By size · 2026
Best Dog Food for Small Dogs in Australia
The best dog food for small dogs in Australia is ZIWI Peak, scoring 81/100 in our index: its very high named-meat air-dried formula is manageable per-serve for a small breed. Prime100 (78/100), Hill's Science Diet (66/100), Royal Canin (68/100) and Black Hawk (76/100) round out our five picks for small-dog feeding.
Reviewed by the Dog Food Reviews editorial team
Independent scoringUpdated August 2026Not veterinary advice
Updated
Licensed stock photography
Our top small-dog pick
81/100
ZIWI Peak, air-dried
Smallest pack we price
1 kg
ZIWI Peak Air-Dried Beef 1kg
Cheapest bag per kg
$8.45
Black Hawk, cheapest bag we have priced
Brands on the shortlist
5
All scored on the same 100-point method
The answer
Our small-dog picks at a glance
Three boxed picks, chosen on small-dog suitability first and score second. Each one carries its overall score, its price tier and the range we have priced for it.
Our pick
Super-premium tier
ZIWI Peak
Strong
81/100
Very high named-meat content in small serve sizes: air-dried makes per-serve cost manageable for a small dog.
Air-dried + Wet · Small serve, high named meat · from $75/kg across the range
Single-protein pick
Premium tier
Prime100
Good
78/100
Single-protein limited-ingredient rolls portion cleanly for small dogs and suit sensitive-stomach small breeds.
Air-dried + Fresh + Dry · Portions cleanly for small dogs · from $11/kg across the range
Also great
Super-premium tier
Hill's Science Diet
Average
66/100
Dedicated Small & Mini range backed by clinical research; consistent kibble size for small mouths.
Dry + Wet + Prescription · Small & Mini range · from $11.58/kg across the range
Why you should trust us
Dog Food Reviews is published by PetReviews, an independent Australian review platform. Our editorial team scores every brand with the same published 100-point methodology: no pay-to-play, no sponsored rankings, and no brand currently pays us anything, through commissions or otherwise. Prices are editorial estimates we enter and check by hand. How we review · Editorial policy
- 20
- Brands scored
- 39
- Products priced
- 5
- Brands we score under 60
- 0
- Paid placements, ever
The range we actually publish
Every brand sits on the same 0 to 100 scale, and the middle mark is the median of the index rather than an average.
| Index | Lowest | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every food brand in the index | 44 | 69.5 | 87 |
Our published 100-point methodology
Highest in the index: Lyka at 87/100 (strong).
Lowest in the index: Black & Gold at 44/100 (compare carefully).
The shortlist, scored
Where the five picks actually sit
Two pillars decide a small-dog bag once the kibble fits: what the panel is made of, and what you pay for it. Both are scored on the same 100-point method as every other brand we cover.
Ingredient quality
What the panel is actually made of
Ingredient score reads named meat first, protein source quality, wholefoods and fillers. The shortlist spreads 31 points across this pillar, the widest gap of any pillar on this shortlist.
| Brand | Ingredient score | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| ZIWI Peak | 88/100 | Small serve, high named meat |
| Prime100 | 83/100 | Portions cleanly for small dogs |
| Black Hawk | 76/100 | Grain-free small-breed options |
| Royal Canin | 60/100 | Kibble sized for small jaws |
| Hill's Science Diet | 57/100 | Small & Mini range |
Dog Food Reviews 100-point method
Price and value
What that panel costs you
Value scores price against what is in the bag, so the brand that leads on ingredients can sit last here. Both readings are true at once, which is why a ranking is never a single number.
| Brand | Value score | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Black Hawk | 74/100 | Premium |
| Prime100 | 72/100 | Premium |
| ZIWI Peak | 64/100 | Super-premium |
| Royal Canin | 54/100 | Super-premium |
| Hill's Science Diet | 52/100 | Super-premium |
Dog Food Reviews 100-point method
The per-serve maths
Per kilogram is the wrong axis for a small dog
Across this shortlist the price per kilogram spreads 8.9x from cheapest to dearest. Priced as a daily serve it narrows to 3.6x. A dense food is fed in much smaller amounts, which is why a premium bag can be workable for a small dog and not for a large one.
Sticker price
What a kilogram costs
The cheapest bag we have priced from each brand, across its whole range. On this axis the air-dried formula sits far apart from the rest of the shortlist, because it is being weighed rather than served.
| Brand | Price per kg | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Black Hawk | $8.45/kg | Dry, 20 kg |
| Royal Canin | $10.60/kg | Dry, 15 kg |
| Prime100 | $11/kg | Fresh, 2 kg |
| Hill's Science Diet | $11.58/kg | Dry, 12 kg |
| ZIWI Peak | $75/kg | Air-dried, 1 kg |
Editorial price estimates
Daily serve, 15 kg adult
What a day of it costs
Same brands, same bags, same order as the chart beside it. The order does not hold: a fresh roll weighs more per serve than dry kibble, so a lower price per kilogram is not always a lower daily cost.
| Brand | Cost per day | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Black Hawk | $2.10 | Dry, 20 kg |
| Royal Canin | $2.60 | Dry, 15 kg |
| Prime100 | $4.40 | Fresh, 2 kg |
| Hill's Science Diet | $2.70 | Dry, 12 kg |
| ZIWI Peak | $7.50 | Air-dried, 1 kg |
Editorial price estimates
“The per-serve cost is more manageable for a small dog than a 40 kg retriever.”
