# Toy Sized Senior Dry Dog Food



## MarkFromSea (Oct 12, 2014)

Your dry kibble options are limited if you own a toy sized senior. Sure there are a few selections out there, just not as many as we would like.

Recently my old 5 pound yorkie decided he was bored with his Nutro Natural Choice Toy Senior dry dog food. So back to searching for something that he would enjoy. Farmina, Orijen and Fromm were my targeted brands after researching ingredients and trying to up the nutritional level, but, as small as some of the dry kibble was, it just wasn't small enough. Our old yorkie swallowed the Orijen and Fromm whole and quickly lost interest in these, Farmina wouldn't send samples. Using another forum, someone recommended Wellness Toy Senior. After researching the ingredients and nutritional levels, comparing it to other popular brands that are labeled yorkie specific, I bought a bag of Wellness Toy Senior from a local Petco. That first night, he gobbled it right up, actually chewing some of it I'm certain. Since then, he's eaten it a little slower but a few days in and he's still eating it. I think he'll do well on it once we've transitioned fully.

I'm aware that some toy sized dogs do just fine on small breed kibble, Gucci was not one of those so I'm not interested in anything that is not designated TOY unless you believe it is much smaller than Fromm Grain Free which is already much smaller than Orijen.

I'm aware that there are other options, canned, raw, ect. I'm not interested! Dry dog food options only for this thread, we already provide supplemental boiled, finely chopped, chicken for our old guy.

I'm aware many brands now carry all age or all phases. Again, I'm not interested! Senior designated only please. My understanding is with these little dogs their organs are a little more sensitive to rich diets.

What I am interested in is other brands that produce a TOY sized SENIOR kibble that you have tried. Successful or not, your experience might help others that need to search for a TOY sized kibble for a SENIOR in the future. Thanks!


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Well this one is not specifically TOY sized, but my 3 pound chihuahua eats it with no problem. The pieces are small squares. 
Precise Senior.


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

If your dog got tired of the Natural Choice food, you may want to give the Nutro Ultra Toy Breed a try. I like the Ultra line for picky dogs because it has chicken, lamb, and salmon I'm every bag and can. That makes it smell more for dogs and makes them love it. My mom's shih tzu eats Ultra and loves it.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

Wow, since you don't want to hear anything other than what you want to hear, Google can answer your question.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

Not what you want to hear, but a senior food really isn't needed, IMO. My toy poodle is 8.5 years old, and he does very well on Now Grain Free Small Breed kibble. It's very tiny and palatable.


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Shamrockmommy said:


> Well this one is not specifically TOY sized, but my 3 pound chihuahua eats it with no problem. The pieces are small squares.
> Precise Senior.


I have to eat my words! The very next day, my Cookie ate her kibble far too quickly and ended up choking- rushed her to the emergency vet for treatment where we discovered the kibble piled up as a blockage just past the trachea AND she has megaesophagus. So she has to have canned food and soft treats for the rest of her life. She's 3 pounds, so not like she eats a whole lot  

All canned may be a better option for your senior as well.


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## MarkFromSea (Oct 12, 2014)

May as well delete this thread. I tried to be specific because I've posted the question in other forums and get shit responses about home cooking, canned dog food and answers totally unrelated to what I wanted to know. The fact is it is difficult and time consuming to find an adequate kibble that fits my dogs requirements.


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## MarkFromSea (Oct 12, 2014)

Thank you to those who responded in a positive way. Sorry to hear about the pup with a blockage. That is a perfect example of how important food selection and kibble size is to a very small dog. The google guy can jump off his proverbial cliff! Have a good day to everyone else! :smile:


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

My issue with your specific needs is why you need senior food. I know of teeny kibbles food but it's just dog kibble, for all dogs. It's not small breed specific; it's not needed.


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

I haven't tried it or anything, but Hills' Ideal Balance makes a "mature" small breed formula which would meet the senior requirements.


