Best Food For Small Breed Puppy

Bully Max 30/20 High Performance Dog Food

Image courtesy Bully Max

Bully Max 30/20 High Performance Dog Food is made with real chicken as the first ingredient, and it’s enriched with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

This food also has a high protein content to help your puppy build lean muscle mass, and it’s made with ingredients that are easy to digest.

Why To Consider Special Food For Small Breed Dogs

Taking care of your pet dog needs much effort, especially if it is a smaller breed dog. However, all types of dogs need to be fed with the best quality food that suits them the most. But with small breed dogs, a little more attention is required to be paid. It is because smaller breed dogs tend to have higher metabolism due to which they need premium-quality, nutrient-rich food. They dont store up much energy as larger dogs can and thus have to be fed with more frequent meals. Also, they are to be fed with food considering their smaller body size or smaller stomach. They should consume a lesser volume of food that has a higher nutrient-density.

A Look At Our Top Picks

If youre looking for a dog food option for your puppy, the best overall choice is Ollie fresh and natural dog food. Their recipes are crafted in the US and packaged based on your dogs needs through a preliminary quiz. Pet owners can select which protein their puppy likes best from chicken, lamb, beef, fish, and more. Also, they can be sure that its packed with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Ollie is a subscription-based service that lets you skip on the grocery store trips and have pre-portioned, fresh meals delivered right to your door.

You can also enjoy a starter box to let your puppy test it out! The ingredients contain no fillers, preservatives, or artificial flavors so you know your furry friend is getting only high-quality ingredients.

Orijen Puppy Grain-Free Dry Puppy Food is another quality small-breed puppy food. This biologically appropriate diet is packed with animal protein and fat for well-rounded nutrition. Fresh or raw chicken and turkey, sustainably farmed or wild-caught fish, and cage-free eggs form the foundation of the protein, perfect for dogs unique nutritional needs. The food contains animal organs and bones for vitamins and minerals.

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What Else Do I Need To Know About The Best Food For Small Puppies

Smaller dog breeds have a faster metabolism than large dogs. Thus, they need more calories per pound of body weight. Furthermore, this also means that small breed puppies require more fats and protein in their diets.

Small breeds of puppies also have smaller stomachs. Hence, they have much less space for large meals compared to bigger breeds. Due to this, owners need to feed their mini fur babies small but nutritious meals a couple of times per day.

You also need to consider the size of the kibbles. Needless to say, smaller breeds have smaller mouths, so while they can break down larger pieces, its much easier and healthier for them to eat food that matches their size.

Specialty Diet For A Small Breed Puppy

It is very common for dog owners to follow new trends in their pups diet. And with so much going around right now, such as grain-free diets, raw diets, and home-cooked meals, picking the best small breed puppy food can be difficult.

While its okay to feed a non-traditional diet to your precious puppy, you must be thoroughly aware of whats inside of it. If you are not sure about the best available diets, feel free to seek assistance from your veterinarian. Just because certain things are in trend doesnt necessarily mean theyre great for your dog. As a small breed puppy owner, you must be aware of your dogs personal preferences and health conditions to keep them safe and healthy.

Some dogs especially the small breed puppies can be allergic to certain ingredients. Just because a certain food suits your neighbors dog doesnt mean its the best thing for your puppy too. So make sure you check out the ingredients before you transition your puppy to any special diet.

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Smaller Puppies Dont Need Quite As Much Calcium

Large and giant dog breeds, such as the Great Dane or Mastiff, tend to grow at a faster rate than smaller breeds. Therefore, their calcium levels need to be controlled and kept high in order to prevent skeletal and developmental disorders.

Small breed puppies grow much less and so dont necessarily need as much calcium. Dog food designed for small dog breeds can be a lot lower in calcium. Based on this concept, the FEDIAF states that the calcium levels of a growing puppy need to be a minimum of 0.8g calcium per 100g food for small breeds and a minimum of 1g calcium per 100g dog food for large breeds. Similarly the calcium to phosphorous ratios for small and large breed dogs are slightly different.

Special Diet And Essential Nutrients For Small Breed Dogs

• To provide shiny skin and a healthy dog coat, it is essential to feed your pet dog with vitamin-rich fish oil.
• Certain vitamins and minerals cater to provide an improved immune system to your pets.
• Highly-rich protein food aids in providing healthy muscles to your pet.
• The food rich in fiber would lead to better digestion and improved intestinal health.
• A balanced amount of carbohydrates helps in maintaining the required blood sugar level in your pets body.

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Invaluable Puppy Feeding Tips

My best tip whenever you decide to change your dog food, make sure you come back here and read the review. You might be surprised at what trickery goes on with pet food marketing!

