Nutritional 'advice' for Miniature Schnauzer adults/puppies and dogs in general. Continue scrolling as I provide information regarding dry/wet food, making your own food, treats and raw feeding. Always read labels and remember that each dog is unique in their dietary needs. Minature Schnauzer Dietary Needs.
INTRODUCTION: IF YOU HAVE A MINIATURE SCHNAUZER THEY DO BEST WITH 10% to 15% fat daily and 20% to 25% protein (SOURCES: the AMCS and National Academy of Sciences). Please read the label of the food you feed them and make sure it is within this range--treats count towards this total as well. If you feed wet food it will need calculated differently. Many higher rated dog food brands are far to high in fat and protein for this breed (Orijen and Victor to name a few). I provide dog food brands below that stay within what is HEALTHY FOR A MINIATURE SCHNAUZER. READ THE NUTRITION LABEL before you purchase dog food. Schnauzers are prone to heart disease, pancreatic issues and diabetes--very preventable with the right diet. The worst thing you can do is feed them fatty table scraps, a high fat diet with treats, over feeding kibble/wet and/or feeding higher protein levels that exceed what is recommended for a Miniature Schnauzer. Our Schnauzers depend on us to keep them healthy, they have a tendency to beg for the things that are bad for them. SEE MY INFORMATION ON GRAIN FREE AND LIMITED INGREDIENT SUGGESTIONS BELOW, both have been linked to heart disease in Mini Schnauzers and dogs in general.
As for other kinds of dogs, please keep in mind that what works for one dog may not work for another. Each dog can be different in the protein type they do best with, the carbs type tolerance and some do great with grains and others do not. In general a normal house dog should stay within 20% to 30% protein daily and 12% to 17% fat. If you have a working dog or are involved in agility etc then they will require higher protein and fat while training etc. I provide links throughout this page regarding research that I have done prior to forming an opinion or suggesting a dog food brand. I have also been blessed to have lots of dogs in my life providing me with a lot more experience than the average dog owner when it comes to choosing a healthy diet. Allergies: if your dog is having skin issues, licking and/or tummy troubles etc then you should switch the protein they normally eat to something totally different (such as switch from chicken/lamb to duck or venison etc). Link to food allergies and food tolerances.
PROBIOTIC: It's recommended that puppies and adult dogs are given a PROBIOTIC daily. Probiotic and dietary fiber to promote a healthy digestive system. Phyto (plant) nutrients to support general health and nutrition. Link to PUPPY PROBIOTIC & Link to ADULT PROBIOTIC
As for other kinds of dogs, please keep in mind that what works for one dog may not work for another. Each dog can be different in the protein type they do best with, the carbs type tolerance and some do great with grains and others do not. In general a normal house dog should stay within 20% to 30% protein daily and 12% to 17% fat. If you have a working dog or are involved in agility etc then they will require higher protein and fat while training etc. I provide links throughout this page regarding research that I have done prior to forming an opinion or suggesting a dog food brand. I have also been blessed to have lots of dogs in my life providing me with a lot more experience than the average dog owner when it comes to choosing a healthy diet. Allergies: if your dog is having skin issues, licking and/or tummy troubles etc then you should switch the protein they normally eat to something totally different (such as switch from chicken/lamb to duck or venison etc). Link to food allergies and food tolerances.
PROBIOTIC: It's recommended that puppies and adult dogs are given a PROBIOTIC daily. Probiotic and dietary fiber to promote a healthy digestive system. Phyto (plant) nutrients to support general health and nutrition. Link to PUPPY PROBIOTIC & Link to ADULT PROBIOTIC
READING LABELS: Before I suggest any brand of food, I want to cover reading labels. The first ingredient should be a protein and the next four/five ingredients also make up the bulk of the food. The average house dog does great with a daily protein percent of 15% to 30% (MINI SCHNAUZERS however 15% to 25% protein daily). You also need to look at the percent of fat, which for an adult Schnauzer is best under 16% (10% to 15% is ideal). If your Schnauzer has a tendency to gain weight easily then you should be looking at 8% to 12% of fat daily on the label. If your Schnauzer has issues with crystals in their urine they need to be on a special diet that is lower in protein (20% or under). Lastly, the calcium and phosphorus ratio are very important to avoid health issues. A ratio of 1.2:1 is ideal (Calcium 1.2 and Phosphorus 1) or as close to this as possible. This means slightly more calcium than phosphorus. See the table
Water is the foundation of a dogs diet. Dogs should have fresh water daily and keep the bowl clean. If you are wondering how much water is just right, this link has the answers. Ideally they should have 1/2 to 1 ounce of water per pound daily. So a 20 pound dog needs 10 to 20 ounces a day for regular activity. If they are outside playing, on a walk, etc then they will need more. You can help dogs that under-drink by feeding part wet food and giving them chicken broth. Water helps flush out toxins too.
