1. Wellness Complete Natural Small Breed Dog Food
Key Features
High in Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids
Rich in antioxidants
Contains all-natural ingredients and is free from preservatives, corn, soy, wheat, and artificial flavors
Creates to aid digestive health
Backed by the Wellness Guarantee and made in the US
12 lb bag
Wellness Natural Pet Food is a family-run company that offers only top quality food for your beloved pet. This brand pride themselves on using only the best quality natural ingredients and guarantee a perfect balance of essential vitamins, protein, and minerals to support your small breed pup’s specific health needs. Since this amazing food has been tailor-made for small breeds, it offers some benefits including anti-oxidant rich smaller kibble and Omega 3 and six fatty acids. These acids support overall health and are essential for healthy skin and coat. This brand also offers pet owners a recommended feeding allowance based on your dog’s weight and thus ensure that you will feed your pup correctly. This wonderful brand utilizes a delicious deboned turkey and oatmeal recipe that will tantalize your pup’s taste buds and make every mealtime an exciting one. This makes promises to enhance your pup’s energy, support ideal body weight, and promote skin and coat health. It’s a brilliant pick and one that won’t disappoint you or your best friend.
2. Taste of The Wild Grain Free High Protein Dry Dog Food
Key Features
Contains optimal amino acids
Rich in antioxidants
Includes prebiotic fiber for digestive tract health
Grain-free formula
Rich in energy and fat to support small breed dogs
Small kibble size
Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is a delicious choice for your small breed pup. It has been formulated with real venison and is a seriously tasty meal-choice for your pet dog. Rich in amino acids and protein this family-owned brand supports the promotion of strong, lean muscles and overall health. It is also a perfect pick for enhancing digestive health and has been formulated with probiotics that have been proven to strengthen gut-health and aid the digestive tract. The ingredients in Taste of the Wild have been sourced sustainably from around the globe, and the brand promises that only high-quality components make the cut. This pick is free from artificial flavors, wheat, corn, soy, and other preservatives and thus offers a healthy choice for your small breed pup. This is one of the best dry dog foods around for small breeds and boasts epic quality and great value. As always, follow the recommended feeding guide to ensure your dog receives the optimum benefits of this fabulous pick.
3. Blue Buffalo Small Breed Dog Food
Key Features
Ingredients chosen by holistic vets
High-quality lamb protein
Rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals
Supports the immune system and healthy oxidative balance
No artificial flavors or preservatives
The third pick on our list is the Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula. This brand was named after a very special Airedale named Blue and the family who created a specialized formula to support his health issues. This dry dog food is a fantastic option for small breed dogs and offers a delicious blend of lamb and brown rice. The high-quality lamb protein is great for muscle strength and health and will give your pup that extra energy to seize the day. This brand has been specifically formulated for small breed dogs, and the smaller kibble size offers enhanced protein and carbohydrates. This brand prides itself on using high-quality natural ingredients and does not include preservatives, artificial flavors, poultry by-products, wheat, corn, or soy. These ingredients have been chosen with love and care by holistic vets and thus aim to promote overall well-being and healthy balance. This brand combines spectacular quality with a great price and is bound to keep your small breed dog healthy and happy all year long.
4. Nutro Wholesome Essentials Dry Dog Food
Key Features
High-quality protein
Made with only non-GMO ingredients
Sourced from trusted farmers and suppliers
Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids for optimum skin and coat health
Farm-raised chicken
Nutro Protein Dry Dog Food for Small and Toy Breeds is a top quality pick and contains a delicious blend of chicken, brown rice, and sweet potato that is bound to have your small breed dog longing for more. High in protein and utilizing the health benefits of chicken, lamb, salmon, and venison this brand boasts immense quality. Nutro prides themselves on using only clean ingredients and thus avoid GMO’s and unhealthy preservatives. This brand wants only the best for your small breed dog. Ingredients are sourced only from the most trusted suppliers and farms to ensure that optimum quality is achieved. Pet owners have commended this fantastic pick for boosting skin and coat health and have noted that it’s a brand that their pups truly love. Nutro won’t disappoint you or your small breed dog and will make every meal time a success! If you want to find out more about their company, product lines, and recall history, read our review of Nutro Dog Food.
