While they may need few calories in a day compared to large dog breeds, toy dog breeds
need more calories per pound of body weight than larger breeds.
This being the case, he may need
more calories per pound of bodyweight than larger breeds — somewhere between 30 and 40 calories per pound.
Since the starches have quite a
bit more calories per pound, this makes the ratio around 80 - 85 % glucose 15 - 20 % fructose which is about optimal.
This means that while a large breed like the Golden Retriever may need more calories on a daily basis, small breeds like the Yorkie
need more calories per pound of bodyweight.
Simply that your Shiba Inu might need
more calories per pound of bodyweight than a larger dog, even if the total amount of food he eats is less.
Small breed dogs have very high rates of metabolism, so they need to take in a sufficient number of calories (
more calories per pound than large breed dogs) to regularly meet their needs.
Kittens and cats in general should eat diets that are high in protein, moderate in fat and low in carbohydrate; the main difference between kittens and adult cats is that kittens need
more calories per pound, and for that reason do better with kitten foods that are higher in protein and fat.
Kittens and puppies have the largest surface area for their weight, and need
more calories per pound than adult pets.
Even though your small breed dog needs
more calories per pound, it's important not let him become overweight.
Fat — As mentioned above, small dogs need
more calories per pound than bigger dogs, though not quite as many calories as the tiniest Toy breeds.
Like the tiny Toy breeds, small breed dogs and puppies need
more calories per pound than bigger dogs.
Smaller dogs need
more calories per pound than their larger counterparts because they have faster metabolisms, meaning that they burn through those calories at a faster rate.
Smaller dogs need
more calories per pound but less total calories than larger dogs to support basic metabolism.
Toy / small breeds burn up
more calories per pound than bigger dogs so these foods usually have slightly more calories per ounce.
Chi pups need 2 times
more calories per pound than adult Chihuahuas need.
Additionally, smaller dogs tend to have much higher metabolic rates (especially dogs like chihuahuas and Yorkies), so they might need
more calories per pound of bodyweight than a larger dog.
However, while small dogs might need
more calories per pound than larger dogs, that does not mean that owners should overfeed them.
Despite their small size, small and Toy breed dogs may actually require
more calories per pound than larger dogs.
Fat — Because of their faster metabolism, Toy breeds need
more calories per pound — about 40 calories per pound / per day.
Typically a small dog needs around 40 calories per pound,
more calories per pound than a large dog because he has a higher metabolism, according to petMD.
Small - breed dogs like the Shih Tzu have very fast metabolisms which means that, while they may not consume as many calories as a larger dog, they need
more calories per pound of bodyweight.
Despite their small size, Toy breeds usually need
more calories per pound than their bigger doggy cousins.
Despite the fact that your Toy breed dog needs
more calories per pound, you need to be careful not to overfeed your dog.
Even though they may be less rambunctious than they were in their puppy days, our little dogs still need
more calories per pound than their large breed friends.