Shiba Inu Feeding Guide (Everything You Should Know)

Hello, pet parents! Welcome to my ultimate guide on feeding Shiba Inus.

In this guide, I will cover how much to feed a Shiba Inu, how often to feed a Shiba Inu, when to feed your Shiba Inu, what foods to feed your Shiba Inu, what foods to avoid feeding your Shiba Inu, and other questions you may have about your Shiba Inu’s nutrition.

You can read the article to the end or go through the table of contents below and jump to the section that answers the questions you have on your mind.

Shiba Inus are fox-like creatures that are extremely popular in Japan and easily recognizable by dog lovers around the world. They are known for their good nature, alertness and boldness. They are also clean and independent dogs that can be social if trained early.

I have created this ultimate guide to feeding your Shiba Inus to curious and new pet parents to solve your dog’s nutrition problem. I will go into details from my personal knowledge working for a vet on every feed question you might have.

Let’s jump into the article.

Shiba Inu Nutritional Requirements

Shiba Inu are small dogs that require the proper nutrients in their specific amounts to grow healthy. Like other dog breeds, if some of these nutrients are present in excess amounts or less, it would end up endangering the overall health of your dog.

Your Shiba Inu’s meal should primarily consist of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins to meet their nutritional requirements for a healthy lifestyle.

The small size of a Shiba Inu will require adequate and quality nutrients to maintain its body weight. Failure to do so can result in health issues and prevent your dog from reaching its peak size.

Your Shiba Inu’s protein source must be animal protein like chicken, turkey, lamb, and beef. Their fat source can be fish oil or vegetables. Their source of fiber can come from wholesome, healthy vegetables like cabbage, carrots, sprouts, and broccoli.

Nutritional Requirement for a Shiba Inu Puppy

The diet of a Shiba Inu puppy and adolescent should consist of 30% protein, 15-18% fat, and 6% fiber. Shiba Inu puppies are energetic and have a high metabolism. They grow fast and will require quality nutrients to keep up. They require protein for building healthy muscles and minerals for strong bones; carbohydrates for energy; and fats for maintaining a healthy coat.

Nutritional Requirement for an Adult Shiba Inu

The meal plan for an adult Shiba Inu should consist of 30% protein, 20% carbohydrate, 15–18% fat, and fiber. At this stage, adult Shiba Inus are most active and will need protein and carbohydrates to keep their weight and energy level optimal. However, you should avoid overfeeding your pet at this stage, as they are prone to obesity and will develop health issues.

Nutritional Requirement For a Senior Shiba Inu

Your Shiba Inu is less active at this stage than at previous stages. Your pet’s food at this stage of life should ideally consist of 30% protein, 15–18% fat, and fiber. Senior Shiba Inus will need minerals and vitamins added to their food to strengthen their bones and immune system.

The Factors Affecting The Feeding of Your Shiba Inu

Some factors will affect the diet of your Shiba Inu, such as the size of the breed, its age, its activity level, and its underlying health conditions.

Let’s take a quick look at those factors before we jump into the quantity of food to feed your dog.

Size consideration

The average length of a Shiba Inus for males is 35–43 cm, and for females, it is 33–41 cm from the soles of their feet to their shoulders. A male Shiba Inu weighs 8-11 kg, and a female Shiba Inu weighs 6.8-9 kg.

Male Shiba Inu are generally bigger than female Shiba Inu, which means that the male will require a larger intake of calories than the female to stay healthy and strong.

Age consideration

Shiba Inu puppies will require more calories at their growing stage due to their high metabolic rate. They need to be fed a lot if you want them to grow into strong, healthy dogs.

Adult Shiba Inus should not be fed more often than their puppy counterparts. The adults have a slow metabolism that can lead to stomach bloating and indigestion if they’re fed excessively.

Your senior Shiba Inu will be less active and require fewer calories than when they were younger. Doing otherwise might lead to obesity and other serious health problems.

Activity Level

Athletes are required to maintain a strict diet compared to non-athletes, so you should also keep your Shiba Inu away from certain foods if you want to maintain its athletic abilities.

You wouldn’t want to feed your Shiba Inu a meal high in fat and sodium, like cheap fast food, which would make him sluggish and lethargic.

These fast foods don’t contain the nutrients that would make your dog perform to the best of their abilities and make them slow to learn new tricks or obey your commands.

Health Consideration

Shiba Inus are prone to certain health conditions, which should be taken into consideration in their diets if you wish to manage or prevent those issues.

