What to feed a spaniel: choosing the optimal diet for puppies and adult dogs

Cocker spaniels are favorites of children and adults, captivating with their cheerful disposition and sweetest face. These are lovers of active games and delicious food. Moreover, they are absolutely indiscriminate in food: the cocker will eat everything edible and inedible that it finds. This breed is prone to obesity. Cocker spaniels quickly get fat, and an overfed pet is a lethargic, sick dog with an unwillingness to play and communicate with the owner. How to create the correct diet for a pet from puppyhood and what to feed a spaniel is discussed in this article.

What to feed your spaniel?

Drying or natural nutrition

Anyone who is interested in the question of how to feed dogs properly knows that there are two main types of food: ready-made combined food or natural food.

The diet of the American and English Cocker Spaniel can be based on one or the other species. The owner makes the choice based on his preferences and taking into account the recommendations of the veterinarian:

It is not advisable to use mixed feeding for American and English Cocker Spaniels. This diet is difficult to balance. The enzymatic system of dogs is not able to efficiently process food of one or another type. Due to this, the dog may experience enzyme deficiency and other digestive problems.

Prohibited Products

Some foods can significantly undermine the health of an animal:

• You should not feed your English Cocker Spaniel or American Cocker Spaniel raw fish with sharp bones. It is not allowed to give dogs tubular bones.
• River fish is harmful. Corn, legumes, and potatoes are difficult to digest. They also cannot be added.
• Fresh cabbage should be heat-treated or fermented, and it is better to avoid broccoli.
• Smoked meats and sausage are not healthy.
• Homemade canned food, pickled, spicy and too salty food is harmful to the dog.
• It is not recommended to feed your American Cocker Spaniel beets. This vegetable is often an allergen.

Features of feeding

The nutrition of the English and American cocker should depend on the following parameters:

Feeding the puppies

An English and American cocker puppy begins to feed at the age of 4-6 weeks. Weaning from the mother's breast occurs no earlier than the baby learns to eat adult food.

To begin with, give soaked dry food. One serving is 3-4 tablespoons. Gradually the amount of solid food in the feed should increase.

A one-month-old puppy is introduced to meat, fish, vegetables, and cottage cheese. At 1 month he is fed 5-6 times a day, at two months - 4 times.

The number of feedings should decrease with age. At 8 months, a Cocker Spaniel puppy is given food 2 times a day, and when it reaches a year, it is transferred to a single meal.

An older puppy should be fed based on its weight. The formula for calculating the size of one portion of food is simple. Before six months, 6-7 percent of body weight, and after six months – 3-4 percent.

A Cocker Spaniel puppy must be given specialized food for young animals for up to one year. It is recommended to follow the feeding conditions, which can be read on the packaging.

You should feed your cocker spaniel at the same time, avoiding intermediate snacks and treats with “sweets” from the table.

Many owners are interested in how to feed a puppy if he refuses to eat. Experts recommend hiding the food for a while. Next time the hungry dog ​​will stop being capricious and eat the food offered.

If you feed your English Cocker puppy after a walk, he will happily rush home, knowing that he will receive a delicious lunch.

Feeding adult dogs

What to feed an English Cocker Spaniel after he is one year old is up to the owner himself. At this age, the pet is transferred to two or one meal a day. The daily portion of an adult dog can be 1.5-2 liters. The dog must always have access to water, regardless of the type of food.

The health of a pet depends on whether its food contains enough nutrients, vitamins and microelements. When choosing a diet for an adult cocker spaniel, you should be guided by the following rules:

Natural food

Natural nutrition for cockers should be comprehensive. It is recommended to feed them meat, fish, fermented milk, cereals, vegetables and fruits. It is necessary to balance the dog’s diet as much as possible:

• Meat should form the basis of natural food and account for two-thirds of the volume. Boiled chicken or beef will do. An adult dog can eat up to 300 g of meat with cartilage and tendons per day. If meat is replaced by offal, the feed portion size increases by 30%. It is not recommended to feed a cocker only meat.
• Sea fish is a source of phosphorus and omega 3 fatty acids. It is necessary to feed your American Cocker Spaniel this product 2 times a week.
• Fermented milk products and eggs are a source of animal protein for a growing body. This food is very useful.
• Vegetables and fruits , cereal products and bread should make up a third of the diet. Carrots, pumpkin, zucchini, cucumbers are given raw, with vegetable oil or heat-treated.
• It is useful to cook porridge in water or milk from rice, buckwheat, or oatmeal.
• Apples, pears, and bananas are suitable fruits , but not oranges.

