What is the Best Food to Feed a Pomeranian
Pomeranian have vastly different nutritional needs than dogs of larger breeds. Small dogs have higher metabolic rates than larger dogs and need to take in a sufficient number of calories to stay healthy. You might be surprised to learn that small dogs need more calories per pound than their larger breed counterparts.
If you're committed to feeding your Pom the healthiest diet (and we know that you are—otherwise, you wouldn't be here reading this now), let us help you find the perfect food for your pooch. Keep reading to find our reviews of the ten best dog foods for Pomeranians on the market today and to learn more about your pup's unique nutritional needs.
A Glance at Our Favorites in 2022
The 10 Best Dog Foods for Pomeranians
1. The Farmers Dog Chicken Recipe – Best Overall
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, brussels sprouts, chicken liver, Bok choy, broccoli |
| Protein content: | 11.5% crude min |
| Fat content: | 8.5% crude min |
| Calories: | 590 calories per pound |
The Farmer's Dog is a dog food subscription service that takes your dog's age, weight, breed, and activity level into account to calculate a meal plan specifically designed for your pup. We found their Chicken Recipe to be the best overall dog food for Pomeranians as it provides the nutrition your toy breed pooch needs to thrive.
This recipe (as well as all of The Farmer's Dogs' other recipes) has been formulated to meet the AAFCO standards for all life stages. Its first ingredient is USDA chicken which provides a high-quality source of protein that your Pom needs to thrive. None of their recipes include preservatives, are overly processed, or contain any "4-D" (dead, dying, diseased, or disabled) meat like some other pet foods on the market.
- Fast and free shipping
- Recipes are made fresh
- High in protein
- Vet formulated recipes
- Ready to feed packaging
- Recipes need to be refrigerated
2. Cesar Filet Mignon Flavor Dog Food – Best Value
| Main ingredients: | Beef, ground wheat, meat and bone meal, whole grain corn, brewers rice |
| Protein content: | 26% crude min |
| Fat content: | 12.5% crude min |
| Calories: | 350 calories per cup |
If you want to feed your dog high-quality food but don't have much money to spare, Cesar's Filet Mignon dry food for small breed sprovides the best dog food for Pomeranians for the money. This food is available in 2.7-, 5-, or 12-pound bags so you can choose the quantity you need with the money you have.
The first ingredient in this food is real meat (beef) which is exactly what you want to see on any food for your Pomeranian. The protein-rich recipe is crafted with 26 nutrients small breeds need to thrive and is blended with crunchy pieces that can help keep your dog's teeth and gums healthy.
- Savory flavor is palatable
- Easy to close bag for freshness
- High-protein formula
- Can boost oral health
- High in carbohydrates
If you're looking for food and water dishes for your favorite furry friend, we highly recommend the Hepper Nom Nom Bowl.
The whisker-friendly dishes and wide catch tray are some of our favorite features, and we just had to share it with you! The bowls are made from stainless steel and are completely dishwasher friendly, making life as a pet parent as easy as possible. Click here to try it out!
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3. The Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Dehydrated chicken, organic barley, dehydrated potatoes, organic flaxseed, organic oats |
| Protein content: | 24.5% min |
| Fat content: | 14% min |
| Calories: | 485 calories per cup |
The Honest Kitchen's dehydrated food is made without any preservatives, fillers, by-products, or GMO ingredients. It features whole grains and is made with ingredients you can pronounce and even eat yourself. This food is even made in a facility that also manufactures human food so you know it has to meet the facility's stringent guidelines before hitting the shelves.
This high-protein recipe provides complete and balanced nutrition for adult dogs. It is dehydrated but will rehydrate to four times its weight when met with warm water.
