Pomeranians, with their spirited personalities and petite frames, require a carefully crafted diet to support their health and longevity. As a small breed, Poms are prone to specific health issues, including obesity, patellar luxation, alopecia, dental problems, and joint disease. This guide provides comprehensive information on creating a sustainable diet that caters to your Pomeranian's unique needs.
Understanding Basic Nutritional Needs
Looking after your Pom’s food needs is pretty simple once you know what changes as they grow up. When they’re tiny puppies, they need lots of protein (about 25-30%) to help them grow big and strong. Once they’re all grown up, they can do fine with 18-30% protein, and when they get older, around 20% protein works great.
The same goes for fats - your little puppy needs 12-18%, grown-up Poms need 15-20%, and older ones do better with 10-15%. A high-quality commercial diet can make meeting these nutritional requirements much easier.
You’ll start to notice your Pom eating differently as they get older - that’s totally normal! Baby Poms need lots of energy from their food, while adult dogs need you to watch their portions so they don’t get chunky. Older Poms should eat less fatty foods to stay healthy.
Adding fresh vegetables to their meals can provide essential fiber and nutrients while keeping calories low. No matter how old your Pom is, they’ll always need their vitamins and minerals - especially those omega fatty acids that keep them healthy and happy. Just think of it like giving them the right fuel for whatever stage of life they’re in!
Read also: Benefits of Science Diet for Puppies with Sensitive Stomachs
Key Considerations for a Pomeranian Diet
When feeding your petite canine companion, there are several important factors to consider:
Small Kibble Size
As a small breed dog, Pomeranians should eat a small kibble size. Because they have small jaws and teeth, it’s difficult for them to chew larger kibble. Pomeranians can be more prone to dental issues like tooth decay, tartar buildup, and gum disease. Eating small pieces of food can help promote good dental health by encouraging chewing and saliva production.
High-Quality Protein
Like all dogs, Pomeranians require a protein-rich diet to maintain their health. Protein is an important factor in repairing muscles, skin, and other tissues. High-quality protein is important because this breed has a higher metabolic rate than larger dogs. Keep in mind, this doesn’t automatically mean higher calories. One thing to note though is that all protein is not created equal. Protein from 4D animals is often a sign of low-quality meat and is much less nutrient-dense than human-edible meat. To ensure you avoid mystery meats, skip dog food that has any kind of meat byproduct like chicken meal, turkey meal, or other processed meats listed.
Omega Fatty Acids
Omega fatty acids like Omega-3 and Omega-6 are essential to your Pomeranian’s health. As mentioned above, Poms are more at risk for alopecia (hair loss), joint issues, and patellar luxation (when the knee joint moves out of its normal position and causes pain). These conditions can be complicated to treat, but a diet high in fatty acids has the potential to help with side effects of various health conditions.
Natural Ingredients
Natural ingredients without additives, artificial colors, or artificial flavors are some of the best options to support your Pom’s health. You can learn more about human grade dog food like The Honest Kitchen’s here. But to summarize, it’s food that is held to the same high standards as human food. What this food does contain are cage-free chicken (as the first ingredient!) and whole oats that are cold pressed, slow roasted, and dehydrated to maintain nutrition and tasty flavor. Another perk of this small kibble is that it was created to perfectly support the small bites Pomeranians require.
Read also: Hill's Science Diet Puppy Canned Food: Ingredients, Benefits, and More
Food Types and Selection
Picking food for your Pom isn’t too complicated once you know what they need. Look for good quality puppy food made just for small breeds - stuff with real proteins like chicken, fish, and eggs in it.
Your little buddy will do great with either wet food or dry kibble, as long as it has the right mix of calcium and phosphorus.
Want to spice up their meals? You can add some regular human foods too! Give them some turkey, chicken, or fish for protein, and toss in veggies like carrots and green beans for extra nutrients. Fruits are great treats - try apples and berries. You can even add healthy fats with some flaxseeds or peanut butter.
Just skip the red meat and calcium supplements while they’re puppies, and wait until they’re about 18 months old before trying any raw food. Keep an eye on how they react when you try new foods, and make changes if needed.
Dental chews can help maintain your Pom’s oral health while satisfying their natural urge to chew.