Fish oil is offered as a dietary supplement. In the first days, the optimal dosage is 2-3 drops. Gradually increase the amount to 2 teaspoons if there are no side effects.

Organization of feeding area

Before you feed your American Cocker Spaniel, you need to organize a place for food. The dog should eat in a specially designated, clean area. For natural food, two bowls are useful - for liquid and solid food. For dry food, one is enough. There should always be drinking water here. You must strictly follow your diet.

During the feeding period, it is better to fasten the hanging ears of a spaniel from behind with an elastic band so that they do not get into the food. The bowl should be on a raised surface. As the puppy grows, the stand should also become higher so that the dish is always at the level of the dog's chest. Before serving, food should be heated to a temperature of 36-40°C.

The owner will be perplexed as to what to feed his cocker spaniel if he has not been taught the correct diet since childhood. The dog will refuse healthy food. An adult dog willingly eats only the food to which it has become accustomed since infancy.

Source

What to feed a spaniel

Cocker spaniels are favorites of children and adults, captivating with their cheerful disposition and sweetest face. These are lovers of active games and delicious food. Moreover, they are absolutely indiscriminate in food: the cocker will eat everything edible and inedible that it finds. This breed is prone to obesity. Cocker spaniels quickly get fat, and an overfed pet is a lethargic, sick dog with an unwillingness to play and communicate with the owner. How to create the correct diet for a pet from puppyhood and what to feed a spaniel is discussed in this article.

What to feed your spaniel?

Types of feedings

First you need to understand the types of feeding for small cockers. The breed responds positively to all three standard feeding methods:

When preparing a diet, it is important to take into account the dog’s temperament.

There are adherents of each type of food; it all depends on the choice of the owner. However, the fundamental factor when choosing the type of feeding should be the character of the animal and the purposes for which the owner got the pet. For example:

Many spaniel owners opt for dry food

As a rule, most dog breeders choose convenient feeding with dry food. They are trying to get away from the mixed type for several reasons: it is uneconomical and problems arise in creating a complete diet. In addition, the dog’s body may not accept mixed food - to digest dry and natural food, different enzymes and absorption periods are needed.

Royal Canin medium adult 15 kg

Super premium food, created for a dog’s balanced nutrition and all its taste needs. Its composition: cereal flour, dehydrated pork, rice, fats of vegetable and animal origin, yeast. A vitamin and mineral complex has been added to the product.

pros

• Widely distributed throughout the Russian Federation;
• Has good taste;
• Well digested by the body;
• When consumed, the immune system is strengthened and the appearance of the skin and coat improves;
• The product has medicinal properties.

Minuses

• Contains grains;
• Lots of crafts. The original is made in France.

What to feed a Cocker Spaniel puppy?

The diet of a small cocker must certainly include:

Proper nutrition is the key to a healthy puppy life

When creating the menu, the individual characteristics of the dog’s body are taken into account.

From the age of two months, you should give your baby vitamins for puppies, as well as dried seaweed. They will become a source of natural iodine and other minerals necessary for proper development. And from 3 to 7 months the puppy begins to change teeth: during this period you need to give him 2-3 tablets of calcium gluconate daily. If he does not want to eat the tablets, you need to crush them and sprinkle them into food.

Important! To prevent parasites, you should give your cocker finely chopped garlic. It is recommended to spread it along with butter on a small piece of bread or put it in food. You should not give more than one garlic clove per week.

How many times a day should you feed your cocker spaniel?

Cockers are very voracious, so owners need to carefully monitor portion sizes and feeding frequency. A pet that has just arrived in the family (usually puppies are bought at one and a half months of age) should be given no more than 4-5 tablespoons of food per meal. As the dog grows, the volume of food increases to 1.5-2 glasses.

