Warning: Undefined array key 0 in /home/vqg3sqrnon65/public_html/wp-content/themes/new-pup/functions.php on line 1273
Border Collies are renowned for their active and highly energetic nature, which means feeding them with healthy, nutrient-rich food is essential. Having thoroughly researched the market , I have compiled the following review of the 5 best dog foods for Border Collies and compared them on the quality of nutrients, affordability and suitability. So without further ado, here’s the 5 best dog foods for Border Collies in 2024…
Our Best Dog Food for Border Collies
- Calories
- Not listed
- Protein
- 38%
- Fat
- 18%
- Fiber
- 5%
- Our Score
Compare Our Recommended Dog Foods
All of our dog food suggestions are carefully selected by professionals. We extensively research the products to check if they’ve been approved by governing bodies before making recommendations. You can read more about our stringent review standards here. And remember, always consult your veterinarian first, before changing your dog’s food.
- Top 5 Ingredients
- Type
- Lifestage
- Calories
- Protein
- Fat
- Fiber
- Cost
- Our score
-
- Boneless Chicken
- Chicken Meal
- Chicken Liver
- Herring
- Boneless Turkey
- Dry Food
- Adult
- Not listed
- 38%
38%
- 18%
18%
- 5%
5%
-
Buy now
-
- Duck
- Sweet Potato
- Lamb
- Dried Rabbit
- Venison
- Dry Food
- Adult
- 368 Kcal/100g
- 32%
32%
- 19%
19%
- 3%
3%
-
Buy now
-
- Chicken
- Duck
- Chicken Liver
- Sweet Potatoes
- Whole Peas
- Dry Food
- Adult
- 359 Kcal/100g
- 23.5%
23.5%
- 12%
12%
- 3.5%
3.5%
-
Buy now
-
- Beef
- Beef Greaves Protein
- Dried Lamb Protein
- Dried Chicken Protein
- Poultry Fat
- Dry Food
- Adult
- 389 kcal/100 g
- 35%
35%
- 19.3%
19.3%
- 2.1%
2.1%
-
Buy now
-
- Turkey
- Sweet Potato
- Dried Turkey
- Turkey Oil
- Turkey Gravy
- Dry Food
- Adult
- KCal/100g – 341.75
- 24%
24%
- 12%
12%
- 3.5%
3.5%
-
Buy now
In-Depth Border Collie Dog Food Reviews
Orijen Adult Original Dry Dog Food review
At a Glance
- Top 5 Ingredients:
- Boneless Chicken
- Chicken Meal
- Chicken Liver
- Herring
- Boneless Turkey
- Type: Dry Food
- Lifestage: Adult
- Calories: Not listed
- Protein: 38%
- Fat: 18%
- Fiber: 5%
Orijen Adult Original is a diet of exceptional quality that well meets the nutritional needs of active breeds like the Border Collie. Often recommended as one of the best dog foods for Border Collies, this premium shelf diet features a wide array of high quality meat proteins including chicken, chicken meal, herring, and fish. These meat proteins ensure ample servings of the nutrients the Border Collie requires for coat and skin health, strong energy reserves, and healthy muscles.
A grain-free diet, Orijen Adult Original includes antioxidant and fibre-dense fruits and vegetables as the basis of its carbohydrate content. These ingredients were selected for their ability to promote good digestion and a healthy immune system.
Pros:
- Orijen’s recipe includes whole meats, organs, cartilage, and bone to ensure a well-rounded approach to nutrition.
- A grain-free diet, Orijen Adult Original is a good choice for Border Collies with food-related allergies.
- Fruits and vegetables considered to be superfoods have been included in this recipe to ensure ample antioxidants to support a thriving immune system.
Cons:
- Orijen’s emphasis on plentiful proteins may mean this diet is too rich for some Border Collies to tolerate well.
- There are no prebiotics or probiotics added to this food to encourage optimal gut health.
- There are no supplements included in this diet that promote optimal joint functionality in the Border Collie.