Some health issues that affect your Shiba Inu include hip dysplasia, mitral valve disease, retinal dysplasia, luxating patella, cataracts, and hearing disorders. 

These health problems could be avoided or mitigated by eating or avoiding certain foods from the start, rather than treating them as they arise.

It might be tempting to cut corners and go for the cheapest food. But engaging in such an act in the long run could lead to pain, seeing your Shiba Inu sick, frequent visits to the vet, and thousands of dollars in expenses.

Shiba Inu Feeding Quantity

Your Shiba Inu, just like any other dog breed, will require different amounts of food according to their stage of development. The amount of food a puppy will need will be different than the amount of food an adult will need to meet their nutritional requirements.

On average, feed your puppy Shiba Inus 0.5 to 2.5 cups of food that has 150 to 600 kcal per day; feed your adult Shiba Inus 1.5 to 2 cups per day that has 790 kcal per day, according to their activity level; and feed your senior Shiba Inu 1 to 1.5 cups per day, that has 700 kcal per day.

I will provide you with charts below to help you plan your dog’s meals from its puppy years to its senior years. However, this meal plan is not one-size-fits-all. It’s just a general guideline that should be followed based on your dog’s needs and recommendations from your vet or dog nutritionist.

How Much To Feed a Shiba Inu Puppy

For your Shiba Inu puppy to grow into healthy adults, the meal should be high in protein and low in fat, which can be obtained from animal meat.

A Shiba Inus puppy should be given 0.5 to 2.5 cups of food per day that contains 150 kcal to 600 kcal of nutrients based on its age, weight, size, gender, and physical activity.

The feeding requirement of your puppy is given in detail in the charts below:

Following the above guidelines will aid in bone development and muscle growth, as well as strengthen their immune system to combat common bacteria and viruses that can cause health complications.

How Much To Feed an Adult Shiba Inu

Following the above guidelines will aid in bone development and muscle growth, as well as strengthen their immune system to combat common bacteria and viruses that can cause health complications. This is done by reducing the feeding frequency to two times per day.

A mature and adult Shiba Inus puppy should be given 1.5 to 2 cups of food per day that contains 790 kcal of nutrients based on its age, weight, size, gender, and physical activity.

The chart below will give you an understanding of the daily consumption needs of an adult Shiba Inus to help you with their meal plan.

How Much To Feed a Senior Shiba Inu

Senior Shiba Inus are generally less active than their younger counterparts due to fragile bones and joints. This means their meals will contain fewer calories, protein, and fat.

Geriatric Shiba Inus are often plagued with health issues. Some of these issues can be alleviated by supplementing your senior dog’s diet with vitamins and minerals to help revive his or her weakened immune system and fragile bones.

Senior and geriatric Shiba Inus puppies should be given 1-1.51–1.5 cups of food per day that contains 700 kcal of nutrients based on their age, weight, size, gender, and health issues.

The table below gives you some details about the meal plan of an older Shiba Inus.

However, you must still ensure that they get the essential nutrients they need.

You can continue giving your senior dog the same food you give your adult Shiba Inu, only in a smaller quantity as they don’t need as many calories as adult dogs. However, you should still consult your vet or pet nutritionist to be on the safe side.

Shiba Inu Feeding Frequency

Your Shiba Inu’s meal frequency will vary the same as the feeding amounts, which are majorly dependent on its age. Below is a list of how often to feed your Shiba Inu:

How Often Should You Feed Your Shiba Inu Puppy?

•         During the weaning process or at 8 weeks old and below: feed them four times a day at equally spaced intervals.

•         8 weeks to 3 months old: feed them four times a day at equally spaced intervals.

•         4 months to 12 months old: gradually transition to feeding them three times a day with equally spaced time intervals

How Often Should You Feed Your Adult Shiba Inu?

You should feed your adult Shiba Inus two times a day, with 12 hours of spacing between meals. One in the morning and one in the evening is ideal.

How Often Should You Feed Your Senior Shiba Inu?

You should feed your senior Shiba Inus two times a day except given a specific schedule by a vet.

Shiba Inu Feeding Schedule

•             Shiba Inus puppies should be free-fed or fed in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night due to a faster metabolism in comparison to their adult colleagues

•         Adolescent Shiba Inus should be fed in the morning, afternoon, and evening to help them transition properly into an adult.

•         Adult and Senior Shiba Inuss should also be fed in the morning and in the evening unless stated differently by your vet or pet nutritionist.

As a general rule, you should feed your Shiba Inus a few hours before going to bed in the evening, so they have enough time to digest the food before going to sleep.

