Do you want to keep your dog happy and healthy?
All of us dog parents love our canine friends way too much and want to provide them with the best possible kind of life. Food is perhaps one of the most important domains when it comes to this!
In today’s blog, I’d like to help you find out the best dog food for poodles.
After all, your dog may love food, but the food has to love your dog back in order for him to grow and thrive!
So, let’s begin.
The Best Dog Food for Poodles: Overview
In this section of the blog post, I’d like to share the names and ratings of the dog foods I’ll be going through in detail later in this blog post.
Keep in mind that these dog foods have been selected, keeping the nutritional needs of your dog in mind.
Don’t worry! The in-depth reviews will come soon…
I’d like to talk about a few important considerations before I go into reviewing the dog food for you.
I hope you’re okay with that.
Let’s start!
The Poodle Problem: Three’s a Crowd!
You shouldn’t mindlessly pick up just any dog food for your furry friend.
Why?
Well, the thing is that the Poodle breed actually comes in three sizes:
- Toy Poodle
- Miniature Poodle
- Standard Poodle
So, you can’t just buy any breed-specific dog food without double-checking the breed.
The nutritional requirements of small-breed dogs such as the Toy and Miniature Poodle are far more different than that of a standard Poodle.
This includes small poodle hybrids too, such as the poodle terrier mix.
Because of the small size, these dogs have a faster metabolism and require food high in nutrition for their higher need for energy.
However…
The small size of the dog also means a smaller stomach!
So, that’s why the food pellets designed for smaller dogs are bound to have more nutrients as compared to that of a regular-sized dog. This means that the dog gets the calories he needs without having to eat way too much.
But, there’s a catch!
Not only do you need to choose the right kind of food for your small breed dog, you also have to ensure that you feed your Poodle at the right times as well.
So, I’d recommend that you:
- Divide the calories into 4 meals a day for the Toy and Miniature Poodle
- Divide the calories into 2 meals for the Standard Poodle
Common Health Ailments: Poodle Problems
Even though Poodles are known to be a fairly healthy breed, there are a few health ailments that they’re genetically predisposed to.
Now, keep in mind that your Poodle may not necessarily have any of these problems but, I feel that it is wise to keep them in mind while tweaking their diet.
So, let’s take a look!
Hypoadrenocorticism
Known as the Addison’s Disease’, this condition occurs due to a problem in the functioning of the adrenal gland.
In the disease, the gland underproduces the adrenal hormones and you can see the following symptoms:
- Poor appetite
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
This can even lead to death if it’s not diagnosed in time and treated.
Studies suggest that the consumption of foods like corn, soy, and wheat should be avoided and raw, animal-sourced food should be preferred.
Cushing’s Disease
Another health ailment common in Poodles is Hyperadrenocorticism which is due to the dog’s body producing excessive amounts of cortisol.
This condition is also a serious one and known to be caused by a tumor/
Symptoms of this disease include:
- Panting
- Increased appetite
- Increased drinking & urinating
- Skin and bladder infections
If you see any of these symptoms, you should immediately consult a vet.
To help reduce the chances of this disease, it is recommended that you reduce the fat consumption of your furry friend and feed him a diet rich in antioxidants.
Other Health Conditions
Other health ailments that are known to affect Poodles include:
- Bloat
- Epilepsy
- Patellar Luxation
- Hip Dysplasia
- Legg-Perthes Disease
- Hypothyroidism
- PRA
Diet plays a really big part when it comes to your dog’s health. Try to feed your dog the right kind of food and ask your vet about the nutritional requirements of your dog to make sure you’re feeding him right.
There’s one more important thing…
Before making any changes or tweaks to your furry friend’s diet, please make sure that you consult your vet!
Moving on…
Yummy in My Tummy: The Feeding Schedule
Young pups (smaller than 3 months of age): You should leave food out for the pup at all times but also make sure that it is fresh—don’t keep topping it off! And, also make sure to rise and clean the bowl on a regular basis.
Older pups (over 3 months): You can start putting your pup on a feeding schedule and feed your furry companion thrice a day.
Adult Poodle: It is, in fact, a myth that you should be feeding your dog only one meal a day when they reach adulthood. Following are the guidelines:
- You should feed the Standard Poodle twice a day
- You should feed the miniature and toy poodle 4 times a day
Treats
We all know how important treats are for dogs! So, you should also keep them in mind while feeding your furry friend.
Keep in mind that you should allocate 80% of your dog’s daily caloric needs to food and the rest 20% calories should come from treats.
