Cocker spaniels are amongst some of the cutest dogs on the market – I should know, I am one!
That’s right, this article has been written by a dog and I’m here to give you the low down on some of the best dog foods that you can get for a lively, energetic beast like me! Woof woof!
We cockers are some of the friendliest animals that you can get. We love both children and the elderly, and they love us, being curly with luscious fur and beautiful color patches. And the chances are that if you own one then you’ll want us to stay good-looking.
Are you finding it difficult to keep your cocker spaniel happy with the right food? If you don’t get the balance of proteins and carbs just right, then you can certainly expect to see us molting, having brittle and dry skin as well as experiencing issues such as diarrhea or constipation.
Well, having the best dog food for the job will definitely help rectify a lot of these issues. If your cocker spaniel is experiencing significant intestinal or gut pain, then the chances are that it will be related to what it is putting between its lips.
So what is the best dog food for cocker spaniels? What features and ingredients go into dog food to make it not only delicious and irresistible but will also boost your dog’s immune system and give them all the essential oils they need for a good coat and joint health? How much can you be expected to pay for decent dog food in terms of price?
Well, dog owners needn’t worry their fragile human heads about it, because I’ve gotten together with a few of my puppy pals and we’ve made a list of some of the best dog foods for coker spaniels currently on the market.
We also have a buyer’s guide that will help you decide between the good and the bad dog foods, as well as some frequently asked questions that will hopefully allay any anxieties that you might have for your doggy friend.
Best Dog Food For Cocker Spaniel
1. Merrick Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Real Salmon & Sweet Potato
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This first dog food is one that is made from delicious sweet potato and salmon, making it one of the more delicious meals for me and my other puppy pals.
This has been calorie calculated to reduce the risk of your dog putting on any weight, giving you plenty of protein that you can use to promote decent muscle growth – introducing the Merrick Grain-free Dry Dog Food Real Salmon And Sweet Potato.
This dog food contains plenty of slow-release carbohydrates, which will mean that you only have to feed your dog around twice a day, providing it with plenty of energy even for the most vigorous of walks. I love sweet potatoes, and can tell you that a lot of other cocker spaniels will too!
This also has plenty of fruits and vegetables, giving you all the minerals and vitamins that you’ll need to promote healthy digestion as well as antioxidants that will actively prevent any illnesses from forming. This will reduce any inflammation that you’re dog will experience around the stomach, intestines and kidneys.
Pros:
- This is made with all-natural ingredients that have been calculated to provide your dog with the exact right amount that they need to keep their energy levels up.
- This has plenty of probiotic elements that are perfect for including digestive health, as well as boosting your dog’s immune system.
- This dog food contains ingredients such as deboned salmon and whitefish, both of which are incredible for a cocker’s spaniels digestive and immune system health.
- This dog food contains plenty of natural carbohydrates, they are free of grain and other artificial elements that might cause difficulty in your dog’s digestion.
Cons:
- Some users might not like the small quantities of ingredients that this dog food has, although having fewer ingredients actually means a healthy diet for your pup.
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2. Taste of the Wild Grain Free High Protein Dry Dog Food
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This next dog food is a personal favorite amongst the cocker spaniel community, with a delicious diet that is made to mimic the wholesome diet that they would have in the wild.
The recipe of venison is full of healthy protein and definitely will give your dog more energy throughout the day – introducing the Taste of the Wild Grain Free High Protein Dry Dog Food.
When it comes to ingredients, we prefer food that feels good to our tastebuds and something that we might have enjoyed in the wilds of nature hundreds of years ago. The venison, lamb meal and duck are great sources of protein and super tasty.
This dog food gets its carbs from the garbanzo beans, peas and lentils instead of the corn and soy meal that you might get in cheaper dog food.
While this meal isn’t bad for us cockers, it doesn’t contain a lot of nutrients, rather being used as a filler to increase the overall weight of the dog food sold.
Pros:
- This dog food contains plenty of nutrients in fresh vegetables and fruit, giving us dogs everything that we need to maint a healthy digestive and immune system.
- There are many different probiotic strains in this dog food, meaning that there will be a large increase in your dog’s healthy gut bacteria.
- The carbohydrates come from natural sources such as beans and lentils, which also come with plenty of fiber that will overall increase your dog’s digestive health.
- There is hardly any meal in this food, so you can be sure that your cocker spaniel will get the optimum amount of health from this dog food.
Cons:
- Again, some owners might be disappointed by the limited number of ingredients on this list, but I for one can vouch for the deliciousness of the natural ingredients.
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3. Orijen Dry Dog Food for All Breeds
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This next dog food is another one that has biological simpatico with your animal. This comes with some amazing ingredients that will make me and my puppy pals go ga-ga, from fresh bison meat to boar and lamb, this is the dog food for a princely dog – introducing the Orijen Dry Dog food for All Breeds.
This comes from another recipe that is free from grains, with yellow and red lentils making up the majority of your carbohydrate levels.
There are also plenty of organ meats in this dog food that will certainly boost your energetic spaniel’s protein count, which is very important for muscle repair.
This dog food also contains herring oil, which is amazing for the health of the brain, the joints and keeping your cocker spaniel’s coat nice and glossy.
This will important if you are a competitive dog breeder and want your cocker looking good day-in, day-out – we love looking good too!
Pros:
- This recipe is specifically designed to be high protein and low carb, meaning that your dog won’t put on weight which could lead to diminished energy drops and mobility issues.
- Having such a small and energetic pup like a coker spaniel, having as many healthy ingredients as possible will be very important to maintaining their playfulness throughout the day.
- This features probiotic strains that will help your dog digest and absorb as much of the nutrients as possible.