Cocker Spaniels are big snack eaters.

Taking into account age-related changes, the number of feedings per day looks like this:

Diet is as important as the amount of food you eat

Some experts recommend single meals as the most appropriate for mature cocker spaniels. The owner chooses the meal time that is most convenient for himself, since the most important thing for the dog is to receive food every day at the same hours.

Important! If your pet’s weight begins to exceed the established norm, you need to give him one fasting day a week.

How and what to feed a small English cocker?

The owner needs to monitor the puppy’s behavior during and after meals in order to make feeding the most harmonious. The possible behavior of your pet can be checked against the table.

Table 1. Variants of cocker behavior and its reaction to food

The dog should always have access to fresh water

It is best to purchase a low feeding stand for your puppy that can be adjusted and grows with your baby. The dog needs to reach for the bowl, not lean towards it. And with a plate on a stand, the long ears of cocker spaniels will not get into the food, but will hang over the edges. The ideal option would be a bowl that is narrow at the top with an extension downwards, mounted on an iron hoop with legs.

Properly selected tableware is an important part of food culture

The puppy needs to buy two smooth bowls - for food and water, so that he does not get hurt by licking them. There should always be water in the plate, and food only during meals. The food that the puppy has not eaten is transferred to a container and sent to the refrigerator until another meal. Before serving, the food must be heated to approximately 40 degrees.

Diet

It is important to follow the cocker's feeding schedule. The pet must eat at strictly designated hours; no treats should be allowed between feedings. Otherwise, the slender toy will grow into a beggar, fat and with poor health.

You can't follow the lead of a spaniel begging for a treat.

If the puppy refuses the prepared food, there is no need to replace it with another. It’s worth removing it and giving it to your pet next time. Otherwise, the puppy will quickly realize that if he “shows off”, they will immediately bring him something tasty. It is forbidden to force the dog to eat the entire portion if he does not want to. Cockers occasionally create fasting days, following instinct.

The digestive tract and glands involved in digesting food quickly adapt to the established regime and type of food. Therefore, a sudden change in the type of food or meal time leads to digestive disorders.

A sudden change in diet will not have the best effect on digestion

Important tips for feeding your puppy:

The dog should be able to eat comfortably

A small cocker spaniel should have its own dining area. You need to allocate a small area for him where he will not be disturbed by household appliances or furniture. This should be a dry, clean and regularly ventilated place. For food to be digested properly, your pet should eat slowly and in a quiet environment.

Table 2. Approximate daily menu for puppies of different ages

Cocker Spaniels love variety in their food.

Experts recommend preparing vegetable salads more often with the addition of protein products - eggs, fish, meat. You need to add vegetable oil to vegetables so that they are better absorbed. Cockers accept this dish with appetite if they have been accustomed to vegetables since infancy. These are just approximate diets that the dog owner can change at his own discretion. The main thing is to choose those products that will bring the greatest benefit to the baby and will contain all the required microelements. This also applies to industrial feed. In the first year of life, it should be included in the puppy’s diet.

Premium dry food for puppies contains all the necessary elements

Need for vitamins

Medium-sized dogs cover many breeds, from basset hounds to huskies. By their nature, they can be characterized by low mobility or be active. Pets of these species need vitamins in addition to their diet.

The daily need for supplements is determined by gender and age characteristics. It depends on the weight, breed, physical development, air temperature during maintenance. Organic substances are needed for normal growth and development, viable offspring, and good health. When starting to introduce elements into the diet, take into account the weight of the pet.

It is important to worry about the intake of vitamins into the body of animals when eating natural food or when consuming economy-class feed. To improve your pet's health, you will need prolonged courses of supplements once a month. Medium breed dogs kept on dry food should take a vitamin course at least once every six months. For aging animals, it is enough to take the course once a year, provided they are fed with food and natural food.

