Although we are small, us toy breeds LOVE our food. A lot of humans seem to be under the impression that we don’t eat much because of our small stature, but they couldn’t be any more wrong.
We love eating, and I love waiting to see what food my lovely owner gives me every single day when it comes to mealtime.
Dog food can be quite boring, so I think it must be incredibly difficult for my owner to find the food that is right for me.
There are a lot of companies out there who promise the world from their food but simply do not deliver on their promises. This can make finding one with everything that your toy breed needs to eat in it very difficult.
My owner has tried lots of different foods, and along the way, we’ve finally decided on a couple which I love.
So I thought I’d tell you all about them in case your toy breed might love them too. So let’s take a look at some of my top picks.
Best Dog Food for Toy Breeds
1. Hill’s Science Diet Small Breed Dog Food
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Me and my owner think that Hill’s Science Diet Small Breed dog food is one of the best options for toy breeds.
The main thing that we dogs love about this food is that it is highly digestible making it easy to eat, and good for our small stomachs. Sometimes when we eat big meals our stomachs can become painful, but this doesn’t happen with this food.
We also love that it comes with antioxidants which support our immune system making our bodies stronger and more able to fight off illness and infection should it occur.
Finally, we love that this dog food contains omega fatty acids as they help keep our coats looking shiny and smooth, so this is definitely one of the best options available for toy breeds.
Pros
- Highly Digestible – contains ingredients that are easy to digest for us toy breeds who only have little stomachs, ensuring we have no stomach cramps or pain
- Antioxidant Blend – added antioxidants means that this dog food also aids our immune system and improves our ability to fight off infection
- Omega Fatty Acids – keeps our skin and coat looking shiny and luscious due to the inclusion of omega fatty acid 6 and vitamin E in the recipe
Cons
- No notable drawbacks
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2. IAMs Small Breed Adult Dog Food
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We also really loved the formula of the IAMS Small Breed adult dog food. My favorite thing about this dog food is that it uses real farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient.
Real meat is so much yummier than artificial flavors, and it is also a lot better for our health. This is only complimented by the other ingredients in this food as they are all sourced from reputable companies to ensure we also get lots of nutrients from our food to remain healthy.
But the reason that my owner loves this dog food is because it comes vet recommended which is excellent for peace of mind. So it is clear that this is a great choice for your toy breed.
Pros
- Real Meat – the first ingredient in this recipe is real farm-raised chicken that is ethically sourced for the best flavor and nutrients
- Quality Ingredients – this recipe only uses quality ingredients from reputable sources so that we toy breeds get lots of vitamins and antioxidants
- Vet Recommended – this formula is actually vet-recommended promising only the best for your dog
Cons
- No notable drawbacks
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3. Solid Gold Mighty Mini Small and Toy Breed Dog Food
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A personal favorite of mine is the Solid Gold Mighty Mini Small and Toy Breed dog food. This food is excellent because the kibble is very small so it doesn’t take much effort to eat it which means I can enjoy my food quicker.
It also reduces the risk of me choking when I eat my food too quickly. It is also a great choice for sensitive stomachs, like lots of us toy breeds have, as it is designed for our breeds and made with small stomachs in mind.
If that wasn’t enough, this food also comes packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients which means I am always healthy and strong. So this is a wonderful choice for your toy breed.
Pros
- Tiny Kibble Size – ensures that the kibble will not be too big for our mouths and removes the risk of choking
- Great for Sensitive Stomachs – perfect for small breeds with little bellies that are prone to sensitivity
- Packed with Nutrients – contains lots of added nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants to ensure your dog remains in good health
Cons
- Not Suitable for Larger Dogs – unsuitable if you own more than one dog of different breeds/sizes due to kibble size
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4. Wellness Complete Health Natural Small Breed Dog Food
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Another great choice is the Wellness Complete Health Natural Small Breed dog food.
Just like the other options that I have shown you, this dog food is also packed with nutrients ensuring that we toy breeds will always be happy and healthy when this is part of our diet.
As well as this, it also supports our whole bodies with different ingredients designed to support different parts, ensuring we are always in good health.
But my favorite thing about this food is that it comes with lots of protein and carbohydrates which gives me lots of energy to run around and have fun.
So this is definitely one of the best options for toy breeds on the market.
Pros
- Rich in Nutrients – this recipe is full of nutrients that ensure us dogs will be happy and healthy when eating it
- Supports the Whole Body – it contains components that support and improve the health of our whole body
- Lots of Energy – contains the ideal amount of protein and carbohydrates to give us the energy to live active lives
Cons
- Not Suitable for Big Dogs – again, the kibble size is very small making this a bad choice if you own more than one breed of dog
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5. Purina Pro Plan Small and Toy Breed Dog Food
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Finally, you should consider the Purina Pro Plan Small and Toy Breed dog food.
One of the main ingredients in this food is protein which is sourced from real chicken. This protein gives us toy breeds lots of energy and also supports our muscles allowing us to be active.
The fact that it also comes from real chicken makes this dog food incredibly delicious and means that we always enjoy eating it.
Finally, this food comes with lots of natural prebiotics which supports not only our immune system but also our gut health, ensuring we remain happy and healthy throughout our lifetime.
So this is, without a doubt, one of the best dog foods for toy breeds on the market.
Pros
- Packed with Protein – this dog food contains lots of protein allowing us toy breeds to be happy and active
- Real Ingredients – it is made with real chicken as the first ingredient making this a very yummy choice for us dogs
- Natural Prebiotics – it also contains natural prebiotics which supports the gut and immune health, ensuring us dogs remain healthy
Cons
- Not suitable for inactive dogs – high protein and carbohydrates can cause inactive dogs to gain weight
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Buyer’s Guide
The options that I have just told you all about are some of the yummiest dog food that money can buy.
