Italian Greyhound Dog Food: How to Feed a Lean Iggy to a Healthy Weight
A good Italian Greyhound diet gives a naturally lean dog enough calories to hold a healthy weight, without guesswork. A neutered 10 lb Iggy needs roughly 350 calories a day, and a lean outline is normal for the breed. Weight loss, a dull coat or a dog that won't eat are the signs that need a vet. Our Italian Greyhound dog food guide covers the breed's full profile.
Is my Italian Greyhound underweight or just lean?
An Italian Greyhound that looks slim is usually just lean, because the breed is built that way. Our breed profile describes Iggies as having lean builds and fast metabolisms, so a healthy Iggy can look thin next to a Labrador or a Pug.
The better question is whether your dog's shape is changing. The most reliable answer comes from your vet, who can score body condition by looking and feeling, and compare it with your dog's history. An Italian Greyhound underweight in a way that is new for them needs a vet visit, as does one showing:
- Weight loss on the scale over a few weeks, even though the portion hasn't changed.
- Less muscle over the back and thighs, which can mean the body is using muscle for energy.
- A dull, dry coat or low energy, which can come with too few calories or an underlying illness.
- Ongoing diarrhea or vomiting, since a sensitive stomach is one of the breed's common health risks on our profile.
Why should your vet know your Iggy is a sighthound?
Your vet should know your Iggy is a sighthound because sighthounds can have blood test results that differ from other breeds. A review of research on Greyhounds and other sighthounds found differences such as higher creatinine and lower thyroid hormone (T4) levels2.
Those differences can make a healthy sighthound look unwell on paper. If your Italian Greyhound has blood work as part of a weight check, ask your vet whether sighthound reference ranges apply. It's a small question that can save worry and repeat tests.
How much should you feed an Italian Greyhound?
How much to feed an Italian Greyhound depends on weight and activity, but a neutered adult of 7 to 14 lbs needs about 265 to 450 calories a day. Veterinarians estimate this from the resting energy requirement (70 × body weight in kg to the power of 0.75), multiplied by 1.6 for a neutered adult or 1.8 for an intact adult1.
Treat the number as a starting point1. Our breed profile lists the Iggy's energy level as high, so a busy dog may need more. These are the starting estimates for neutered adults, using our two most energy-dense meals.
Adult weight (neutered) | Calories per day | Classic Pork Stew (742 kcal/pack) | Berry Beefy Breakfast Bowl (668 kcal/pack) |
7 lb (3.2 kg) | ~265 kcal | ~0.36 pack | ~0.40 pack |
10 lb (4.5 kg) | ~350 kcal | ~0.47 pack | ~0.52 pack |
12 lb (5.4 kg) | ~400 kcal | ~0.54 pack | ~0.60 pack |
14 lb (6.4 kg) | ~450 kcal | ~0.60 pack | ~0.67 pack |
To get a portion based on your own dog, answer a few questions about your pup. We'll portion the Meal Plan to your Iggy's weight, age, activity and body condition.
How can you help an Italian Greyhound gain weight?
How to help an Italian Greyhound gain weight comes down to raising daily calories in small steps, with your vet setting the target weight. Once your vet has ruled out illness, these steps work well together:
- Agree on a goal weight with your vet, so you know when to stop adding calories.
- Increase the daily portion a little at a time, then reweigh after two weeks before changing it again.
- Choose a more energy-dense meal, so the extra calories fit into a portion a small stomach can manage.
- Feed two or three meals a day. Our breed page suggests two meals for most adults; splitting the same food into three can help a dog that eats little at a time.
- Keep weigh-ins on the same scale, since small changes are easy to miss by eye.
Why won't my Italian Greyhound eat?
When an Italian Greyhound won't eat, they may be choosy, stressed or uncomfortable, and our breed profile lists picky eating among the breed's common risks. Rule out pain first, especially in the mouth.
A UK study of 22,333 dogs found that the odds of periodontal disease went down as adult body weight went up, and Greyhounds were among the breeds with the highest odds3. A small sighthound sits in both groups, so a dental check makes sense for an Iggy that eats slowly or drops food. After that, set mealtimes, a quiet place to eat and a bowl taken away after about 20 minutes all help.
What is the best food for a lean Italian Greyhound diet?
The best food for a lean Italian Greyhound diet is a complete and balanced meal that packs enough calories into a small portion and tastes good enough to finish. These two recipes are our most energy-dense dog meals.
- Classic Pork Stew is a stew of lean ground pork, root vegetables and leafy greens, at 742 kcal per pack. It's free of chicken, beef and grains, and a favourite with picky eaters.
- Berry Beefy Breakfast Bowl combines lean ground beef with blueberries, blackberries and oats, at 668 kcal per pack. Our breed page features it for Iggies.
For an Iggy with a sensitive stomach, our breed page also features Fisherman's Best Friend Supper and Thai Coconut Chicken & Rice. Both are low fat, so they suit digestion better than weight gain.
How do gently-cooked meals support a healthy weight for an Iggy?
Gently-cooked meals support a healthy weight for an Iggy by giving a known number of calories in every pack, made from real ingredients. Every Tom&Sawyer meal uses 100% human grade ingredients, prepared in a human grade inspected facility and gently-cooked to a safe internal temperature without cooking out nutrients.
Animal nutritionists formulate and lab test each recipe to AAFCO nutrient profiles. A Full Plan makes our meals your Iggy's complete diet, portioned to the gram for their calorie needs. A Partial Plan mixes our meals with their current food. You can change the portion as your dog's weight changes or cancel anytime, and each order comes with our 14 day satisfaction guarantee.
Ready to build an Italian Greyhound diet that keeps weight on?
An Italian Greyhound diet that keeps weight on pairs the right daily calories with regular weigh-ins and a vet who knows sighthounds. Lean is normal; losing weight is not.
Build your pup's Meal Plan with our meal quiz. Tell us about your Iggy, and we'll recommend meals and portion them to the gram for a healthy weight.
Please consult your veterinarian before making changes to your pet's diet, especially if your pet has a medical condition.
Resources
- Sanderson, S. L. (2024). Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals. Merck Veterinary Manual. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-small-animals/nutritional-requirements-of-small-animals
- Zaldívar-López, S., Marín, L. M., Iazbik, M. C., Westendorf-Stingle, N., Hensley, S., & Couto, C. G. (2011). Clinical pathology of Greyhounds and other sighthounds. Veterinary Clinical Pathology, 40(4), 414–425. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3816276/
- O'Neill, D. G., Mitchell, C. E., Humphrey, J., Church, D. B., Brodbelt, D. C., & Pegram, C. (2021). Epidemiology of periodontal disease in dogs in the UK primary-care veterinary setting. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 62(12), 1051–1061. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9291557/