8 Best Foods to Feed a Toy Breed Dog

With more and more people living in urban areas and apartments, Toy breeds have become wildly popular. Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers, Pomeranians, the Maltese, the Papillion, and other tiny dogs are favorites all over the U.S. These little dogs can have big personalities but they can also have some special nutritional requirements. They need the best Toy breed dog food you can give them.

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Narrowing down dog foods can be a difficult task, so we have done the work for you. Read on to learn about our top 8 recommendations.

Nutritional Needs for a Toy Breed Dog

Every dog needs basic nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, but Toy dogs do have some special nutritional needs.

Here are The 8 Best Dog Foods for a Chihuahua in 2023

Puppies

Despite their small size, Toy breeds usually need more calories per pound than their bigger doggy cousins. They have a faster metabolism so they burn more calories even when they are resting. This is especially true with Toy breed puppies who use up lots more calories than other puppies.

Many Toy breed puppies can have some early problems with hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. These puppies have high metabolic rates and no fat reserves in their bodies. When their blood sugar levels fall too low, they can exhibit the following symptoms:

  • Weakness
  • Lethargy
  • Muscle tremors
  • Seizures

Toy breed puppies need to eat multiple small meals each day. They should be fed a good quality, nutrient-dense puppy food. They may require small snacks between meals. You may need to keep some Nutrical or Karo Syrup on hand to provide some quick sugar calories if your puppy shows signs of hypoglycemia. These tiny puppies usually outgrow this condition after they are a few months old, when their bodies are able to regulate their blood sugar levels.

Puppy foods that are formulated for Toy breeds should have the appropriate nutrients. These foods usually have smaller-sized kibble pieces so they are easier for tiny puppies to chew and they won’t be a choking hazard.

Unlike larger breeds, Toy breed puppies generally reach maturity faster. It can take some large and giant breeds 2-3 years to fully mature. Their bones keep growing … and growing. Toy breed puppies usually reach maturity between 6 and 12 months of age. This means that by the time your Toy puppy is a year old (or sooner), you will need to switch over to an adult food.

Adults

Toy breed adult dogs also have a faster metabolism than other dogs. They may use about 40 calories per pound/per day, compared to 30 calories per pound/per day for medium-sized dogs; and about 20 calories per pound/per day for large dogs.

Despite the fact that your Toy breed dog needs more calories per pound, you need to be careful not to overfeed your dog. Obesity is a problem for Toy dogs just as it is for bigger dogs. Arthritis, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, and cranial cruciate ligament injury are all associated with obesity in dogs. Toy and small breed dogs generally live longer than bigger dogs but this trend can be negated if your dog is obese. Obesity in dogs is estimated to shorten a dog’s life by up to two years.

Good quality adult foods for Toy dogs usually have smaller-sized kibble pieces that are easy for Toy dogs to chew. They have more calories and nutrients per ounce of food than other dog foods. Toy dogs can’t eat a lot of food at each meal. It’s important that they get plenty of nutrition in each small meal they eat.

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What to Look For in a Good Toy Breed Dog Food

In many ways a good Toy breed dog food is similar to other good quality dog foods but there are a few differences. Along with having smaller-sized pieces of kibble to make chewing easier (and avoid choking), look for the following when choosing a food for your Toy dog.

Protein – Like other dogs, Toy breed dogs need good protein from good sources in their diet. Meat, fish, poultry, and eggs are all good sources of protein. While AAFCO recommends 18 percent protein for an adult maintenance diet; and 22 percent protein for a growth and reproduction diet (puppies and pregnant dogs), Toy breeds can benefit from high protein percentages. With their faster metabolism, they need a little more of everything. This is true for both Toy puppies and adults.

Look for good named sources of animal protein for your Toy breed dog such as whole chicken, chicken meal, lamb, fish, and beef. Dogs are able to digest animal protein more easily than plant protein. Small amounts of plant protein (peas, lentils) are acceptable but they should not make up the bulk of the protein in your dog’s food.

Fat – Because of their faster metabolism, Toy breeds need more calories per pound – about 40 calories per pound/per day. This means that a 6-pound Chihuahua needs about 240 calories per day (plus/minus, depending on your dog’s activity level, health, and other factors). By comparison, a dog that weighs 30 pounds only needs about 900 calories per day. Look for good named sources of fat on dog food labels such as chicken fat.