They’re also all packed with great features that help support us toy breeds and allow us to live happy, healthy, and active lives.
But if you are still struggling to choose one which is right for your dog, then let me tell you some more about the important things to remember when choosing dog foods for toy breeds.
To help you out, I’ve put together this quick buyer’s guide full of all you need to know to make the best decision for your dog.
Things to look for
In toy breed dog food, a lot of the things that you should look for are very similar to what you should look for in any type of dog food.
Even though we are much smaller than large breeds like German Shepherds and Huskies, we are still very active, and our bodies operate the same. So we need a similar sort of diet to these breeds except just on a smaller scale.
One of the key things that you should look for when buying dog food for us toy breeds is carbohydrates and protein.
These are key components of any dog food, and just because we are smaller this doesn’t mean you should cut back on these parts of our food.
Even though we are small, we still do a lot of running about and we still have muscles that need protein to support them. We are all the same species after all.
But the other main thing that you should look for when buying dog food for us toy breeds is the size of the kibble. This only really matters if you plan on feeding us dry food, but it is important to remember that we are only small, and so are our mouths.
So we sometimes struggle with larger kibble sizes. That’s why it is best to buy us dog food that has a smaller kibble size where possible.
Things to avoid
Now, let me tell you a little about the things that you should avoid when buying dog food for your toy breed.
Again, the majority of the things that you need to avoid when buying dog food for us toy breeds, are similar to the ingredients that you should avoid when buying dog food for any type of dog.
Just like most dog breeds, we toy breeds also struggle with a lot of the common allergens that dogs suffer from.
Annoyingly, a lot of these common allergens can be found in many dog food formulas such as chicken, lamb, beef, eggs, soy, wheat, and gluten.
Thankfully, not all of us dogs suffer from these allergens so if your dog doesn’t there is no need to avoid them, but if you think your dog could be allergic to any of these ingredients it is best to move on to different food.
As well as common allergens, there are some other controversial ingredients that you will sometimes find in dog food.
These ingredients have been linked to some nasty health conditions that can make us dogs very unwell, so it is best to steer clear of any dog food formulas that contain these.
These controversial ingredients include:
- TBHQ Preservative
- BHT Preservative
- Ethoxyquin Preservative
- Menadione Synthetic Vitamin
- Artificial Dyes
- And many other artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors
So when you are buying dog food for your toy breed it is best to avoid any artificial ingredients and instead opt for natural options. I’m sure your dog will appreciate natural food as much as I do.
Portioning Toy Breed dog food
Something that dog owners seem to find tricky when it comes to toy breeds is portioning our food.
Don’t get me wrong, we love it when you give us more food than we are supposed to eat, but over time this can cause us to become overweight and unhealthy.
So what is the correct portion size when it comes to toy breeds?
Much to us dogs dislike, the majority of food brands will supply a portioning guide on the packet. This is usually tailored to the specific breed, age, and weight of the dog that you are looking to feed.
Personally, we dogs tend to find that these portions are never enough, but after all, we are scavengers and we will often keep eating, even if we are full.
So even if we nag, it is probably best just to follow the instructions for portion size supplied by the manufacturers of the food.
Also note, that some food companies will list the amount of food that a dog of a certain size should eat throughout the day rather than what we should eat in a single sitting.
So even though we would love to eat this much every time that you feed us, it is best to read the small print to ensure that you do not feed us too much in one go. We are only small after all.
Changing Food as your Dog Ages
The final thing that you need to consider when buying food for your toy breed is how old your dog is.
Once we dogs reach a certain age we require a change in diet to senior food as this food gives us more nutrients and is easier for our aged teeth to chew and for our stomachs to digest.
It is a little-known fact that us toy breeds age much slower than larger breeds of dogs. Due to our small size, our hearts and other internal organs are under less strain to keep us alive, and so we tend to have a longer lifespan.
Despite this, we still become senior dogs at the same age as larger dogs, we simply remain senior dogs for longer rather than staying younger for longer.
When all dogs reach the age of 7, we become classed as senior dogs. This seems incredibly young compared to senior humans, but we do live much shorter lives which explain the discrepancy between the two.
It is not always necessary to feed your senior dog a senior diet, but a lot of people still choose to as it is the easiest way to ensure that your dog is eating the correct amount of calories and protein. I am not a senior dog yet, but I can’t wait till I am so I can try this new type of diet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do puppies eat the same as toy breeds?
Even though we toy breeds are often the same size as puppies, this doesn’t mean that we and puppies eat the same.
Feeding your toy breed dog puppy food could result in unnecessary weight gain as puppy food is packed with nutrients and goodness that adult dogs do not need as they are fully grown.
So don’t let our small size mislead you, toy breeds are not puppies so you should never feed us puppy food, and the same vice versa.
Is it ok to moisten dry dog food?
Yes, it is perfectly okay to moisten dry dog food, in fact, we dogs love it.
The majority of kibble-style dog food is designed so that it will expand when mixed with water, and release an aroma that smells extremely yummy.
So if your dog has gone off their food, adding water to it is a great way to entice them to eat. My owner does this for me sometimes, and it always works.
Is it ok to feed dogs only dry food?
Technically, yes it is okay to only feed dogs dry food, but we might not necessarily like it.
Some dogs prefer dry food and will happily eat it every day, but others dogs, like me, prefer some variety in their diet.
Switching it up can make mealtime a lot more exciting and increases the chances of us actually eating our food.
But dry food is very healthy for us dogs, so there is no health reason why you can’t feed your dog dry food alone.
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