Eden 80:20 Dry Dog Food review
At a Glance
- Top 5 Ingredients:
- Duck
- Sweet Potato
- Lamb
- Dried Rabbit
- Venison
- Type: Dry Food
- Lifestage: Adult
- Calories: 368 Kcal/100g
- Protein: 32%
- Fat: 19%
- Fiber: 3%
For a great quality diet that offers premium shelf nutrition at an affordable price, it’s well worth giving Eden Dog Food 80:20 a try. This diet prioritizes the use of high quality proteins, listing duck, lamb, rabbit, and venison as its main ingredients. These meats are lean, easily digestible, and unlikely to trigger allergic reactions in dogs prone to skin and stomach sensitivities.
One of the best dog foods for Border Collies on the market today, Eden Dog Food 80:20 contains only a small number of carbohydrates; all of which are comprised of antioxidant and fibre-dense fruits and vegetables. This diet contains no white potato, a vegetable that is of lower nutritional quality for dogs. Coconut oil has been added to this recipe to boost the essential fatty acid content found in this food.
Prebiotics play a starring role in this formula to help with the development of healthy gut flora. This diet is proudly made in Great Britain and is manufactured from locally sourced ingredients.
Pros:
- The raw produce and meats included in this diet are cooked by steam to help them retain their nutritional value and moisture.
- Joint health is improved through the addition of glucosamine, MSM, and chondroitin.
- Eden Dog Food 80/20 offers exceptional quality nutrition at a reasonable price point.
Cons:
- The low concentration of carbohydrates may interfere with optimal digestion in Border Collies.
- The high protein content may mean this diet is too rich for some dogs.
- This diet could be improved with the inclusion of taurine to promote ideal heart health in the Border Collie.
Lily’s Complete Dry Dog Food review
At a Glance
- Top 5 Ingredients:
- Chicken
- Duck
- Chicken Liver
- Sweet Potatoes
- Whole Peas
- Type: Dry Food
- Lifestage: Adult
- Calories: 359 Kcal/100g
- Protein: 23.5%
- Fat: 12%
- Fiber: 3.5%
Lily’s Kitchen Natural Grain-Free Adult, one of the best dog foods for Border Collies available for purchase today, is a top tier food formulation that families can feel good about feeding their dogs. This protein-dense formula includes chicken and duck as its foundational ingredients, lean protein sources that offer a powerhouse punch of amino acids to support a healthy body. A grain-free recipe, Lily’s Kitchen Natural Grain-Free Adult prioritizes the use of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables in its formula to support good digestion and a healthy immune system.
Lily’s Kitchen Natural Grain-Free Adult is an excellent choice for Border Collies with allergies since it contains no derivatives, preservatives, or fillers. Joint health is supported through the addition of glucosamine and chondroitin.
Pros:
- Salmon oil has been included in this formulation to boost the essential fatty acid content needed for coat and skin health.
- Sweet potatoes provide dietary fibre, antioxidants, and vital nutrients to encourage healthy digestion and a strong immune system.
- The emphasis on high quality, lean meats ensures an excellent foundation for health and wellness in the Border Collie.
Cons:
- This diet includes lentils, whole peas, and pea protein in its recipe, carbohydrates considered to be less than ideal for dogs as a general rule.
- Lily’s Kitchen Natural Grain-Free Adult is an expensive dog food.
- This premium performance food would be improved by the addition of taurine to support heart health.
Crave Dry Dog Food review
At a Glance
- Top 5 Ingredients:
- Beef
- Beef Greaves Protein
- Dried Lamb Protein
- Dried Chicken Protein
- Poultry Fat
- Type: Dry Food
- Lifestage: Adult
- Calories: 389 kcal/100 g
- Protein: 35%
- Fat: 19.3%
- Fiber: 2.1%
Crave Dry Dog Food is considered to be one of the best dog foods for Border Collies on the market today. This diet is completely free from grains, utilizing fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants and dietary fibre to promote optimal digestion and a healthy immune system in the Border Collie.