Pet health items:

1. Retinoids, including: vitamin A, vitamin A2, retinol and retinoic acid. Needed to reproduce healthy offspring. Without these vitamins, animals do not develop normal bone tissue, cartilage, and epithelium. Retinal is involved in the functioning of the visual organs. The element is needed to produce light-sensitive pigments for vision in the dark. When it is deficient, dogs develop “night blindness.”
2. Thiamine (B1). A necessary element for the normal functioning of the nervous system. With a sufficient level of the substance, the pet will be balanced and calm. Supplements with it are needed for pets that are severely exhausted or stressed. A lack of the element thiamine causes disorders of the animal's digestive tract. Its deficiency leads to weight loss and lack of appetite. The element helps puppies grow, providing them with energy and vigor.
3. Riboflabin (B2). The condition of the coat and skin depends on the normal concentration of the substance in the body. The vitamin strengthens the animal’s immunity and defense mechanisms, helps neutralize inflammatory processes. Vitamin B2 deficiency in a dog's body can cause muscle weakness, mucosal lesions, and conjunctivitis.
4. Niacin (B3). The vitamin fights animal “bad” cholesterol, increases hemoglobin, and normalizes the metabolism of proteins and fats. After feeding the pet, nicotinic acid stimulates gastric juice and enzymes. Saturates the body with energy, helps to absorb protein from vegetables introduced into the diet. It is impossible to give vitamin B3 to an animal often. Its excess will cause disruption of the endocrine system and hair loss.

What should you not feed English Cocker Spaniels?

Some foods that are not intended for a dog's stomach can cause body disorders and even death of the pet. Therefore, you need to make sure that you don’t get into the cocker’s mouth:

The dog should eat only healthy foods recommended by experts.

Your pet should not be fed very cold or very hot food; food should be at room temperature or slightly warmer (about 40 degrees). All fatty, spicy, smoked, sweet and salty foods are prohibited.

Strictly prohibited products

Poor nutrition leads to undesirable consequences

Feeding cocker spaniels: important nuances

To ensure that food does not harm your pet, it does not overeat and does not remain hungry, it is important to take into account the following nuances:

Excess feed is unacceptable, veterinarians remind

New products should be introduced into the menu gradually

After the puppy has eaten a small amount of a new product, 12 hours should pass. If after this time there is no negative reaction, you can introduce a new product to the menu.

Video - Proper feeding and endurance training in a cocker spaniel

What to look for when choosing a diet

In order for feeding to give positive results, the pet does not starve, but also does not overeat, several important factors must be taken into account:

• Pet size. This parameter varies quite a lot among cockers; for example, a Russian spaniel is significantly larger in size than a Japanese or toy spaniel. Therefore, the volume of food must correspond.
• Age of the dog. Puppies, especially during the period of active growth, require a lot of nutritious food, and in this case, abundant feeding will only be beneficial (provided that all the foods are “correct”). In older dogs, physical activity decreases, and therefore calorie consumption also decreases.
• Physical activity. A lot also depends on the load the pet receives. If a spaniel performs hunting duties or participates in sports competitions, then its activity requires a more high-calorie and nutritious diet than for its less active counterparts.
• Character traits. Although the majority of cockers are tireless runners and gamers who can independently entertain themselves, and even set up a playground in a small apartment, it is rare, but there are still lazy individuals for whom dozing all day is the best way to spend leisure time. For this category, the portion of food can be safely reduced by a quarter; this will not harm energy-saving dogs.
• Physical state. Enriching the diet with protein products, as well as food containing large amounts of microelements and vitamins, is necessary in the postoperative period, as well as during recovery from illness, bearing and feeding offspring.
• Tendency to allergies. Cockers, especially the decorative types, are prone to this condition. Therefore, all new products must be tested with very small amounts and then observed for the reaction. If the body reacts negatively - skin irritation, itching appears, the dog tears profusely, or has trouble breathing - the irritating product should be strictly prohibited.

Features of caring for an English Cocker Spaniel

The Cocker Spaniel is an infinitely beautiful and graceful breed. The main pride of pets is their long, shiny coat with small curls. And for the owner, it is the most obvious drawback of the dog, because the coat of active toy spaniels requires special care. If you don't take care of the coat enough, the dog will lose all its beauty and presentable appearance.

A well-groomed cocker spaniel is a true eye magnet.

