Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists, contain real ingredients and undergo minimal processing.
Nom Nom has four different types of fresh dog food. Turkey Fare is one of them. Turkey Fare is made with ground turkey, brown rice, eggs, carrots, and spinach. It has a soft and chewable texture, which makes it perfect for small mouths and teeth.
When you sign up for a trial or subscription, your dog will receive a personalized plan that includes pre-portioned meals delivered directly to your home.
- Contains human-grade ingredients
- Prepared fresh and made to order
- Gently cooked
- Pre-portioned based on your dog’s needs
- Includes personalized health insights
Wellness Complete Health Small Breed Puppy
This recipe is included in Wellness’s Complete Health line for small breeds and is suitable for young dogs. It is formulated to cater to the specific nutritional requirements of growing puppies. The dry dog food consists of proteins and grains like turkey, chicken meal, oatmeal, and barley.
Additionally, this recipe contains DHA to support brain development, calcium and phosphorus to promote bone growth, and vitamin A for maintaining healthy eyes.
Similar to all Wellness products, it is free of meat by-products, fillers, artificial preservatives, or colors.
- Formulated for small breed puppies
- Promotes overall nutrition
- Made with high-quality, natural ingredients
- Easy to digest
- Packaging can be recycled for free
Open Farm Small Breed Dry Dog Food
According to Dr. Jeremiah, Open Farm dog food is made using high-quality ingredients and is free from any artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. Additionally, the company gives importance to ethically sourced and humanely raised ingredients.
Open Farm has two options of dry dog food available for small breeds: one contains ancient grains, while the other is grain-free.
Both recipes are made with chicken and turkey as the primary sources of animal protein, along with sweet potato, pumpkin, and chicory root to promote healthy digestion. Additionally, parsley, peppermint, and omega-3 fatty acids are included in both recipes, making them beneficial for dogs requiring skin and breath support.
By using their traceability tool, you have the ability to trace the ingredients back to their source by inputting the lot code found on your bag, just like with all Open Farm products.
- Uses antibiotic- and hormone-free meat
- Formulated for smaller dogs with higher metabolic rates
- Kibble size is optimized for small mouths
- Picky eater approved
- Packaging can be recycled for free
Solid Gold Wee Bit Bison, Brown Rice & Pearled Barley Recipe
This is the only recipe among Solid Gold’s six dry dog foods for toy and small breeds that includes grains.
Designed specifically for small jaws and teeth, this product includes bison meat along with nutritious whole grains like brown rice and pearled barley. Additionally, it contains 20 superfoods that are rich in essential nutrients, including blueberries, broccoli, and kelp.
The kibble is one of the smallest sizes available on the market and is shaped like a cute heart. Additionally, it contains protected probiotics that remain alive until they are consumed, promoting gut health.
- Contains prebiotic fibers and protected probiotics
- Packed with superfoods
- Provides digestive health and overall immune support
- One of the smallest kibble sizes on the market
- First holistic pet food brand in the US
Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain Free Senior Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe
Merrick’s Lil’ Plates line offers a grain-free dry food recipe for small breeds of older dogs. This recipe is specially designed for senior pups and prioritizes deboned chicken as the primary ingredient. It also contains lower levels of calories and fat, intended to assist older dogs in managing a healthy weight.
To support digestion, this recipe includes prebiotics and probiotics, along with glucosamine and chondroitin to promote hip and joint function. The kibble not only has a crunchy texture but is also small in size, which helps maintain clean teeth. Dr. Jeremiah emphasizes that Merrick products have high-quality, whole food ingredients and are free from artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors.
- Formulated for small senior dogs
- Tiny kibble size
- Easy to eat, even for dogs with missing teeth
- Contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for a healthy coat
- Picky eater approved
The Very Best Dog Food for Puppies
If you’ve ever brought a new puppy home, you understand the enjoyment it can bring. They are incredibly cute in every aspect, from their waddling and toppling over to the expression on their face before falling asleep. Additionally, their paws have a scent resembling tortilla chips. However, owning a puppy comes with numerous questions. You may contemplate what food is suitable for them to consume, such as grass, which is acceptable in small quantities. Conversely, your roommate’s CBD gummies are definitely not appropriate. Considering CBD for dogs may be an option, but only after consulting with your veterinarian. It’s also important to be aware that puppies may attempt to consume the feces of other animals. If you don’t catch them in time, it is manageable for them.