The checklist
What to look for in small-dog food
Six checks that matter more on a small dog than the brand on the front of the bag.
Appropriate kibble size
Small-breed kibble is smaller and lighter, important for small mouths and jaw alignment.
Calorie density
Small dogs need more calories per kg of body weight. A dense, high-meat formula delivers more fuel per gram.
Named meat first
A named single-source protein (e.g. lamb, chicken) as the first ingredient is the baseline for a quality panel.
Complete & balanced
Confirm the food meets AAFCO or PFIAA standards for your dog's life stage.
Per-serve cost, not per-kg
A premium food with high meat density can cost less per serve than a cheaper, bulkier formula for a small dog.
Vet input for specific breeds
Some breeds (e.g. Cavaliers, Dachshunds) have specific needs. Ask your vet before switching foods.
Why size matters
Small dogs eat less, but need more per kilogram.
Toy and small breeds have faster metabolisms than large dogs, so they need a calorie-dense, nutrient-rich formula rather than a high-volume one. That's why high-meat-content foods like ZIWI Peak and Prime100 can suit small dogs even at their premium price point: the daily serve cost is far lower than feeding a large breed.
Pack size is the other half of it, and it is the half a per-kilogram price cannot show you. The ledger beside this is the smallest pack we have priced for each brand on the shortlist, smallest first.
Our top three small-dog picks
- ZIWI PeakZIWI Peak Air-Dried Beef 1kg1 kg$75/kg
- Prime100Prime100 SLR Single Protein Roll Kangaroo 2kg2 kg$11/kg
- Hill's Science DietHill's Science Diet Adult Chicken 12kg12 kg$11.58/kg
- Black HawkBlack Hawk Grain Free Adult Chicken 15kg15 kg$10.60/kg
- Royal CaninRoyal Canin Medium Adult 15kg15 kg$10.60/kg
These are the smallest packs in our index, not the smallest each brand sells. Our index prices a representative bag or two per brand, so treat this as a guide to how the shortlist is packaged rather than a full pack-size list. Prices are editorial estimates.
Side by side
Small-dog picks compared
The same five brands, with every published figure in one place. Scroll the table sideways on a narrow screen.
Edition
- Brand
- ZIWI Peak
- Why it suits small dogs
- Small serve, high named meat
- Overall
- 81 out of 100
- Ingredients
- 88 out of 100
- Value
- 64 out of 100
- From (per kg)
- $75/kg
- Cost/day (15 kg adult)
- $7.50
- Brand
- Prime100
- Why it suits small dogs
- Portions cleanly for small dogs
- Overall
- 78 out of 100
- Ingredients
- 83 out of 100
- Value
- 72 out of 100
- From (per kg)
- $11/kg
- Cost/day (15 kg adult)
- $4.40
- Brand
- Hill's Science Diet
- Why it suits small dogs
- Small & Mini range
- Overall
- 66 out of 100
- Ingredients
- 57 out of 100
- Value
- 52 out of 100
- From (per kg)
- $11.58/kg
- Cost/day (15 kg adult)
- $2.70
- Brand
- Royal Canin
- Why it suits small dogs
- Kibble sized for small jaws
- Overall
- 68 out of 100
- Ingredients
- 60 out of 100
- Value
- 54 out of 100
- From (per kg)
- $10.60/kg
- Cost/day (15 kg adult)
- $2.60
- Brand
- Black Hawk
- Why it suits small dogs
- Grain-free small-breed options
- Overall
- 76 out of 100
- Ingredients
- 76 out of 100
- Value
- 74 out of 100
- From (per kg)
- $8.45/kg
- Cost/day (15 kg adult)
- $2.10
Frequently asked questions
5 questions
ZIWI Peak leads our picks for small dogs: its very high named-meat air-dried formula is manageable per-serve for a small breed. Prime100 is the top choice for single-protein limited-ingredient feeding. Hill's Science Diet Small & Mini and Royal Canin both offer dedicated small-dog formulas with appropriately sized kibble, while Black Hawk gives solid everyday value in smaller bags.
Yes, for a few practical reasons. Small dogs have faster metabolisms and typically need more calories per kilogram of body weight. Kibble size matters: small mouths and teeth struggle with large-breed kibble. And if you're serving an air-dried or fresh food like ZIWI Peak or Prime100, the per-serve cost is more manageable for a small dog than a 40 kg retriever.
This varies by brand, formula and your dog's exact weight and activity level. Always follow the feeding guide on pack as the starting point: most brands publish a guide per kg of body weight. Your vet is the right person to confirm ideal daily intake, especially for toy and miniature breeds.
Not automatically. Grain-free suits small dogs with grain sensitivities or who do better on limited-carbohydrate diets, but a grain-inclusive formula with a named meat first ingredient can be just as good, or better value. Assess the whole ingredient panel, not just the grain-free label. If you're unsure, ask your vet.
No. Dog Food Reviews is an independent comparison resource, not veterinary advice. Small dog nutrition can vary significantly by breed, age and health status. Always check with your vet before changing your dog's diet.