5. Solid Gold Wee Bit Holistic Dry Dog Food
Key Features
Protein rich
Rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals
Supports optimal immune system function
Boosts overall health and wellbeing
Rich in superfoods like pumpkin, blueberry, and broccoli
The fifth pick on our list is Solid Gold’s Holistic Dry Dog Food. This exceptional brand has formulated a delicious recipe using only quality ingredients and their blend of bison, brown rice, and pearled barley are sure to be a hit with any small breed pup. The tiny kibble size is ideal for small and toy breed pups and will make meal-times an even more enjoyable experience. This iron-rich dog food supports their bodies to function optimally, and the inclusion of protected probiotics is essential for optimal digestive health. Gut health is essential for boosted immunity and overall wellbeing, and thus this brand takes their health seriously. This brand source only excellent quality protein from the tranquil waters of the Atlantic and Bering seas and other sources like eggs and protein-rich superfoods. Your small breed pups deserve the absolute best, and this brand is serious about powerful nutrition.
6. Nature’S Variety Small Breed Dry Dog Food
Key Features
Kibble and raw food mix
Nutrient-dense, grain-free and gluten-free
Rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 for skin and coat health
Filled with probiotics
No wheat and no soy
Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost is a perfect combination of kibble and freeze-dried raw food. This protein dense food for smaller breeds is high in Omega oils for optimum skin and coat health and supports the development of a healthy immune system. This epic pick is loaded with probiotics and will also support digestive health and overall wellbeing. Raw food has recently been praised for its amazing health benefits, and this pick adds nutrient-rich ingredients to your pup’s diet. Pet owners have praised this brand for its deliciously delectable qualities and have noted that their dogs devour it in minutes. This make boasts great quality and is a brilliant pick for any small breed dog.
7. Diamond Naturals Real Meat Dry Dog Food
Key Features
Holistic pet nutrition
Rich in probiotics
High in protein and good fat
Smaller kibble
No corn, wheat, artificial flavor, or preservatives
High in antioxidants
The next pick on our list is Diamond Natural Dry Dog Food and its promise of offering ‘holistic nutrition to every pet’. This amazing brand is enriched with superfoods and probiotics for added health and wellbeing. Probiotics are important for promoting gut health and studies have shown that a healthy digestive tract is key to enhancing immunity. The smaller size kibble is specifically tailored to smaller breed dogs and has been formulated to aid dental hygiene by cleaning plaque. High in protein and good fats, this awesome dog food pick will give your small breed pup the energy and calories they need to show the world their big personalities. If your pup enjoys an active lifestyle, this product will offer them optimal vigor and will not disappoint. What is more, is that this brand is free from any artificial preservatives or flavors, and thus offers only the best for your small breed pup.
8. Nulo Small Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Key Features
Rich in animal protein for heart and muscle health
Free from artificial flavors, preservatives, gluten wheat, and corn
Smaller kibble size for a better chewing experience
Added probiotics for gut health
Nulo Dry Dog Food for small breed pups is an amazing grain free option that promises to “fuel their inner athlete” by providing them with nutrient-dense food for maximum energy. While your small breed dog might be little, it doesn’t mean that they can’t play just as energetically as their bigger counterparts. This awesome pick is loaded with great-quality protein in the form of deboned salmon, turkey meal, lamb meal, red lentils, and Menhaden fish meal. These animal proteins do wonders for cardiovascular health and support the development of healthy and strong muscles. The smaller kibble size also means your pup can digest the food better and enjoy a better chewing experience. This make also pride themselves on using only top quality ingredients and this brand is free from wheat gluten, corn, preservatives, colors and artificial flavors. Nulo wants the best for your small breed dog, and this amazing dog food pick will certainly keep them feeling happy and energized.
9. Holistic Select Natural Dry Dog Food
Key Features
Loaded with natural fiber, live yogurt cultures, and digestive enzymes
Anchovy, sardine, and chicken meal recipe
Grain-free
No artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors
Only natural ingredients
The second last pick on our list is created by Holistic Select Natural Pet Food and has been crafted to meet the nutritional needs of small breed dogs. This is a healthy dog food option for small dogs and offers protein and fat levels to support the unique calorific needs of smaller pooches. The live yogurt cultures infuse this product with essential prebiotics and probiotics to aid digestive health and support overall immunity so that your pup can experience ultimate wellbeing. This holistic company uses only the best quality ingredients, and their healthy mix is free from preservatives, grains, artificial colors, and flavors. Loaded with only natural ingredients, this tasty product offers completely balanced nutrition to your beloved companion and will leave them feeling energized and ready to face the day.
10. Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Key Features
Grain-free
Chicken, pumpkin, and sweet potato mix
High in protein
Specifically formulated for breeds under 25 pounds
All natural ingredients
The final pick on our list is by Nature’s Recipe and true to its name, it offers only high-quality ingredients straight from nature itself. This delicious dog food for smaller dogs includes a tasty mix of chicken, pumpkin and sweet potato and is bound to keep your small pup content and energized all day long. These high-quality carbohydrates offer slow-release energy and thus keep your pup feeling energized for longer. This grain-free recipe is super easy to digest and aids stomach health and overall wellbeing. It is also an all-natural pick and high in essential vitamins and minerals to keep your pooch energized and happy. It has been specifically formulated for breeds under 25 pounds and is tailored for the unique metabolic needs of smaller breeds. This is an awesome pick offers high-quality protein to support and maintain muscle health.
Best Dog Food for Small Dogs Buying Guide & FAQ
How Are Small Breeds Different?
Smaller breed puppies and dogs have a higher metabolic rate than larger dogs, and thus, they need to eat more frequently to ensure they are getting enough calories. A quick and easy way to ensure them is to feed them more calorie dense food. If they don't get enough calories, they can face issues such as low blood pressure. However, they can also be prone to weight-gain since they are so little and thus, the key is finding a balance to ensure they maintain a healthy weight. For more options, check out our detailed review of dog food for weight loss.
Smaller breeds also mature quicker than large breeds and thus need nutrient-dense food that will aid healthy development. A diet high in antioxidants will boost their immunity help them to fight illness.
Check out our guides on Dog Food for Maltese and Dog Food for Yorkies for more info.
What to Look for in a Dog Food for Small Dogs
- Smaller kibble size to cater to their smaller mouths. Larger kibble can be a choking hazard
- Calorie dense food since they need more calories for every pound due to a higher metabolic rate
- Products that use only quality ingredients (No GMO'S, additives, preservatives, colorants, artificial flavors, wheat, corn, or soy.)
- Food that is rich in antioxidants and will thus cancel out free radicals
- Specially formulated food for small and toy breeds that will cater to their size and calorie needs
The Nutritional Needs of Small Breeds
Every breed of dog will have its own unique nutritional and medical needs and small breed pups are no different. Small breed puppies and dogs are known to have very high metabolic rates, and therefore they can quickly burn through calories. Despite their small size, they need to eat a significant number of calories frequently to ensure that they don't get low blood pressure. Small dogs usually require 40 calories for every pound, whereas a bigger breed needs only 22.5 calories for every pound. Thus, small or toy breed dogs need more calories than their bigger counterparts. However, smaller dogs also have tiny stomachs and as such, their food needs to be more calorie dense than that of larger dogs.
Food that is high in antioxidants is also super important for smaller breeds to cancel out the dangers of free radicals which can cause cancer. Since smaller breeds can often live for a very long time, this will ensure that they remain healthy into their old age.
Tips for Feeding Small Breed Puppies and Dogs
It is important that your small breed dog or puppy gets enough calories every day to ensure that they develop properly and experience maximum health. It is important to weigh your pet and to follow the recommended daily feeding allowance that is specified by their food brand.
However, as much as it is important to feed them enough, you also shouldn't over-feed them. Excess weight can cause numerous health hazards for dogs and put strain on the joints and heart. To ensure you are feeding your pooch the correct amount, be sure to:
- Follow recommended feeding allowances for your dog's weight
- Take your pup for regular checkups to ensure that they are maintaining a healthy weight
- Make sure your dog always has clean, fresh water. Hydration is key for good health
- Stick to a meal schedule and feed them small amounts regularly (2-3 times a day)
- Make sure the kibble is specifically formulated for smaller dogs as large kibble can be dangerous and lead to choking
Take a look at our review of Dog Food for Chihuahuas and Dog Food for Pomeranians for more info.
Our Top Pick
While we absolutely love all the picks on our list and each one offers a myriad of health benefits and delicious flavors to you and your small breed pup, we have chosen Wellness Nature Pet Food as our best pick. This brand boasts amazing quality and a delicious taste and is rich in Omega 3 and 6 and powerful antioxidants. This wonderful brand is made with a delicious deboned turkey and oatmeal recipe that will tantalize your pup's taste buds and make every mealtime an exciting one. This makes promises to enhance your pup's energy, support ideal body weight, and promote skin and coat health. It's a brilliant pick and one that won't disappoint you or your best friend.
