The Italian Greyhound is an agile and exceptionally playful dog that expends more energy than most other dog breeds. Feeding this toy breed the quality food it needs to match its expanding energy is the number one responsibility for owners of this awesome breed.
So when you're setting out to plan a diet for your racy Italian Greyhound (IG), figuring out which brands offer the optimal nutrition and satisfies his bottomless pit of a belly can be kind of challenging, especially to new pet parents.
So, which dog food is best for your Italian Greyhound?
Want the answer? Read on!
Our Top Picks
Best Dog Food Overall
Solid Gold Wolf King Bison & Brown Rice (Adult Dogs)
Best for High Energy Puppies & Dogs
VICTOR Hi-Pro Plus Formula Dry Dog Food (Adult Dogs, Puppies & Lactating Mothers)
Premium Pick
Natural Balance LID Sweet Potato & Venison
(Adult, Puppies & Seniors)
Best Value Dog Food
Blue Life Protection Lamb & Brown Rice (Adult Dogs)
Best Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food
Whole Earth Farms Puppy Recipe
Best Kibble for Sensitive Stomachs
Wellness CORE Wild Game Formula (Adult Dogs)
Best Food for Chronic Digestive Issues
American Journey Salmon and Sweet Potato (All Life Stages)
Best Dog Food with Healthy Grains
Simply Nourish Lamb & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food (Adult Dogs)
Best Canned Dog Food
CANIDAE Platinum Formula w/ Chicken Lamb & Fish (All Life Stages)
Best Sporting Dog Food Recipe
Diamond Hi-Energy Sporting Dog Formula (Adult Dogs)
Italian Greyhound Quick Breed Overview
Italian Greyhounds are small sight hounds that are known for their small heads and tucked up bellies. They have long, slender legs that make them fast runners.
These slender dogs can reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. Since they are so slim extra care must be paid to their diet in order to maintain their already fragile bones healthy.
Here's a few quick breed characteristics:
- Height: Between 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 cm)
- Weight: Between 6 to 10 pounds (3 - 5 kg)
- Temperament: Intelligent, affectionate, kind mannered and playful.
- Lifespan: Average 14 - 15 years
- Health issues: According to the Italian Greyhound Club of America, this breed is predisposed to: alopecia, deafness, hypothyroidism, legg-perthes disease, progressive retinal atrophy, idiopatic epilepsy, luxating patellas, vonWillebrand's disease, cryptorchidism, juvenile cataracts, and portosystemic shunts.
Quite often young, Italian Greyhounds burst into vigorous leaping and running around the yard with great recklessness.
Without a proper diet, these sudden leaps and runs often result in the breaking of their fragile legs.
This often results in additional expenses when caring for your dog.
Italian Greyhound Diet
When was the last time you enjoyed a meal made up of cereals exclusively? I guess your answer to this question is never. Yet this is how most people feed their dogs, using the same type and brand of food week in week out.
Most people do this because they believe that it is the right way of feeding their pet. Well, if you have been doing this, you are wrong.
A healthy IG should be fed on a rich mixture of commercial and raw food diet. Commercial dog foods often contain the optimum balance in key nutrients like protein, carbs, fats, minerals and vitamins.
Most dog breeds however will do well on just commercial dog food.
For your IG, consider dry food brands like Natural Balance, Solid Gold and Buffalo Blue since these have the sufficient levels of nutrients this breed requires and are trusted brands for providing quality nutrition.
These commercial brands also offer their foods in wet form so that you can mix with their dry feeds and make it more palatable for your dog, if you choose to do so.
To keep their diet interesting ensure that you also give him a fair share of raw foods such as meaty bones and raw fruit and veggies every week.
The Italian Greyhound also requires ample supplies of fresh water every day. Water plays an important role in digestion especially if he's fed kibble.
Pro Tip: If you're considering feeding your Italian Greyhound a raw diet, check out the article on the best meats for dogs to eat.
The key take-away is that Italian greyhounds need a staple diet, as they are very active.
How Often Do Italian Greyhounds Eat?
The Italian Greyhounds just like most other medium sized dogs don't have special needs that will require anything else other than quality feeds. To ensure that your pet remains healthy it recommended that you feed it several times a day.