The food pyramid gives you an idea of what you should look for when reading labels.
The food pyramid gives you an idea of what you should look for when reading labels.
FYI - when switching and/or introducing new foods - do this SLOWLY over a 10 day to two week period, even when switching puppy to adult food. Meaning add a little of the new food to the old food each day, slowly decreasing the amount of the old food while increasing the amount of the new food. Consult your vet if you have questions or concerns.
Suggested Dog Foods Based on my Research and Experience Below...
DRY FOOD AKA KIBBLE and WET FOOD ETC: There are a lot of options and brands when it comes to dog food. What you have to remember is that the dog food industry is not regulated like human food is by the FDA. So watch for recalls, look into how transparent the company is, how often they audit their suppliers etc. An article on this topic. More expensive does NOT equal a superior brand or food. Smaller companies are also NOT superior to larger companies.
With this said, it really depends on your dog as to what works best--however, for Schnauzers be sure to stick with the suggested fat and protein daily. A healthy adult can typically do well with most mid-range to the lower high-end brands. If you have working dogs, dogs in agility etc then they will benefit from a higher fat and protein diet such as Orijen and brands like it. Of course dogs that are over-weight which is about 50% of all dogs in the US--would benefit from a low fat dog food. Meaning the fat needs to be 10% or lower. Schnauzers are a breed that easily puts on weight and then suffers from diabetes, heart and pancreatic issues. Unfortunately spaying and neutering impacts a dogs metabolism and slows it down considerably. If you go to chewy.com they have a wide selection of dogs food options to review online. You can also fine tune your search by selecting low fat foods to look at etc. GMO free, grain free or limited ingredient (make sure taurine is an added ingredient), corn wheat and soy free etc. I also suggest mixing wet food with dry food to add moisture to their diet and help create more balance. Make sure to follow the serving size on the label or LESS. Most dogs because they have been spayed/neutered require less than what the label suggests.
ADULT DRY DOG FOOD SUGGESTIONS: These foods have no wheat, corn or soy. If your dog has NO skin issues or allergies then I suggest FROMM Adult Gold Dog Food, or Victor Chicken and Rice or Nutro Chicken or Lamb brands following the guidelines for protein and fat percents for Miniature Schnauzers. *MINI SCHNAUZERS 15% to 25% protein daily and fat daily 10% to 15% is ideal.
*If your dog has skin, tummy or other allergies, CHICKEN is the most common culprit, as well as, beef, lamb, pork, rabbit and/or fish. I suggest you try Nutro Essentials Adult Venison Meal, Brown Rice & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food and taurine has been added to the ingredients list. More suggestions: Dog Foods made with Duck and the read the labels but these are all foods made with Duck as the protein source and taurine is added. Dog Foods made with Venison and has taurine added. Dog Foods made with Turkey but be sure to check the nutrition label and make sure that NO CHICKEN is added (Chicken fat is fine for allergies but not chicken or chicken meal).
GRAIN FREE and LIMITED INGREDIENT FOODS: FYI: GRAIN FREE DOG FOODS HAVE BEEN LINKED TO HEART DISEASE and LIMITED INGREDIENT DIETS TOO--most dogs have a taurine deficiency that have developed the heart issue. Miniature Schnauzers have been listed as a breed being submitted to the FDA. If you feed a GRAIN FREE FOOD, read the label and make sure that TAURINE has been added to the NUTRITION LABEL AS AN ADDED INGREDIENT. If you do choose to continue a limited or grain free diet (I suggest that you find a food that is not grain free), please make sure that if taurine has not been added, that you are adding naturally rich taurine source to the food such as Stella & Chewys Freeze Dried Meals & Mixers. List of dog foods with taurine added. FYI: Legumes (pea, lentil, potato, and chickpeas) and potato have been linked ingredients that are causing dogs not to absorb the taurine. Unfortunately, it is hard to find foods without one these ingredients.