Read also: Science Diet for Small Paws
Age-Specific Feeding Requirements
Your Pom’s food needs change big time as they grow up! When they’re tiny puppies, feed them four times a day at 2-3 months old, then drop it to three meals as they get bigger. Make sure to grab puppy food made just for small breeds - they need all that good stuff packed in there!
When they’re all grown up, stick to feeding them twice a day. The amount depends on how big your pup is - anywhere from ¾ cup to 4½ cups each day. A good rule of thumb is about 40-45 calories for every pound they weigh.
Once your Pom hits their golden years around 8-9, keep up with the twice-daily meals but switch to food made for older dogs. You’ll want to look for stuff with extra omega fatty acids and glucosamine to keep their joints happy.
Don’t forget to check in with your vet now and then to make sure you’re giving them the right amount and type of food as they age!
Since Poms have scavenging tendencies, maintaining strict portion control with treats is essential for their health.
Proper Portions and Feeding Times
Figuring out your Pom’s portions is super important! For little puppies up to 5 kg, give them around 100g of food daily, broken up into 3-4 meals.
If your pup is about 8 weeks old, try giving them 1-2 tablespoons of wet food multiple times a day, and keep some dry food available too.
For grown-up Poms, you’ll want to give them about 40-45 calories for each pound they weigh. So if your Pom weighs 3 pounds, they’ll probably need between ¾ to 1½ cups of food every day.
Most adult Poms do great with two meals - one in the morning and one at night. But if you’ve got a puppy, they’ll need to eat more often - like four times a day. Just make sure you stick to regular feeding times and keep an eye on your pup’s activity and weight to adjust their food as needed.
High-quality dry food is recommended specifically for small breed puppies.
Raw Feeding: A Biologically Aligned Approach
Raw dog food is whole food served in their most natural state with no heat processing. It’s the most biologically aligned option for dogs. It delivers nutrients in their most digestible and usable forms, with no need for synthetic additives, preservatives or mystery fillers.
Let’s be honest: you don’t see wolves in the wild rummaging in wheat fields or sniffing out dried biscuits. A raw, species-appropriate diet, also referred to as BARF diet for dogs (biologically appropriate raw food diet), includes muscle meat, organ meat, bone, raw fats, and a small amount of vegetables or berries.
Contrast that with ultra-processed commercial dog food. While convenient, it’s the exact opposite of raw. The high-heat manufacturing process depletes nutrients, denatures proteins, and creates inflammatory compounds [1]. Worse still, the added carbs, synthetic vitamins, and often rancid heated fats can contribute to a long list of chronic health issues that are now on the rise - not just in dogs [2], but in humans too.
The great news? As more dog owners become aware of the benefits of fresh, natural feeding [4,5], the industry is evolving. But as with any dog food, quality matters. That’s why choosing a trusted supplier like ProDog matters.
It’s not about being perfect or doing everything at once. Even introducing just a few raw meals a week, or adding a fresh food topper like raw meat, a cracked egg, or a spoonful of bone broth, can deliver meaningful nutritional benefits for your dog. So, wherever you are on your journey, whether you’re just starting to explore raw food for a Pomeranian or already making small changes, know that it all counts.
Portion Sizes for Raw Feeding
When it comes to portion sizes, there’s no universal answer. Just like people, every dog is different with their own metabolism, energy levels, and health goals.
The advice below is specifically for dogs eating a complete, balanced raw diet made from natural, whole food ingredients, such as ProDog’s FEDIAF-compliant Complete Raw Dog Food meals. As puppy parents who may be used to commercial dog food or dry dog food, switching to a fresh feeding approach can feel like a significant change. Raw feeding offers significant advantages in terms of nutrient absorption and overall health.
For safe growth, it’s important to feed a raw puppy-specific formula. ProDog’s raw puppy food meals are formulated to FEDIAF nutritional standards and expertly portioned for convenience. Not sure how much to feed? Puppy feeding guidelines are different from adult dogs and change as your young dog grows.
The Importance of an Integrative Approach
A growing number of holistic vets, including ProDog’s own consultants, Dr Nick Thompson and Dr Katie Woodley, advocate for an integrative approach to dog health. Rather than just treating symptoms with medication, they address root causes through nutrition, targeted supplements, lifestyle adjustments, and natural therapies. Minimally processed, biologically aligned diets are a cornerstone of this approach. Similarly, functional supplements, environmental enrichment, and a resilient gut microbiome are also important.