In fact, puppies younger than six months should be fed 7 to 8 times each day, those between 6 months to 1 year should be fed 6 to 7 times each day and those older than 1 year should be fed at least 5 times a day.
This will ensure that the dog gets all the nutrients it needs spread throughout the day.
When do Italian Greyhounds stop growing? According to the Midwest Italian Greyhound Rescue, IG's reach maturity between 8 months - 1.5 years or longer in the case of larger Iggys.
How Much Should I feed my Italian Greyhound?
Most people don't know how a well-fed Italian Greyhound dog looks like. As a result, often many people try to overfeed their pets so that they can resemble the stocky breeds.
To find out mow much your Italian greyhound should be eating, you should check with your vet.
The truth is the IG is a lean dog and trying to make it look stocky can lead to obesity which is a health risk in many dog breads.
Give an IG fresh and sufficient food that provides all the nutrients that it needs to lead a healthy and active life.
The dog label will come with instructions as to the feeding guidelines to feed your adult, puppy or senior dog. Always use a measuring cup when feeding your dog to avoid overfeeding.
During every feeding leave out the food for about 20 minutes and no more. This is enough to keep them going until the next feeding time.
Don't be tempted to feed him as much food as it can eat in a single sitting as dogs just like humans tend to overeat when there is more food lying around.
Italian Greyhound Health Problems and Dietary Solutions
As we've already established, the IG is genetically prone to a number of diseases.
Some of these diseases can be prevented and even cured using dietary solutions.
Gum Disease
Gum disease is common in Italian Greyhounds that are left to do their own grooming and those fed on a poor diet. The ailment affects the teeth making it difficult for the dog to feed properly and thus affecting the overall health of your pet.
To protect your IG from this disease ensure that you feed it on a quality diet and you also keep up with its dental hygiene. For a more detailed description and how you can help prevent it visit this page.
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is also another common disease in this breed of dogs. Quite often a dog suffering from this condition will lose appetite, experience belly pain, and vomit.
Some may have diarrhea, dehydration, and experience an irregular heartbeat. The best way to prevent this condition from occurring is by watching what your dog eats.
Reduce the amount of high fatty foods that you feed your dog with and instead give your dog more raw foods full of fibers and nutrients.
In addition limit, the amount of human foods that you give to your dog as some of these foods are toxic to the dog.
Italian Greyhounds Best Dog Food Reviews
The food you provide for your Italian Greyhound plays a crucial role in their long-term health and well-being. And the truth is, not all pet foods are created equal.
In this section, we cover some of the better brands and recipes that made the cut to feed your beloved Iggy, but other brands exclusion from this list doesn’t indicate that it’s not worth looking into.
1. Solid Gold Wolf King, Bison & Brown Rice w/ Sweet Potatoes
Breeder recommended large kibble dog food that contains none of the common allergen triggers. This holistic option is high in lean and palatable proteins.
Solid Gold Wolf King Adult Dry Dog Food is a holistic food for medium and large dog breeds of all ages. The first ingredient in this formula is fresh, lean bison along with a blend of whole grains and super foods like blueberries, pumpkin, almond oil, and broccoli for optimal pet health. Solid Gold is a trusted American dog food brand with over 40 years of experience creating nutritious dog food that leads to great results.
We particularly like the use of healthy and complex carbohydrates of brown rice and sweet potatoes in this formula.
In addition to trusted ingredients, this recipe, also includes monounsaturated fats to keep your Italian Greyhound’s skin and coat healthy. This brand never includes wheat, corn, soy, wheat, meat by-products, or artificial colors and flavors in their dog kibble, so you can feel great about feeding it to your furry companion.
Pet owners and vets recommend Solid Gold for dogs with digestive issues after seeing big improvements after switching to this brand. Owners love the natural ingredients and have also noticed that their dogs' coat and skin are healthier after switching to Solid Gold. Many have also found that their dogs have more energy after switching to the higher quality kibble.
Even picky dogs seem to enjoy this food blend, and is a great alternative to poultry recipes which is ideal for greyhounds with food allergies.