ADULT WEIGHT MANAGEMENT FOOD SUGGESTIONS: These are suggestions for dogs without allergies or Schnauzer bumps. Nutro Ultra Weight Management Dry Dog Food or FROMM Family Weight Management Gold Dog Food. If your Miniature Schnauzer has allergies or Schnauzer bumps you can try Simply Nourish Healthy Weight Turkey or Addiction Grain-Free Wild Kangaroo & Apples Dry Dog Food taurine has been added.
ADULT DOG CALORIES DAILY PER kg or lb. link.
WHEN TO SWITCH FROM PUPPY TO ADULT FOOD: Small breed puppies can transition to adult food around 7/9 months old. Medium breeds 8/10 months old. Large breed can transition 12/18 months.
DRY PUPPY FOOD SUGGESTIONS: These foods have no corn, wheat or soy. I feed Fromm Gold Holistic Puppy Food but I also recommend Nutro Ultra Puppy Food (both are 4.5 stars foods) and Nutro Small Breed Puppy Chicken, Whole Brown Rice & Oatmeal Formula Dry Dog Food or Nutro Puppy Chicken, Whole Brown Rice & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food (4-star foods).
FEEDING A RAW DIET TO ADULT DOGS: Credible research has found that feeding a raw diet causes deficiencies in one area or the other. Please allow a professional to take care of balancing the raw diet for you. I recommend trying Darwin. Raw diets also have way more recalls. So be careful!
MAKING YOUR OWN FRESH DOG FOOD: I would suggest having guidance by professionals when attempting to make your own food. It is very important that it is nutritionally balanced. There is a restaurant for dogs that also offers kits to ship and/or the recipes to print on their website. They have six recipes and advice regarding adding vitamins and minerals etc. JUST FOR DOGS LINK
With this said, it really depends on your dog as to what works best--however, for Schnauzers be sure to stick with the suggested fat and protein daily. A healthy adult can typically do well with most mid-range to the lower high-end brands. If you have working dogs, dogs in agility etc then they will benefit from a higher fat and protein diet such as Orijen and brands like it. Of course dogs that are over-weight which is about 50% of all dogs in the US--would benefit from a low fat dog food. Meaning the fat needs to be 10% or lower. Schnauzers are a breed that easily puts on weight and then suffers from diabetes, heart and pancreatic issues. Unfortunately spaying and neutering impacts a dogs metabolism and slows it down considerably. If you go to chewy.com they have a wide selection of dogs food options to review online. You can also fine tune your search by selecting low fat foods to look at etc. GMO free, grain free or limited ingredient (make sure taurine is an added ingredient), corn wheat and soy free etc. I also suggest mixing wet food with dry food to add moisture to their diet and help create more balance. Make sure to follow the serving size on the label or LESS. Most dogs because they have been spayed/neutered require less than what the label suggests.
ADULT DRY DOG FOOD SUGGESTIONS: These foods have no wheat, corn or soy. If your dog has NO skin issues or allergies then I suggest FROMM Adult Gold Dog Food, or Victor Chicken and Rice or Nutro Chicken or Lamb brands following the guidelines for protein and fat percents for Miniature Schnauzers. *MINI SCHNAUZERS 15% to 25% protein daily and fat daily 10% to 15% is ideal.
*If your dog has skin, tummy or other allergies, CHICKEN is the most common culprit, as well as, beef, lamb, pork, rabbit and/or fish. I suggest you try Nutro Essentials Adult Venison Meal, Brown Rice & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food and taurine has been added to the ingredients list. More suggestions: Dog Foods made with Duck and the read the labels but these are all foods made with Duck as the protein source and taurine is added. Dog Foods made with Venison and has taurine added. Dog Foods made with Turkey but be sure to check the nutrition label and make sure that NO CHICKEN is added (Chicken fat is fine for allergies but not chicken or chicken meal).
GRAIN FREE and LIMITED INGREDIENT FOODS: FYI: GRAIN FREE DOG FOODS HAVE BEEN LINKED TO HEART DISEASE and LIMITED INGREDIENT DIETS TOO--most dogs have a taurine deficiency that have developed the heart issue. Miniature Schnauzers have been listed as a breed being submitted to the FDA. If you feed a GRAIN FREE FOOD, read the label and make sure that TAURINE has been added to the NUTRITION LABEL AS AN ADDED INGREDIENT. If you do choose to continue a limited or grain free diet (I suggest that you find a food that is not grain free), please make sure that if taurine has not been added, that you are adding naturally rich taurine source to the food such as Stella & Chewys Freeze Dried Meals & Mixers. List of dog foods with taurine added. FYI: Legumes (pea, lentil, potato, and chickpeas) and potato have been linked ingredients that are causing dogs not to absorb the taurine. Unfortunately, it is hard to find foods without one these ingredients.