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, in good proportion, are also important for your Toy dog’s health. Omega-3, from animal sources such as fish, are generally superior to plant sources such as flax seed or flax seed oil. Ideally dog foods should have omega-6 and omega-3 in the ratio of somewhere from 10:1 to 5:1.

AAFCO recommends just 5 percent fat for a maintenance diet for adult dogs; and 8 percent fat for puppies. Virtually all dog foods today have higher fat percentages than these recommendations. Your Toy dog or puppy should have more fat in his diet than these percentages. You don’t have to buy a food with enormously high fat percentages but a fat percentage of around 17 percent for Toy breed puppies would be good. (Wellness Complete Health Toy Breed Puppy has 17 percent crude fat. Their foods are known for having low/moderate fat percentages compared to many other good quality foods.)

Carbohydrates – It’s up to you whether you choose a food that is grain free or which includes grains. If your Toy dog isn’t allergic to grains, there’s no particular reason to avoid all of them. Many dog owners choose to avoid corn, wheat, and soy in foods today because these are common allergens for some dogs. However, there are other less common grains and cereals which most dogs can eat without any problems such as rice, oats, and barley. Some of these grains and cereals provide good sources of fiber.

Carbohydrates are not all bad but you should be careful about feeding foods that are very high in carbs. This can include foods that are grain free and that have grains. Many grain free foods use ingredients that are high in carbohydrates as substitutes for grains – such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, and tapioca. So, check the carbohydrate content of any food you are considering.

Avoid fillers – While carbohydrates have their pros and cons, there are some ingredients that are fillers or which boost a food’s protein percentage without adding much (or any) nutrition. Corn and wheat gluten, rice protein concentrate and some other ingredients are added to dog foods for these reasons. Note that corn and even corn “gluten” do not contain gluten in the same sense that wheat has gluten. It doesn’t have the same effect on the digestive system as true glutens. Corn “gluten” is food industry jargon. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s generally used in pet foods to boost the protein percentage of foods. The same can be said to a certain extent about peas in dog foods which is why you should avoid foods that use huge amounts of peas. They boost the protein percentage of foods. While peas do add more nutrients to dog food than corn, they should not be used as a substitute for animal protein.

Avoid generics – Try to avoid dog foods that use unnamed or vague ingredients. For example, “meat” could come from any kind of animal. “Chicken” or “lamb” is more specific. “Chicken fat” is more specific than “animal fat.” Vague or generic terms leave a lot of wiggle room for dog food companies so the ingredient could be something unsavory that you might now want your dog to eat.

Avoid additives – As with other good quality dog foods, when choosing a good quality Toy dog food you should avoid added artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. Artificial flavors can include artificial sweeteners. Artificial colors include dyes. Artificial preservatives include butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), propyl gallate, and ethoxyquin. Look for foods that use natural preservative such as tocopherols (vitamin E) and vitamin C. These ingredients have been linked to cancer and other health problems.

AAFCO – There are currently not any guidelines or regulations for Toy breed dog foods from AAFCO. You should look for foods that are “complete and balanced.” Dog foods can be “all life stage,” “maintenance,” or for “growth and reproduction.” Puppy foods will be labeled for growth and reproduction. Adult dog foods can be labeled for all life stage or for maintenance. The only hard and fast rule is that you should never feed a maintenance dog food to a puppy. These foods do not have the nutrients that puppies need to grow and develop.

Also Read: 9 Best Pomeranian Dog Foods for Adult and Puppy Pomeranians

Best Toy Breed Dog Foods

Ollie Healthy Turkey Feast Fresh Dog Food

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

  • Slow-cooked
  • Subscription service
  • Human-grade
  • Fresh foods
Why You Should Buy

Ollie Healthy Turkey Feast Fresh Dog Food

Ollie Healthy Turkey Feast Fresh Dog Food is a fresh, human-grade option delivered right to your doorstep through a subscription service. The food is made in small batches and slow cooked to preserve nutritional integrity.

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Ollie is a great option if you are in the market for a super premium, fresh 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 slow cooked to preserve the nutritional integrity. Ollie does not use any artificial flavors or fillers in any of their recipes, so you can be sure that your dog is getting whole, fresh ingredients. When you sign up for Ollie, you will fill out a profile about your dog to help them create a customized recipe and delivery schedule that will suit your needs. The food is delivered to your doorstep and stored in your fridge or freezer, ready to serve when your pet needs it. 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!

