Best Dog Food for Schnoodles: Ensuring Optimal Health and Nutrition

If you are looking for a charming, goofy dog to add to your family, the Schnoodle is a great breed to consider.

A cross between the Miniature Schnauzer and the Poodle, this dog is intelligent and alert but quick to love and eager to please. Schnoodles are small dogs with curly coats and, despite their small stature, they make excellent watchdogs.

This breed is moderately active and friendly with children, cats, and other dogs but they do require a good deal of coat maintenance.

If you have a Schnoodle of your own or are thinking of getting one, keep reading to learn about the best dog food for Schnoodles.

Schnoodle Breed Overview

• Pedigree: Miniature Schnauzer and Poodle
• Size: 10 to 12 inches
• Weight: 10 to 20 pounds
• Energy Level: Moderate
• Lifespan: 13 to 17 years

The Schnoodle is a cross between the Miniature Schnauzer and the Poodle. These dogs are small-breed dogs, standing 10 to 12 inches tall and weighing between 10 and 20 pounds.

Though there are three different size variations for the Poodle, the Standard Poodle (the largest of the three) generally isn’t used in the crossing to create a Schnoodle – it is usually the Toy Poodle or the Miniature Poodle.

Even so, your Schnoodle’s size may vary on either end of the spectrum according to his genetics. There is no way to make exact predictions about the adult size of a crossbreed dog – the only thing you can really do is wait for him to grow up.

 

Best Dog Food for Schnoodles

1. Ollie Fresh Pet Food

Ollie is a brand of dog food that is formulated with premium, whole ingredients and is tailored to meet the specific nutritional needs of dogs. One of the main features of Ollie is that it is made with fresh, human-grade ingredients and is free from fillers, artificial preservatives, and additives.

One of the primary benefits of feeding your dog this is that it is designed to provide optimal nutrition for all life stages. This means that whether your pooch is a puppy, adult, or senior, they will be able to get the nutrients they need to stay healthy and happy. It is also crafted to meet the specific needs of different breeds, sizes, and activity levels, so you can choose the right formula for your beloved companion.

Another benefit of this product is that it is made with high-quality protein sources, such as real meat and organ meats. These ingredients provide the building blocks for strong muscles, healthy organs, and a shiny coat. They also includes a variety of vegetables and fruits, which provide important vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants to support your dog's immune system.

2. Taste Of The Wild Wetlands Formula

The Wetlands Taste of the Wild dog food formulation keeps it simple by bringing your pup a nice selection of choice fowls in one healthy package. The first ingredient is duck, joined by chicken, roasted quail, roasted duck, and smoked turkey.

It’s a yummy combination that brings up the crude protein content to a steady 32%.

There’s chicken fat in this recipe, helping the crude fat content up to a minimum 18%. The crude fiber is at 4% maximum and moisture is at 10% maximum. These don’t vary much from the figures of the High Prairie and Appalachian Valley formulas, except when it comes to the Omega fatty acids.

Omega-6 is less at 2.4%, while Omega-3 is a tiny bit more at .4% minimum.

The caloric content at 375 kcal per cup is a tiny bit more than some other grain free dry food formulas.

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3. American Journey Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe

American Journey has produced dog food that goes to show that cheap does not have to mean poor quality. Using beef as its main source of animal protein, this formula contains 32% protein and 14% fat.

This is amazing for a budget dog food and will be more than enough to ensure your dog maintains a healthy immune system, bones, and muscles.

However, some of this protein is from the vegetable source pea protein. This is harder for dogs to digest than animal protein, but shouldn't be too much of an issue for a healthy dog.

This dog food does also use chicken and turkey meal to bolster its protein content, which could be of some concern to dogs with allergies. In those cases, you would be better off going with American Journey's limited ingredient range. Still, this formula is grain-free,

This formula does include “dried plain beet pulp” as a source of fiber. This is fine but the saponinins in it has been found to cause irritation in a minor amount of dogs' gastrointestinal tract.

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4. Nom Nom Pet Food (Pork Recipe)

Nom Nom provides a complete, “gently-cooked” diet in easy to serve portion sizes. Nom Nom knows you want to feed your pup only the best.

They have created several dog food recipes, including beef, turkey, chicken and pork, or you can splurge and try their variety pack! These recipes are made with restaurant-quality ingredients that are prepared carefully and cooked fresh on a weekly basis.

Nom Nom portions each recipe carefully, adhering to the highest food safety standards to ensure your pet is receiving the best meal with balanced nutrition that tantalizes his taste buds.