2. VICTOR Hi-Pro Plus Formula Dry Dog Food
This with-grains kibble offers extra protein for puppies, high-energy dogs and lactating mothers. A great choice for working and sporting dogs.
Puppies, and very active adult dogs tend to need more protein – and a few more calories – at mealtimes to provide them with the energy they need to maintain their busy ‘lifestyles’ and this dry dog food formula is designed to provide just that as well as great quality ingredients.
It’s fair to say this formula really is protein packed, as 88% of its content is comprised of high-quality beef, chicken and pork. To make sure that dogs also get all the nutrients they need it is formulated with a vitamin and mineral supplement as well as additional omega 3 fatty acids, amino acids that are essential for a growing puppy’s brain and muscle health.
3. Natural Balance LID Diet, Sweet Potato & Venison
This is a really good all-around choice for most Greyhounds. It's a limited ingredient diet recipe, which we like, since this breed is prone to allergies.
Natural Balance L.I.D Sweet Potato & Venison Formula Dry Dog Food - uses venison as the main and only protein source which is a great alternative to poultry - which can sometimes ignite skin allergies in dogs. It is also free from grain, corn, or wheat.
Natural Balance is fortified with Omega 3 fatty acids to maintain your pet’s healthy skin and coat. The recipe also includes Taurine to help prevent heart disease and mixed tocopherols to contribute to a healthy immune system. Natural Balance does not use any artificial flavors, colors, or bleached ingredients that are in a lot of cheaper dog food varieties.
Although we wish this food had higher amounts of protein, Natural Balance L.I.D. Sweet Potato & Venison Formula is still a great alternative with plenty of nutrition and dogs thrive on it. Reports of reduced shedding is a common theme with this dog kibble. In addition, pet parents have seen improved digestion in their dogs after being vet recommended.
4. Blue Buffalo Life Protection, Lamb & Rice Recipe
Blue Life Protection formula with lamb and rice is a good, balanced option with good, clean ingredients and free from nasties that trigger allergic reactions.
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Lamb and Rice is a healthy and holistic dry dog food made with deboned lamb, whole grains, and healthy fruits and vegetables. This is good for all dog breeds and sizes, so it's perfect if you have more than one type of dog at home. This formula is fortified with calcium, phosphorus, and essential vitamins that are great for helping maintain an Italian Greyhound’s strong bones and teeth. If you feed your pup only wet food, incorporating this dry kibble to his diet will improve digestion.
Blue Buffalo also includes glucosamine for joint health and better mobility along with proteins and carbohydrates to give dogs the energy to enjoy an active lifestyle. Like most highly recommended dog kibble brands, Blue Buffalo contains Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for to make sure pets have healthy skin and coat. Made in the USA, Blue Buffalo Lamb and Rice uses responsible sourced products and guarantees that its dog food is free from corn, wheat, soy, and chicken by-products.
While rice is often regarded as filler, the use of whole ground brown rice (a type of good complex and easy to digest carbs) provides greater nutritional value than other types of carb-based fillers you might see in other dog foods.
Italian Greyhounds do well on this food, it is pesticide-free and non-GMO and pups are happy, healthy, and energetic. Vets recommend this brand for dogs with skin and digestion issues and even the pickiest of dogs enjoy the taste and texture of this kibble. Blue Buffalo is an affordable good high-quality dog food for your Greyhound's overall nutrition.
5. Whole Earth Farms Puppy Recipe
Especially formulated for growing puppies featuring high quality lean protein from chicken and salmon.
The one thing that every pet parent of a new puppy wants is to make sure they give them the best start in life possible, and that includes offering them a dog food that meets the nutritional demands of a growing pups’ body.
This is a powerful protein packed formula, but one that is grain free to help prevent digestive problems and prevent diarrhea especially. Its primary protein sources are salmon and chicken, both of which are a great source of lean protein and, in the case of salmon, Omega 3 fatty acids that are crucial to brain and muscle development.
The formula also features lots of fruits and veggies to provide much needed vitamins and minerals and many pet parents report that their young canine charges seem to love the taste.
6. Wellness CORE Grain-Free Wild Game Duck
Grain free formula may help prevent stomach upsets in grain sensitive dogs
Wild game, sounds very exotic doesn't it? This offering from Wellness’ CORE grain free line of dog food offers pups a ‘taste of the wild’ by including duck, lamb, rabbit and wild boar, all in the same recipe.
