Small Dog Breed Nutrition 101
Often people are misled into thinking that small dog breed nutrition is easier to navigate than that of large dog breeds. This couldn’t be furthest from the truth, especially when it comes to nutrition. The fact is small dog breeds have a faster metabolism than the Bigs. The Little’s need a nutrient-dense food plan, with meals multiple times daily. So let’s explore the misconceptions and replace them with facts.
Let’s start with the littlest of the Little’s, small dog puppy nutrition. Small breed dogs have an extremely fast metabolism. This means they burn calories fast. This results in the small dog breeds needing more meals during the day to sustain growth, brain function, and optimal energy levels. To get the healthiest dose of nutrition these meals should be high in caloric intake, consisting of high-quality fats and proteins, and accessible throughout the day. Ideally, if your small dog breed pup is the only pooch in the house, allowing access to their food 24/7 during early puppy growth is the ideal way to manage a consistent nutritional plan.
Once your puppy's growth rate starts to slow, two to three meals a day is still important. Here’s why, this is especially important with the very Little’s, like toy breeds and teacup breeds. The smaller the body side, the smaller the digestive system. A shorter digestive system means your dog's metabolism needs less time to digest food. Because small dog breeds have such a fast metabolism, they are susceptible to blood sugar fluctuations. Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia can be seen in all small dog breeds but the true tinies and puppies are at greater risk.