You can bookmark with CTRL + D and Alien Key + Alien Key on Macs.

When you read a review, make sure you read the comments too. The proof is in those whove fed a food.

Choosing the best puppy food is more about a little knowledge, and a little thought, so here are some invaluable puppy feeding tips to help you out:

The Best Small Breed Puppy Foods For Your Dog

Have you recently welcomed a new puppy into your home? Small breed dogs like Chihuahuas, Boston Terriers, and Dachshunds can bring endless hours of joy to your home.

Having a new puppy means that there is lots to learn, including what to feed your dog.

With so many options, it can be challenging to pick the best. Here are some of our top choices of small breed puppy food:

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Instinct Original Small Breed Dog Food

Rating:

Original Small Breed is one of 5 dry recipes included in our review of the Instinct Original product line.

• First 5 ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, chickpeas, tapioca, chicken fat
• Type: Grain-free
• Best for:Small breed adults and puppies

This Instinct Original formula derives the greatest part of its animal protein from fresh chicken and chicken meal. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 39% protein, 22% fat and 31% estimated carbs which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 56%.

Instinct Original Small Breed provides an optimal balance of protein, fat and calories to ensure a balanced nutrition for your small dog. Highly recommended.

Sample buyer reviewI love this dog food, and so does my dog. I like all of the ingredients and trust the company. My dog begs for it and devours it. Hes doing very well on it. His coat is shiny, his muscles are defined, and his stools are firm. I rotate this brand with a few other brands so he has some variety, but Im very picky with which foods I include in the rotation, and only choose brands and formulas of the highest quality.

Wellness Core Small Breed Puppy

Rating:

Core Small Breed Puppy is one of 12 dry recipes included in our review of the Wellness Core product line.

• First 5 ingredients: Deboned turkey, chicken meal, turkey meal, peas, chicken fat
• Type: Grain-free
• Best for:Small breed puppies

This Wellness formula gets the greatest share of its animal protein from fresh turkey and poultry meals. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 42% protein, 20% fat and 30% estimated carbs which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 47%.

An exceptional grain-free small breed puppy formula.

Sample buyer reviewMy foster loves this. He was really underweight, and this has helped him plump up. He also needs small bites or he chokes. Its has a perfect kibble size!

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Wellness Natural Complete Health Natural Dry Small

Made with small-breed pups in mind, this smaller-sized kibble is just right for their tinier mouths.

Wellness is known for its quality ingredients and lack of by-products, fillers, and artificial flavors in its pet food formulas. Deboned turkey, chicken meal, oatmeal, and salmon meal are among this recipes top ingredients.

How To Choose A Puppy Dog Food Small Breed

To choose the perfect puppy dog food small breed, youll want to:

• Do you want what type of product? Are you buying a product?
• Measure the space: Theres nothing worse than falling in love with puppy dog food small breed only to discover it wont fit!
• Think about aesthetics: Does colour matter to you?
• Read reviews and talk with friends: Knowledge is power! Other puppy dog food small breed users can be a helpful source of information about how well a mat holds up and whether there are any downsides, which you should know before purchasing.
• Do some bargain shopping: Coupons and sales can help you save money, so you can spend it on something else youd enjoy.

Read Also: My Dog Doesn’t Like Dry Food Anymore

Dog Food For Small Breed Puppies: To Grain Or Not To Grain

In addition to choosing wet versus dry food, you may also find yourself wondering about grain-free diets. Some owners prefer grain-free as it is believed to be closer to the traditionally carnivorous Canis genus diet and can be easier on a dogs digestive system, especially if your dog has grain allergies or sensitivities.

However, grain-free diets have been potentially linked to heart issues in canines by the FDA, so its best to check with your veterinarian before switching or starting your dog on one. Single, whole-grain dog food is another potential option, and its exactly what it sounds like: dog food made with a single whole grain .

Small Breed Dog Puppy Feeding Chart

6 Weeks Old At six weeks, your small breed puppy should still be with his mama, feeding freely while spending time with littermates. These dogs are too young to be removed from their litter.

Mothers milk will provide all the required nutrients and being around littermates will provide the socialization required to set your pup up for a healthy life adjusting to human care. At this stage, your small breed pup will be extra tiny, weighing only a couple of pounds.

10 Weeks Old At the tenth week, your small breed pup should be weaned from moms milk. This process should have been completed carefully and gently, incorporating the new food slowly to avoid shocking your little dogs system.

Wet food is a great transition food because it is soft and will be easier for your pup to get used to. Alternatively, warm water or broth can create a soft consistency when added to puppy food.