In total, we shouldn’t spoil our companions with treats as they may grow too attached to them. Treats should be   used as a reward when training your dog.

The Kind of Food To Feed Your Shiba Inu

The food you feed your Shiba Inu should specifically cater to large breeds and contain the required nutrients necessary for a strong and healthy dog.

The kind of food to feed your Shiba Inu includes dry dog food, wet dog food, home-cooked food, and Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) to ensure they eat a balanced diet.

Let me touch on these few points to help you understand what to feed your dog:

Dry Dog Food: Dry dog food, or kibble, is a portion of commercial pet food made by grinding and mixing up ingredients like meats, grains, and nutritional additives, which are then shaped into little kernels and cooked at high temperatures to remove the water content. Dry dog food contains more carbs, less fat, less water, and sometimes less protein. Dry dog food is often recommended by vets due to its lower cost, dental health benefits, convenience, weight loss support, and playtime perks.

Wet Dog Food: Wet dog food, or canned food, is made by mixing up and cooking the ingredients before adding or extracting varying amounts of water. Unlike dry dog food, wet dog food contains more water, fewer carbs, more fat, and often more protein. They are recommended by veterinarians due to their high water content, taste, ease of eating, and high nutritional profile.

Home-Cooked Diet: Home-cooked diets are a great option for pet parents who are not into commercial dog food and want to go the extra length to prepare a meal for their furry companion. Feeding your dog a home-cooked meal gives you control over its nutrition and can put your mind at ease knowing that you are always providing the best care for your dog.

BARF Diet: Biologically Appropriate Raw Food is a diet that includes raw meat, raw eggs, crushed animal bones, fruits, vegetables, probiotics, and other natural ingredients. BARF diets are used as a substitute for processed foods with preservatives. However, consult your vet before feeding your pet a raw diet to avoid health complications from harmful substances.

The Kind of Food To Avoid Feeding Your Shiba Inu

We should take caution before giving whatever food we’re eating to our Shiba Inus. They have large appetites, which makes it tempting to hand them whatever we find ourselves eating.

There are certain human foods, fruits, and vegetables to avoid feeding your Shiba Inu because these foods contain toxins that are harmful to your pet that could lead you to frequent trips to the vet.

Human food to avoid feeding your Shiba Inu includes chocolates, coffee, gums, peanut butter, candies, cooked bones, etc.

The fruits and vegetables to avoid feeding your Shiba Inu include grapes, avocado, garlic, onions, etc.

You should always check the ingredients on the food label to see if these ingredients are present in the food. Or you can simply consult a vet or pet nutritionist to check the ingredients with them.

When To Transition a Shiba Inu From Puppy Food To Adult Food

You should transition your Shiba Inu puppy from puppy food to adult food when he’s around 10–12 months old.

Transitioning your adolescent Shiba Inu from puppy food to adult food is an important stage in your dog’s development. Puppy food contains more calories and nutrients than adult food to meet the nutritional requirements at that stage of life.

Transitioning needs to be gradual by introducing adult feed bit by bit until you get to 100% adult feed.

However, feeding your adult Shiba Inu puppy food will fill them with more protein and fat than their body requires and will lead to obesity due to the high fat content the body doesn’t need for optimum growth.

Why Your Shiba Inu Is Not Eating

Your Shiba Inus will not eat if it has one or a combination of the factors listed below:

Illness, dental problems, teething, medication, separation anxiety, time of day, spoiled food, stress, and picky eating

Shiba Inus can be picky eaters; that’s why it’s on you not to spoil them with treats. However, you should see a veterinarian if the problem persists. 

Why Your Shiba Inu Is Always Hungry

Shiba Inus, like other dog breeds, are big eaters. Other reasons may be a deficiency in some nutrients, learned behaviors, too much stress, or a lack of food training.

Excessive exercise will make your dog’s body burn faster, thus making them hungry after such exercises. Worms could be another reason your dog is always hungry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Shiba Inus are, in my opinion, one of the cutest dog breeds out there. Hence, their wide need for them as a therapeutic dog. They have to be fed with the optimum nutrition required for their growth to stay healthy without any nutrition-related health issues.

Options such as dry, wet, raw, and homemade diets are all great for them. You can free-feed your Shiba Inu puppies, but you have to draw up a strict plan as they go on. It is also essential to know what foods are healthy and should be avoided, as some are toxic.

However, if you desire more information on how to take care of your Shiba Inu, you should contact the nearest vet for information on essential nutrients, and you can also see a pet nutritionist for a regimen schedule for your pet.