- High in protein
- Flaxseeds provide omega-3 fatty acids
- Natural ingredients
- Transparency about ingredients & sourcing
- Expensive
- Texture may not appeal to all dogs
4. Royal Canin X-Small Puppy Dry Food – Best for Puppies
| Main ingredients: | Chicken by-product meal, brewers rice, corn, chicken fat, corn gluten meal |
| Protein content: | 29% crude min |
| Fat content: | 18% crude min |
| Calories: | 412 calories per cup |
Puppies have different nutritional needs than their adult and senior counterparts. Small and toy breed dogs need food that can meet their high energy needs and short, but intense, growth periods. We found Royal Canin's X-Small Puppy food to be the best for Pomeranian puppies.
This food has a small kibble size that's perfect for pups with small jaws. The recipe features highly digestible proteins to appease your Pom's sensitive stomach and its special fiber blend helps promote perfect stool quality to further aid in digestion.
This food is designed to be fed to your Pom for the first 10 months of his life as it provides the perfect blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals necessary to boost optimal development.
- Made for toy breeds
- No artificial colors or preservatives
- Meets toy breeds' high energy needs
- Promotes digestive health
- Pellets perfect size for small mouths
- Long ingredient list
5. Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Small Breed – Vet's Choice
| Main ingredients: | Deboned chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, barley, turkey meal |
| Protein content: | 27% crude min |
| Fat content: | 16% rude min |
| Calories: | 404 calories per cup |
Merrick's Classic Health Grains dry food for small breeds won over the hearts of our veterinary consultants. This food features real chicken as the first and main ingredient, providing a healthy high-protein food that your Pom needs for his growing body. The high-quality protein also helps your pup build and maintain the muscles he needs for his high-energy lifestyle.
It is crafted with high levels of omega fatty acids to boost your Poms' skin health and promote a healthy, shiny coat. This recipe contains ingredients such as brown rice and quinoa to help with digestion and glucosamine to boost your Poms joint function.
- Cooked in FDA-approved facilities
- Promotes healthy digestion
- Boosts skin and coat health
- Bag is not resealable
6. Wellness Complete Health Toy Breed Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, ground brown rice, rice |
| Protein content: | 30% crude min |
| Fat content: | 17% crude min |
| Calories: | 462 calories per cup |
Wellness' Complete Health Toy Breed is a dry food that's been designed to meet your Poms' high energy needs, metabolic rate, and caloric intake needs. It has small kibble that's the perfect size for tiny mouths and a crunchy texture that can help promote oral health. This recipe balances protein and fats perfectly to provide your pooch with complete and balanced nutrition so he can thrive. It's also formulated with omega fatty acids to promote healthy skin and keep his coat shiny and vitamin A and calcium to boost eye and teeth health.
- High-quality protein is the first ingredient
- Carrots protect against heart disease
- Peas provide fiber support for digestion
- Doesn't contain by-products or fillers
- Pricey for some people on a budget
- Kibble may be too small for some Poms
7. Instinct Raw Boost Small Breed Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, chicken meal, chickpeas, tapioca, chicken fat |
| Protein content: | 35% crude min |
| Fat content: | 20% crude min |
| Calories: | 469 calories per cup |
Instinct's small breed food contains both kibble and freeze-dried pieces. It features chicken as the first and main ingredient to help boost your Pomeranian's muscles and seems to have the perfect balance of fats, protein, and calories. The recipe is crafted with calcium and phosphorus to promote strong bones and teeth and chondroitin to boost your Pom's joint health.
This dry food is grain-free. We recommend speaking with your vet to determine if a grain-free diet is right for your Pomeranian. The inclusion of grains in a dog's diet is beneficial in most cases unless your pooch has an allergy to grains.
