Selecting food for your dog can often be challenging and overwhelming. In this article, I break down the nine types of dog food that you could feed to your Pomeranian and the pros and cons of each food.
Pomeranians are a small dog breed that requires a small amount of highly nutritious food. The best food choice is often a combination of dry foods and wet foods that are best suited to your dog’s individual health needs.
What Types Of Food Can Pomeranians Eat
You may be surprised to discover how many different types of dog food are available for your to choose from.
- Dry Food
- Baked Kibble
- Coated Kibbles
- Canned Dog Food
- Semi-Moist Dog Food
- Homemade Dog Food
- Raw Dog Food
- Dehyrated or Freeze Dried Dog Food
- Dehyrated or Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food
- Grain Free Dog Food
What Is Dry Dog Food
Dry Dog Food is what the majority of dogs eat and is commonly found on the shelves at your local store.
It’s the traditional kibble food that we are all familiar with.
The goal of dry kibble food is to provide a dog with all of the nutrients they need in one little morsel of food.
You will find meat, carbohydrates, minerals, and nutrients in your dry kibble dog food.
Pros Of Dry Kibble Food
- Convience- the intent of a kibble food is the ease of buying one food and simply scooping it out at meal time.
- Cost- Kibble food is generally cheaper when compared to other types of dog food.
- Dental Care- The hard texture of a dry kibble food aids with the health of your dogs teeth and gums by being abrasive and removing the plaque around your dogs teeth and gums.
- Balanced Nutrition- Simple balanced nutrition in one food.
Cons Of Dry Kibble Food
- Sugar Content- The high carbohyrates and sugar content found in fry kibble foods help feed the bacteria within your dogs mouth.
- Low Quality- Many dry dog foods contain very low quality ingredients including meat by-products and meal.
- Fillers- Many dry dog food contain fillers that could irritate your dogs digestive tract.
- Low-Moisture Content- Dogs are vulnerable to developing dru skin issues due to the low-moisture content of dry kibble food.
- Allergens- Dry food often contains ingredients that are know to cause allergies and irritations like corn, soy, grains, wheat and preservatives.
- Contamination Risk- Many dry foods have had contamination conerns that have cause serious recalls.
What Is Baked Kibble
Baked Kibbles are very similar to standard kibble dog foods but, they are cooked at a lower temperature which maintains more the nutrients and flavor in the food.
Pros Of Baked Kibble
- More nutrients are provided in baked kibble compared to standard kibble
- Better flavor
- Softer texture for your dog
- Improved digestion
- Easy and convient
Cons Of Baked Kibble
- More expensive when compared to standard kibble
What Is Coated Kibble Dog Food
Coated kibble dog foods are coated with a freeze-dried meat coating.
The coating is often added to baked or extruded foods and is added after the kibble has been cooked.
Coating the kibble adds additional nutrients and flavor to the food.
Pros Of Coated Kibble Dog Food
- More nutrients in the food
- Better flavor
- Easy and convienet
Cons Of Coated Kibble Dog Food
- More expensive than standard kibble dog food
What Is Canned Dog Food
Canned dog food is another extremely popular type of dog food that most dog owners feed or consider feeding to their dogs.
Wet canned food adds variety and nutrients to your dog’s diet.
You no longer need to even settle for one type of canned dog food pate, there are numerous styles of canned and wet foods that can offer a large variety of textures, flavors, and nutrients to your dog’s diet.
Pros Of Wet Canned Dog Food
- We food has more flavor compared with dry dog food
- The texture of wet canned dog food is more desirable to most dogs
- High moisture content, drinking water throughout the day still isn’t enough water to keep you dog in it’s best health
- Good options for those dogs missing teeth or that are ill and are recoving from an illness
- Good for dogs with limited kidney function
- Convienent
Cons Of Wet Canned Dog Food
- Canned wet food is more expensive than dry dog food
- Dental health concerns, if you dog eats solely a wet food diet they are missing out on the abrasive nature of dry dog foos which can lead to more plague and peridontal disease
- Can be prone to contamination
- Can cause loose stools
What Is Semi-Moist Dog Food
Semi-moist dog food contains more water than dry dog food but, less than what you will find in canned food.
