# Toy puppy kibble



## charis78 (Oct 31, 2014)

My toy puppy is currently eating royal canin x small puppy. I was thinking about trying Fromm gold but not sure if kibble is small enough for the lil guy. Anyone use this or know of another small kibble they like.


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## hopetocurl (Jan 8, 2014)

Natural balance small breed puppy is small. As is Solid Gold Just a Wee Bit.


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## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

charis78 said:


> My toy puppy is currently eating royal canin x small puppy. I was thinking about trying Fromm gold but not sure if kibble is small enough for the lil guy. Anyone use this or know of another small kibble they like.


I'm glad you are weaning your puppy off that Royal Canin. There are much better foods out there. Sorry I never fed any Fromm food so I can't give you an opinion on that.

pr


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## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

I don't know if this helps but I grind my fromm kibbles in a blender until it's powder, then I add water to make it into a gruel for my chihuahua (for her health issues, it works better than canned or dry food to do it this way). But it's always an option to try it that way if you've already bought a bag of food that has too large of pieces. Just remember to add some warm water to it.


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## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

The teeny, tiniest, small kibble I've seen is NutriSource Small and Medium Breed Puppy, this formula does contain grain, but it is 5 star rated on the Dogfoodadvisor.com site.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

How old is the puppy and how much does it weigh?


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

If puppy is a good eater, they never seem to have an issue with kibble size, those needle sharp teeth can crunch anything!
I would say just go with whatever food you think is is the best quality. 
The 
Merrick Grain Free seems to be having an identity crises - I absolutely never know what size the kibble will be until I open the bag - anywhere from itty bitty to huge, but my girls eat it all. Though I actually think that toothless Tangee does better with the larger kibble - easier for her to pick up!


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## Suddenly (Aug 8, 2013)

I don't have a toy. I know fromm is a gray kibble. Maybe you can get a sample bag somewhere. Good luck.


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## charis78 (Oct 31, 2014)

Thanks for all the wonderful replies. @ tiny poodles your reply made me laugh. @n2 mischief he's 8 weeks and guessing around 2 pounds. He's teething and is having a hard time eating his kibble unless I mix it with can food


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

charis78 said:


> Thanks for all the wonderful replies. @ tiny poodles your reply made me laugh. @n2 mischief he's 8 weeks and guessing around 2 pounds. He's teething and is having a hard time eating his kibble unless I mix it with can food



He isn't teething yet - he is just a typical shark puppy lol.
It is around 7 months that they start with loose teeth/new ones coming in!
He probably just likes the canned food better - not sure I blame him


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

You could also try soaking it in warm water for a few minutes to soften a bit


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## charis78 (Oct 31, 2014)

Thanks for the great tips. Crate was in my room. Even tried it on my bed. Guess he doesn't like confinement. The talking worked and a meditation tape seem to make him sleep for an hour in crate but that was it. Will try other tips tonight. As far as treats he's totally not interested...tried cheese please, zukes and pure bites. Any recommendation for other treats, maybe a softer one?


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Lamb lung is very popular around here - it is great because you can break it into itty bitty pieces. Sometimes it is soft, like cheese doodle, sometimes it is hard and crunchy, it depends upon the batch. We throw out a lot of the crunchy, and still a bag goes a long way.
A friend of mine had great success with covering her puppies crate at night with a throw.


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## Khurst (Oct 31, 2014)

Fromm Gold is very small kibble. My spoo and my tiny miniature dachshund both eat it. I love Fromm!


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

I have used fromm since Zoe was very little, no problem


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## charis78 (Oct 31, 2014)

N2Mischief said:


> You could also try soaking it in warm water for a few minutes to soften a bit


Thank you. This worked really well. However he still only ate half of 1/4 cup the whole day. It's only his second day home but I'm worried. Also his breath smells like poo even though there's no way he could of ate any as I pick it up and flush it immediately. Is it possible he could still have worms even though he was wormed at 2,4,6,8 weeks. He had his vaccinations and last deworming last wed. My breeder said I wouldn't need to go to vet till 12 weeks but am getting anxious that something is wrong  he is very active despite how little he is eating


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Not all wormers kill every kind of worm. So him still having worms is a definite possibility. I don't know if that would make him not have an appetite though. Has he lost weight? I would take him to your vet right away for a check up. This way they will have an exact weight on him and be able to tell if he is losing or is too thin. Remember too, he is tiny and so probably doesn't need a whole lot. Again, I think your vet would be the best one to ask.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Yes, what N2 said - at his age/size, he is at significant risk to go hypoglycemic if he doesn't eat every three hours or so. It is not so much the quantity of food, but the frequency of eating that you need to be concerned with at his age.


