Like all breeds, Pomeranian feeding requires careful planning and consideration of various factors to ensure your pup receives the proper daily nourishment for good health at every stage of its life.
The amount of food a Pomeranian requires varies depending on age, weight, and activity level. Pomeranian puppies should be given ¼ to ¾ cups of food daily, while adult Poms require between ¼ and ¾ cups of food daily. Meanwhile, senior Pomeranians thrive when given ¼ to ½ cup of food daily.
This article will cover everything you need to know about Pomeranian feeding, from the factors that could impact how much to feed a Pomeranian to answering some of the frequently asked questions. Learn more as you read on!
What Factors Impact How Much to Feed a Pomeranian?
Pomeranians are toy-sized dogs with particular dietary requirements. To be healthy and content, they need a balanced diet, regardless of their type. But how much food they should eat will vary depending on several factors.
Here are some factors that influence how much to feed a Pomeranian:
- Weight: One of the most crucial criteria in determining how much food a dog needs is weight. Due to their smaller size and lower energy needs, smaller breeds, like Pomeranians, require less food than larger types.
- Age: Given their rapid growth, puppies need more calories than older dogs. Adults and seniors require fewer calories if they become less active or experience health problems. Determine the right food for your dog by discussing its lifestyle and life stage with your vet.
- Activity Level: Make sure you adapt your feeding plan based on its activity level since those who exercise frequently require more calories. Underfeeding an active dog might result in energy deficiency, while overfeeding an inactive dog may lead to obesity.
- Health Condition: To rule out any health risks, it is also advised to consult with your veterinarian. Ask your veterinarian what kind and amount of food is best for your dog if the dog suffers from a medical problem like diabetes or allergies.
- Pregnancy: Female Pomeranians will have specific physiological when they are pregnant or lactating. Your veterinarian can guide you on the best possible diet for them to ensure that they deliver healthy puppies.
To ensure you feed your pup correctly, it is wise to consult your veterinarian and discuss an appropriate feeding plan for your dog. Doing so can keep your Pomeranian healthy and happy for many years.
How Much to Feed Your Pomeranian?
Determining how much to feed your Pomeranian can be tricky, as there is no one-size-fits-all formula for calculating how much to feed your Pomeranian, so it might be challenging.
The amount of food that your Pomeranian needs will vary depending on their age, activity level, and health. Knowing the basics of feeding your Pom is critical to guarantee that your dog receives the most nutrition feasible.
Pomeranian Puppy Feeding Chart (2 months to 12 months)
Your Pomeranian puppy’s nursing stage is the first four months of its existence. At this moment, the mother’s breastmilk is best.
You should be aware that pups go through a weaning stage before giving your puppy any form of dog food. At this point, pups gradually switch from breast milk to genuine puppy food.
Puppies under six months old need food available at all times; between six and twelve months, they require canned puppy food, with dry food still being provided around the clock.
The feeding chart below should guide you in terms of how much dry dog food to give your Pomeranian puppy:
| Age | Daily Feeding Amount (Cups) | Caloric Intake (Per day) |
| 2 – 3 months | ¼ – ½ | 125 – 285 |
| 4 – 5 months | ¼ – ½ | 129 – 261 |
| 6 – 12 months | ¼ – ¾ | 150 – 287 |
Make sure your Pomeranian puppy is adequately hydrated in addition to giving it the necessary amount of food. Proper hydration helps the rest of its bodily functions to run smoothly.
In addition, being a former owner of several Pomeranians, one of their distinct characteristics is that many of them tend to be very picky eaters. Hence, as soon as my dogs were able to try solid foods, I made it a point to be creative with their diet.
What I did was to combine wet food and home-cooked meals with their kibbles to add some variety to their diet and to increase their appetite when they showed fussiness with their food.
Adult Pomeranian Feeding Chart (1 to 7 years)
Most of the Pomeranian’s growth occurs in the first year, similar to many other toy-breed dogs.
Although a significant portion will continue to fill out until the 12-month point, many are actually at their final adult size by the 10-month mark.
