Feeding small-breed puppies: amounts, rhythm, transition

6 min · last updated 09/04/2026

Small puppies have tiny energy reserves. Four meals a day are a requirement until month six, not a luxury.

Feeding rhythm

Weeks 8 to 16: four meals. Months 4 to 6: three meals. From month 7: two meals.

With very small breeds such as chihuahua, check the gum colour in the first weeks: pale gums and apathy are warning signs of hypoglycaemia.

Transition over seven to ten days: replace about ten per cent of the old food with the new one each day.

We send every puppy home with two weeks of its familiar food so the move does not upset the stomach as well.

Which vaccinations are due when, what the German StIKo Vet recommends and how to plan deworming sensibly.

Which vaccination is due when, when the microchip is implanted and how to keep passport and registration correct.

Tartar and matting are the two most common health problems of small breeds — both are almost entirely preventable.