Top 10 Best Dog Food For Papillons

The Papillon is named for the French word for butterfly, though he is also known as the Continental Toy Spaniel. These dogs are one of the oldest toy spaniel breeds, developed in Italy sometime during the 1500s, though the erect ear style didn’t become popular until the 19th century. Throughout its history, however, one thing has remained constant about the Papillon – he is an excellent companion pet.

As a toy breed, Papillons remain very small – they stand no more than 8 to 11 inches tall and weigh between 3 and 12 pounds at maturity. Though these dogs may reach their adult size very quickly, they take a little longer than other breeds to mentally mature. This could in part be due to the fact that they have a long lifespan of up to 17 years, or it could be their propensity for health problems.

The Papillon is a fun and friendly breed, guaranteed to keep you entertained, but his long coat and high risk for health problems does present certain challenges. Feeding your dog a high-quality diet will help keep him healthy, so take the time to make a smart choice.

The Best Dog Food for Papillons

Now that you have a better understanding of your Papillon’s nutritional needs, you’re ready to start shopping for the best Papillon diet. The best dog food for Papillons is calorie-dense and rich in protein to support lean muscle mass and to fuel your dog’s fast metabolism. It should also be made with high-quality ingredients to ensure digestibility and contain beneficial supplements for nutritional balance

Taste Of The Wild Appalachian Valley Formula

• Taste of the Wild dog food offers all of the essential nutrients your Paps companion needs to live a healthy, active lifestyle. This balanced diet contains pro and pre-biotics to support digestion, while providing a rich blend of fats and proteins to promote energy and overall well being.
• The small size kibble are appropriate for your Papillon’s tiny teeth and tummy, so it’ll be easy to eat and digest.
• Taste of the Wild is nutrient-rich and made with a proprietary probiotic blend. The dog food doesn’t contain any sort of grain, corn, wheat or fillers, making it a terrific choice for pups with sensitive stomachs.
• This natural recipe is formulated with lamb, egg, duck and ocean fish, with venison as the first ingredient. It also contains real fruits and vegetables, which are an excellent source of omega-3 and 6 fatty acids.
• Taste of the Wild is quality food that is made in the USA using the most scientifically advanced food safety protocols, so you can rest easy knowing that you’re feeding your Paps a premium food

Nom Nom Fresh Pet Food Delivery

• Nom Nom is a fresh dog food made especially for your unique pup. The people at Nom Nom wanted a way for the masses to feed their beloved dogs, real food without having to prepare it each day.
• This food is tailored to your specific don’t nutritionally needs. It’s prepared in a “human-grade” kitchen using real ingredients. It’s portioned and shipped directly to your home on a regular schedule so you’ll never run out of food.
• The containers of food can be stored in your freezer or refrigerator until you’re ready to serve them. You can customize your recipe based on your dog’s breed, age, size, and dietary restrictions.

Spot & Tango Fresh Pet Food

• Spot & Tango is a new fresh dog food delivery service that is based in New York that provides human-grade food direct to your door on a regular basis. They create a customized, pre-portioned meal plan based on your dog’s age, weight, breed, and health goals.
• Using their very own recipes created by Vet nutritionists, Spot & Tango takes locally sourced lean proteins, fresh vegetables and fruits, and high-quality carbohydrates and cooks up a batch of homemade food in their USDA-certified kitchens just for your dog.
• All ingredients used in the formulas are human-grade. There’s no mysterious meat mashups that often get tossed into your typical kibble.
• Each recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for all life stages, which means it is appropriate to feed to both puppies and adult dogs

Merrick Lil’ Plates Real Chicken & Sweet Potato

• For your growing Papillon puppy, Merrick Lil’ Plates food is a phenomenal option. Made with deboned chicken as the first ingredient, this food is catered toward the big appetite of your small pup. It’s full of hearty flavor, as real fruits and veggies add a delicious taste that your Paps will absolutely love.
• Papillon puppies have very tiny bellies, but Merrick Lil’ Plates food is formulated with pre and probiotic fiber so it’s easy to digest. Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids will help your Paps maintain a healthy, lustrous coat, and DHA will help support brain development.
• For your precious pint-sized pup, Merrick Lil’ Plates is free of gluten and all artificial flavors and preservatives. It’s also made in Texas using ingredients from trusted farmers, so you can be confident in your Chihuahua’s meals

Solid Gold Wee Bit Small Breed

• The Wee Bit recipe from Solid Gold is designed with toy and small breeds in mind. This formula features fresh bison, whole grains, and a super food blend with over 20 varieties included.
• This holistic pet food will have your tiny pooch well fueled into his golden years. The 20 different super foods include ingredients such as pumpkin, blueberries, almond oil, and cranberries.
• And don’t worry about allergens – this kibble doesn’t contain any corn, wheat or soy. Solid Gold is a holistic, whole grain dog food that is ideal for Paps at any life stage

Instinct Raw Boost Puppy Recipe

• Nature’s Variety, Instinct recipe is grain-free and contains freeze-dried meat within the kibble. The freeze-dried meat contains the concentrated protein your growing pup needs. There is raw nutrition, free-range chicken, and DHA packed into every bowl.
• This recipe is free of grains, potato, byproduct, soy and what. Nature’s Variety is made in the United States and you won’t find any artificial colors or preservatives