This makes sense since Poms are also considered adults at the age of one. An adult Pomeranian should be fed according to size, activity level, and age.
This chart will provide you with a guideline on how much to feed an adult Pomeranian:
| Age | Daily Feeding Amount (Cups) | Caloric Intake (Per day) |
| 1 – 7 years | ¼ – ¾ | 144 – 268 |
The feeding chart provides a helpful starting point, but each Pomeranian will have unique nutritional needs. Adjust as you go based on your individual dog’s breed, age, activity, and metabolism.
Pro Tip: Similar to other small dogs with fluffy hair, keeping their coats clean and dry after feeding promotes good hygiene that will prevent the build-up of bacteria that may create health issues.
Senior Pomeranian Feeding Chart (8 years and above)
It is important to recognize that feeding your senior Pomeranian dog requires some special considerations. As they age, their nutritional needs change and their food types must be adjusted accordingly.
Pomeranians in their senior years require a dog diet with antioxidants added. Pomeranians can transition to a senior-designed dog food a little later than others because they can live much longer than larger dog breeds.
Here is a table showing the food and calorie requirements of senior Pomeranians:
| Age | Daily Feeding Amount (Cups) | Caloric Intake (Per day) |
| 8 years and above | ¼ – ½ | 115 – 214 |
A portion of ideal dog food highly recommended for your senior Pomeranian should have above-average protein, below-average calories, and no high-risk preservatives.
You should consider senior dog diets when your dog is about eight years old.
How Often Should You Feed Your Pomeranian?
Pomeranians need frequent meals since they require a lot of energy. Three to four meals per day are recommended for a growing Pomeranian puppy, while adults need to be fed twice daily. Meanwhile, seniors can be fed once or twice daily, depending on their activity level.
Based on your Pomeranian’s age, the feeding schedules shown below are advised:
| Age | Feeding Frequency |
| 4 – 12 weeks | Four times a day or free feeding |
| 3 – 12 months | Three times a day |
| 1 – 7 years | Two times a day |
| 8 years and above | Once or twice a day |
Knowing how often to feed your Pomeranian is essential in keeping them healthy. With the right diet tailored to their individual needs, you can ensure that your pet will have a long and comfortable life.
As always, consulting with your veterinarian is the best way to find out what feeding schedule is ideal for your dog.
How to Transition Your Pomeranian to a New Food
Switching your Pomeranian to a new meal can be challenging if they are used to eating one kind. Your dog should be transitioned gradually over seven days if you plan to change its diet.
Start by substituting 25% of your dog’s old food daily with the new food. As you go, increase the percentage until your dog is only eating the new food.
During this transition period, monitoring your pet closely for any signs of digestive disturbances, such as vomiting or diarrhea, is important.
If symptoms develop, switch back to the original diet and speak with a veterinarian about how to safely introduce the new food.
Here is a food transition plan suggested by the American Kennel Club (AKC):
| Day | Old Food | New Food |
| Day 1 – 2 | 75% | 25% |
| Day 3 – 4 | 50% | 50% |
| Day 5 – 6 | 25% | 75% |
| Day 7 | 0% | 100% |
Make sure that any treats or munchies you offer your dog are also manufactured with the same components as the new meal. This will facilitate their adaptation to the new flavor and feel.
As mentioned earlier, Pomeranians can be very stubborn when it comes to eating their food. So I did experience a lot of food transitioning from my end to ensure that my Poms continued to have an adequate food intake.
From simple kibbles, I would sometimes switch to wet canned food, then back to kibbles, then home-cooked meals. I have even tried a raw diet at some point. Regardless, these switches are always done best with consultation from your vet.
Pro Tip: To help with your Pomeranian’s initial diet transition, it is advisable to request at least a week’s supply of its current dog food from its breeder. This way, you just need to buy the new dog food that you wish to use for your Pom.
Tips on Feeding an Overweight Pomeranian
The Pomeranian has a propensity to put on weight. If you have a Pomeranian, it’s crucial to take precautions to keep your dog at a healthy weight. Obesity in dogs is a serious health concern that should be addressed urgently.