Yes, calories from treats also count…
Best Dog food for Poodles: A Review
Each and every dog has different nutritional requirements and Poodles are no exceptions.
However…
You should definitely not rely on online macro calculators or nutritional guides at all because they sometimes are far from accurate.
So, what to do?
Well, your veterinary doctor is perhaps the best person that you can turn to when it comes to determining your dog’s diet as they’ll give you an accurate amount of macros you should be feeding your dog.
That being said, I have researched the dog foods for you and following are the macros that they contain:
| Food Name | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Our Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hill’s Science Diet Active Longevity Chicken Meal | 20% | 15% | 58% | 4.6 | Check Price |
| Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Poodle | 26% | 11% | 55% | 4.5 | Check Price |
| Eukanuba Adult Dry Dog Food | 28% | 16% | 46% | 4.5 | Check Price |
| Orijen Original Dry Dog Food | 43% | 21% | 28% | 4.3 | Check Price |
| Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Grain Free Recipe | 41% | 22% | 29% | 4.3 | Check Price |
Don’t worry, I’ll help you out in making sense of this data!
Here at PetDT, we only talk about the best of the best dog foods. And we’ve got strict criteria while creating a lost for you. So, the best dog food for Golden Retrievers has passed the following tests:
- Good quality of ingredients used
- Good/ideal macros
- The overall meat content in the food
Let’s finally take a look at the best dog food for Poodles, shall we?
Let’s go!
So if we look at just the ingredients, I feel that Hill’s Science Diet Active Longevity Chicken Meal is an average dry dog food.
I feel that the ingredients in this kibble are of good quality and make it a good option for your furry friend!
However, that’s not all…
We also need to look at the number of macros that this dog food contains in order to be able to make a better and well-informed judgment.
The dog food contains:
Hill’s Science Diet Active Longevity Chicken Meal contains the following:
- Below-average amount of protein
- Near-average amount of fat
- An above-average amount of carbohydrates
I feel this dog food is a good choice for smaller and more active Poodles compared to those who live a sedentary lifestyle or the Standard Poodle.
There, however, is another thing that we need to assess before we make the final judgment about this dog food.
Wondering what that could be?
The meat content, of course!
Since dogs are carnivores, they really don’t do very well when fed a strictly plant-based diet. So, the content of meat that dog food contains is important.
Let’s see where Hill’s Science Diet Chicken Meal stands, shall we?
While keeping the protein-boosting effects of ingredients such as corn meal, peas, flax seeds, etc., this kibble contains only a limited amount of meat in it.
Now, it’s time to look at the pros and cons.
So, here’s the deal:
Pros:
- This also has a near-average amount of fat which is a good choice for active Poodles
- This dog food has above-average carbs
Cons:
- May cause stomach upset
- Some dogs may not enjoy the taste
- Less amount of meat
I honestly feel that this kibble is one of the best dog food for Poodles, especially the active ones.
While just assessing the Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition: Poodle dog food by just the ingredients, it looks like an above-average dog food product.
But that’s not how we assess food here on PetDT. We also need to look at two more important aspects to make our final judgments…
Let’s take a look that the macros, shall we?
We should talk about the macros on this one. Let’s see…
This dog food contains:
- A near-average amount of protein
- A near-average amount of fat
- Near-average amount of carbohydrates
Looking at these numbers, I feel that this dog food is definitely a good choice for your Standard Poodle.
However, there’s one more thing that we need to go through the content of meat.
Singling out the protein-boosting effects of ingredients such as corn and wheat, this kibble still contains a moderate amount of meat in it, which is always a good thing.
It is finally time to weigh the pros against the cons and see precisely where this dog food stands.
Let’s take a look, shall we?
Pros:
- Near-average amount of protein
- Near-average amount of fat
- Moderate amount of meat
Cons:
- Contains corn
- May cause an allergic reaction in some dogs
The bottom line…
I honestly feel that Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition: Poodle is a good choice for your Standard Poodle.
Share your thoughts or experiences about this dog food in the comments section below!
When we assess the Eukanuba Adult Dry Dog Food by just its ingredients then, it comes out to be an average kibble when compared to all the others available in the market.
As you may have already figured out, we don’t just look at the quality of the ingredients to determine whether or not dog food is worth investing your money in.
Let’s not take a look at the macronutrients, shall we?
Keep in mind that you should ask your doctor about the ideal ratio of macros that you should be feeding your dog.
