Choosing a Food for Your Small Dog
Smaller dogs with an optimal weight of under 20 lbs tend to have a faster metabolism than their larger canine friends. So when choosing kibble for your small canine, look for a dry food that has been formulated for a small dog's uniquely fast metabolism.
Small and toy breed dogs have higher metabolic rates than their larger cousins. This means that our miniature pooches burn a surprising amount of calories during the day and need a diet that can meet these requirements.
The Risk of Hypoglycemia in Small Breed Puppies
Hypoglycemia is a common health issue in small-breed puppies. This condition develops due to low blood sugar caused by your small pup's fast metabolic rate combined with low sugar and body fat reserves. Signs of hypoglycemia in dogs include:
- Poor appetite
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Tremors or twitching
- Seizures
- Coma
Left untreated, hypoglycemia can become fatal, so it's important to choose a diet that meets all of your small dog's needs and helps to balance their blood sugar levels.
If your small-breed puppy is showing any symptoms listed above, call your veterinarian right away.
Best Foods for Small Breed Puppies
Most reputable dog food manufacturers sell small-breed puppy food that's designed to provide appropriate nutritional balance for small-breed dogs. Many small dog foods also come in smaller kibble sizes to help make it easier for small mouths to enjoy, Smaller kibbles are also thought to pose less of a choking hazard than larger kibbles.
If you have a small-breed puppy, talk to your vet about the risk of hypoglycemia and which actions you can take to help prevent your four-legged friend from developing it. Your vet can calculate your puppy's caloric requirements and recommend brands formulated to meet your small pup's needs.
Best Foods for Small Breed Adult Dogs
Your vet has access to the latest information on canine nutrition and can recommend the right food for your small-breed dog.
Depending on your dog's general health, your vet may recommend a brand specially formulated to help manage joint health, skin problems, or other conditions.
Understanding how much food to feed your small dog is essential. Though your little canine companion needs plenty of calories to keep its speedy metabolism running at its best, it's important not to overfeed your small dog.
Obesity is thought to shorten your pup's life by up to two years, and carrying extra weight puts your small dog at risk for a variety of serious health conditions such as osteoarthritis, diabetes, respiratory problems, and heart disease.
Once you have chosen a brand to feed your pooch, ask your vet to calculate how much and how often you should feed your small-breed dog.
Best Foods For Small Breed Senior Dogs
One of the great things about small breed dogs is that they typically live longer than medium and large breed dogs. On average small breed dogs live about 15 years.
This is one of the reasons why choosing high-quality adult food is critical from the time your dog graduates from puppy food. Reducing your pup's risk of developing health problems later in life will go a long way toward ensuring that your small breed pooch remains active and healthy in its senior years.
If you have a senior small breed dog, ask your vet to review the nutritional qualities of the food you're currently feeding your pup to ensure that all of your dog's needs are being met.
While most high-quality dog foods formulated for small breeds will meet your dog's nutritional needs throughout their senior years, your vet may recommend a formulation to help treat any health concerns your pup may have such as GI problems, sensitive skin, or coat issues.
Ingredients to Avoid
There are many controversial ingredients found in food for small dogs and larger dogs. Here are a few of the ingredients you may want to avoid in order to ensure that you are feeding your small dog the very best food:
- Propylene glycol (Moisturizer)
- Generic “meat” (Unknown source)
- BHA (Preservative)
- BHT (Preservative)
- TBHQ (Preservative)
- Ethoxyquin (Preservative)
- Menadione (Synthetic vitamin)
- Artificial dyes (Color)
How Much to Feed Your Small Dog
Calculating the exact amount of food that you should serve your small dog is almost impossible. Each brand of food contains a different amount of calories, and every dog's lifestyle and calorie expenditure differs.
The best way to make sure you are feeding your dog the right amount of food is to follow the guidelines on the packaging and to consult your veterinarian. You can also ask if your dog is eating the right food according to their size, age, and health status during your pup's routine checkup. Your vet understands your pet's overall health and nutritional requirements better than any dog food manufacturer.
Changing Your Small Dog's Food
Switching your dog to a new food can cause some unexpected consequences in the form of gastrointestinal upset. Therefore, it's important to transition your canine pal to a new food gradually.
Begin by mixing about 25% new food along with their regular food for three or four days and monitor your dog for any signs of tummy upset such as gas, or diarrhea.
If your dog is doing well with the new food, gradually increase the ratio of new food to about 50% and continue to monitor your dog for any reactions to their change of diet.
Over the course of about ten to 14 days, your dog's digestive tract should become accustomed to the new food, and you can complete the transition.
If your dog continues to show signs of gastrointestinal upset, contact your vet for advice. A longer, more gradual transition to the new food may be required, or another food option may be better.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.