What's the Best Dog Food for American Eskimo Dogs?
As one of the most active dog breeds, American Eskimos have very specific nutritional and caloric needs that should be taken into consideration when selecting the right dog food. With the potential of living a long, healthy life, proper nutrition can help support these dogs being their fun-loving, intelligent, and loyal selves!
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Breed Info
Breed Group:Toy | AKC American Eskimo Toy Profile
Ideal Weight:Female Adult: 13 to 17 pounds
Male Adult: 7 to 9 pounds
Exercise Need:30 to 50 minutes per day
Breed Summary
Originally known as the American Spitz and thought to be descended from working farm dogs in Germany, the American Eskimo breed was not officially registered with the AKC until the 1990s. These highly active and intelligent dogs are playful, loyal, and energetic. They would make a great addition to families with children and, with proper socialization, can even become warm-welcoming to strangers. Separation anxiety and excessive barking can become an issue, but only if not properly trained. American Eskimos are very smart, quick and like to be mentally challenged; however, are usually quite easy to train - when they aren’t being stubborn or indulging their independent streak. With 3 different sizes (standard, miniature, and toy) ranging from 6-35 lbs, most American Eskimos would suffice living in an apartment only if they get plenty of time for exercise and play. Due to their natural curiosity and enjoyment of training activities, American Eskimos also excel at agility training and other sports.
Physical Traits
Small frame under fluffy hair, happy face, upright gait
Personality Traits
Child-friendly, loving, trainable
Health Considerations
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Bone & Joint Issues
Joint problems: like many of their small-dog friends, American Eskimo Toys can develop a variety of common joint problems including luxating patella, hip dysplasia and legg-calve-perthes disease, but feeding them a dog food with the following nutrients can help:
Recommendations:
Antioxidants・ Chondroitin・ Glucosamine・ Green Mussel・ Methylsulfonymethane・ Omega-3 from Fish Oil・ Taurine・ Turmeric・ Vitamin E -
Dental Problems
Like many breeds, American Eskimo Toys are known to develop dental problems like gum disease and oral infections, so we recommend that their food and supplements address this. Learn more about how to take care of your dog's teeth.
Recommendations:
Puffy/crunch kibbles (bigger)・ Sodium hexametaphosphate・ Treats based on solubility, not hardness -
Endocrine Disorders
American Eskimo Toys seem to be more likely than other breeds to develop problems with their endocrine system including hypothyroidism and addison’s disease. Thankfully these issues can often be minimized with a healthy diet.
Recommendations:
Large bites (to slow chewing)・ L-carnitine・ Low calorie・ Low fat・ Low iodine -
Eye Problems
American Eskimo Toys are susceptible to hereditary juvenile cataracts and progressive retinal atrophy (pra), so foods with nutrients that support eye health are good.
Recommendations:
Anthocyanins・ Astaxanthin・ Beta-carotene・ Carotenoids・ Glutathione・ Lutein・ Lycopene・ Omega-3 essential fatty acids・ Phytonutrients・ Vitamin A・ Vitamin C
Get a tailored nutrition profile for your dog
Our free nutritional assessment tool provides individualized recommendations based on your dog's breed characteristics, age, weight, body condition score, and activity level. It only takes 30 seconds to receive science-based insights to support your dog's lifelong health.
Are Fresh Food Diets Good for American Eskimo Toys?
Only if they’re properly balanced.
Many well-intentioned American Eskimo Toys parents spend a lot of time preparing meals at home, but health benefits are lost if meals aren’t properly portioned and balanced with all the nutrients dogs need. Recently, a few companies have done an excellent job ensuring accurate portions and nutrient balance by delivering pre-prepped fresh meals customized to the size and needs of your dog. Farmer’s Dog, Ollie and Nom Nom have each been approved by our nutrition team as delivering truly quality and well-balanced meals. They can be a little expensive (usually 3-4x more per day than kibble), but many find the added health benefits worth the cost. They do offer discounts to new customers, though, if you’d like to try one out.
Pros and Cons of Fresh Food Diets
✓ Diets balanced by Nutritionists・ ✓ Customized portions for weight control・ ✓ Superior digestive and immune health ・✕ More expensive than standard dog food
Foods We Recommend for American Eskimo Toys Puppies
How long do American Eskimo Toyss need puppy food?
Until they're 10 to 12 months old.
American Eskimo Toys are very focused on growing, and how we feed them should help them do just that. Since they have so much growing to do, they need higher amounts of nutrients than adult dogs, especially proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and — don’t forget — water. It’s still important to not overfeed puppies, so make sure to portion food and keep treats to no more than 10% of their caloric intake. Since balance is so important, we recommend that your young American Eskimo Toys is eating food that is made just for puppies from a reputable brand.
Find the best nutritional start for your puppy
Our recommendation tool evaluates your puppy’s breed, age, growth stage, lifestyle, and health needs to identify a scientifically appropriate diet from over 10,000 options. Obtain personalized guidance to help support healthy development and lifelong wellness.
Foods We Recommend for American Eskimo Toys Adults
When should American Eskimo Toys start transitioning to adult food?
When they're 10 to 12 months old
From a nutrition standpoint, American Eskimo Toys become adults once they reach about 90% of their expected weight. Once adults, our two key nutrition goals are balance and maintenance. We want balance because a dog’s body is responsible for a lot of things, like digestion, fighting infection, keeping muscles strong, and chasing squirrels. These are all important tasks, so we want to make sure each body function gets its share of nutrients. We also need to maintain a healthy weight. Underfed dogs are at risk for malnourishment, and overfed dogs can become obese — both of which lead to even worse problems for an American Eskimo Toy
Find the optimal nutrition plan for your adult dog
Our assessment analyzes your dog’s breed, age, lifestyle, and health considerations to recommend a scientifically selected diet from over 10,000 options. Personalized insights to help your dog thrive through adulthood.
Foods We Recommend for American Eskimo Toys Seniors
When should American Eskimo Toys start transitioning to senior food?
All dogs can age differently, but small dogs like American Eskimo Toys can start to benefit from senior food around 8 to 10 years old
Ever watch kids running around the playground and wish you had that energy again? Yeah. Dogs get there, too. The metabolic processes in senior American Eskimo Toys slow down as they age, which often means they aren’t needing quite as many calories as they did in their prime. Smart dog food companies have formulated senior diets to ease up on calories but still help them feel full and give them adequate maintenance protein. Still, like humans, everybody is different. Sometimes older dogs need just as many calories, or more, depending on how their bodies progress. So keep a close eye on their body condition, and look for dog foods made for seniors.
Support your senior dog's health with targeted nutrition
Our assessment analyzes your dog’s breed, age, and health considerations to recommend a science-based diet from over 10,000 options. Help maintain mobility, cognitive health, and quality of life.
Affiliate Disclosure:
We do not accept money to recommend pet foods. However, we do receive referral fees from online retailers (such as Chewy or Amazon) on qualifying purchases. Our recommendations are neutral, and diet recommendations are made without considering whether we will receive a referral fee.