Best dry dog food for a West Highland Terrier
A West Highland Terrier is a small breed with a known tendency towards skin sensitivity and a hearty appetite that makes them prone to putting on weight, so the dry food that suits them best is usually a small-kibble recipe with a clear, limited protein source and a calorie level matched to how much exercise the individual dog actually gets.
Feeding a West Highland White Terrier
A small breed
An adult West Highland White Terrier typically weighs 6.8–9.1 kg, so a healthy West Highland White Terrier eats a modest amount compared with other breeds. Every feeding guide on a bag is written per kilo of body weight, not per breed — start there, then adjust to the dog in front of you.
Life stage
A small breed is usually done growing at 10–12 months, which is roughly when a puppy food has finished its job. With a typical lifespan of 12–16 years, there is a long adult stretch in the middle; switch to a senior food when your vet thinks it is worth it rather than on a birthday.
Small mouths, crowded teeth
Smaller breeds get dental disease more often than big ones, largely because the same number of teeth are packed into a shorter jaw. Kibble size is worth checking, and a dental chew counts towards the daily 10% of calories from treats.
How much should a West Highland White Terrier weigh?
Adult 6.8–9.1 kgfully grown at 10–12 months
| Age | Stage | Typical weight | Of adult size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 weeks | Just home | 1.1–1.5 kg | 17% |
| 3 months | Young puppy | 1.8–2.5 kg | 27% |
| 6 months | Growing fast | 3.7–4.9 kg | 54% |
| 10–12 months | Fully grown | 6.8–9.1 kg | 100% |
A guide, from the same rule of thumb our puppy growth predictor uses — each age is that share of the way to maturity for a small breed. Puppies grow fastest early, so a real puppy usually sits a little above the middle rows. Weigh yours and ask your vet if the number worries you.
Complete dog foods that suit a West Highland White Terrier
Complete foods from our range, matched to a West Highland White Terrier's size band and what the breed typically needs. Stock levels and delivery dates are live on each product.
Pedigree Can in Jelly Puppy 6 Pack
Complete Pedigree puppy food in jelly with chicken, lamb and poultry recipes
£10.15
Forthglade Cold Pressed Natural Turkey
Cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs from 2 months, soft enough to mix with water for young pups
£45.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Salmon
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for dogs, built on fresh and dried salmon
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Duck
Cold-pressed grain-free duck food with fruit and botanicals, in two bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Chicken
Cold-pressed grain-free chicken food with fruit and botanicals, in three bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Turkey
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% turkey, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Chicken
A grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, lightly baked and built on 50% chicken
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Forthglade British Classics Chicken Family Lunch
Complete Forthglade wet dog food with 75% chicken in a 395G tray
£2.45
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
Harringtons Just 6 Dry Dog Food Lamb
Grain-free lamb dry dog food in 2KG and 12KG sizes, with size-specific formulas
From£13.99
Size and kibble shape
Westies have small mouths and jaws, so a kibble sized for a small breed is easier and more comfortable for them to eat than one designed for a medium or large dog. Many small-breed dry foods are shaped specifically with this in mind, which also encourages proper chewing rather than gulping.
A dog who bolts oversized kibble without chewing it properly is more prone to digestive upset and, in rarer cases, choking, so kibble size is a genuinely practical consideration for a breed this small rather than a cosmetic one.
Skin and coat needs
Westies are a breed known for a higher-than-average rate of skin sensitivity, so a diet with a clear, single named protein rather than a mix of several meats can make it easier to identify what does or does not agree with an individual dog's skin.
A coat-supporting food with a reasonable fat content also tends to suit the breed's harsh, wiry double coat, though no diet alone will resolve a genuine skin condition — persistent itching, redness or hair loss is worth a vet visit rather than a food change on its own.
Weight management
Westies are enthusiastic eaters and, being a small breed, do not need much food in absolute terms to maintain a healthy weight — it is easy to overfeed them relative to their size without realising it. Following the feeding guide on the specific food as a starting point, then adjusting based on your dog's actual body condition, matters more than the breed name on the front of the pack.
A food with a controlled calorie density, or a specific weight management recipe if your dog is already carrying extra weight, is worth considering alongside portion control rather than as a replacement for it.
Common questions
- Do Westies need a grain-free diet?
- Not specifically because of their breed. Grain-free is not automatically better for skin sensitivity, and what tends to help more is a single named protein source. Whether to choose grain-free or not should come down to how an individual dog responds, not a blanket breed rule.
- How much dry food should a West Highland Terrier eat a day?
- This varies by the specific food's calorie density and your dog's individual size, age and activity level, so always start from the feeding guide on the pack you are using and adjust based on your dog's body condition rather than a fixed universal amount.
- Are Westies prone to food allergies?
- Westies are known as a breed with a higher rate of skin sensitivity generally, which can sometimes be linked to a food ingredient, though environmental causes are common too. A vet can help work out whether food is actually the trigger if your dog has ongoing skin issues.
- Is small-breed dry food necessary for a Westie?
- It is not strictly essential, but the smaller kibble size is genuinely easier for a small dog to eat comfortably and encourages proper chewing, which is a reasonable practical reason to choose a small-breed recipe over a standard one.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.