- Contains probiotics for digestive health
- Antioxidants for immune support
- No fillers
- Promotes skin and coat health
- No ingredient sourcing transparency
- Pricy
8. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Toy Breed
| Main ingredients: | Deboned chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, oatmeal, barley |
| Protein content: | 26% crude min |
| Fat content: | 15% crude min |
| Calories: | 417 calories per cup |
Your Pomeranian needs food designed specifically for his toy breed status. This recipe from Blue Buffalo features high-quality chicken and whole grains to provide the perfect balance of proteins and carbs to support your Poms' high energy needs. It is crafted with fruits and veggies like carrots for fiber and antioxidants, blueberries for vitamins and fiber, and cranberries for their high level of antioxidants and vitamins C and E.
This dry kibble contains Blue Buffalo's "LifeSource Bits" which look like small, darker kibble pieces. These pieces contain a blend of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that have been cold-formed to keep the nutrition as potent as possible since heat can degrade the potency of some vitamins and minerals.
- Kibble designed for small mouths
- Omega fatty acids for skin and coat health
- No ingredients sourced from China
- Perfectly sized kibble
- Some dogs don't like the LifeSource Bits
- Poor packaging
9. Hill's Science Diet Adult Small Paws Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Chicken meal, brewers rice, whole grain wheat, soybean meal, whole grain sorghum |
| Protein content: | 20% crude min |
| Fat content: | 12.5% crude min |
| Calories: | 371 calories per cup |
Hill's Science Diet's Small Paws recipe features calcium and high-quality proteins to provide muscle support and bone health in your Pomeranian. It is crafted with omega fatty acids to boost skin and coat health and antioxidants to keep your pup's immune system in check. The brand uses only natural and high-quality ingredients in the formulation of this recipe and absolutely no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. The ingredients are specifically chosen for their digestibility so they will not bother your small pup's stomach.
This particular recipe is designed for small dogs between the ages of 1 and 6 who have an average caloric need. Hill's Science Diet also creates a similar version of this recipe for dogs who require fewer calories (Small Paws Light).
- Easy to digest
- High-quality protein
- Extra small kibble for tiny mouths
- Boosts immune system health
- Greasy formula
10. Purina Pro Plan Adult Toy Breed Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal |
| Protein content: | 30% crude min |
| Fat content: | 17% crude min |
| Calories: | 488 calories per cup |
Purina Pro Plan's Adult Toy Breed formula features high-quality real chicken as the first ingredient to help your Pom maintain his ideal body condition without becoming over or underweight. It contains live probiotics to boost digestibility and to keep your pup's digestive health in check and minerals like calcium and phosphorus to keep his bones and teeth strong and healthy. The kibble is bite-sized and easy for toy breeds to chew. This formula contains no artificial coloring or flavors.
- Guaranteed live probiotics
- Meets needs of highly active toy breeds
- Real chicken is the first ingredient
- Kibble may be too small for some Poms
- No ingredient sourcing transparency
Buyer's Guide: How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Your Pomeranian
The ten dog foods we just reviewed are among the best on the market as all are designed to meet the specific nutritional needs of your Pomeranian. There are still a few things to consider before you decide which food you'd like to try, however. We're going to review the essential things all Pomeranian owners should know so they can make an informed buying decision when it comes to their beloved Poms' diet.
Nutritional Requirements
Before you can choose the perfect food for your Pomeranian, you need to have a basic understanding of their nutritional requirements.
The nutrition your Pom will need will vary depending on his life stage. Puppies require a diet that fosters healthy development and immune system function, while seniors will need a diet that prevents obesity and encourages gastrointestinal health.
Each Pom's food requirements will be different and will depend not only on their age but their current health status, activity level, and metabolism, too.
Generally speaking, you'll want to choose a food that has high-quality protein sources and includes nutrient-dense ingredients like salmon oil and flaxseeds.
Is Dry Food Better Than Wet Food?
Both wet and dry food can provide nutritionally sound diets for your Pom, but they are processed in entirely different ways. They also both come with their own list of benefits. Let's learn a little more about how wet and dry food differ so you can determine which will be best for your Pom.
The Manufacturing Processes
When manufacturers make wet dog food, they must first grind the meat ingredients and then add in a vitamin-fortified gravy. Once these are mixed, the food is cooked and sterilized. This process causes wet food to have a much higher moisture content.