You may like to Read: 8 Best Shih Tzu Dog Foods for an Adult and Puppy Shih Tzu in 2023

Wellness CORE Grain Free Small Breed Formula

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Peas
Key Features :

  • Omega fatty acids for skin and coat
  • Probiotics for digestion
  • No fillers
  • Protein-rich
Why You Should Buy

Wellness CORE Grain Free Small Breed Formula

Wellness CORE Grain Free Small Breed Formula is protein rich and includes fiber for easy digestion and omega fatty acids for skin and coat health.

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Wellness CORE Grain Free Small Breed formula has 36 percent crude protein and 15 percent crude fat, with 396 kcal/cup. The first five ingredients are: deboned turkey, turkey meal, chicken meal, potatoes, and peas. It has fiber and probiotics for digestive health and omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat. No meat by-products, fillers, artificial preservatives, or artificial flavors. Wellness CORE has other dry and wet formulas if you like something different for your Toy dog.

Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain Free Real Chicken and Sweet Potato Recipe

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes
Key Features :

  • All life stages
  • Grain free
  • Protein-rich
  • Great source of energy
Why You Should Buy

Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain Free Dog Food

Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain Free Real Chicken and Sweet Potato Recipe is protein packed and has no grain or fillers. It is for all life stages.

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Merrick makes several lines of popular dog foods and now their Lil’ Plates line is becoming popular with people who have Toy dogs. The first five ingredients in this food are deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes. This is an all life stage formula with 38 percent crude protein and 17 percent crude fat, with 430 kcal/cup so it should provide plenty of energy for any Toy dog. It’s grain free with no corn, wheat, or soy, and no ingredients from China. Merrick’s Lil’ Plates kibble also comes in other formulas, as well as wet foods in the form of dog food trays.

Health Extension Little Bites Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe

Healthy Ingredients : Organic Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Chicken Fat, Lamb Meal
Key Features :

  • No added sugar or artificial flavors
  • No corn, gluten, soy, or wheat
  • All life stages
  • Made for small breeds
Why You Should Buy

Health Extension Little Bites Dog Food

Health Extension Little Bites Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food is for all life stages and it doesn’t contain any corn, gluten, soy, or wheat. It also doesn’t have any added sugar or artificial flavors.

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Health Extension has a complete line of foods for dogs and cats including dry dog foods, canned dog foods, and grain free foods. Health Extension Little Bites is one of their most popular foods. It’s made especially for the smallest of Toy breeds – both puppy and adult dogs since it’s an all life stage formula. This formula has no by-products, no rendered animal fats, no corn, gluten, soy, wheat, artificial preservatives, BHT, ethoxyquin, added sugar, artificial flavors, colors, or dyes. The first five ingredients in Little Bites are: organic deboned chicken, chicken meal, ground brown rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and ascorbic acid), and lamb meal. It has 24 percent crude protein, 18 percent crude fat, and 418 kcal/cup. We think this is an excellent for Toy breeds.

Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Canine Formula with Venison & Garbanzo Beans

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

  • Small kibble pieces
  • Protein rich
  • Grain free
  • Not suitable for growing puppies
Why You Should Buy

Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Dog Food

Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Canine Formula with Venison & Garbanzo Beans Dog Food is grain free and packed with protein. It provides good energy for toy breeds and the small kibble pieces are easy to eat.

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Fan Favorite

Taste of the Wild – always a popular brand – has recently added new formulas, including a small breed formula. Appalachian Valley Small Breed Canine Formula with Venison & Garbanzo Beans is grain free with 32 percent crude protein and 18 percent crude fat. It has 370 kcal/cup so it should provide good energy for small breeds. The first five ingredients are: venison, lamb meal, garbanzo beans, peas, and lentils. And the kibble pieces are small so they’re easy for Toy dogs to eat. This is a maintenance formula so it’s not suitable for growing puppies, but it looks like it would be a very good food for many Toy and small dogs. TOTW has lots of other great formulas in both dry and canned recipes if your dog likes something different.

Wellness Complete Health Small Breed Puppy

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

  • Omega fatty acids for skin and coat
  • Microbials for digestion
  • DHA for brain and eye development
  • Antioxidants for immune support
Why You Should Buy

Wellness Complete Health Small Breed Puppy

Wellness Complete Health Small Breed Puppy is great for growing puppies. It has DHA for brain and eye development and microbials for easy digestion. It has omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat, too.

