Best Puppy Food for Small Breeds: 5 Healthy Brands for Small-Breed Pups

Are you planning to adopt a small breed puppy and are looking for the best food to feed your new tiny pup? Or, have you already adopted your puppy and want a food that is more suited to their tiny mouth? Either way, you’re in the right place. All you need to do is watch a puppy trying to eat kibble that’s too big for their mouths to realize that you need to choose a smaller kibble not only for the sake of their digestion but also for their safety. It’s important to tailor the size of your pup’s kibble to their tiny mouth. Not only can the wrong size kibble be a safety hazard for small dogs, but large kibble will take your pup forever to eat. Here is our list of the five best and healthiest puppy foods for your small breed dog.

1. WholeHearted Grain Free Small Breed Puppy Food

 

This grain-free Beef and Pea dry dog food recipe by WholeHearted is everything you’re looking for in kibble for your small breed puppy. You should always look for a high-quality protein as one of the first ingredients in your pup’s food and not, for example, chicken meal. This recipe uses beef as the first ingredient. It also features DHA which supports cognitive and visual development as well as proper levels of calcium and phosphorus that your pet needs to help grow and maintain strong teeth and bones. This kibble formula is grain-free and, most importantly, features tiny sized kibble for small dogs that helps to reduce tartar by properly chewing.

2. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Chicken and Oatmeal Recipe for Small Breed Puppies

 

Not to be biased, but we’re not sure you can buy a better dog food than Blue Buffalo’s Life Protection Formula for your toy breed. Not only is fresh, deboned chicken the very first ingredient but this pet food also features beneficial whole grains such as brown rice and garden vegetables and fruits like blueberries and cranberries. It does not contain chicken meal, corn, wheat, soy, or any artificial flavors or preservatives. It’s created for a small breed puppy’s tiny jaws which is, again, incredibly important for a small breed puppy. This high-quality kibble by Blue Buffalo is also formulated with vitamins and minerals to support brain and eye development, healthy muscle growth, and strong bones and teeth. Keep in mind that this particular formula is not grain-free. It does, however, contain only beneficial grains so you do not need to worry about any unnecessary fillers that are hard for your puppy to digest.

3. Farmina Natural & Delicious Chicken Grain-Free Small & Medium Breed Puppy Formula

 

If you’re looking for an exceptionally high-quality, grain-free food for your mini and medium breed pup, this option from Farmina may be the one for you. The Farmina Natural & Delicious formula is great for puppies with sensitive tummies or food sensitivities as it is low glycemic, grain-free, gluten-free, GMO-free, and pea-free. It is also made up of 70% animal ingredients with its number one ingredient being deboned chicken. The remaining  30% is a combination of fruits and vegetables, vitamins, and minerals. This powerhouse kibble also includes natural omega fatty acids which promote and maintain a healthy coat as well as healthy skin plus antioxidants in the form of pomegranate and berries. If you are looking for a high-quality kibble that ticks all the boxes for your tiny to medium breed puppy, you may have found it with this recipe.

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

Looking for a small breed dog food that includes ingredients like both meat and fish, is easy on your pup’s sensitive tummy, and won’t break the bank? This Turkey, Oatmeal & Salmon Formula by Wellness may be the one for you. It’s designed with your small breed puppy in mind The small-sized kibble is just right for small mouths and formulated for easy digestion and is a complete and balanced everyday nutrition source for your tiny pet. Not only does it use deboned turkey as its first ingredient, but it also adds salmon meal, a natural source of DHA which supports brain development. The combination of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables promotes healthy grown while oatmeal provides an additional source of fiber that aids in digestion. This formula does not include corn, wheat, or soy for pups with sensitivities.

5. Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy Formula

This small breed puppy dog food couldn’t have more going for it. First of all, it’s formulated for extra small and small breed puppies and it’s created and run by a family-owned business that seriously cares about quality. Diamond Naturals takes pride in their food having superior nutrition. It’s enhanced with superfoods such as kale, pumpkin, blueberries, coconut, and chia seeds as well as probiotics. The first ingredient is cage-free chicken and it’s enriched with antioxidants, minerals, and omega fatty acids to encourage and maintain healthy skin and a shiny coat. On top of it all, this high-quality kibble contains no corn, wheat, fillers, or artificial flavors, artificial colors, or preservatives so you can be sure your pup is getting only the best ingredients.

While these are just five of our choices for the best puppy food for small breed dogs, there are numerous options out there for high-quality food that is perfect for a small breed, growing pup. A good rule of thumb is looking at the ingredients list. If the first ingredient isn’t something fresh like real turkey, beef, salmon, etc., move onto another option. Avoid ingredients like poultry by-products or meal as well as artificial colors and artificial flavors. Unless your pup has an allergy to grains, you don’t necessarily need a grain-free dog food but it should not include fillers and unnecessary colors and preservatives. And remember, make sure the kibble is small enough for your tiny friend’s mouth!