ADULT WEIGHT MANAGEMENT FOOD SUGGESTIONS: These are suggestions for dogs without allergies or Schnauzer bumps. Nutro Ultra Weight Management Dry Dog Food or FROMM Family Weight Management Gold Dog Food. If your Miniature Schnauzer has allergies or Schnauzer bumps you can try Simply Nourish Healthy Weight Turkey or Addiction Grain-Free Wild Kangaroo & Apples Dry Dog Food taurine has been added.
ADULT DOG CALORIES DAILY PER kg or lb. link.
WHEN TO SWITCH FROM PUPPY TO ADULT FOOD: Small breed puppies can transition to adult food around 7/9 months old. Medium breeds 8/10 months old. Large breed can transition 12/18 months.
DRY PUPPY FOOD SUGGESTIONS: These foods have no corn, wheat or soy. I feed Fromm Gold Holistic Puppy Food but I also recommend Nutro Ultra Puppy Food (both are 4.5 stars foods) and Nutro Small Breed Puppy Chicken, Whole Brown Rice & Oatmeal Formula Dry Dog Food or Nutro Puppy Chicken, Whole Brown Rice & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food (4-star foods).
FEEDING A RAW DIET TO ADULT DOGS: Credible research has found that feeding a raw diet causes deficiencies in one area or the other. Please allow a professional to take care of balancing the raw diet for you. I recommend trying Darwin. Raw diets also have way more recalls. So be careful!
MAKING YOUR OWN FRESH DOG FOOD: I would suggest having guidance by professionals when attempting to make your own food. It is very important that it is nutritionally balanced. There is a restaurant for dogs that also offers kits to ship and/or the recipes to print on their website. They have six recipes and advice regarding adding vitamins and minerals etc. JUST FOR DOGS LINK
HEALTHY AND SAFE PEOPLE FOODS: With over 50% of dogs in the US overweight which increases their risk of CANCER, diabetes, joint issues and pancreatic issues and more, let's cover PEOPLE FOOD. Schnauzers are at a very high risk.
LIST OF SAFE HUMAN FOODS ACCORDING TO PETMD -- (TREATS) TO FEED OCCASIONALLY TO YOUR DOG.
When your dog gets anything extra then reduce the kibble/wet portion that you feed or go on a 20 to 30 minute walk. A fit and trim dog avoids knee issues later, spinal issues, diabetes, pancreatic issues, and other health risks related to excessive weight such as cancer. Schnauzers have high cholesterol NATURALLY so they do not need any help having even more fat in their bloodstream.
LIST OF SAFE HUMAN FOODS ACCORDING TO PETMD -- (TREATS) TO FEED OCCASIONALLY TO YOUR DOG.
- carrots a few slices cut up cooked or raw (daily/occasionally)
- salt free green beans raw, cooked or frozen, a few to 1/8 cup chopped up (daily/occasionally)
- fresh spinach cooked, romaine lettuce, zucchini, squash (cooked and chopped up, occasionally)
- bananas raw or frozen (1/8 chopped) (occasionally)
- watermelon, strawberry, blueberries, peeled apple (no seeds or core), or cantaloupe (occasionally)
- boiled egg (entire egg once a week and divided over two days diced)
- 1 TB of 2% cottage cheese (daily)
- 1 TB spoon of plain yogurt use 2% -- not low fat or fat free (daily) <~~~~~ Natural Probiotic
- 1/2 to 1 TB daily of 100% BPA FREE canned pumpkin (daily)
- 2 TB to 1/8 cup white or brown rice (a few times a week)
- boneless skinless chicken breast, ground turkey, duck, venison, salmon (few times a week BAKED/BOIL)
- sweet potato cooked (cubed or mashed) 1/8 cup (occasionally)
- DO NOT FEED YOUR DOGS THESE FOODS: anything with artificial sweeteners (read labels it is being added to a lot of foods now), dark chocolate, coffee, caffeine, grapes, raisins, avocados, garlic, onion, macadamia nuts. Some of these foods destroy the kidney, liver or other organs slowly so you get fooled thinking they are not being harmed or were not harmed until it is too late--acute liver or kidney failure. http://www.vetstreet.com/care/human-foods-that-are-dangerous-for-dogs-and-cats
When your dog gets anything extra then reduce the kibble/wet portion that you feed or go on a 20 to 30 minute walk. A fit and trim dog avoids knee issues later, spinal issues, diabetes, pancreatic issues, and other health risks related to excessive weight such as cancer. Schnauzers have high cholesterol NATURALLY so they do not need any help having even more fat in their bloodstream.
