Best senior dog food for small breeds: what to look for

The best senior dog food for a small breed is a complete and balanced food in a size and texture a little mouth can manage, with good-quality protein and a calorie density that keeps your dog lean on portions you can measure accurately. There is no single best brand. For many healthy small dogs it is the small-breed adult food they already do well on, with the portion adjusted as they slow down.

This article does not name or rank brands. The right food depends on the dog. What follows is what is different about feeding a small older dog and how to read a bag for yourself, with your vet.

What is different about small older dogs

Senior age by size and breed is set out in when a dog is considered a senior.

What "small breed senior" means on the bag

In the United States there is no separate nutrient standard for senior dogs, so "senior" is the maker's own description. "Small breed" usually means smaller kibble and more calories per cup.

One small-breed senior food is lower in calories with extra fiber. Another is richer, with more protein and added fish oil. Read the label, not the words on the front.

How to read the label

• Nutritional adequacy statement. It should say the food is complete and balanced for adult maintenance or for all life stages. Food labeled for "intermittent or supplemental feeding" is not a full diet.
• Calorie content. Printed as kcal per cup or per can, and the most useful number on the bag for a small dog. It varies widely between foods.
• Protein. Healthy older dogs generally need good-quality protein to hold on to muscle, not less of it. Low-protein food is for specific medical conditions, on a vet's advice.
• Fat. Fat carries most of the calories. Some small breeds, miniature schnauzers among them, are prone to pancreatitis, and a vet may want a lower-fat food for those dogs. See pancreatitis in senior dogs.
• Omega-3 fatty acids. EPA and DHA, usually from fish oil, may help joints and skin. Amounts vary a lot.
• Who makes it. The label cannot show digestibility. A maker that employs qualified nutritionists, tests its foods and will send full nutrient figures on request tells you more than the ingredient list.

Grain-free is not a mark of quality. The US Food and Drug Administration has investigated reports of a possible link between some grain-free, legume-heavy diets and heart disease in dogs, so ask your vet before choosing one.

Kibble size, teeth and wet food

Small dogs fit a full set of teeth into a short jaw, and they are among the dogs most affected by dental disease. By the senior years many have loose, painful or missing teeth. Signs include bad breath, dropping kibble, chewing on one side, and eating more slowly than before.

• Small kibble. Sized for a small jaw, so each piece can be picked up and cracked.
• Softened kibble. A little warm water softens most dry food in a few minutes. Throw out what is not eaten within an hour or so.
• Wet food. Easier to chew and stronger smelling, which helps a fading appetite. It can be mixed with dry food as long as you count the calories from both.

Ordinary kibble does not clean teeth. What protects a small dog's mouth is brushing, exams and professional cleaning when the vet advises it. Dental diets and chews that carry the seal of the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) have met that body's standard for reducing plaque or tartar, and they can help. Chews have calories, and very hard ones such as bones and antlers can break teeth. A dog who has started to struggle with food needs its mouth examined. See dental care for senior pets.

How to portion food for a 5 to 20 lb dog

With a small dog, the portion matters as much as the food.

1. Ask your vet for your dog's ideal weight and a daily calorie target. Failing that, start from the feeding guide on the bag, using the row for the ideal weight, not the current weight.
2. Find the calories per cup or per can on the label.
3. Divide the day's calories by the calories per cup. That is the day's food. Split it into two or three meals.
4. Weigh the food on a kitchen scale if you can. The label also gives calories by weight, and a scale is far more accurate than a scoop when the whole meal is a fraction of a cup.
5. Count everything else: treats, chews, table scraps and the food used to hide pills. A common guideline is to keep these to about a tenth of the day's calories. Many human foods are toxic to dogs, including grapes, raisins, chocolate, onion, garlic, macadamia nuts and anything sweetened with xylitol, so check with your vet before sharing food from your plate.
6. Weigh your dog every two to four weeks and adjust with your vet.

A 10 lb dog may need only a few hundred calories in a whole day, which is often less than a cup of a dense small-breed kibble. A 5 lb dog needs much less. One biscuit or a bite of cheese can be a real share of that.

Underweight small seniors

A small older dog who is getting thin needs a vet visit before a food change. Weight loss can point to dental pain, kidney disease, heart disease, diabetes, bowel disease or cancer. See why an old dog loses weight.

Once the cause is known, your vet may suggest a more calorie-dense food, an extra meal in the day, or wet food served slightly warm. Check the mouth first: a dog who cannot chew needs its mouth treated, not a richer food.

Inactive or overweight small seniors

A small dog that sleeps most of the day needs fewer calories than the bag suggests, and an extra pound on a 10 lb dog is a tenth of its body weight.

Extra weight loads the knees and back, and it makes breathing and heart problems, which are common in small older dogs, harder to live with. You should be able to feel the ribs easily under a thin covering and see a waist from above. If your dog has a diagnosed condition such as heart or kidney disease, the diet your vet prescribes for it comes first.

If your dog needs to lose weight, do not simply cut a regular food right down, because the protein, vitamins and minerals fall along with the calories. Your vet can suggest a lower-calorie food or a weight-loss diet that keeps those nutrients up. See weight management for senior pets.

When to call the vet today

• Your dog has eaten nothing for 24 hours, or sooner if a very small dog also seems weak, wobbly or dull.
• Repeated vomiting or diarrhea, or blood in either.
• Weight loss you can see or feel.
• Drinking or urinating far more than usual.
• Dropping food, pawing at the mouth, a swollen face or bleeding from the mouth.
• A hunched back, a painful belly or vomiting after a fatty meal.
• A cough that will not settle, or fast or labored breathing at rest.
• Collapse, or a swollen belly with retching that brings nothing up. Go to an emergency clinic at once.

For more, see how to choose a senior dog food for dogs of every size and the senior pet nutrition guide. Everyday care is in the senior dog guide.

This article is general educational information about feeding small older dogs, not veterinary or nutritional advice for your dog. It does not recommend any brand or product, and the calorie figures are rough illustrations that vary between dogs and foods. The right food and the amount to feed should be decided with your veterinarian, especially if your dog has dental disease, a heart, kidney or pancreas condition, or is losing or gaining weight.