It is necessary to constantly monitor the cleanliness of cocker eyes.

English Cocker Spaniels have fairly good health and can live up to 12-15 years. However, eye diseases are common in animals of this breed; they may develop cataracts or glaucoma.

Important! The pet must be adapted to hygiene procedures from puppyhood. Over time, they will get used to it, and each procedure will become automatic.

Ear washing

The long ears of Cocker Spaniels require close and constant attention. When eating, they need to be tied up to prevent food from getting in there, or you need to buy a special, comfortable bowl for your pet.

After a daily walk, the outer and inner surfaces of the auricle are carefully examined. If the ears become dirty, they need to be cleaned with a special solution that can be purchased at a veterinary pharmacy. You also need to check if there are mites or inflammations in the ear; if there are, see a veterinarian.

Cocker Spaniel ears are the hallmark of the breed.

Ear discharge that may appear in cockers can be easily removed with a cotton pad. If there are excess hairs in the ear, it is recommended to remove them.

Important! The first sign that your pet has ear problems is shaking its head and constantly scratching its ears. You urgently need to examine your pet; if there are no visual changes, make an appointment with a veterinarian.

Nail trimming

A necessary procedure that cockers need to be taught to do from childhood is trimming their nails. It has the following algorithm:

Nail trimming should be done carefully and confidently

Only dogs that do not wear them down while walking need to have their nails trimmed. Spaniels who walk on asphalt surfaces do not need this - their nails are constantly being sharpened. But those who like to walk in parks and squares should get used to cutting hair without waiting for strong growth and ingrown claws. You also need to remove hairs that grow between the pads on your pet's paws.

Important! If the procedure was unsuccessful, the claw was cut too short and bleeding began, it can be stopped with a special powder or veterinary pencil. As a last resort, you can stop the bleeding by dusting the wound with flour or bandaging it. If there is severe bleeding that does not stop within five minutes, you need to urgently take your pet to the veterinarian.

Oral hygiene should become a habit for your pet.

Important! To keep your cocker spaniel healthy, physical activity and long walks in the fresh air are required.

Grandorf Duck with sweet potato all breeds 12 kg

The product belongs to the super premium class. It has the following ingredients in its balanced composition: duck, turkey, sweet potato, dried herbs, fruits and vegetables. Made using technology that preserves all the properties of the ingredients.

pros

• Made from natural ingredients;
• Has good taste, smell, color;
• Hypoallergenic;
• Contains a digestive bioregulator;
• Does not contain preservatives, GMOs, artificial colors;
• Well absorbed by the body;
• Economical consumption;
• Has a good effect on the pet's health;
• The food has a balanced composition and is suitable for daily nutrition of dogs of all breeds;
• Can completely replace the dog’s need for meat food;
• Ideal for pets with severe allergic sensitivities.

Minuses

• Difficult to find in veterinary stores;
• Has a laxative effect on the pet.

Above are ten of the best dry foods for medium dogs. Choosing the right food for dogs is important; it takes into account the health characteristics of the pet and its preferences. Each of them is good, but out of all of them I will single out only two that are at the top positions of the rating and deserve increased attention: Acana Adult Dog Heritag and Go Fit + Free salmon, duck, turkey, chicken.

They both belong to the holistic class, are suitable for everyday nutrition, and have few disadvantages. The composition does not contain grains or products that contribute to the occurrence of an allergic reaction, which is often found among medium-sized dogs.

They contain a rich vitamin and mineral complex. By consuming these products, your pet will receive the necessary substances and will enjoy good health and longevity. These 2 high-quality products fully meet your pet's need for a healthy and balanced diet. Those who give these brands of food to animals are happy and do not want to look for new food.

Feeding an adult spaniel

It is enough to feed an adult cocker spaniel twice a day, the total volume of food is 1.5-2 liters. Your pet should always have access to fresh water, especially if it eats dry food. If the water sits in the bowl for several days, you need to pour it out and pour a new one.

Adult dogs get energy from a varied diet

When developing a feeding plan for an adult dog, you need to adhere to the following rules:

The daily menu is planned in advance

In a dog’s diet, both the quality and quantity of food are important.