I do watch my Schnauzers fat intake and calorie intake, however they do get treats. I order stuff that is made in the USA and I order from chewy.com.
Blue Dog Bakery
Three Dog Bakery
SmartSticks (chews)
Zuke's Z-Bones
Blue Dog Bakery
Three Dog Bakery
SmartSticks (chews)
Zuke's Z-Bones
SPECIAL NOTE FOR RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS: While researching reputable dog food brands I came across helpful information for responsible breeders who raise healthy puppies. The first issue is the recent study released covering the decline in dog fertility over the last 26 years. The study links chemicals in food and certain ingredients as being responsible. With this said, be aware of plant estrogen's in the ingredients and other herbs that have an unhealthy impact on dog reproduction. As with anything certainly some dogs are not affected. However, with a 30% drop in fertility over the last 26 years, many dogs are.
LIST OF SUSPECT INGREDIENTS: are plant estrogen's such as SOY and FLAX SEED being the worst and then other reproduction disruptive ingredients such as alfalfa, sunflower, split peas, chic peas, legumes, linseed, marigold, chicory root, inulin, dahlia, soy, FOS, basil, parsley, pea/pea meal. These ingredients wreak havoc on estrogen levels in both male and female canines. They also cause issues with estrus, lower litter counts, lower birth weights, uterine bleeding, poor placenta attachment and placement, early uterine contractions causing miscarriage, fetal re-absorption, sperm health issues such as failure to fertilize the egg and more. Also make sure that the ratio of calcium to phosphorous are correct too 1.2:1.
These ingredients have taken over dog food. It is nearly impossible to find foods without flax seed, soy and/or peas etc. This greatly limits choices. Below are foods without the estrogen inhibiting ingredients. Look into mixing wet dog food with dry to help increase the protein source from meat.
Rachel Ray Just 6 Lamb (3 stars)
Purina Beyond Simply 9 White Whole Chicken and Lamb (3.5 stars)
Purina Pro (Focus) Giant Formula, Small Breed (Focus), Small Bites Lamb (Focus) and Toy (Focus) (2.5 stars)
Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Formula Dry Dog Food (3 stars)
Joy Super Meal with Pumpkin (3 stars)
Joy Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food (3 stars)
Joy High Performance (2 stars)
The truth about corn <~~~~ Not a bad ingredient when rotating with a food that does not have any corn.
LIST OF SUSPECT INGREDIENTS: are plant estrogen's such as SOY and FLAX SEED being the worst and then other reproduction disruptive ingredients such as alfalfa, sunflower, split peas, chic peas, legumes, linseed, marigold, chicory root, inulin, dahlia, soy, FOS, basil, parsley, pea/pea meal. These ingredients wreak havoc on estrogen levels in both male and female canines. They also cause issues with estrus, lower litter counts, lower birth weights, uterine bleeding, poor placenta attachment and placement, early uterine contractions causing miscarriage, fetal re-absorption, sperm health issues such as failure to fertilize the egg and more. Also make sure that the ratio of calcium to phosphorous are correct too 1.2:1.
These ingredients have taken over dog food. It is nearly impossible to find foods without flax seed, soy and/or peas etc. This greatly limits choices. Below are foods without the estrogen inhibiting ingredients. Look into mixing wet dog food with dry to help increase the protein source from meat.
Rachel Ray Just 6 Lamb (3 stars)
Purina Beyond Simply 9 White Whole Chicken and Lamb (3.5 stars)
Purina Pro (Focus) Giant Formula, Small Breed (Focus), Small Bites Lamb (Focus) and Toy (Focus) (2.5 stars)
Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Formula Dry Dog Food (3 stars)
Joy Super Meal with Pumpkin (3 stars)
Joy Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food (3 stars)
Joy High Performance (2 stars)
The truth about corn <~~~~ Not a bad ingredient when rotating with a food that does not have any corn.