These meals are not only great for your pup, they are also ultra-convenient for you! They show up directly at your front door, are kept cool for freshness, and are vacuum sealed to make it easy for you to provide quality meals to your fluffy bestie.

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5. Annamaet Grain-Free Lean Reduced Fat Formula

If your Schnoodle does have hyperlipidemia, you’ll need to find a formula that meets his nutritional needs without going overboard on fat.

This Annamaet Reduced Fat Formula is an excellent recipe to consider because it does both of those things.

Made with premium proteins like chicken meal and duck meal, this recipe will help your Schnoodle maintain his lean muscle mass. This formula also contains digestible grain-free carbohydrates like field peas, chickpeas, and tapioca.

It also includes supplemental sources of fiber in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables – these ingredients also provide natural sources for key nutrients. When it comes to fat, this recipe contains just 7% crude fat so it meets your dog’s needs but doesn’t go overboard.

The main source of fat used in this recipe is chicken fat, a high-quality fat source for dogs that offers excellent nutritional value. This formula also contains chelated minerals for maximum nutrient absorption and probiotics for healthy digestion.

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6. Natural Balance LID Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Small-Breed Bites

Natural Balance is a premium pet food company that is dedicated to providing pets with “The Food for a Lifetime.” This brand develops each of their recipes in keeping with sound scientific principles and nutritional truths, so you can feel good about feeding your dog Natural Balance Food.

If you are concerned that your Schnoodle might have a food allergy, this small breed bites would be a great choice. Not only is it gluten-free and made with a limited number of ingredients, but it is specifically formulated for small-breed dogs as well.

This recipe features lamb meal as the primary protein, supplemented with fresh lamb for a crude protein content of 21%. With brown rice and ground white rice for gluten-free carbohydrates, this recipe is highly digestible for your dog and it contains 4% crude fiber.

You’ll also be glad to know that this recipe includes chelated minerals as well as prebiotic fiber – it also has a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat.

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7. Merrick Lil' Plates Real Beef & Sweet Potato

Merrick Lil' Plates is a protein-packed, small bite kibble designed for the mouths of small breeds. It uses whole beef for a complete protein source as the first ingredient plus whole fruits and vegetables for a comprehensive set of vitamins and minerals.

This delicious dry food for small dogs features real deboned Texas beef as the very first ingredient. It’s formulated with prebiotic and probiotic fiber to aid in digestion and made with a crunchy texture in a small kibble size to help reduce plaque and keep teeth clean.

It’s grain free and contains no soy or corn fillers. Flaxseed provides a good source of fatty acids to support skin and coat health.

It’s gluten-free and offers a broad spectrum of digestive probiotics to help your Maltese digest the food thoroughly and cut down on any issues with sensitive tummies.

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8. Yumwoof Perfect Kibble Beef Pot Roast

Here, we have a human-grade meal crafted to provide optimal nutrition for your canine companion.

Made with GMO-free ingredients and high-quality beef sourced from USDA-certified facilities, this recipe ensures that your dog receives only the best, most responsibly sourced proteins.

Designed as a low-glycemic, low-carb formula, it helps maintain stable blood sugar levels, making it an excellent option for diabetic dogs or those who are prone to weight gain or those needing a balanced diet for long-term health.

One of the standout features of this kibble is its gentle air-drying process, which preserves the food’s natural nutrients and flavors without the need for artificial preservatives or refrigeration.

This makes it a convenient yet wholesome choice for pet owners looking to provide their dogs with nutrient-dense meals. The inclusion of Omega-3 fatty acids and coconut oil further enhances the formula, supporting skin and coat health while promoting digestive wellness and cognitive function.

For Schnoodles—an energetic and intelligent hybrid—this recipe is particularly beneficial. Their often-sensitive digestive systems can benefit from the gut-friendly ingredients, while the high-quality protein supports their lean muscle maintenance.

The Omega-3s help maintain their signature curly coat, preventing dryness and irritation. Additionally, the low-carb content suits their active yet compact build, ensuring they receive sustained energy without unnecessary fillers.

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9. Lotus Wholesome Puppy Recipe

The Lotus brand of dog food is not one of the largest brands on the market, but this company does set itself apart from the competition by offering high-quality, oven-baked dog foods.

This brand is devoted to creating the healthiest holistic pet foods on the market using the highest quality ingredients available, including premium proteins, whole fruits and veggies, and healthy fats.

If you’re looking for a grain-free diet for your Schnoodle, this Lotus duck recipe might be a good option to consider. Because this product is oven-baked and naturally grain-free, you can rest assured that it will provide for your dog’s nutritional needs in the healthiest way possible.

