What to feed a Papillon
A Papillon needs a complete toy or small breed food, fed in smaller, more frequent meals than a larger dog rather than one or two big bowls a day. Their small size means a proportionally higher energy need per kilo of bodyweight than a large breed, and a tiny kibble suited to their small jaw makes eating easier and safer.
Why size changes the approach
At roughly three to five kilograms as an adult, a Papillon has very little margin for error in portioning compared with a large breed, where a slightly generous scoop barely registers. A small measuring error that would be trivial for a Labrador can be a meaningful percentage of a Papillon's whole daily intake.
Toy and small breed recipes are formulated with this in mind, generally carrying more calories per gram than a large breed food, alongside a smaller kibble shape that a small mouth can pick up and chew properly rather than swallowing whole.
Meal frequency and puppies especially
Toy breed puppies, Papillons included, are more prone than larger breed puppies to a drop in blood sugar between meals, which is why breeders and vets generally recommend three to four smaller meals a day for a toy breed puppy rather than the two meals that suit an adult of any size.
Adult Papillons generally do fine on two meals a day, but keeping portions modest and consistent matters more for this breed than for a larger dog, since their whole daily requirement is a small number of grams to begin with.
Dental care matters early
Toy breeds, and Papillons in particular, are prone to dental crowding and tartar build-up because a full set of adult teeth is fitted into a very small jaw. A kibble with a texture designed to scrape at the tooth as it is chewed, alongside dental chews sized for a small mouth, is worth building into the routine from early adulthood rather than waiting for a problem to show.
Regular tooth brushing with a dog-specific paste, if your Papillon will tolerate it, does more for long-term dental health than any single food or chew on its own. A vet or vet nurse can show you how to introduce it gradually if you have not done it before, and can flag any tartar build-up at a routine check before it becomes a bigger problem.
What to watch for
A Papillon that seems lethargic, wobbly or unusually quiet, particularly a puppy, between meals should be seen by a vet promptly rather than simply fed and monitored at home, since low blood sugar in a small toy breed puppy can become serious quickly.
Weight is easy to track visually on a dog this size: you should be able to feel the ribs without pressing hard, and a Papillon carrying visible extra weight around the middle is worth a portion review.
Foods that suit this breed
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Forthglade Natural Dental Sticks 5pk
Forthglade Natural Dental Sticks 5pk: complementary dog chew with dried potato — 170G
£3.00
Forthglade Dental Calming Sticks
Dental chew sticks for dogs with added calming botanicals for evening routines
£2.99
Pedigree Dentastix Light Daily Dental Chews Dog
Pedigree DentaStix Light daily dental chews for medium and large dogs
£2.35
Pedigree Dentastix Light Dog
Pedigree DentaStix Light dental chews across small, medium and large sizes
From£2.35
Pedigree Dentastix Fresh Daily Dog Dental Treats
The daily dental stick people ask for by name, sized for small, medium or large dogs
From£2.35
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 Small Dog Turkey
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for small dogs and puppies, built on turkey
£16.99
Common questions
- How often should I feed my Papillon?
- Adults generally do well on two meals a day. Puppies, especially under about four months old, are usually better on three to four smaller meals, since toy breed puppies are more prone to low blood sugar between feeds than larger breed puppies.
- What size kibble does a Papillon need?
- A small or toy breed kibble, sized for a small jaw. A large breed kibble can be genuinely difficult for a Papillon to pick up and chew comfortably, and may be swallowed whole rather than chewed, which is worth avoiding for both digestion and dental wear.
- Are Papillons prone to dental problems?
- Yes, more than many breeds, simply because a full adult tooth set sits in a very small jaw and tartar builds up quickly as a result. Regular dental chews sized for a small mouth and, where recommended by your vet, tooth brushing help manage this from a young age.
- How much should an adult Papillon weigh?
- Most adult Papillons sit somewhere around three to five kilograms, though individual dogs vary. Your vet can weigh your dog and check body condition at a routine visit, which is more useful than comparing to a single average figure.
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.