Let’s take a look, shall we?
So, here’s the deal: Eukanuba Adult Dry Dog Food has:
- Near-average amount of protein
- Near-average amount of fat
- Near-average amount of carbohydrates
I feel that this is a good option if you have a furry Standard Poodle.
However, one more important thing is left to go through before we make a final judgment.
You guessed it! The meat content!
When we try and single out the content of protein in yeast and flax meal, then Eukanuba Adult Dry Dog Food contains a moderate amount of meat in it.
Now there’s one more thing we need to go through.
The pros and cons!
I feel that the pros and cons of a particular product always help you make the right decision about almost anything you’re looking at.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons now, shall we?
Pros:
- This dog food contains a moderate amount of meat in it, which is ideal for the Poodle
- Near-average fat content is also a plus for Poodles
- This dog food contains a near-average amount of carbohydrates in it
Cons:
- Can cause stomach upset
- Contains corn
Summing up, I really feel that the Eukanuba Adult Dry Dog Food is one of the best dog food for Poodles as it contains the right amount of macros and promising ingredients.
Moving on…
So if we look at just the ingredients, I feel that Orijen Original Dry Dog Food is an above-average dry dog food.
What this essentially means is that this dog food contains quality ingredients.
But that’s not how we assess food here at PetDT. We also need to look at two more important aspects to make our final judgments…
Let’s take a look at the macros, shall we?
Orijen Original Dry Dog Food contains:
- Above-average amount of protein
- Above-average amount of fat
- Below-average amount of carbs
I feel that this dog food is better suited for smaller breeds. However, you should always consult your vet before making any tweaks to your dog’s diet.
We aren’t done assessing this dog food yet!
There is one more thing that we need to go through the content of meat.
Singling out the protein-boosting effects of ingredients such as alfalfa and legumes, this kibble still contains abundant meat, which is always a good thing.
Isn’t that value for money!?
However, there’s one last thing we need to go over.
We also need to weigh the pros against the cons. So, without further ado, let’s get talking, shall we?
Here’s the deal:
Pros:
- This dog food has an above-average amount of protein, making it an excellent choice for smaller breeds
- This also has a below-average amount of carbohydrates which makes it a perfect choice for older or lazy dogs
- An abundant amount of meat
Cons:
- None
I really feel that this is one of the best dog food for Poodles as it contains a notable amount of meat and a perfect amount of macros as well.
What do you think about this dog food? Let me know your thoughts…
Moving on…
When we assess the Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Grain Free Dog Food by just its ingredients then, it comes out to be an above-average kibble when compared to all the others available in the market.
However, that’s not all that we assess.
Let us first go over the macronutrients that this dog food contains, shall we?
This dog food contains:
- An above-average amount of protein
- An above-average amount of fat
- Below-average amount of carbohydrates
Looking at these numbers I feel that this dog food is definitely a good choice for a Standard Poodle.
But, that’s not all!
There’s one more thing that we need delve into the content of meat.
Singling out the protein-boosting effects of ingredients such as the alfalfa and legumes, this kibble still contains an abundant amount of meat in it, which is always a good thing.
And, finally, now is probably the right time to go through the pros and cons. So let’s take a peek, shall we?
Following are the pros and the cons:
Pros:
- An above-average amount of protein
- Below-average carbs
- An abundant amount of meat
Cons:
- Known to be inconsistent
- May cause a gas bloat
So, What Is The Best Dog Food For French Bulldogs?
I hope I have helped you find the best dog food for Poodles. At PetDT, we aim to pick the best amazing dog food options and make sure that we select the ones that contain just the right amounts of macros that your dog would need.
Eating just kibble, however, can get boring for your doggy friend! I encourage you to feed your dog olives, bell peppers, tuna, etc., as treats as well!
Make sure that you never compromise with the quality of dog food you feed your furry friend—after all, the right food means that your furry friend will stay healthy and live longer. If you are looking for more options, consider organic food, or if you’re up to a kitchen adventure, homemade meals!
Always keep your cuddly Poodle your top priority!
So, here’s the best dog food for Poodles. Here’s a final look:
- Hill’s Science Diet Active Longevity Chicken Meal
- Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Poodle
- Eukanuba Adult Dry Dog Food
- Orijen Original Dry Dog Food
- Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Grain Free Recipe
Did I help you find the best dog food for your Poodle? Let me know in the comments section below!
And please don’t shy away from leaving a comment if you have any unanswered questions or concerns. Feedback is always welcome as well!