Common Feeding Mistakes
Feeding your Pom wrong can cause some real health issues.
You’ll know you’re giving too much food when you see quick weight gain, throwing up, and your pup getting super lazy. A puffy belly and runny poop are also signs you need to cut back on portions.
Watch out for foods that could make your little buddy sick. Skip the rawhides and dental chews since they’re choking hazards, and don’t give them cherries, plums, or fatty meat scraps.
Just feeding chicken and rice isn’t enough - your Pom needs better nutrition than that. Grab some quality dog food instead and stick to regular feeding times.
Since too much food messes with your Pom’s digestion, make sure to get them checked at the vet regularly to keep their diet on track. Hypoglycemia symptoms like weakness and shivering can occur if your Pom’s blood sugar drops too low, so maintain consistent meal schedules.
Addressing Common Pomeranian Health Concerns Through Diet
Pomeranians are prone to certain health issues that can be addressed or mitigated through proper diet:
Dental Issues
Pomeranians have small jaws and crowded teeth, which makes them prone to plaque build-up, gum disease, and tooth loss. Not introduced your Pomeranian to raw bones yet?
Patellar Luxation
This painful condition involves the kneecap slipping out of place, which is common in toy breeds like Pomeranians.
Hypoglycemia
Due to their small size and fast metabolism, young Poms are particularly prone to hypoglycaemia. Stick to a consistent feeding routine.
Coat Health
That glorious Pom coat needs more than just grooming to stay healthy. Feed a moisture-rich, biologically aligned diet made from real ingredients, such as raw dog food. Raw food arrives frozen, so ensure you have sufficient freezer space.
Transitioning to a New Diet
Thinking about making the switch but not sure where to start?
1.
- During the transition, keep an eye on your dog’s poo (yes, really), energy levels, and appetite. Digest, our dog gut health supplement, can help soothe the gut, reduce gas, and ease the shift to fresh food. Need help? Our team of canine nutritionists is here to support you every step of the way.
The beauty of raw feeding is that it’s not just one meal, one way. With ProDog, you have options when it comes to what to feed your Pomeranian. All our meals are expertly formulated to support your dog’s nutritional needs. Choose from our Complete Puppy and Smart Chub ranges for complete, balanced, ready-to-serve meals.
Variety is Key
Imagine eating the same three meals every single day, for years on end. You’d get bored. You’d probably feel sluggish. And over time, you’d likely miss out on key nutrients. Food isn’t just fuel, it’s nourishment. It affects everything from digestion to behaviour, immunity to energy. What goes in their bowl has a ripple effect on every part of their health. So don’t let it be an afterthought. Trust your gut. Trust your dog’s biology. Raw feeding isn’t an all-or-nothing approach. Still unsure about what to feed your Pomeranian?
Feeding Schedules: Routine vs. Free Feeding
One of the biggest debates in Pomeranian feeding is whether to follow a Pomeranian feeding schedule with set meal times or to allow free feeding, where food is available at all times. The owner leaves food in the dog’s bowl all day so the dog can choose to eat when he feels the urge.
Neither method is wrong or right. People have their favorite way of doing it, and many critics claim that owners who don’t use their preferred method only harm their beloved dogs. Another school of thought is that scheduled eating times can lead to eating problems and a dog with more aggression. Owners who deliberately choose a particular time to feed their dogs believe this helps build a structured environment that offers the pet security and safety. This realization can encourage your dog to listen more and behave better. It’s also useful if you cook some of your dog’s meals and/or put him on a commercially prepared diet. However, it may cause reverse problems. Owners who don’t know how much food to give often give too much. It doesn’t matter if it’s a few minutes early or late, but if it’s any longer, your dog will start feeling anxious because dogs have an inner understanding of time.
Owners who choose the free feeding method can remind others that a dog will only eat when hungry, regardless of available food. This way of feeding helps dogs work out how much food they want. If they’re lazy and get no exercise, they’ll eat less food than if they spent all day running around. A big self-feeding container can be bought, and it should have enough food to last a couple of days. They’ll be happy that their dog won’t ever go hungry because a method has been implemented to prevent this. Unfortunately, this method can make it more difficult to train your dog. Less time is involved.
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