12 Weeks Old At this stage, your little buddy should be receiving three to four meals per day. These can be spread out evenly during his waking hours to keep him adequately fueled and satiated. Snacks can also be incorporated throughout the day, so long as daily caloric requirements are being met and not exceeded.

1 Year Old At this age, your dog has reached adulthood. Puppy formulas can be left behind. Feeding can be reduced to twice per day while maintaining the appropriate daily calorie intake. Check your specific breeds adult weight chart to be sure your pup is weighing enough.

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Ollie Healthy Turkey Recipe

Overall Best Small Breed Dog Food: If youre concerned about the quality of your dogs diet, fresh food is the way to go. Because it is prepared fresh, the ingredients retain more of their original nutritional quality which is good news for your dog. Ollie is a fresh pet food delivery service that sends fresh pet food right to your door. Choose from four different recipes, grain-inclusive or grain-free, and know that your dogs nutritional needs wont just be met they will be exceeded. Ollie caters each recipe to your dogs unique calorie needs, so you dont have to worry about choosing a recipe for his breed size the company will adjust the portion to meet his needs and send the food to you in pre-portioned packages to make your life easy. All you have to do is fill out a profile online and wait for your first shipment!

• Pros: Fresh food sent right to your door, choose from multiple recipes, catered to your dogs calorie needs, made from wholesome natural ingredients, complete and nutritionally balanced
• Cons: More expensive than typical kibble

Talk To Your Vet Before Choosing Any New Food For Your Dog

While you could simply opt for dog food that meets the bare minimum standard set out by AAFCO for puppies, doesnt your dog deserve more than that?

While the AAFCO label will help you weed out the lousy dog foods from the good, it isnt a stamp of high-quality ingredients or a mark of the best puppy food.

You will need to research your pet foods a bit more before you make a final decision.

Its always advisable to talk to your vet before making a final decision on your dogs best food.

Your vet will be able to provide you with sound advice related to your dogs breed, size, body weight, and potential health problems.

Do you have a favorite for small breed pups? Let us know in the comments below.

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Transitioning To Homemade Dog Food

Most dogs dont have a problem making the switch to homemade food. If yours is prone to digestive issues, start slowly by mixing a little bit of the homemade food with the commercial food.

Over the course of a week or two, gradually increase the amount of homemade food while decreasing the commercial food.

If your dog vomits or has diarrhea, try introducing only a couple of new ingredients at a time until their systems are well adjusted to the fresh diet.

For dogs with health issues, please consult with a veterinarian if you arent sure what kind of supplements are needed. Use your best judgment, the way you would when feeding yourself or your family.

Blue Buffalo Dry Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe For Small

Blue Buffalos Chicken and Oatmeal Life Protection Formula is made with small puppies health in mind. No by-products, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives in this bag!

Deboned chicken starts the ingredients list, accompanied by wholesome grains, fruits, vegetables, and key fatty acids like DHA and ARAfound in mothers milkthat are important for cognitive and retinal development.

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Buyers Guide: Choosing The Best Small Breed Puppy Food

At first glance, it can seem complicated and challenging to choose the best puppy food for small breeds. However, if youre armed with a bit of background knowledge, it can be much easier to choose the best dog food for your canine. In this section, well provide you with all the information you need to select the perfect food for your puppy.

Now Fresh Small Breed Dog Food

Rating:

Small Breed Turkey is one of 11 dry recipes included in our review of the Now Fresh product line.

• First 5 ingredients: De-boned turkey, whole dried egg, peas, potatoes, potato flour
• Type: Grain-free
• Best for:Small breed adults

Now Fresh Small Breed derives the largest share of its meat protein from fresh de-boned turkey and dried egg. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 30% protein, 19% fat and 43% estimated carbs resulting in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 63%.

Small-size, clover-shaped kibble ideal for small to medium breed dogs. Contains probiotics and pre-biotic fiber to support healthy gut bacteria and better digestion. The recipe also includes taurine and L-carnitine for healthy heart function.

Also contains whole dried eggs, natures most complete protein. Which means this ingredient alone naturally includes every essential amino acid a dog needs for optimal health.

A bit pricey. But an excellent, nutritionally balanced design optimized for small and medium breed dogs. Highly recommended.

Sample buyer reviewMy small dogs love this food! They will eat it dry, without anything in it! It is really small kibble but unlike other dry food, they love the taste!

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Purina Beneful Healthy Puppy With Farm Raised Chicken High Protein Dry Dog Food

Image courtesy Petco

Purina Beneful Healthy Puppy With Farm Raised Chicken High Protein Dry Dog Food is made with real chicken as the first ingredient, and it’s enriched with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

This food also has a high protein content to help your puppy build lean muscle mass, and it’s made with ingredients that are easy to digest.