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Small Breed

• The Life Protection recipe from Blue Buffalo is designed for your dog’s health and their general well-being. The LifeSource Bits are made with 7 different superfoods and ingredients that are rich in antioxidants.
• This recipe features deboned chicken and plenty of good carbs to keep up with your small dog’s high amount of energy. The increased amount of protein will help with muscle health and their energy levels.
• The small kibble is especially perfect for the small jaws of a toy breed. It will also help with tarter removal which is very important to toy breeds like the Papillon

Nulo Freestyle Small Breed

• This turkey and lentils recipe is great wet food for your puppy Papillon. Since they are a very small breed, especially as a puppy, wet food will be easy for them to eat.
• The turkey recipe is one that is easily digested. There are no fillers such as soy, corn or wheat so it will sit well with your tiny pup’s sensitive stomach.
• You should feed your puppy ½ a can to a full can a day divided up between 3-4 feedings

Wellness Complete Health Small Breed Senior Formula

• Small breeds of dogs typically live longer than large breeds. You’re likely to spend a significant amount of time caring for your senior Paps.
• Wellness Complete offers an easily digestible formula with only 12% fat to help with your senior’s weight without compromising essential antioxidants and vitamins.
• The first ingredient is deboned turkey, an excellent source of lean protein. Other ingredients include veggies for vitamins and minerals, probiotics for better digestion, and healthy fats for skin and coat.
• It also considers heart health with highly controlled sodium. It includes glucosamine and Chondroitin for joint and bone health.
• If you’ve had trouble with your senior dog refusing food in the past, you shouldn’t have any issues with that here (just be sure to portion correctly to avoid overfeeding)
• Wellness has a team of veterinarians, animal lovers, and nutritionists responsible for creating their food formulas. They use fresh, whole ingredients for their foods, giving your Senior dog a better chance to digest food properly and receive dietary requirements

Blue Buffalo Basics L.I.D. Turkey & Potato Senior Recipe

• This recipe from Blue Buffalo contains limited ingredients to help keep food sensitivities at bay. It contains real turkey, potatoes, vitamins, and antioxidants. The vitamins included help promote a healthy metabolism, immune system, joint health, and hip health.
• There’s no chicken, byproduct, eggs, soy, corn or wheat included in this recipe

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Dog Food For Papillons

Choosing dog food for a Papillon is an absolutely essential decision for a dog owner. The average price of $40 for a decent amount well worth the cost when you consider the benefits healthy food can have on a dog. This is especially true with a Papillon as they are highly energetic and so need good quality nutrients to help their muscles to recover. Therefore it is vital to fuel them with high quality nutrition.

Our buying guide reviews the best dog food for Papillons on the market so you can choose the right food for your dog. The following are details commonly found when looking for food for Papillons which will make the decision of what to purchase easier for you.

Proteins & Carbohydrates

Papillons will thrive when eating a diet rich in animal proteins and some carbohydrates. This is due to their high energy output, and the fact that they were bred as active dogs, so naturally have incredible stamina. With all of this physical work, it is vital that they get proteins to recover and strengthen their muscles while they rest. Papillons also need a good amount of carbohydrates to give them the fuel required to match their energy output. Chicken, Fish or lamb are commonly found sources of protein. Rice, potato or grain are commonly found carbohydrate sources.

Vitamins & Fatty Acids

The importance of vitamins in a Papillons diet shouldn’t be overlooked. Vitamin E and Omega-6 fatty acids will help your dog get a lustrous coat and healthy skin. Vitamins are also vital to support the immune system. A balance of fatty acids and vitamins will create a happy, healthy and thriving dog.

Digestion

The more easily digestible the dog food is for a Papillon, the easier the vital nutrients will be absorbed by your dog. Prebiotic fiber is a great ingredient which helps to support a balanced gut microbiome and in turn improve your dog’s ability to digest. Papillons can be fussy, like all small dogs so choosing foods which include neutral flavors is a good idea.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of food do Papillon eat?

Because your Papillon only grows to a maximum of 7 pounds, he won’t be eating a large volume of food – this means that the quality of his food is that much more important. Dry food is better than wet food for your dog’s dental health, and it should be made from wholesome natural ingredients without artificial additives or low-quality fillers. If you want to maximize the quality of your dog’s diet, you can feed him some dehydrated or freeze-dried food, though you may want to use it as a food topper to ensure that he gets the dental benefits of dry food as well

How many times a day should I feed my Papillon?

Your Papillon has a very fast metabolism and if you don’t feed him enough he could develop hypoglycemia – this is particularly dangerous for puppies. Papillon puppies should be fed four meals a day until they are 6 months of age, then you can reduce to three meals a day if needed. Adult Papillons should be kept at three meals a day minimum, but very active dogs may do better with four meals. It all depends on your dog’s age, body weight, and activity level

How much food should I feed my Papillon?

The amount you feed your Papillon is important, but not quite so important as how often you feed him. Papillons have very fast metabolisms so they need to eat frequently – this is also why they need high-calorie food. To determine how much to feed your Papillon, start with a toy- or small-breed recipe for his life stage (puppy, adult, or senior) then refer to the feeding recommendations to determine how much to actually feed him. From there, divide it by your desired number of meals and there you go

Final Thoughts

When it comes to the best dog food for Papillons, it needs to be calorie- and nutrient-dense. The quality of the ingredients is very important, but you also need to know how much and how often to feed your dog. Take what you’ve learned here and apply it to ensure that your Papillon gets the food he needs to enjoy a long and happy lifespan by your side.