schnauzer looking at camera

Best Dog Food for Schnauzers

LAST UPDATED 19 SEPTEMBER 2023

This article is written by Pet Circle's qualified veterinarian, Dr Maree Monaghan BVSc (HONS)

The Schnauzer is instantly recognisable with its fabulous eyebrows, moustache and beard. This breed comes in three sizes, so the first step in choosing the right food is to select a small, medium or large breed diet depending on the size of your Schnauzer. Miniatures should weigh between 7 and 8 kg as adults and so a small breed diet is appropriate for them. Medium breed diets are suitable for Standards (14 to 20 kg adult weight) and the Giants, averaging 34 to 43 kg as adults, require a large breed diet. There are also diets that are appropriate for all sizes and life stages that you can consider. Schnauzers of all sizes are unfortunately prone to a variety of health conditions that should be addressed. These include obesity, pancreatitis, diabetes, bladder stones and hip dysplasia. Choosing a diet that maintains a healthy weight, supports bone and joint health and increases moisture intake can help decrease the chances of your Schnauzer developing these conditions.

Four reasons why it's important to choose the right dog food for Schnauzers are:
  1. Health conditions: Your vet is the best person to give you advice on diet if your Schnauzer has any diagnosed health conditions. In many cases, there may be a prescription diet that can help manage your dog's condition. For health support, there are a range of non-prescription diets which assist in preventing certain conditions and supporting your Schnauzer's specific needs. :
  2. Quality: The quality of the ingredients and the digestibility of the nutrients they provide should be a key factor when choosing a food. Diets which are highly digestible and do not change ingredients batch to batch like grocery type brands are ideal. The best foods contain high quality ingredients which have been carefully chosen for their beneficial nutrients. Learning how to read pet food labels and knowing the ingredients in your dog's food is a crucial for selecting the best diet for your Schnauzer.
  3. Age:Dogs of different ages have very different nutritional requirements. Puppies require carefully balanced amounts of energy and other essential nutrients to support their growth, whereas senior dogs are often less active and have a slower metabolism which means they require less energy to maintain a good body condition.
  4. Complete and Balanced: When choosing a food, the most important consideration after any health factors is that the diet is complete and balanced for your Schnauzer's size and life stage. Dog food must meet the AAFCO or FEDIAF pet food control guidelines in order to ensure that your dog receives all the nutrients they require in the correct ratios.

Results:

  1. Best Overall: K9 Natural Lamb and King Salmon Feast Freeze Dried Dog Food
  2. Best Grain Free Wellness CORE Grain Free Wild Game Dry Dog Food
  3. Best Breed Specific: Royal Canin Miniature Schnauzer Adult
  4. Best Puppy Food: Open Farm Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food
  5. Best Wet Food: Ziwi Peak Beef Wet Canned Dog Food
  6. Best for Health Support: Black Hawk Healthy Benefits Weight Management Adult Dry Dog Food
  7. How We Review Our Products

    Our Pet Circle Vet Squad comprises 30 vets with over 120 years of collective, independent veterinary expertise. Our Vet team uses their health and husbandry knowledge, along with their own personal and clinical experiences to evaluate each product and provide detailed, informative reviews, free of any commercial bias. We then collate this information into our 'best of' recommendations.

    Top Schnauzer Food in Australia

    K9 Natural Lamb and King Salmon Feast Freeze Dried Dog Food

    Pros

    • Freeze-dried food that is rehydratable using warm water to add extra moisture to the diet
    • Suitable for dogs of all breeds, sizes and life stages
    • Made using sustainably caught New Zealand king salmon, grass fed lamb and New Zealand green lipped mussels
    • Naturally rich in omega fatty acids, this diet supports joint function and a healthy, shiny coat.

    Cons

    • Unsuitable for dogs with allergies to seafood and lamb
    • High meat protein diet that may need a long transition
    • Not made in Australia

    K9 Natural takes the best sustainably and ethically sourced produce and creates high meat, low carbohydrate meals for dogs. This raw, grain free, freeze-dried recipe contains high levels of Omega 3 fatty acids to support the body's natural anti inflammatory responses along with EPA and DHA for healthy skin and haircoat

    What our customers say: "My "little rescue" has always been fussy with food. She recently had 5 teeth pulled and needed "soft" food. My babies have always enjoyed K9 varieties, however, my LR love love loves this variety. Day 4 on medication and she is a new "younger" dog. Will buy again."

    What our vets say: "This is a great natural, freeze-dried diet perfect for Schnauzers. Not only is it highly palatable containing 90% meat and fish but it also contains green lipped mussel which is a source of glucosamine and chondroitin beneficial for joint health. Additionally, the omega fatty acids that this diet provides help support a healthy and shiny coat" - Dr. Angie

    Shop K9 Natural Lamb and King Salmon Grain Free Freeze Dried Dog Food

    Wellness Core Grain Free Wild Game Dry Dog Food

    Pros

    • All-natural, grain free food
    • Variety of protein sources including duck, lamb, chicken, wild boar and rabbit
    • Contains natural sources of glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support
    • Balanced calories & controlled carbohydrate levels to support optimal weight management

    Cons

    • One of the more expensive brands of food
    • Made in USA
    • Not suitable for dogs with intolerances or allergies to chicken, duck, lamb, pork or rabbit.
    • Only available in 10kg and 20kg bags

    This wild game recipe is fortified with antioxidants from plant-based superfoods to help bolster immunity and four strains of live probiotics to promote digestive health. It contains guaranteed taurine levels to help maintain heart health and 54% of the protein content is from animal-based sources for improved digestibility