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Wellness Complete Health Small Breed Puppy formula is one of the most popular foods for Toy puppies. It has DHA for healthy brain development; antioxidants; microbials for good digestion; and a good mix of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat. The first five ingredients feature deboned turkey, chicken meal, oatmeal, salmon meal, and ground barley which are easy to digest. It has 28 percent crude protein, 18 percent crude fat, 4 percent crude fiber, with 480 kcal per cup, so there are plenty of calories for Toy puppies. Wellness also makes a Complete Health Grain Free Puppy formula.

Canidae Grain Free Pure Foundations Puppy Formula

Healthy Ingredients : Chicken, Menhaden Fish Meal, Lentils, Peas, Potatoes
Key Features :

  • Good for sensitivities and alleriges
  • Grain free
  • Probiotics for digestion
  • Fatty acids for skin and coat health
Why You Should Buy

Canidae Grain Free Pure Foundations Puppy Formula

Canidae Grain Free Pure Foundations Puppy Formula is a limited ingredient puppy food so it is great for dogs with sensitivities or allergies. It is grain free and has probiotics, omega fatty acids, and antioxidants all combined for a well-balanced meal.

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Canidae Grain Free Pure Foundations Puppy Formula is a good puppy food for lots of puppies, not just Toy breed puppies. It’s a limited ingredient food that’s good for puppies that have sensitive digestion or if you simply want to be careful about ingredients. It’s grain free with antioxidants, probiotics, and omega-3 and omega-6. The first five ingredients are: chicken, menhaden fish meal, lentils, peas, and potatoes. It has 30 percent crude protein, 12 percent crude fat, and 520 kcal/cup,  so it should provide plenty of calories for growing Toy breed puppies. Canidae also has several adult foods formulated specifically for small dogs.

Victor Grain Free Active Dog & Puppy

Healthy Ingredients : Beef Meal, Sweet Potato, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat
Key Features :

  • Great source of energy
  • Grain free
  • 75% meat protein
  • Reputable brand
Why You Should Buy

Victor Grain Free Active Dog & Puppy

Victor Grain Free Active Dog & Puppy is a grain free recipe with 75% meat protein. It is great for providing ample energy for your growing puppy.

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Victor is no longer a secret these days. At one time Victor was a local Texas brand but today the company is known nationally. This grain free recipe has 75 percent meat protein. The first five ingredients are: beef meal, sweet potato, chicken meal, peas, and chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols). No corn, wheat, or soy. This food has 33 percent crude protein, 16 percent crude fat, and 397 kcal/cup, so it should provide plenty of energy and nutrition for Toy breed puppies. Victor’s Nutra Pro for Active Dogs & Puppies is made with 90 percent meat protein and has 475 kcal/cup if you would like more protein.

3 Best Toy Breed Puppy Foods

Toy Breed Food Comparison Table
RankProductPriceRating
Human Grade

Ollie Healthy Turkey Feast Fresh Dog Food

Varies
A+
#1

Wellness CORE Grain Free Small Breed Formula

$3.00/lb
A+
#2

Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain Free Real Chicken and Sweet Potato Recipe

$3.07/lb
A+
#3

Health Extension Little Bites

$1.77/lb
A
#4

Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Canine Formula

$1.79/lb
A
#5

Wellness Complete Health Small Breed Puppy

$2.77/lb
A+
#6

Canidae Grain Free Pure Foundations Puppy Formula

$2.34/lb
A
#7

Victor Grain Free Active Dog & Puppy

$1.77/lb
A-

Conclusion

Toy dogs are special – we all know that. From the time they are tiny puppies to their older years, they can rule your heart. It’s important to choose the right food for your little ball of fur. Feed Toy puppies multiple small meals for the first few months to avoid hypoglycemia. Choose foods that are higher in calories to meet your Toy dog’s metabolic needs – but be careful not to overfeed. Obesity is a real concern with Toy dogs just as it is with other dogs. Remember that Toy breed puppies mature quickly so you will probably need to switch to an adult dog food by the time your puppy is a year old.

We hope the information provided here is helpful for you. If you need other recommendations about the best foods for your dog, check our reviews here on Pawster!

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One Comment

  1. My toy poodle does not like dry dog food. He smells all food given, then decides if he will eat it. Turns his nose up and walks away. Right now as he is 5 yrs old, is eating Nudges chicken, Nudges grillers and Nudges Chicken, peas and carrots. I can’t get him to eat anything else. Help.

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