Hill's report ties small dogs to 71% of urinary stones in Minnesota cases

More than half of the world's dogs weigh under 25 pounds, according to Euromonitor data cited by Hill's Pet Nutrition, and Hill's has now published a report arguing those dogs need nutrition standards of their own. The World of the Small Dog Report ties small breeds to higher calorie needs, more dental disease, more kneecap problems and most urinary stones.

Hill's, the pet nutrition unit of Colgate-Palmolive based in Overland Park, Kansas, released the report at the fifth anniversary of its Small Paws Innovation Center in Topeka. It is written as an evidence-based guide for veterinary teams and pet owners. Francisco Poblanno, the report's lead author and a clinical nutrition manager at Hill's, said small dogs are "not simply smaller versions of larger dogs."

The report ties small breeds to specific health risks

The nutrition finding is about energy. Hill's says small dogs need roughly twice the calories per kilogram of large breeds, because they carry higher mass-specific metabolic rates and lose more heat through their surface area.

The health findings are stated as multiples. Small dogs are up to five times more likely than giant breeds to develop periodontal disease, and 97% of veterinarians surveyed by Ipsos in 2025 named dental care as their primary health need for them. They are 12 times more likely than larger breeds to have medial patellar luxation, the slipped kneecap condition. Hill's also cites an analysis of about 388,000 canine cases at the Minnesota Urolith Center from 2019 to 2024, in which small and mini dogs accounted for 71% of urinary stones and calcium oxalate made up 53% of stones in mini breeds.

On the heart, Hill's points to myxomatous mitral valve disease, which it says causes more than 70% of canine heart disease and disproportionately affects small breeds. It adds that longer lifespans raise the lifetime risk of canine cognitive dysfunction.

Hill's is building a research case for small-breed diets

The report arrives with a new advisory body. Hill's held the inaugural meeting of its Small & Mini Advocacy Advisory Panel, a group of eight specialists covering gastroenterology, mobility, cardiology, urinary health, dentistry, behavior and nutrition. Members come from the University of Minnesota, Cornell, UC Davis, LSU, LMU Munich and clinics in Canada and Minnesota.

Karen Shenoy, Hill's Global Chief Veterinary Officer, said "pioneering small dog science has been a priority for Hill's for years." The company opened the 25,000-square-foot Small Paws Innovation Center in June 2021, and Colgate-Palmolive describes it as a site that studies the nutrition, behavior, genetics, genomics and microbiomics of small dogs and houses 80 dogs under 20 pounds.

The business behind the research is large. Hill's accounted for 22% of Colgate-Palmolive's $5,369M in third-quarter sales, and its organic sales rose 5.7% in the period. Hill's says it employs nearly 200 veterinarians, PhD nutritionists and food scientists and sells Prescription Diet and Science Diet through veterinary clinics and pet specialty retailers.

Clinics and rival brands now face a documented small-dog case

For veterinary practices that stock therapeutic diets, the report gives practice staff one document that collects the figures for feeding conversations about dental, urinary and joint care in small breeds. Hill's says clinicians can pair it with RACE-approved education through the Hill's Veterinary Academy, and the full report sits at hillsvet.com/caninehealth.

Rivals already sell on the same size logic. Purina Pro Plan lists an Adult Small Breed Chicken & Rice formula on Chewy at $20.68 for a 6-pound bag, down from a $22.69 list price, and describes it as complete and balanced for adult dogs under 20 pounds. Outside the clinic, Walmart sells the exclusive Dr. Pol clinical line, which we covered in May, as clinical-style dog food without a prescription.

Hill's has put its small-dog case in writing, with named sources, where clinics and rival brands can check it.

Source: Hill's Pet Nutrition via PR Newswire