Before bringing your new puppy home, it is important to know which dog food you will feed them. With numerous brands and persuasive marketing strategies competing for your attention, making this decision can be challenging. To assist you in narrowing down your options, we consulted with nine veterinarians to identify the top choices for various puppy breeds.
What we’re looking for
Dr. Karie Anne Johnson, a mobile veterinarian and co-founder of VIP Vet Visit, acknowledges that the question of what to feed a puppy is commonly asked. According to the other veterinarians we interviewed, it is advised to select puppy food that has undergone extensive research and testing to ensure nutritional adequacy. This should be determined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and should meet their nutritional standards. All of the recommended puppy food options listed below surpass or meet AAFCO standards.
If you have multiple dogs at home, you may assume it is acceptable to feed both your adult dogs and your puppy the same food. However, Dr. Jamie Richardson from Small Door Veterinary in NYC explains that puppies have different dietary needs compared to adult dogs. They require higher levels of protein and specific vitamins and minerals. Therefore, it is recommended to feed them a puppy-specific formulation until they reach skeletal maturity, which is around one year for small- and medium-breed dogs and between 14 and 18 months for large- and giant-breed dogs. Among the numerous brands of puppy food available, it is important to ensure that the food you choose indicates that it meets the nutritional requirements for growth or all life stages. Additionally, Dr. Shelly Zacharias from Gallant suggests that all good puppy foods should contain some form of grain to reduce the risk of dilated cardiomyopathy, especially in large-breed dogs. The following list consists of dog foods that veterinarians have recommended specifically for growing puppies.
Zacharias emphasizes the importance of using high-quality ingredients in pet food. He suggests that the ingredients should specify the specific type of meat used, rather than using generic terms like “meat” or “meat by-products.” Additionally, the ingredients should not include white flour, preservatives such as BHA or BHT, propylene glycol, or rendered fat. For those who consider their dog to be a part of the family, rather than just a pet, they may prefer to feed them minimally processed food that resembles their own meals rather than traditional pet food. Richardson has noticed an increasing number of pet owners who are interested in human-grade or fresh pet foods. However, the definition of “fresh pet food” may vary among different brands, as this is a relatively new concept in the pet-food industry. Generally speaking, fresh pet food is minimally processed, free from preservatives, and cooked gently to retain nutrients and reduce the risk of harmful bacteria found in some raw diets. These types of foods are typically frozen and need to be thawed before each meal.
Large- and giant-breed puppies such as malamutes, Great Danes, German shepherds, and Saint Bernards require different types of food compared to smaller breeds like Yorkshire terriers or dachshunds. Dr. Leslie Brooks, a veterinarian advisor at Betterpet, recommends that large-breed puppies should be fed food specifically designed for them, labeled as “large-breed puppies.” These foods have a specific mineral and calorie content that is formulated to prevent rapid growth and the development of bone or joint abnormalities in large-breed puppies as they mature.
According to Richardson, the main difference in the food for small and toy dog breeds is that it is made in smaller chunks. This is because small dogs have smaller mouths and teeth, so it is important to provide them with something that is easy to bite and chew. However, Zacharias points out that there are other reasons to opt for food made specifically for small-breed puppies. Small-breed puppy food also contains important nutrient differences that cater to the needs of small dogs.
The choice between wet food and dry food for dog owners is often based on convenience and personal preference. However, if you have a puppy that doesn’t drink enough water, feeding them wet food can be a clever solution to ensure they stay hydrated. Besides canned puppy foods, fresh and human-grade dog foods can also be classified as wet food because they are cooked lightly to preserve the natural moisture of the food.