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## charis78 (Oct 31, 2014)

Thank you. Took him to vet this am. He's 1.6 pounds which she says is low for him. Prescribed a chicken and rice or lean ground beef and rice pasta. Hopefully it works. Have corn syrup on hand.


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## hopetocurl (Jan 8, 2014)

Willow never had great smelling puppy breath... smelled terrible...still does. she didn't eat very much at a time, but I left it out and gave it to her several times a day. Plus treats. My friend has a toy poodle that is VERY picky (Willow isn't) and she likes Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish. We tried several brands of food with her, TOTW, Acana...etc. And finally got one that she liked. Of course, Willow ate what she didn't like...mixed in with her regular food.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Your puppy is very small. I hope the chicken and rice works for you! It's so hard when they won't eat. My Misha is very picky. I have her on Natural Balance LID and I switch flavors to try to keep her interested. She kind of likes the Duck. She will start to plump up on the Duck, and then I switch to another flavor and she loses a small amount of weight (no one notices but me) then back to the Duck. Right now she is on Kangaroo and seems to be ok with it. But we pretty much are able to maintain her right at 4 pounds and she is free fed, snacks all day. 

I hope this solves your problem. But watch that puppy closely! Misha was tiny too.


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## charis78 (Oct 31, 2014)

Ugh hardly touched it. Only had a bit of sweet potatoe I tried after. I managed to get four purebites freeze dried chicken down. I cannot believe he still manages to have so much energy considering. What's the usual time for a puppy to adjust to new home. I think the city noises are upsetting him.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

charis78 said:


> Ugh hardly touched it. Only had a bit of sweet potatoe I tried after. I managed to get four purebites freeze dried chicken down. I cannot believe he still manages to have so much energy considering. What's the usual time for a puppy to adjust to new home. I think the city noises are upsetting him.



I think that he is still very much an infant, and it is a question of maturation and adjustment. My breeder didn't let Timi go until she was almost 14 weeks because she was not eating well yet. She supplemented her with formula (you can find an exact recipe on the internet, but the the ingredients were carnation canned milk, water, raw egg yolk, and a dash of Karo syrup), and when she did not eat enough, she syringe fed her baby food. Ask your Vet if you might want to consider one or both of these tactics for a few weeks. My breeder said that Timi loved the formula and would lap it up. She got her eating well by slowly adding kibble to the formula.


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## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

I would put her on puppy formula canned food instead of kibble and keep that as the main part of her diet until she has adult teeth in. Or you can grind kibble in a coffee grinder or blender and add warm water to make a gruel. I do this for every meal for my chihuahua who has esophagus and aspiration issues. 

Hope this helps. Don't get too fancy, just get a decent canned or kibble in her.


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## dcail (Feb 1, 2011)

I use Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy for my puppies. They love it even their mother will finish off any left overs of it! The size of the kibble is so very small which is important when feeding toy breeds. Just another suggestion for feeding your toy puppy good luck with him.


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## charis78 (Oct 31, 2014)

Any recommendations on canned food? He has turned his nose up at wellness and royal canin already 



Shamrockmommy said:


> I would put her on puppy formula canned food instead of kibble and keep that as the main part of her diet until she has adult teeth in. Or you can grind kibble in a coffee grinder or blender and add warm water to make a gruel. I do this for every meal for my chihuahua who has esophagus and aspiration issues.
> 
> Hope this helps. Don't get too fancy, just get a decent canned or kibble in her.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Have you thought of Stella and Chewy's freeze dried? My toys do really well on it, and it is very well liked. it can be broken up to any size, even almost a powder if you like or you can add water, and it will be like a mush. 
I believe that the lamb is the highest calorie version, and the chicken is the lowest, so get the lamb if you want get the most calories into him.


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## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

charis78 said:


> Any recommendations on canned food? He has turned his nose up at wellness and royal canin already


Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Puppy,
Eukanuba (some people dislike this company but if the puppy eats it, better than a hungry puppy)
Innova puppy
Natural Balance Ultra Puppy

also there is The Honest Kitchen Embark, Love or Thrive (this is a dehydrated food and in my experience either dogs love it or hate it). 
There are many more canned foods to try...

Surely he's eating something during the day? How old is he? How much does he weigh?
Where do you feed him? My puppy went through a year long picky stage and I solved it by feeding him in his crate. He was more worried about what the other dogs were doing and what I was doing and oh! what's that sound and.... to contain him to one spot, leave him there for 30 minutes with his food and go about my business during that time. 