    What our customers say: "I don't feed kibble to my pets as a staple food, it's a backup for emergencies and morning topper. They are raw-fed, but I grabbed this brand after checking out the ingredients and details of the product and thought I would give it a go. When it arrived my dogs could smell it in the box and almost ripped the box apart to get to it. I have never seen them sniff so hard like they did with this food. It's only been a few days but they love it and the size of the kibble is so much better than the last brand I tried. Great size and shape for larger dogs like my boxer and bulldog. So far I recommend this product"

    Shop Wellness Core Grain Free Wild Game Dry Dog Food

    Royal Canin Miniature Schnauzer Adult

    Pros

    • Encourages drinking to help support good urinary health
    • Adapted calorie content to maintain a healthy weight.
    • Enriched with targeted amino acids to promote intense coat colour

    Cons

    • Only suitable for Miniature Schnauzers
    • Contains chicken so not suitable for dogs that are sensitive to chicken
    • One of the more expensive super premium foods

    Miniature Schnauzers are predisposed to developing bladder stones so this food encourages drinking to produce dilute urine. This helps prevent crystal and stone formation. It also contains optimal levels of targeted amino acids to promote intense, natural coat colour as well as an adapted calorie content to help your Miniature Schnauzer maintain a healthy weight.

    What our customers say: "We have been using this product for 6 years! We have 2 very healthy Schnauzers that are consistent in weight, have a great coat and have never had any problems."

    What our vets say: "Royal Canin Miniature Schnauzer food is specially formulated to meet the unique nutritional needs of Schnauzers, including their susceptibility to urinary issues, by providing balanced nutrition that supports their overall well-being and urinary tract health"- Dr.Belinda

    Shop Royal Canin Miniature Schnauzer Adult

    Open Farm Puppy Recipe

    Pros

    • Sustainable, ethically-sourced, super premium holistic pet food
    • Complete and balanced diet for growing puppies of all sizes and breeds
    • Packaging can be recycled through the Open Farm Pet Food Bag Recycling Program

    Cons

    • One of the more expensive premium foods
    • Unsuitable for puppies with intolerances to chicken, pork or fish
    • Not made in Australia

    Open Farm understands that puppies thrive on a diet rich in protein. That's why this recipe contains meat as the first ingredient, and contains zero artificial nasties. With humanely raised chicken and pork, fresh Pacific salmon, and superfoods like coconut oil, this diet is highly nourishing and wholesome for your high-energy pup

    What our customers say: "I've struggled getting my puppy to eat dry food without some serious encouragement. Open Farm is the first kibble she will eat by itself! I love that it's more humane as well."

    Shop Open Farm Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food

    Ziwi Peak Beef Wet Canned Dog Food

    Pros

    • All Ziwi recipes are AAFCO formulated for all breeds and all life stages including large breed puppies.
    • Single protein option suitable for dogs that suffer from skin problems, poor coats, digestive upset or require strict weight control.
    • Moisture rich recipe that supports urinary tract health

    Cons

    • Not Schnauzer specific
    • Not made in Australia
    • Unsuitable for dogs that are sensitive to beef

    Ziwi Peak uses free range, grass fed beef sourced from ethical farms to produce this single protein wet food. It is perfect for pet's with skin problems, poor coats, digestive upset and those that require strict weight control. With 91% beef meat, organs, bone, and green lipped mussels and no grain or preservatives, it is a convenient raw food alternative

    What our customers say: "My dog comes sprinting when she sees me take out a fresh tin, and doesn't get sick of the flavour. Such great stuff, no jelly or slime like other tinned food. Good on the tum as well"

    What our vets say: "Ziwi Peak Wet Dog Food Beef is an excellent choice if you're after a natural, preservative and grain free food. Being moisture rich it's great in supporting urinary health as Schnauzer's can be prone to bladder stones. It also has the added bonus of being low in fat (~5.5%) which can help to prevent pancreatitis, another known health problem in the breed" - Dr. Josepha

    Shop Ziwi Peak Wet Dog Food Beef

    Black Hawk Healthy Benefits Weight Management Adult Dry Dog Food

    Pros

    • Made in Australia and is free of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.
    • Unique hollow cube-shaped kibble to help counteract overfeeding and aid slowing down eating
    • High in fibre and protein to promote satiety.

    Cons

    • Contains chicken as main protein so not be suitable for Schnauzers with chicken intolerance
    • Only available in 2kg and 10kg bags

    This premium, nutritionally optimised and highly digestible dry dog food contains supplementary L-carnitine to help boost fat metabolism, maintain strong muscles and reduce hunger between meals to help dogs maintain a healthy weight. It is made in Australia with high-quality ingredients, ensuring a premium and reliable product that is free of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

    What our vets say: "Keeping Schnauzers lean is a really important part of ensuring they stay happy and healthy. This Australian made, all natural dry dog food is high in fibre and protein to keep them feeling fuller for longer, and is also enriched with l-carnitine to help boost fat metabolism" - Dr.Teagan

    Shop Black Hawk Healthy Benefits Weight Management Adult Dry Dog Food

    What to look for in a Schnauzer food

    When looking for a diet for your Schnauzer, regardless of their size, you want to make sure you are meeting their nutritional requirements and energy needs while also providing long term support for their health and wellbeing.

    Complete and balanced

    The three different sizes of Schnauzer need the correct balance of nutrients in easily digestible formulations to suit their individual needs.

    Urinary Tract Support

    Look for diets with carefully balanced minerals and weight control ingredients to help support your Schnauzer's urinary tract health.

    Further Reading

    Choosing the right nutrition for your dog

    Premium pet food - is it worth it?

    Which pet food is Australian made?

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