The spaniel must eat the entire portion to the end. If he doesn’t leave the bowl clean, then the portion is too large and needs to be reduced urgently. A sedentary dog ​​can be given a smaller portion - in feeding a cocker spaniel prone to obesity, the main principle is “it is better to underfeed than to overfeed.”

How to prepare food for your pet?

So, the owner who has decided to switch his dog to natural feeding should adhere to the following principles:

A dog that eats right is always full of energy

An adult spaniel needs to be fed morning and evening: at about 8 am and before bed, at 21:00-22:00. Here is an approximate menu for a cocker over 11 months old and weighing 15-17 kilograms, which can be alternated to diversify your pet’s diet.

Table 3. Daily menu options for an adult cocker spaniel

A monotonous diet will upset any cocker spaniel

Nutritional features of a pregnant dog

If your dog was overweight before pregnancy, most cereals and bread should be removed from the diet. Calories are compensated by adding greens, fresh vegetables, and cottage cheese.

The diet of a pregnant dog must be carefully structured

Special attention is paid to the nutrition of a dog preparing to become a mother.

Usually in the final week of pregnancy, dogs refuse to eat, so they should be given food in small portions. To whet your appetite, you can add your favorite treat: a small cube of cheese, boiled liver or cottage cheese.

Important! With the onset of pregnancy, the bitch needs 35 g of calcium and 25 g of phosphorus per 1 kg. body weight per day. Deficiencies of these minerals can be easily corrected with calcium gluconate. It is fed to the pregnant woman along with phytin: 1 tablet of phytin + 2 tablets of calcium gluconate. Also, the expectant mother should receive tetravit or trivit according to the doctor’s dosage, vitamins A and D.

Dry food for cocker spaniel

Many owners increasingly prefer dry food: they do not need to be pre-prepared, and manufacturers assure that dry food contains all the elements necessary for the development and full life of a dog. The owner only needs to choose the right food, taking into account the activity, weight, needs, age and condition of the pet.

Properly selected dry food provides the dog with everything he needs.

Before making a decision regarding any type of food, you should definitely consult your veterinarian. After all, some dry mixtures contain elements that will only harm the dog’s individual characteristics: even the best food manufacturers cannot create a mixture that takes into account all the variations in the dog’s personal and breed needs.

For example, you need to choose dry food for an English Cocker Spaniel. You need to pay attention to:

When choosing dry food, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the breed

It turns out that you need to buy puppy food for active long-haired dogs of small breeds. But most manufacturers’ lines do not offer such narrowly targeted food. Therefore, it is recommended to take one characteristic as a basis - for example, take food for small breeds. And the missing elements can be supplemented with mineral supplements - for example, vitamins for active animals or healthy coats.

The main rule is that dry food for cocker spaniels must be of high quality, premium or super-premium categories. It should contain everything necessary for the pet’s health and not lead to allergies or digestive disorders. In order not to search for the right food while experimenting on the health of the animal, you should contact a veterinarian for advice on feeding.

Important! Usually, when using dry food, it is not necessary to supplement your pet’s diet with any mineral mixtures, since industrial food already contains all the necessary substances. However, this rule applies only to those foods that fully comply with the description of the breed.

Balanced food is the key to your pet’s health and energy for many years

Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Dermatosis 12 kg

Premium class dietary food. Used when the dog shows intolerance to something. This is often manifested by hair loss, areas of dermatitis, and digestive disorders. It contains fish extract, flour, beet pulp, potatoes, vitamins, and minerals.

pros

• Medicinal food;
• Does not contain allergens;
• Contains natural fiber;
• Suitable for pets who are intolerant to beef or chicken;
• Improves the health and appearance of dogs;
• Does not contain preservatives, dyes, flavors;
• Convenient packaging for storage and use;
• Medicinal food that should be given to dogs with hypersensitivity to allergens.

Minuses

• Strong fishy smell;
• Do not use if the dog has hypersensitivity to fish and potatoes;
• Animals experience an increase in thirst;
• Overcharge.
• If your dog has recovered, then you need to switch it to another food and monitor its health.