Chews for small dogs
A chew genuinely built for a small dog is different in three ways from a scaled-down version of a large-breed chew: it's sized so it can't be swallowed whole, it isn't so hard that it risks a small dog's smaller, more crowded teeth, and it's calorie-light enough that a daily chew doesn't quietly become a large share of a small dog's food budget for the day.
Size is a safety issue, not just a fit issue
A chew that's the right size for a small dog is one they have to actually work at, gnawing and wearing it down over time, rather than one small enough to be grabbed and swallowed close to whole. A chew that's too small for a dog's mouth is a genuine choking risk, particularly for a dog that gets excited and gulps rather than settling in to chew properly, so checking the sizing guidance on a pack against your specific dog's weight and breed matters more than it might seem.
It's also worth watching a chew as it wears down rather than assuming the starting size covers the whole thing — a chew that's safe at full size can become a smaller, swallowable piece toward the end, and that's the point to take it away rather than let a small dog finish it unsupervised.
Small mouths, smaller and often more crowded teeth
Many small dog breeds are prone to dental crowding, since the same number of teeth fits into a proportionally smaller jaw, which can make them more susceptible to chips and fractures from very hard chews than a larger breed with more spacing between teeth. Extremely hard chews — some antlers, very dense dried bones, or anything that doesn't give slightly under firm thumbnail pressure — are worth avoiding for small dogs for this reason specifically.
Softer, more digestible dental chews and natural chews designed with smaller dogs in mind tend to give the same chewing satisfaction and dental benefit with meaningfully less risk to teeth that are already working with less room than a larger dog's jaw provides.
Calories add up faster in a small dog
A chew that would barely register as a calorie source for a large breed can represent a real chunk of a small dog's daily food allowance, simply because small dogs need far fewer calories overall. A daily dental chew or long-lasting treat is worth checking against the calorie guidance on the pack, and factoring into the day's total food rather than treating it as a freebie on top of a full meal plan.
This matters most for small dogs prone to weight gain, or those already on a controlled diet for any reason, where a seemingly small chew given every day can undo some of the work a carefully measured main meal is doing.
What we stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Whimzees Toothbrush Daily Dental Dog Chew
A vegetarian daily dental chew for dogs, shaped like a toothbrush
From£0.69
Pedigree DentaStix Daily Dental Chews Small Dog
Daily Pedigree DentaStix dental chews for small dogs over the label age limit
£2.35
Whimzees Stix Daily Dental Dog Chew
WHIMZEES Stix Daily Dental Dog Chew: complementary dog chew with potato starch
From£0.59
Dentalife Oral Care Dental Chew Small Dog Chicken
Twenty-one soft daily dental sticks for small dogs, sized to Purina’s 7 to 12kg guide
£4.35
Whimzees Stix Daily Dental Dog Chew Value Bag
Gluten-free Stix dental chews for dogs, value bag — not for dogs under 5lb or 9 months
£10.99
Good Boy Keep Um Busy Bar Small Chews Chicken
Long-lasting chew bars for dogs, pea-starch based with 26% chicken, pack of 4
£1.99
Chewllagen Peanut Butter Bar
Collagen chew bars for dogs, peanut butter flavour — sold in three sizes
From£4.99
Goodwood Original Coffee Wood
Untreated coffee wood dog chew in extra small, small, medium and large sizes
From£4.49
Denzel's Daily Dentals for Small Dogs & Puppies
Small dental chews for puppies and small dogs, 8cm long, with a little salmon
£3.00
Pedigree Dentastix Light Dog
Pedigree DentaStix Light dental chews across small, medium and large sizes
From£2.35
Common questions
- What size chew is right for a small dog?
- Check the sizing guidance on the packaging against your dog's actual weight rather than guessing, and look for something they have to work at rather than one they could swallow close to whole. Take a chew away once it's worn down to a small enough piece to pose a swallowing risk, rather than letting it be finished unsupervised.
- Are hard chews bad for small dogs' teeth?
- Very hard chews carry a genuine risk of chipping or fracturing teeth, and small breeds with more crowded teeth in a smaller jaw can be more vulnerable to this than larger dogs. A chew that gives slightly under firm thumbnail pressure is a reasonable rule of thumb for a safer hardness level.
- Do chews count toward a small dog's daily calories?
- Yes, and it matters more for a small dog than a large one, since their total daily calorie allowance is much smaller to begin with. Check the calorie guidance on a chew's packaging and factor it into the day's overall food rather than treating it as extra on top of a full meal plan.
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.