Semi-moist dog food is often higher in salt and sugar compared to other dog food types.
Pros Of Semi-Moist Dog Food
- Very flavorful
- Easy and convient
Cons Of Semi-Moist Dog Food
- More expensive than other foods
- Many additives, preservatives and flavorings
What Is Homemade Dog Food
Homemade dog food is exactly what it sounds like it would be.
Many dog owners make their dog’s food at home, they are able to control the ingredients and the quality of those ingredients.
This is especially important if your dog requires a very strict diet.
Pros Of Homemade Dog Food
- Most nutrious option
- Food can be made fresh
- You can control the ingredients
- It’s easy to eliminate any allergens
- Most appealing to dogs
- Full of flavor
Cons Of Homemade Dog Food
- Inconvient to make and prepare
- It can be hard to make sure your dog is getting the correct balance of nutrients
- Short shelf life
- Making your own dog food may be more expensive than commercially made dog food
- There is a risk of your dog developing nutrient deficiencies when you are preparing your dogs food
What Is Raw Dog Food
Raw dog food is completely natural uncooked food that is prepared for dogs.
You will likely see a range of raw food ingredients like muscle meat, organs, whole bone, ground bone, raw eggs, and dog-safe dairy products.
Pros Of Raw Dog Food
- Healthier skin and coat
- Cleaner teeth
- Improved Digestion
- Smaller and firmer stools
- Improves energy and stamina
- Improved dental health
Cons Of Raw Dog Food
- More expensive compared with other food options
- May be nutritionally deficent
- Can cause bowel obstruction
What Is Dehydrated And Freeze-Dried Dog Food
Dehydrated or freeze-dried dog foods are created when all of the moisture has been removed from the dog food.
This form of dog food is often sold in pellets, pucks, or discs.
Freeze-dried dog food must be rehydrated before it’s fed to your dog or it will absorb water from your dog’s body.
Pros Of Dehydated Dog Food
- Convienent and easy to use
- Long shelf life
- Nutritious
Cons Of Dehydrated Dog Food
- Freeze dried dog food is more expensive compared to other dog foods
- Freeze drying dog food does not eliminate the possibility of bacteria in the food
What Is Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food
Raw freeze-dried dog food is the same as regular freeze-dried dog food but, it is made with raw dog food.
What Is Grain Free Dog Food
Grain-free dog food is made without grains like wheat, rye, barley, oats, maize, sorghum, millet, and rice.
Pros Of Grain Free Dog Food
- Easy to digest
- Good for dogs with certain health conditions like diabetes and cancer
- Good for dogs with food intolerences
Cons Of Grain Free Dog Food
- Not best for older dogs
- Not best for really active dogs
- Although it’s grain free its often high in carbohyrates
- Grain-free dog food is more expensive than regular dog food.
What Kinds Of Food Are Good For Pomeranians
All of the different dog food options mentioned above are suitable for Pomeranians.
Selecting the right dog food for your Pomeranian does need to be an individual decision that you discuss with your vet.
The current and future health of your dog does need to be considered.
Do Small Dogs Need Small Breed Food
You should always choose the type of food that is best suited for your dog.
Small breed foods are formulated specifically for the nutrition and lifestyle needs of small dogs, making them the ideal choice for small breed dogs.
What Is The Difference Between Kibble And Dog Food
There isn’t a difference between kibble and regular dog food.
Kibble is just a name that some people and companies use to describe the pieces of dry dog food.
Final Thoughts
It can be overwhelming trying to select the right food for your dog.
Often the best food choices are a combination of food types to provide a well-rounded diet of nutrients plus different textures and flavors.
It’s always best to discuss your dog’s diet with your vet, they are the best resource and expert in your dog’s health and your dog’s needs.