Feeding an overweight Pomeranian will require careful adjustments to its diet and nutrient requirements. Although this could be a challenging task, there are a lot of ways you can do to bring back your Pomeranian’s healthy weight.
The following advice will assist you in feeding an overweight Pomeranian:
- Monitor and control your Pomeranian’s food intake. Consider giving your Pomeranian multiple meals throughout the day rather than a single huge meal to monitor and regulate food intake. Treats can provide extra calories that could lead to weight gain, so avoid giving them unless they are part of a training session.
- Feed your Pom high-calorie foods moderately. To ensure your Pomeranian receives the necessary nutrients without adding excess calories, it must be fed high-quality foods with low calories. Look for dog foods with low-calorie or weight-control labels because they will have fewer calories than some other products.
- Avoid giving human foods as rewards. Human foods should not be given as rewards because they frequently include excessive amounts of sugar and fat. Stick to less-fattening foods developed especially for dogs, such as freeze-dried liver treats, apples, carrots, and other healthy options.
- Limit treats. Treats should account for at most 10% of your Pomeranian’s daily caloric consumption. Choose healthy snacks like fruits or vegetables instead of the conventional junk food snacks frequently offered to pets.
Your Pomeranian can remain healthy and happy with the appropriate nutrition and activity regimen. By adhering to these recommendations, you can ensure that your Pomeranian lives a long and fulfilling life.
Aside from these, keeping your Pomeranian fit and healthy is also a great way to avoid the high cost of treating obesity-related illnesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Know If I’m Feeding My Pomeranian Enough?
Your veterinarian is the best person to ask this subject because the amount will differ based on the animal’s age, weight, and other considerations. You can also use the feeding charts provided in this guide to see if you are feeding your Pomeranian the right amount based on age.
Why Is My Pomeranian Not Eating?
Pomeranians and other small dogs are notoriously fussy eaters. However, if you notice that your Pom is not on its usual appetite, something wrong might be going on. Stress, medical ailments, weather, and age can all affect a Pomeranian’s appetite.
Can I Feed My Pomeranian With Human Food?
Pomeranians can comfortably eat various human foods, including tiny amounts of carbs and animal proteins, but avoid eating foods heavy in caffeine, sugar, sodium, additives, or preservatives.
Do Pomeranians Eat a Lot?
Smaller dogs require more frequent feedings than their larger counterparts. Nonetheless, they require less food to keep their tiny bodies moving throughout the day. Pomeranians burn calories quickly; many experts advise feeding them thrice daily.
Can Pomeranians Eat Bones?
Bones can help satisfy your dog’s appetite and are a wonderful source of minerals and other nutrients. Chewing promotes salivary enzymes, which help stop gum disease and plaque development on teeth.
Additionally, dogs that chew on dog bones are less likely to scratch or lick their paws overly. It is worth noting that not all kinds of bones are good for dogs. Generally, cooked bones are not recommended since they can splinter and cause digestive blockage.
Nonetheless, according to many vets, giving your dog a bone simply isn’t worth the chance of major damage.
Do you have other helpful tips on Pomeranian feeding? We would love to hear from you! Let us know in the comments below, along with any questions you may have about these small dogs’ feeding behaviors.
2 comments
My Spitz is a fussy eater but has gained considerable weight, and she’s only 2. She will not eat dog food, only people food. Is there a particular dog food that she may like that is low in calories?
I hear you. It’s a common problem for dogs to develop a taste for human food, especially if they find it more appealing than their regular kibble. But it’s important you transition your Spitz back to a proper dog food formulated for her needs.
Since your Spitz seems to prefer the taste of people food, you could look for dog foods that are made with real meat as the first ingredient. She’ll probably find those more appealing.
Fresh refrigerated dog foods are another option that mimics the texture and flavor of human food more closely. Or try some wet canned varieties, which tend to have a stronger smell and softer bite than dry kibble.
Given your Spitz’s weight gain, it’s important to find a dog food that she likes and that is also low in calories. Look for formulas specifically labeled “weight management” or “light.” These are designed to be lower in fat and calories while still providing balanced nutrition.