8 Best Foods To Feed an Adult and Puppy Lhasa Apso in 2024 with Our Nutrition and Diet Guide

You love your Lhasa Apso just like part of your family, so why not feed them like part of your family, too? It can be overwhelming to choose a dog food. The market is saturated with dog food choices and it’s hard to determine which are good and which are not so good for your dog. You want to consider your dog’s breed, his activity level, any healthy issues or allergies, and his eating preferences and tastes.

Today we’re going to take a look at the Lhasa Apso and what they should (and shouldn’t) be eating. We’ll take a look at how much food you should be giving them (and how often you should be giving it them) alongside some other helpful hints and tips. We’ll conclude this article with 7 products that we think are perfect for Lhasa Apsos (adults and puppies).

Let’s get started.

What To Look For In A Good Lhasa Apso Dog Food

Lhasa Apsos are an exceptionally low maintenance dog when it comes to feeding. They’ve got no specific requirements that separate them from other dogs of a similar size.

That being said, it’s good to be aware of the essentials.

Protein

If you put a Lhasa Apso and a wolf side by side you’d struggle to believe that genetically they extremely closely related. While they may look entirely different, their DNA is largely the same (which means their recommended diet is the same). A little Lhasa Apso still contains the carnivorous instinct and requirements of their wolf ancestors, and as such, they need a huge amount of protein (like all dogs).

Unless you’re going to be making your own dog food at home, this is not something you need to worry about as all good foods on the market already take this into account. But it’s good to know about.

Allergens

Like the vast majority of dogs, Lhasa Apsos are prone to suffering from some common allergies – many of which are found in food. Grains should be avoided as often as possible as they are one of the most frequent offenders. Go to extreme lengths to avoid wheat in a food as it causes a large amount of flatulence that will shock even the most seasoned Lhasa Apso owner.

Artificial Colors And Preservatives

We like to mention about artificial colors and preservatives in most of these articles because it’s something that many people accidentally overlook…

Your dog is going to be eating the food you buy for weeks, months, or even years at a time. Each and every day they are going to be consuming whatever you put in that bowl, so you really want to make sure it’s as healthy as possible.

Eating artificial colors or preservatives every once in a while is no big problem (for humans or dogs) – but eating them twice a day every day is far from an ideal situation.

Best Foods for Lhasa Apsos

American Journey Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Peas, Rice Bran
Key Features :

• Grain free
• High in protein
• Includes antioxidants
• Affordable price

So now we know what you should be feeding a Lhasa Apso (and what you should be avoiding). Now we’re going to look at some product recommendations. We scoured the internet to find what we think are 7 of the best foods on the market for Lhasa Apsos.

In our opinion, the best overall value for money product right now is the chicken and brown rice dry mix from American Journey. American Journey is one of the most respected brands in the dog food industry and is well known for their dedication to using the highest quality ingredients while remaining affordable.

This product uses whole real deboned chicken as its protein source which is super tasty for your pooch and super healthy too. Whole real meats like this contain natural essential oils and amino acids which are great for a balanced diet and they help promote super healthy coats.

The carbohydrates in this product are also super high quality and are derived from complex sources – mainly brown rice. Brown rice is considered to be one of the best carbohydrates used in dog food, and it will provide long-lasting energy throughout the day. American Journey has also added a bunch of vitamins and minerals (from all natural vegetables) and even a few antioxidants and probiotics into the mix too for a healthy happy stomach.

At around $30 for a big bag, it’s one of the best bargains on the market right now, it should be at the very top of your shortlist.