Those pet parents who subscribe to the idea that their dogs should eat more like their ancestors did in order to get better nutrition tend to love this formula, as however cuddly and home loving their pooch is it's likely that his ancestors went hunting for this kind of stuff by themselves.
As this is a high protein formula (34% crude protein), it may not be suitable for all pups.
The primary proteins in any dog food are always important to take careful note of, and here its duck. Duck is considered a ‘dark white meat’ and it’s an excellent lean protein source as well and is also nutrient dense, offering selenium, iron, and niacin.
The addition of organically sourced vegetables like kale, spinach and broccoli adds flavor and lots of vitamins and the lack of grain is often great for pups with sensitive stomachs.
7. American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato
Soy free as well as grain free, this inexpensive formula helps combat digestive issues, especially bowel related conditions.
Salmon and sweet potatoes are two ingredients known to pack a serious nutritional punch for pups – and humans – and so the combination of the two can be very powerful.
Salmon is packed with healthy Omega 3 fatty acids which are great for the coat, joint health and brain development. Sweet potatoes are a great source of dietary fiber and vitamins. They also provide both Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.
Added into the formula of this popular dog food are additional fruits and veggies, including blueberries and carrots and it’s grain free, which may help promote better digestive health in dogs with sensitive stomachs.
Pet parents who choose this food often report that it’s a great help with digestive issues, including runny stools and IBS and that the smell is great and, according to the way their pups devour it, the taste is pretty good too.
8. Simply Nourish Lamb & Oatmeal
This made with whole grains limited ingredients dog food formula is great for restoring skin and coat health.
Limited ingredient dog food can be excellent for senior pups and those with sensitive stomachs and general digestive issues. This formula is very simple; deboned lamb, lamb meal, oatmeal and rice along with flaxseed to provide additional healthy Omega 3 fatty acids.
Because it is a limited ingredient formula it'll help keep digestive issues at bay if your Iggy is sensitive.
In many of the pet parent reviews of this dog food it is mentioned how much better their dog’s skin and coat appear as a result of eating it and many comment on the fact that the taste must be great as their pup seems to love it, even some previously labelled ‘picky eaters’.
9. CANIDAE Life Stages Platinum Formula Canned Dog Food
Featuring lean protein provided by lamb, chicken and fish, this wet dog food has an appealing smell and great flavor.
It’s usually recommended by vets that you feed your pup both wet and dry dog foods, and that can be especially true for senior pups whose patience for chewing hard dry dog food, coupled with tooth and jaw issues that often occur with age, is limited.
This wet dog food is especially formulated for older less-active dogs.
The primary proteins used are chicken, lamb and fish to offer lots of protein but with less fat and calories, as senior Greyhounds tend to not be as active as their younger counterparts and need to watch their weight, as excess ponds can lead to joint pain and other health problems.
The ingredients used are all high quality and the thick broth is something pet parents report their pups love.
10. Diamond Hi-Energy Sporting Dog Complete Formula
This high energy and inexpensive complete and balanced dog food formula is perfect for very active Italian Greyhounds.
Sporting dogs – and working dogs too – need more energy and more calories than their more sedentary peers. This is best provided via lean proteins which are easily converted into energy while also offering support for their hard-working joints and muscles.
This formula was created to provide all of that. It offers a balanced blend equal to 24% protein and 20% fat, with the protein coming from lean red meats and chicken meal. It also contains a B vitamin supplement to naturally boost a pup’s energy levels without adding ‘junk’ calories. Pet parents also report that their pups seem to love the flavor.
So, What is the Best Food for Italian Greyhounds?
There are several great feeds that can support the energy requirements of an active hound. To have a happy and healthy Greyhound, a high quality kibble is a MUST with digestible dense proteins and low-glycemic veg and carbs to have less poop and less diarrhea!
Each of the 10 recipes listed above will provide your Iggy with the nutrition he needs and a great taste that will have him waiting at his food dish for dinner time.
What do you feed your greyhound? We’d love to know what products have worked well and which ones left something to be desired. Let us know in the comments below.