About a month after neutering (at 19 months) his appetite improved and he's no longer scary skinny. The vet was telling me anything I could get into him, try! So I feel ya


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

I will be getting my mini puppy in a few weeks. I plan on raising her on Merrick Grain free puppy kibble. Its rated 5 star on the website that evaluates both kibble and wet dog food. My Callie has done extremely well on Merrick so when the puppy becomes adult I can transition her to the adult grain free.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

*Dog food ratings*

Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

SusanG said:


> I will be getting my mini puppy in a few weeks. I plan on raising her on Merrick Grain free puppy kibble. Its rated 5 star on the website that evaluates both kibble and wet dog food. My Callie has done extremely well on Merrick so when the puppy becomes adult I can transition her to the adult grain free.



As far as kibble goes the Merrick Grain free is very much loved in my house, but the kibble size is a surprise every time that we open a bag - anything from extra tiny to large. And surprisingly my girls to better with the large kibbles - even toothless Tangee!


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I've fed premade raw. They loved it. I've used canned of premium foods, including Merrick, Hound & Gato's and a few others. I've fed Taste of the Wild prairie formula for a long time with my son's dog, who lived with me and my bigger dogs in the past. So, lately the Poodles have been eating canned and I started adding some TOTW kibble and lo and behold, they seem to love the kibble better than the canned. So, I'm switching them over I guess. Adding water takes forever to soften because there's no grain in it. So, I just feed them it. They seem to like the crunchiness and taste.

When I got them at 8 weeks, they were already on canned and kibble. The kibble was larger than TOTW kibble size. They did just fine on it, even my tiny one. They had been eating on their own like this since they were 5 weeks old at the breeders. 

Stella's dehydrated food I use for treats along with other types. That's always a hit. Every couple days I scramble some eggs for them. You could try that. 

I've never been a fan of free feeding, but we've sort of evolved into that because they just seem to do better self regulating. They don't over eat. They might not eat much for breakfast, but take bites throughout the day. They usually gobble up at dinner time though....they seem to get hungrier as the day wears on. They're not particularly picky though. 

My girl Chihuahua went through a phase when she was very young where she was picky. When my niece was taking care of her she wouldn't eat and went into a hypoglycemia episode and was rushed to the vet. He gave her a shot and some kind of pate` which she couldn't refuse. (it was probably Science Diet. uggg, but so what...if they won't eat anything else) So, there might be something like that your pup would like. Then back home, my niece gave her eggs which she ate. As she got a few months older, she grew out of that picky stage. But yeah...you can't not feed them on account of pickiness when they're so small. 

Try some of that Nutrical stuff that comes in a tube. At least it will help a little in between meal times. Or look up satin balls. That's another tasty, caloric thing. 

Let us know how things go. It's very disconcerting when your pup won't eat.


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## charis78 (Oct 31, 2014)

So far he only eats chicken and carrot baby food. He didn't like sweet potatoes or eggs. He is eating some fromm but still not meeting daily recommendations. I have tried water on kibble and mixing it with baby food but still just eating 1/4 cup a day. Ugh!


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I just read this thread again and if your Toy poo only weighs 1.6lbs, a 1/4 cup of kibble is probably fine! My Mini which weighs 12lbs only gets a 1/4 cup kibble plus a 1/4 cup raw (or a chicken leg !) daily!!! Sometimes the rec. on the bags are too much, you should go by your individual dog and if she is gaining or even maintaining her weight, she is probably fine......you DO NOT want an overweight dog!!! Weigh her once a week to check that she is not losing weight if you are worried.....


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## charis78 (Oct 31, 2014)

That's great news. My vet said 3/4 cups and I'm not even close. He has loads of energy though and BMS.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

You might want to pick up a digital pet scale for him on Amazon - that way you can be on top of if he is eating enough to gain on a daily basis.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

My 10 lb Chi mix eats about 1/4 cup twice a day. He's on a diet though. My 6 lb Poodle eats about that (but he's waaaaaay more energetic than the old Chi, needs more calories) And my almost 4 lb Poodle eats probably a little less than that. I can't imagine a 1.6 lb dog eating more than that. If you can get 1/2 cup down him a day, I bet that would be enough. If he has loads of energy, that's good. If he were starving he wouldn't feel so great.


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## Lily's-Mom (May 31, 2012)

I love Fromm kibble. I recently tried lamb and chick pea flavor and the kibble is teeny...looks like cat food to me. It's a little harder to find than the other flavors, but that may work for you. Also, many stores do have sample packs to try before you buy.