Ollie Healthy Turkey Feast Fresh Dog Food

Healthy Ingredients : Turkey breast, turkey liver, kale, carrots, lentils
Key Features :

• Human-Grade
• Subscription-based
• Slow cooked for nutritional integrity
• Auto-ships direct to your door

Ollie is a great fresh food option if you are in the market for a super premium dog food. Just like fresh food diets are gaining popularity with humans, they are becoming popular with pets. Ollie’s ingredients are all human-grade and are cooked slowly to preserve their nutritional integrity. No artificial flavors or fillers are used in any of their recipes, so you can be sure your dog is getting whole, fresh ingredients and nothing more. When you sign up for Ollie, you fill out a profile about your dog to help them create a customized recipe and delivery schedule just for you. The food is delivered to your doorstep and stored in your fridge or freezer. Although Ollie is more expensive than other dog foods, there are a lot of added benefits that make a fresh food diet something to consider!

UnKibble by Spot and Tango Duck and Salmon Recipe

Healthy Ingredients : Beef, Barley, Flax, Carrots, Green Beans, Beef Liver
Key Features :

• Slowly dried at low temps
• 100% whole ingredients
• Portioned specially for your dog
• Ships direct to your door

UnKibble by Spot and Tango is a dry dog food that is made with 100% whole, human-grade ingredients. If you like the idea of fresh food, but also want a lower price point or your dog prefers dry food, this might be for you. The recipes are developed by veterinarians, so you can be sure that your pet is getting only the best. There are 3 different recipes to choose from and when you sign up for Spot and Tango, you create a unique profile that will include the correct portion size, just for your dog. You won’t have to guess or measure, just follow your pet’s personalized plan and use the scoop specially sized for your dog. Spot and Tango has never been recalled and it has no artificial additives, colors or flavors.

Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Chicken & Sweet Potato Formula Small

Healthy Ingredients : Turkey, Chicken, Beef, Eggs, Carrots
Key Features :

• Small kibble size
• Chicken protein source
• Complex carbohydrates from sweet potato
• Reputable brand

Like the product above this excellent food from Natural Balance uses sweet potato as its main carbohydrate source (without pumpkin this time). Again the chicken is high quality and boneless and it contains all the essential amino acids and essential oils the meat is well known for. This is a product specifically designed for the needs of Lhasa Apso sized dogs – even the kibble size has been made smaller to make it easy to eat with a little mouth.

Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Grain-Free

Healthy Ingredients : Venison, Lamb Meal, Garbanzo Beans, Peas, Lentils
Key Features :

• Supports healthy digestion
• Novel proteins
• No grain, corn, wheat, or fillers
• Omega 3s for skin and coat health

One day we will create one of these guides without recommending a Taste Of The Wild Product – but that day is not today. This is one of the best foods we have ever found and we end up recommending it quite often. It’s a totally grain free formula (which means it’s great for sensitive stomachs) and it gets the majority of its calories and carbohydrates from complex sources like lentils and beans.

The huge amount of protein in the product comes from real roasted venison, which dogs absolutely love to gobble up. Tomatoes and blueberries are added to the mix to provide antioxidants, and essential minerals are added in to further ensure sensitive stomachs stay happy.

Nature’s Recipe Small Breed Grain-Free Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe

Healthy Ingredients : Chicken, Chicken Meal, Garbanzo Beans, Peas
Key Features :

• Real chicken protein
• Grain free
• Well balanced
• Complex carbohydrates

This is a great dry food from Nature’s Recipe (who are one of our all-time favorite brands). Like many other products on this page whole boneless roasted chicken is used as a protein source. It’s also a super high-calorie food thanks to the complex carbohydrates used in the formula (sweet potato and pumpkin) which means portion sizes are reasonable. It’s a great product that provides great value for money, and we think it’s worthy of your consideration.

Merrick Classic Puppy Recipe Dry

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley
Key Features :

• Fresh fruits and veggies
• Locally sourced ingredients
• Real roasted chicken as protein source
• No common allergens

Here we are again, another guide and another Merrick recommendation. We love this brand because of their local values. They are a proud Texan company that sources all of their ingredients locally to their facility which allows them to ensure consistent quality time and time again.