Dry food, on the other hand, has many of the same ingredients as its wet counterparts, but instead of adding gravy and canning the food, manufacturers pulverize the protein mixture into a dough that can then be cooked. Once the dough has gone through the cooking process, it gets shaped into kibble which will then need to be dried. It is then sprayed with fats, vitamins, and minerals before getting packaged.
Wet Food Benefits
Canned dog food has a high level of moisture which is great for dogs who don't drink as much water as they need to. The high moisture is also ideal if your dog has a health condition like kidney disease that requires proper hydration.
Wet food smells more appealing and can entice picky or sick dogs and can also increase satiety, which is ideal for dogs who could stand to lose a few pounds.
Dry Food Benefits
Kibble offers dogs an oral health boost as it encourages them to chew their food instead of simply swallowing it. The chewing process, especially when paired with dental food, can prevent the buildup of tartar as well as some periodontal diseases.
Dry food is more convenient to feed as it's simple to pre-portion and won't harbor bacteria growth after sitting out all day.
It is also typically more affordable than wet food and is shelf-stable, which adds further value to your investment.
The Bottom Line
Both dry and wet food have their benefits for your Pomeranian. The best food then is whichever one your Pom seems to prefer. Both types can meet all of the nutritional requirements of your pooch, so choose the style that your dog enjoys most.
How Much Should I Feed My Pom?
Obesity is a huge concern in Pomeranians, so you want to be sure that you're feeding your pooch the amount of food he needs to thrive without gaining too much weight. Your vet will be an indispensable resource as you search for the perfect quantity to feed to prevent obesity and promote optimal health. The vet will consider your individual dog's weight, activity level, health conditions, and age to determine how much you should be feeding him.
You can also check the instructions on the packaging of his food for guidance on how much to feed, depending on his weight.
We don't recommend free-feeding your Pom as unlimited access to his food can result in obesity which can cause many different serious health conditions like cancer, osteoarthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. Instead, offer him his serving and remove the bowl after 15 minutes or when he decides he's done.
That said, underfeeding your Pom can have equally devastating side effects. Toy breeds have very high metabolic rates and can burn through their meals in just a few hours. If you don't feed your Pom enough, you're putting him at risk of developing hypoglycemia which can cause lethargy, muscle tremors, seizures, and in severe cases, death.
You will know if you're feeding your adult Pom the right amount if he's staying at a consistent weight. If you notice a weight gain, you might consider cutting back a little bit on his portions or reaching out to your vet for advice.
How Often Should I Feed My Pom?
Pomeranians have high energy levels and will require food at regular intervals to maintain these levels. A Pom puppy should have between three and four meals a day which can then be reduced to two meals once he reaches adulthood.
Keep in mind that puppies will need to eat more often and will sometimes have larger appetites if they're going through a growth spurt, so if he's begging for more after his meal, offer a second feeding.
Conclusion
Of all the dog foods for Pomeranians, The Farmer's Dog Chicken Recipe is the best overall, thanks to its high-quality natural ingredients and fresh recipes.
Cesar's small breed formula provides the best value thanks to its pocket-friendly price point and nutrient-rich formula.
If your Pom is still a puppy, Royal Canin's X-Small Puppy formula provides meals that can meet your pup's high energy needs while providing other nutrients they need to ensure proper growth.
Finally, Merrick's Classic Healthy Grains Small Breed won the heart of our on-staff veterinarians, thanks to its high-quality formulation and easy digestibility.
Your Pomeranian's diet matters, and when you choose to feed him any of the foods from our reviews above, you're providing him with the nutrients he needs to thrive.
See also: 10 Best Dog Foods for Toy Breeds
Featured Image Credit: Cup of Couple, Pexels
Source: https://petkeen.com/best-dog-foods-for-pomeranians/
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