- This food is also very delicious, it is great dog food for my competitive doggy pals, giving us everything that we need to maintain a luxurious coat.
Cons:
- It has been reported that some dogs do not digest this food as well as some of the other pups on this list.
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4. Royal Canin Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppy Dry Dog Food
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This next dog food is one that has been manufactured to a medical standard of accuracy, giving your dog the exact amount of nutrients that it needs to maintain a smaller body.
This food is grain-free and based largely on rabbits, with plenty of whole carbs, proteins and nutrients – introducing the Royal Canin Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppy Dry Dog Food.
This dog food contains plenty of salmon and fatty oils that will certainly promote your dog’s joint health. Us smaller cocker spaniels have much shorter legs and this can lead to increased injury in the joints which can result in way worse problems down the line.
This meal uses several organ elements including the liver and kidney that contain lots of protein as well as the fiber needed to bind it to your dog’s muscles.
One thing you might be wondering is, does it taste good? Well, as a very ravenous cocker spaniel that has tried all the foods, I can certainly recommend this grub.
Pros:
- This food contains farm-raised rabbit, which is ideal for giving your energetic dog breed that extra boost of energy that it will need to repair damaged muscles or just for muscle growth.
- There are no artificial preservatives in this food, no corn, soy or wheat in sight! This means that it will go very gentle on your dog’s digestive tract, promoting your dog’s health and lifespan.
- This dog food has plenty of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals which take the form of fruits and vegetables. This will be very important for improving your dog’s health.
- The omega-three fatty acids are perfect for increasing the levels of natural oils that are required for good joints and improving brain functions such as coordination and balance.
Cons:
- There have been a few of my doggy pals who don’t really like that taste of rabbit in this food, although this was not a common complaint.
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5. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Adult Dry Dog Food
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This final dog food is amongst some of our favorite on this list, with a lamb and rice combination that will give the smaller dog all the energy and protein that it needs to get it through an active day.
The lamb is also a great source of protein, boosting your dog’s energy levels and promoting muscle repair – introducing the Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Adult Dry Dog Food.
This is one of the best sources of protein for your cocker spaniel – the lamb is exactly what we would have chased down and eaten a hundred years ago, and our biology hasn’t changed much since then. If your dog is prone to injuries, feeding it plenty of animal protein will ensure that these repair much quicker.
This food has not one but three probiotic strains that will certainly help your dog’s immune system operates in the correct way, giving you the most in terms of energy and nutrient absorption.
This dog food comes with dried kelp and pomegranates, which is very delicious and very rare in other dog foods I’ve tried.
Pros:
- This dog food has plenty of natural and healthy ingredients that your dog will need to keep itself fit and healthy. It is important when you are feeding your pup that they get as much nutrient absorption as possible.
- The unique ingredients such as kelp and pomegranate will give your dog nutrients and minerals that it might not get from cheaper dog food.
- This has plenty of antioxidants, which not only promotes good health but will decrease the chances of your spaniel getting sick.
- This has a decent balance of protein, fiber and carbs, meaning that your dog will have good muscle tone, little fat and healthy digestion.
Cons:
- Some users have reported issues with the quality of the packaging upon delivery that might have lead to a loss of integrity in the food itself.
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Best Dog Food For Cocker Spaniel Buyer’s Guide
When it comes to shopping for your next dog food for cocker spaniels, it should be important to bear in mind that we aren’t the same as other dogs, otherwise, why would you have chosen us in the first place?
You’ll want to look for a few key features in your dog food, mainly one that will promote health and boost your dog’s immune and digestive systems:
Make Sure That They Have An Appropriate Level Of Calories
Sadly, like a lot of smaller breeds of dog, cocker spaniels are prone to putting on weight.
This means that we’ll need a lot of energy to keep our activity levels high, but not too many calories can be converted into fat.
Being a 25-pound spaniel, I would recommend that you feed a dog at around my weight class around 780 calories per day to keep me at a healthy weight.
It Should Contain Omega-3 Acids
This stuff is great for promoting good joint health as well as keeping your dog’s brain nice and healthy. All these things will contribute to your dog having a better quality of life, keeping them active for much longer.
If you are a pedigree dog breeder and you want your dog to have a nice glossy coat, then you should definitely find dog food that is rich in fish oil.
This will also result in less shedding, which is often a pain for our dog owners to clear up.
No Allergy Triggers
Dogs, in the same way as humans, suffer from a whole host of allergies, some of which can be very damaging to our health.
If your dog has a wheat allergy, then feeding it food containing wheat and soy will result in stomach inflammation and increased pain for your pup.
One of the best ways to avoid this is to consult with your vet before switching dog foods. However, you can also intensely monitor your dog’s behavior after changing dog foods to see how it has affected it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are The Most Common Health Issues Experienced By Cocker Spaniels?
There are numerous health problems that are commonly experienced by us cockers, the main one being obesity, due to our smaller legs and the smaller size of our bodies.
Here are some of the main health concerns and what they mean:
- Obesity – This is due to the fact that we cocker spaniels love to eat, which will result in liver and heart disease in the long term.
- Ear infections – this is because of our large floppy ears that can accumulate dust and dirt. Veterinarians recommend treating this by reducing the number of carbs in our diet.
- Hip Dysplasia – This is because we are genetically susceptible to having hip joints that are out of alignment. This can be corrected with surgery and managed by keeping our weight down.
- Eye disorders – we are susceptible to a whole range of eye problems from cataracts to cherry eye. These conditions can be managed, but sadly not cured.
- Epilepsy – This occurs in roughly 2 to 4 percent of all dogs, and can be treated with medication and dietary changes. Some seizures can range from being mild to severely incapacitating.