It contains 27% crude protein and 12% crude fat – the fat provides a concentrated source of energy for your small-breed dog without going too high that it might put your Schnoodle at risk for hyperlipidemia. It is also loaded with fresh fruits and veggies as naturals sources for key nutrients as well as chelated minerals and probiotics.

The Schnoodle is a hearty little dog with a big personality and plenty of love to give. These dogs have moderate energy levels but, because they are a small breed, they have high needs for energy.

The best way to ensure that your dog’s nutritional needs are met is to feed him a high-quality small-breed dog food. To help you get started with your search, consider one of the top-rated brands reviewed above.

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10. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Small Breed Senior Recipe

The Life Protection formula is for small breed seniors who may need extra vitamin and antioxidant support. It uses Blue’s trademark LifeSource bits, freeze-dried blends of essential nutrients nestled in with the kibble.

The first ingredient is whole, deboned chicken for complete protein. Brown rice is a slow release carbohydrate that helps senior Schnoodle dogs maintain energy levels without adding in extra calories. Glucosamine and chondroitin provide joint support and essential fatty acids keep the skin & coat supple.

This small breed senior recipe features delicious, protein-rich deboned chicken and is formulated to meet the specific needs of small breed senior dogs.

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Dietary Considerations

The Schnoodle is a cross between the Miniature Schnauzer and the Toy Poodle or Miniature Poodle. Miniature Schnauzers have an average height of 12 to 14 inches and usually weigh between 11 and 20 pounds.

Toy Poodles are the smallest of the three Poodle varieties, standing up to 10 inches tall and weighing between 7 and 10 pounds. The Miniature Poodle is the middle size, standing 10 to 15 inches tall and weighing about 15 to 17 pounds.

Though the Schnoodle could technically be bred using a Standard Poodle and a Miniature Schnauzer, that usually isn’t the case. This being the case, the average size for the Schnoodle is somewhere between 10 and 12 inches with an average weight of 10 to 20 pounds.

Like any crossbreed dog, however, it is impossible to make any accurate predictions about the Schnoodle’s size – it varies depending on breeding.

Though the Schnoodle’s size may vary according to breeding, these dogs usually don’t end up weighing more than 20 pounds which makes them a small-breed dog. Small dogs like this have very fast metabolisms, so their energy needs are actually much higher than that of a large-breed dog.

 

A large dog may need more calories per day, but a small-breed dog like the Schnoodle needs more calories per pound. You need to be careful about feeding your dog too much, however, because obesity is very dangerous for dogs.

As little as a 1- or 2-pound gain could be significant for your Schnoodle and might put him at risk for a number of serious diseases.

You should also be aware that Toy Poodles are prone to hypothyroidism which could cause weight gain, so be extra careful with your Schnoodle. Poodles also have a high risk for food allergies, so consider feeding your dog a grain-free dog food or a Limited Ingredient Diet (LID) made with a novel source of protein and carbohydrate to avoid triggering any allergies.

Another problem you should look out for is hyperlipidemia, a condition that affects nearly 1/3 of Miniature Schnauzers. Hyperlipidemia is a condition in which the dog has elevated triglyceride levels in the blood and it can produce symptoms including hair loss, scratching, seizures, eye inflammation, and fatty deposits in the blood vessels or skin.

Left untreated, this condition can lead to pancreatitis, a condition that can become fatal. Dogs with hyperlipidemia may need to be placed on a low-fat, high-fiber diet to manage triglyceride levels. It is a good idea to have your Schnoodle’s blood tested to see if he is at risk for this condition.

Tail End

Finding the best dog food for your Schnoodle requires careful consideration of their unique dietary needs, including their energetic nature, potential for food sensitivities, and predisposition to weight gain. A high-quality diet should include real, responsibly sourced animal protein, healthy fats for skin and coat health and easily digestible ingredients that support gut health.

While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, options like air-dried, grain-free and low-glycemic recipes—such as Yumwoof Perfect Kibble—can be excellent choices. These diets provide balanced nutrition without unnecessary fillers or artificial additives. However, some Schnoodles may thrive on a different approach, such as fresh-cooked, raw or high-quality kibble with added joint and digestive support.

Ultimately, the best food for your pet is one that keeps them happy, healthy and full of energy. It's always a good idea to consult with your veterinarian to ensure your choice aligns with your dog’s specific needs, whether they require weight management, allergy-friendly ingredients or extra nutrients for their curly coat. By prioritizing high-quality ingredients and proper nutrition, you can help your fur buddy live a long, vibrant life.