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

Shamrockmommy said:


> I have to eat my words! The very next day, my Cookie ate her kibble far too quickly and ended up choking- rushed her to the emergency vet for treatment where we discovered the kibble piled up as a blockage just past the trachea AND she has megaesophagus. So she has to have canned food and soft treats for the rest of her life. She's 3 pounds, so not like she eats a whole lot
> 
> All canned may be a better option for your senior as well.


Oh wow! That is terrible! Glad to hear you caught it before it caused a major issue!


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

MarkFromSea said:


> May as well delete this thread. I tried to be specific because I've posted the question in other forums and get shit responses about home cooking, canned dog food and answers totally unrelated to what I wanted to know. The fact is it is difficult and time consuming to find an adequate kibble that fits my dogs requirements.


I'm sorry that you feel that people are not trying to be helpful but the specifics you require limit choices down to a very narrow category which means that there _won't be very many "helpful" suggestion. Simply due to the fact that you may have tried the majority (if not all) the available foods in that category. People make suggestion on what they've found works for their small dogs, in the hopes of being helpful. It is difficult and time consuming to find a kibble that fits your dog without having such strict limits. I understand that this is what you wish to feed but you may have to expand if you wish to get more options. I know here, there are only 2 "good" brands (which you listed) and 2 "poor" brands (one by eukanuba, the other by science diet) that meet your requirements but many more senior foods (with small kibble) or toy breed foods._


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## Dr Dolittle (Aug 2, 2013)

Mark, Did you say how old your little guy is? Toy breeds don't get 'old' till much later then other sized breeds, thankfully since I love two of my own. The idea of senior food really has been lost in the marketing of pet food, but the original idea was to adjust nutrient levels to the specific age related risks of older dogs, such as heart and kidney disease, arthritis, etc. There are now tons of so called senior foods marketed that are actually puppy formulas so the idea of geriatric nutrition has really been trumped by flashy ingredients and hype. So what are you really looking for based on your own concerns? But be ready for the barrage of various points of view! LOL!


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## MarkFromSea (Oct 12, 2014)

5 pound rescue yorkie, 11-13 years old per the vet. Very limited sources for kibble for his size, age, condition of his teeth. We got him about a year and a half ago so the damage to his teeth was already done. Kibble keeps over night while in his bowl with out spoilage and prevents him from getting sick. In this way he always has access to safe food any time he would like. Wellness Complete Health Senior has performed adequately. We do mix a small portion of his daily kibble with boiled chopped chicken for his main meal of each day. The portion of kibble mixed with chopped chicken is small enough that it is consumed at one feeding and doesn't sit around and spoil. I knew there would be limited options for us due to our requirements. I thought someone else would have already gone thru this time consuming process of figuring it out and would like to share. 

If, let's say, someone just gave up on kibble and switched to home cooking or canned food, then, it really no longer applies to the challenge of finding a suitable kibble for a tiny old dog with bad teeth. So yes, to keep the thread on subject and possibly useful to someone using a search feature 5-10 years down the road, I asked that we keep it on the subject of kibble.

Marketing does come in to play. Reading reviews, ingredient lists and guaranteed analysis helps to weed some of that out. Bottom line, he has to like it first and I have to "BELIEVE" that it is the best choice for his overall health. I tried some of the marketed "better" kibble. It just didn't suit our dog, I think the kibble was too large.

Merry Christmas Everyone!


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## MarkFromSea (Oct 12, 2014)

Yes, the joint stuff chondroitin, glucosamine, that was taken into consideration. Really didn't want to do an additional supplement since I have read mistakes are made by owners in the dosage, as well as the added figuring it out period of time. An "all in one" food application was the goal for our our tiny senior. Using the KISS principle, I'm apt to make fewer mistakes that might harm him. Chopped chicken, small amount to supplement his daily 1/3 cup of kibble... I mean, that's like two bites of what I eat! LOL Seems like nothing, but 1/3 to a 1/2 cup is all that is recommended for our old lil guy in this kibble we use now. It's the tiniest of kibble.

He walks 3 miles, about 5 days a week. So, joint health was considered. Hopefully, I've chosen correctly.


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