9 Best Puppy Foods for Toy Breeds in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Buying dog food can be nerve-wracking at the best of times, as there are so many choices out there, not to mention conflicting information.

When you have a toy breed puppy, the decision seems even more essential; after all, a little food goes a long way for these dogs. That means you shouldn’t just grab the first kibble you see. Instead, you should take the time to research the options and find a truly outstanding brand.

In these reviews, we share our favorite puppy foods for toy breeds currently on the market so you can start your pup off on the right paw.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites (Updated 2024)

The 9 Best Puppy Foods for Toy Breeds

1. Ollie Fresh Beef Recipe Subscription Service — Best Overall

If you want your small puppy to grow and thrive, we highly recommend Ollie Fresh Beef Recipe. This fresh dog food is the best overall puppy food for toy breeds, is made with real beef as the first ingredient, and is designed to provide dogs of all ages with the nutrients they need to thrive.

Since it is an all-life-stages dog food, you don’t have to worry about switching your dog’s food when they get older. They can simply continue to eat this one. This makes feeding your dog much simpler in the long run. Plus, since this food is fresh, it is very easy for very small dogs to eat.

The ingredients in this food are also top-notch. Beef is the first ingredient, and it does appear that it makes up the majority of the food. Sweet potatoes provide the majority of carbohydrates, which is vital for your puppy’s growth. However, peas are included as well, which aren’t necessarily the best choice. They may be associated with some health conditions in dogs, according to the FDA.

---

2. Iams ProActive Puppy Toy Breed Food — Budget Buy

 

One thing you should realize up front is that a budget dog food isn’t going to have the same quality of ingredients as a higher-end option, and Iams ProActive Puppy Toy Breed Food is no exception.

It has a few questionable ingredients, like chicken by-product and whole-grain corn. However, it makes up for those by having high levels of protein, fat, and fiber, so your dog should have all the nutritional support they need.

High-quality ingredients include carrots, fish oil, and chicken fat. Important minerals, like biotin, vitamin E, and niacin, are also listed on the label. The kibble pieces are small enough that your toy pup can easily get their mouth around them, with little risk of choking.

The bottom line is that Iams ProActive isn’t a high-end food; however, it’s an excellent food for the price, which is why it’s our choice as the best puppy food for toy breeds for the money.

---

3. Now Fresh Grain-Free Small Breed Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food

The first ingredient in Now Fresh Grain-Free Small Breed Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food is high-quality turkey, which is a great start for a brand promoting well-balanced and minimally processed recipes.

There are large amounts of protein and fat—28% and 18%, respectively—which come from eggs, salmon, and duck, along with a host of fruits and vegetables, including blueberries and broccoli. Since this is a puppy recipe, omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA have been added for brain and heart development, along with prebiotics and fiber in the form of pumpkin.

Now Fresh cooks all the ingredients once at low temperatures to preserve flavor and nutrients and does not add artificial flavors or preservatives. This particular formula is grain free and made specifically for small breeds.

Unfortunately, this food is incredibly expensive, and peas and pea flour are also among the ingredients, which have been reported to cause issues in some canines. That said, if your puppy has a sensitive stomach and you want one of the highest-quality dog foods out there, Now Fresh Puppy Receip is about as good as it gets.

---

4. Wellness Complete Health Puppy Food

 

If you’re looking for a kibble that will give your little pup the building blocks they need to grow up healthy and strong, Wellness Complete Health Puppy Food is a great foundation.

There’s a large amount of chicken in here, which means there’s a large amount of protein (29%, to be exact). The first two ingredients are lean chicken and chicken meal, which ensures that your pup will get a well-rounded nutritional profile from this food.

Chicken fat isn’t far down the list either, and it’s joined by ingredients like salmon meal, salmon oil, and ground flaxseed. All these foods are high in omega fatty acids, which are essential for immune support and brain and eye development. The formula should be gentle on your dog’s young tummy too, as it’s full of ingredients like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and barley. These are easy for dogs to digest, and the company has added chicory root extract to keep your pup regular.

If we had to quibble with anything in this food, it’s the high salt content. However, puppies can tolerate sodium better than older dogs, so it’s not a huge deal; just make sure your pup is drinking enough water. That minor issue aside, Wellness Complete Health is the best puppy food for toy breeds that we’ve found, and it more than lives up to its name.

---

5. Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Puppy Food

 

You’ll find all sorts of great stuff in each bag of Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Puppy Food, including chicken, a variety of fruits, and plenty of omega fatty acids.

The entire formula is grain free, which makes it an excellent choice for dogs with sensitive stomachs. It also limits the amount of empty calories in the food, which will help prevent your dog from packing on the pounds. The fruits inside are all nutrient-rich, including superfoods like blueberries and apples. You’ll also find antioxidants in the form of salmon oil and flaxseed oil.