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

When we first adopted Sunny, a formerly abused rescue, the only kibble he would eat was Now Small Breed Adult - he LOVES it!! They also have a puppy version - maybe worth a try. The kibble size is VERY tiny. Here's a link: Now Fresh Grain-Free Small Breed Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food, 6-lb bag


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## Lily's-Mom (May 31, 2012)

Lily's-Mom said:


> I love Fromm kibble. I recently tried lamb and chick pea flavor and the kibble is teeny...looks like cat food to me. It's a little harder to find than the other flavors, but that may work for you. Also, many stores do have sample packs to try before you buy.


Edit: the Fromm food is actually Lamb and Lentil


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

The Fromm is tiny. Callie likes the Salmon and beef. I often get samples of different kibble from my pet shop. It certainly saves money and time to see if they like it ahead of time. I'm fortunate that our pet shop carries all the best foods and can order just about anything I ask for. I got the Merrick Grain Free Salmon by special order as it usually isn't carried by any of the pet shops in the area. I plan to order the Merrick Grain Free puppy for our new one as it will be easier to transition to Callie's adult Merrick after that.
I notice that many companies make a pork kibble. I'm not sure I understand why if pork is bad for dogs? Does anyone know?


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## Minnie (Apr 25, 2011)

Tiny Poodles said:


> Have you thought of Stella and Chewy's freeze dried? My toys do really well on it, and it is very well liked. it can be broken up to any size, even almost a powder if you like or you can add water, and it will be like a mush.


This is what we feed tiny picky Bella and she loves, loves, loves it!!!! Happy dance for every meal though she only likes the chicken. We travel often and this food works better for us than the frozen raw that we used previously. Best of luck!


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## charis78 (Oct 31, 2014)

Yay he's three pounds now due to supplementing with ground beef. He doesn't seem to like acana either. Was thinking of Stella and cheweys BC he likes freeze dried treats.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Great news! Now we want pictures of your 3 pound puppy!


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## charis78 (Oct 31, 2014)

If I did this right here is Bogart trying on his new monster sweater for cold days


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

charis78 said:


> If I did this right here is Bogart trying on his new monster sweater for cold days



Yup, you did it right, and he is a cutie pie - love his little white chin!


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## charis78 (Oct 31, 2014)

Thanks tiny poodles. Yours are cute too. I love their ears. I think mine is going to end up a tiny toy as well.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

charis78 said:


> Thanks tiny poodles. Yours are cute too. I love their ears. I think mine is going to end up a tiny toy as well.



Thank you. If you are curious, the formula for predicting adult weight that has always worked to perfection for me is to double the weight at 16 weeks, possibly plus half a pound depending upon the build.


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## Stardust (Jan 18, 2015)

*Puppy food*

I'm new here, my question is what to feed my 4 mo old toy?
She likes my grown poodle's Beneful incredabites but I know it is not good for her. I bought Iams puppy but she does not like it. What are you feeding your puppy? Thank you for any help.

Sorry for the post, just noticed the other posts answered my question. 
It will take awhile to get used of how this forum is.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Stardust said:


> I'm new here, my question is what to feed my 4 mo old toy?
> She likes my grown poodle's Beneful incredabites but I know it is not good for her. I bought Iams puppy but she does not like it. What are you feeding your puppy? Thank you for any help.
> 
> Sorry for the post, just noticed the other posts answered my question.
> It will take awhile to get used of how this forum is.


:afraid:
Please please please go to DOGFOODADVISOR.COM and read how bad Beneful is! Long term, that food is very very harmful! It is a good place to check out any food you purchase for your dog! When buying dog food of a good quality the first ingredient listed on the bag should be a named meat or meat meal not corn and by products of unnamed sources! Please read more here in past threads about dog food................


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Stardust - listen to Molly! Do not feed anything you can buy in the grocery store, and that goes for snacks too. Go to dog food adviser on line and pick a 4* -5* food. Also the food and ingredients should be American. There are dozens of them to choose from. Too many of those "advertised" dog foods are loaded with corn, not balanced, and worst of all can contain ingredients from China. I will be feeding my new puppy Taste of the Wild for puppies, and will eventually go to Merrick Puppy (if she likes it) My 4 year old mini has been eating Merrick Grain Free her whole life so that is the only reason I would switch, so eventually they are eating the same food - both are 5* and make in America. But there are lots of others also - like Origen, Fromm, etc.


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## Stardust (Jan 18, 2015)

*Puppy food*

Susan, Thank you so very much.
Raising my 12 yr old I was not aware of all the bad food out there, wish I would have known earlier about the ratings but glad she is doing well. I do boil chicken breasts to put on top of their kibbles.
A few years ago I fed her pedigree canned and just found out it is terrible also.
With my new baby I wanted her to have the best puppy kibbles so that is why I started checking online.


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