Is it ok if my small breed dogs eat large breed dog food?
I have a pomeranian, chihuahua, and english mastiff..... I try to feed the smalls dogs small breed food and the mastiff large breed dog food but the smalls ones prefer the mastiffs food. Will anything happen if they continue to chow down on dog food formulated for large dogs?
It shouldn’t be that big of a problem. Here are the major reasons for breed size specific foods.
The major differences btwn you large breed dog and small breed dog:
1- Large breeds have a longer, more extensive growth phase. Large breeds can gain up to 100 times their birth weight by adulthood, while small breeds will gain up to approximately 20 times their birth weight.
2 – The tooth and jaw size of the small breed is at least 3 times smaller than that of the large breed.
3 – Small breeds require more energy per unit of body weight than large breeds.
4 – The digestive tract of the small breed is approximately 7% of its total body weight whereas it is less than 3% of the total body weight of the large breed.
5 – The life span of the small breed is much longer than that of the large breed.
Usually the breed size different foods are formulated to meet the different needs of the differences in dogs. These breed size differences are more important in puppies because large breed puppies grow differently than small breed puppies. It helps with the large breed dog not growing too fast for its joints to handle. The large breed food may have a few extras like glucosamine, but that is just a joint supplement. The large breed kibble is bigger, but this can be actually good for the health of your small dog’s teeth (making them have to chew their food).
You may want to check the package to compare calories per serving with your small breed dog. Your smaller dogs will need more calories and may not be taking in enough if they are chowing on the bigger kibble and getting full sooner. But it may not be a problem. However, breed size foods is fairly new and back in the day their was just puppy food, dog food, and senior dog food.
Why not just feed them all the same type of food that isn’t labeled as breed specific. Then you will just have to worry about portion size differences.
Yeah, my little dog eats my golden retrievers food all the time, and nothing seems to happen to her. it perfectly fine!
yes it is i have 2 small dogs they are jackrussels and rat terriers and they eat the big gravytran from olroy i would just put some warm water in it to soften it up
No, the only difference is the size of the kibble. If your small dogs have no trouble with the size, don’t worry about it.
No. The small breed food is better for them than the large breed food, but it still is okay. If they like the same food, try getting some that’s not necessarily large breed or small breed.
It is difficult for tiny mouths to chew large kibble. Is small breed available in the same flavour as large? It is advisable to let the small dog eat small bite food because of choking.
they should be ok. my chihuahua likes getting into the cat food, i stop him. and the cats eat the dog food. they act like the other has something better.
no it could be dangerous
small dog food has more energy. try to feed them in seperate rooms if it is a problem, but small amounts wont hurt your dog
I would think the only difference is the size of the kibble, maybe you can buy small kibbles or medium for all dogs, I have a Chihuahua mix, and he chews anything and everything he finds, I never had a problem with him choking.
He also grabs two or thee kibbles takes them outside his plate and chews on them, then comes back for more.
it depends on the ingredients in your dog food. If it is not mainly protein based food, your little dog will be getting mostly grain fillers.
a small breed requires higher levels of protein and fat for their metabolism
as well a food formulated for a large breed may contain glucosamine or chondroitan sulfate for their joints. the little guys don’t need this.
your little dogs run a higher risk of being fat and having unhealthy coats on large dog food
that depends on the size of the nuggets. the formula in the foods are pretty much the same, but its the size that separates the two. the reason they make a smaller dog version of it is due to the choke factor. its a risk feeding a small dog food that is is too big for it to chew and swallow properly. some dogs dont even swallow their food. if the little guy hasnt choked yet, then your alright because it shows that he can handle the food at least. but nothing bad is going to happen. your dog wont grow at an abnormally fast rate and be as big as your mastiff.
Avoid any commercially formulated dog foods. There is no FDA quality control. As we have seen lately, these foods can be contaminated with melamine, aminopterin, and aflatoxins. Who knows what else is in there, manufacturers use the cheapest fillers and waste products from other industries and often the ingredients are imported from other countries.
If you would like more information on care of your pomeranian, check out :http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PombreedersForum
We have many suggestions for healthy foods in the archives.
Sincerely, Geneva, list owner