The formula is heavy on the potatoes, which can be good and bad. The good is the amount of sweet potatoes, which boosts the fiber levels. The bad is potato protein, which makes the protein levels look better but is hard for dogs to digest. It’s also full of white potatoes, which can give some dogs an upset stomach.

Merrick Lil’ Plates is an excellent food and one that your dog would be lucky to eat. It just can’t quite edge out any of the previous foods on this list.

---

6. Blue Buffalo Freedom Puppy Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Blue Buffalo Freedom Puppy Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is notable for what it lacks—namely, grains, wheat (and thus, gluten), corn, poultry by-products, and artificial preservatives and flavors. The manufacturer also mixed in its proprietary LifeSource Bits, which are chunks of antioxidants that are necessary for proper puppy development.

This food is high in protein due to chicken being the first ingredient, along with chicken meal and dried eggs. The kibble pieces are designed for small puppy mouths, though especially tiny breeds may still have a bit of trouble crunching them. Some dogs either don’t like the flavor of the LifeSource Bits or prefer them to the exclusion of everything else, so you may need to supervise your pet to ensure that they’re eating all that they should.

---

7. Eukanuba Small Breed Puppy Food

If you’re just going by the numbers on the label, you’d think Eukanuba Small Breed Puppy Food is one of the top kibbles on the market. If you dive deeper into the ingredients list, though, you’ll begin to see a different picture. The protein and fat levels are high, at 32% and 21%. However, the ingredients that the kibble uses to get there aren’t great. You’ll see things like animal by-products, corn, and wheat. All those things make this a calorie-dense food. That’s fine if your dog is active enough to burn it off, but if not, you can have a fat puppy on your hands in no time.

While Eukanuba took pains to ensure that there was plenty of fat and protein in here, it seemed to neglect the fiber. Your dog may have constipation issues with this food. It’s fairly budget-friendly, though, so at least you won’t go broke feeding Eukanuba Small Breed to your dog.

---

8. Purina Pro Plan Focus Puppy Toy Breed Food

 

Purina Pro Plan Focus Puppy Toy Breed Food is one of the more popular options on this list; you can often find it at grocery stores, big box stores, etc. It’s designed to give your puppy a healthy, high-powered brain. To that end, it has ingredients like fish meal and fish oil. However, those are fairly common additions to dog food these days and are not enough to counteract things like gluten meal, corn, and poultry by-product.

The kibble is small enough for little mouths to crunch easily, but it might actually be too small. It’s hard for dogs to scoop up, especially brachycephalic breeds like Pugs and French Bulldogs.

---

9. Royal Canin Indoor Puppy Food

The packaging for Royal Canin Indoor Puppy Food is designed to make it look like a scientific-minded kibble, like something you’d need a prescription to buy. The food inside doesn’t quite live up to that implied promise, however. The first ingredient is rice instead of a lean protein. The first protein listed is an animal by-product meal and is followed by a variety of corn and wheat glutens.

It does have fish oil for omega fatty acids, but it also includes vegetable oil. This can also add omegas, but it is otherwise empty calories. You’ll have to watch to make sure your dog doesn’t get too fat on this food.

At 25%, the protein levels are fine but not outstanding; the same can be said about the fat levels. The fiber levels, however, are low. Despite all this, Royal Canin Indoor is an expensive food.

Buyer’s Guide: Finding the Best Toy Breed Puppy Food

Unless you’ve spent a great deal of time researching dog food ingredients and comparing labels, it can be incredibly hard to tell a high-quality food from a dud. Fortunately, in this guide, we show you what to look for when picking out a kibble for your little pup.

Does a Toy Breed Have Different Nutritional Needs Than Other Breeds?

Yes and no. At a basic level, all dogs need the same vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to grow up strong and healthy. A tiny dog needs all the same things in their diet that a giant mutt does.

However, toy breeds have different issues to deal with than other dogs. For one thing, a little bit of food goes a long way with them, which makes them prone to obesity. Since obesity badly affects dogs, you need to be incredibly strict with your portion control and try not to feed your dog too much kibble.

However, your toy puppy still needs a large amount of calories; in fact, they need more than bigger dogs do, as they lose more body heat. Just don’t overdo it, and be quick to cut back on portion sizes if you notice that your dog is getting a little plump.

Also, many small dogs are prone to different diseases than big dogs, so you may need to find a food that has the right mix of nutrients for the issues that your pup is predisposed to. For example, hip dysplasia isn’t as big a deal in toy breeds as it is in larger animals. That said, small dogs are often prone to eye issues, so omega fatty acids become even more important.

Another thing to keep in mind is the size of the kibble. Unless it’s specifically made for toy breeds, the pieces may be too large for your dog to pick up and chew comfortably. Huge chunks of kibble can also pose a choking hazard.

What About Puppies? Do They Have Different Needs Than Adult Dogs?