Boneless roasted Texas chicken makes up the protein in this product, it’s found in abundance alongside a bunch of other tasty fruits and vegetables. The only thing we’re not too fond of with this product is the grain content. But as the most common allergens are not present in the formula, most dogs should be fine with it.

Wellness Small Breed Complete Health Puppy Turkey, Oatmeal & Salmon Meal Recipe Dry

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Turkey, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Salmon Meal
Key Features :

• Great brand
• Turkey and salmon protein
• Many antioxidants
• Small kibble size

This excellent food from Wellness has been specifically made for the tiny mouths of tiny puppies and contains everything a growing Lhasa Apso needs to stay happy and healthy. There’s a wide variety of different protein sources in this product with the majority of it coming from deboned real turkey and salmon meal. There are loads of blueberries and tomatoes in the formula too to provide antioxidants (and a range of other vegetables provide the mineral content).

Again the only thing we’re not too happy with about this product is the grain content. It’s not the end of the world, but we always prefer to see other complex carbohydrate sources if possible.

That being said – this is a great food that we’re sure your pup will love gobbling down.

How Often Should You Feed A Lhasa Apso?

Lhasa Apsos follow a very standard feeding pattern and there’s not much special to talk about here. Feed them twice a day when they are adults and always follow the instructions that appear on the package of food you’re using.

Puppies need to bed fed more often, and they need to be fed with dedicated puppy food (4 times a day at first). As your Lhasa Apso reaches maturity be sure to try and have them down to 2 meals per day.

These little dogs have an appetite that is far bigger than you’d think from looking at their size. They will be able to eat and eat and eat much more than they need to. They are not the worst dogs in the world at self-regulating food – but there’s definitely room for improvement to say the least.

Due to these issues, you need to be careful about how much food you provide a Lhasa Apso. Self-feeding systems are completely out of the question as they will overeat time and time again if given the chance.

Because they are very good apartment dogs there can be quite a large difference between the amount of exercise Lhasa Apsos receive on a daily basis.

Some dogs only get a light walking from their owners and spend much of their day lounging around in their laps. Other dogs are running around fields chasing their own tail (and anything else they can find) for hours on end.  Needless to say, these two situations have very different calorific requirements.

Ensure that you use a little bit of common sense when calculating the amount of food you’re going to put in your dog’s bowl. Are they super active? Then provide them with a little more. Are they a lap dog without much play time? Then give them less.

These guesstimates are a good starting point, but they are no substitute for manual observation. If your pooch is looking a little on the porky side, put them on a diet ASAP.

What makes this more important for a Lhasa Apso compared to other breeds is perhaps the health effects that being overweight can have on a dog of this size. Their little legs will struggle under additional weight and their small hearts will be put under a huge amount of pressure. This causes long-term joint pain issues and shortens your dog’s lifespan too.

Lhasa Apso Food Comparison Table
Rank	Product	Price	Rating
Best Value	American Journey Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Save 50% Here	$1.43/lb	A+
Human Grade	Ollie Healthy Turkey Feast Fresh Dog Food  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Save 50% Here	Varies	A+
Best Dry Food	UnKibble Beef and Barley Recipe by Spot and Tango  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Discount Here	Varies	A+
#1	Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Chicken & Sweet Potato Formula Small  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$3.31/lb	A+
#2	Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Grain-Free  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$1.79/lb	A
#3	Nature’s Recipe Small Breed Grain-Free Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$1.58/lb	A-
#4	Merrick Classic Puppy Recipe Dry  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$2.37/lb	A+
#5	Wellness Small Breed Complete Health Puppy Turkey, Oatmeal & Salmon Meal Recipe Dry  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$2.77/lb	A

Conclusion

So there you have it, everything you ever wanted to know about feeding a Lhasa Apso.

They’re an easy breed to feed, and providing you find a food they like you’re not going to have much to worry about in the dinner department.

Any of the products above are going to be an excellent choice, all of them are worthy of your consideration.