Yes; they need all the same nutrients, but puppies need more of them. They need all those calories to support their growing bodies—just be sure to taper them off a high-calorie diet once they reach adulthood. They also need more fat and protein to grow up strong and healthy.

In fact, you’ll probably need to feed your puppy more often than a full-grown dog. For the first 12 weeks, you can feed your puppy four times a day, then you should cut it down to three until they reach adulthood.

There are certain nutrients that puppies require in large amounts that adult dogs do not. As a result, most adult kibbles don’t have the proper amounts of these vitamins and minerals. That’s why you should always feed your dog an age-appropriate food.

Remember that your dog’s brain and other organs are developing rapidly, so you want to give them all the nutritional support that you can. In addition to important vitamins and minerals, make sure your dog gets plenty of omega fatty acids, which can be found in fish, flaxseed oil, and chicken meal.

If you don’t give your puppy the nutrition that they need, they could suffer from all sorts of health issues as adults. Conversely, if you lay the groundwork for a healthy life while they’re young, you could save yourself a bundle in medical costs down the road.

What Should You Look For in Small Breed Puppy Food?

The most important thing that puppies need is protein and a large amount of it. That means the first ingredient of a food should be lean meat; chicken, fish, and turkey are all excellent choices. You also want to make sure that the overall protein levels are high—25% should be the bare minimum.

Don’t neglect the fat or fiber levels either. You want to see the total fat at 15% or more and at least 5% fiber. Omega fatty acids are also key, so look for fish, fish oil, flaxseed oil, or any sort of animal meal.

Fruits and veggies are also good to see on the ingredients list. As a general rule, if you know that it’s healthy for you, it will likely be healthy for your dog too. Look for things like broccoli, kale, blueberries, spinach, cranberries, etc.

Is There Anything You Don’t Want to See on the Label?

Yes. Watch out for cheap fillers like corn, wheat, or soy. These bring little to the table in terms of nutrition and are full of empty calories. Foods that are high in them will likely fatten your dog up without doing much to help them develop into healthy adults.

Animal by-products are made using the cheapest, lowest-grade meat possible. It’s not something that you would ever dream of feeding your dog if you saw it, so why would you feed them a kibble that uses it?

Also, beware of artificial colors and flavors. There’s no reason for these to be in a dog food; in fact, they’re put in there for you, the owner. The idea is that if the dog food looks more enticing to you, you’ll be more likely to buy it for your dog. At the end of the day, though, they’re just unnecessary chemicals you’re putting in your puppy, and they can cause all sorts of digestive issues.

Should You Feed Your Dog Wet Food Too?

You can but it’s not necessary. A good dry kibble should have everything that your pup needs to grow up healthy and strong. Wet food offers a few advantages, though. For one thing, it’s full of moisture, so it can help stave off dehydration if your little puppy forgets to drink water throughout the day.

Also, it’s extremely gentle on a dog’s teeth. This becomes more important with senior dogs that may be struggling with dental issues. Growing puppies need the crunch that dry kibble provides to have strong teeth. There’s nothing wrong with mixing in wet food with that kibble, though.

Wet food is good for picky eaters too. If you go through all the trouble of researching and buying the best puppy kibble on the market, the last thing you want is for your pup to refuse to eat it. If that happens, mixing in a little wet food will likely entice them to change their minds.

There are downsides to wet food, though. It’s extremely calorie-dense, so it may fatten up your dog. It’s also extremely expensive and can go bad in just a few hours if not properly stored.

What If the Food I Buy Doesn’t Agree With My Dog?

Picking out a kibble isn’t an exact science. There’s no guarantee that your dog will eat it or that it will agree with their system if they do. There may be some trial and error involved here. It may take a couple of tries before you find an option that your dog will eat and tolerate, so be patient.

Luckily, toy breeds don’t eat much and you can buy small bags of kibble, so you shouldn’t waste too much money figuring out what’s best for your pup. Just be careful when transitioning to a new food; mix it in with the old food at first, then slowly reduce the amount of old food that you give them.

If your dog won’t tolerate any food you bring home, then a trip to the vet is in order. They could be suffering from a disease or a parasite, and you may need to have a medical intervention.

Conclusion

We hope this detailed reviews guide has helped you find the best puppy food that small breeds will love! Made with quality fresh beef and packed with healthy vitamins and minerals, Ollie Fresh Beef Dog Food is our top pick for toy breed puppies. This convenient and nutritious dog food is also made for all life stages, so you can keep feeding it to your pup even as they grow. For a more budget-friendly alternative, consider Iams ProActive. It’s easy on the wallet yet has a variety of important ingredients in every bite.

Choosing a kibble for your toy breed puppy isn’t an easy thing to do, and we hope that these reviews have made the process easier. Don’t stress over the decision too much, though. As long as you feed your dog regularly and in moderation and give them plenty of TLC, they’ll be better off than most animals on the planet.

---

Featured Image Credit: Larysa Snihirova, Shutterstock