This diet is free from artificial flavours, colours, and preservatives. Its ingredients were carefully selected to prevent gastrointestinal distress in dogs with skin and stomach sensitivities. The main ingredients in this excellent quality food are beef and lamb.
Pros:
- Crave Dry Dog Food offers excellent quality nutrition at a reasonable price.
- This diet’s limited ingredients list makes it a good choice for Border Collies with food-related allergies.
- Beef and lamb are the two main ingredients, lean meats that are easily digestible and highly flavourful to encourage hearty eating in the Border Collie.
Cons:
- Turkey digest has been added to this food, an ingredient of questionable nutritional value that is normally included in a diet only to improve its flavour.
- Potato flakes, lentils, and pea protein all play a part in Crave Dry Dog Food’s carbohydrate content, all ingredients considered to be less than ideal when compared to other more nutrient-dense vegetables.
- There are no supplements included in this recipe to assist with joint, eye, skin, or heart health in the Border Collie.
Pooch & Mutt Complete Dry Dog Food review
At a Glance
- Top 5 Ingredients:
- Turkey
- Sweet Potato
- Dried Turkey
- Turkey Oil
- Turkey Gravy
- Type: Dry Food
- Lifestage: Adult
- Calories: KCal/100g – 341.75
- Protein: 24%
- Fat: 12%
- Fiber: 3.5%
One of the best dog foods for Border Collies on the market today, Pooch & Mutt Calm and Relaxed is a high performance diet that is well prized to meet the nutritional needs of highly active dogs. A food formulation designed to promote calmness in stressed or overly energetic dogs, the basis of this diet is turkey, a meat rich in l-tryptophan to help reduce feelings of anxiety. A grain-free food, Pooch & Mutt Calm and Relaxed includes exceptional quality fruits and vegetables in its formulation to assist with fluid digestive processing.
To provide a vital help for digestion, prebiotics have been supplemented in this high quality food.
Pros:
- This diet has been formulated to reduce stress and anxiety in highly energetic dogs.
- Turkey is the basis of this diet, a lean meat that helps to alleviate stress through the l-tryptophan present in the protein.
- A grain-free food, the nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables in this diet support a strong and thriving immune system.
Cons:
- Pooch & Mutt Calm and Relaxed is an expensive dog food.
- The lack of grains may make digestive processing more challenging for some dogs.
- This diet does not include any supplements to assist with optimal heart health, something the Border Collie can greatly benefit from.
How to Select the Best Dog Food for Border Collies
The intelligent and attractive Border Collie is a highly active breed that is happiest when given a job to do. A dog with a fierce intensity, the Border Collie’s original job was herding sheep, a role that the dog both enjoyed and excelled at.
The Border Collie has immense reserves of energy that must be expended every day. This dog breed will not adapt to a sedentary lifestyle and if not sufficiently exercised will become neurotic, bored, and destructive. A dog type renowned for its endurance and hardy nature, the Border Collie is nearly impossible to tire out successfully.
A dog that was built for hard working conditions, the Border Collie traces its roots to the rolling hills of Scotland where the breed was put to work running distances of 50 miles or greater on a daily basis. The Border Collie has a strong work ethic and approaches each task it is given with enthusiasm and dedication.
Because the Border Collie was developed to be a herding dog, this dog type will attempt to corral things in its home environment. Through the use of nipping at heels, barking, and circling, the Border Collie may attempt to herd together everything from family pets to children and even cars outdoors. This trait has been hardwired into the breed since its development and cannot be trained out of the dog. Owners should channel this drive productively to help the Border Collie to remain well-adjusted and content.
The Border Collie is a highly intelligent dog. The breed enjoys learning new skills, making training sessions lots of fun for both the dog and its owner. This dog breed is both intuitive and sensitive, often anticipating in advance what will be requested of it and providing the behaviour in advance.
As with all dog breeds, there are several genetic conditions which the Border Collie can be predisposed to developing. Among the health conditions that can be seen in Border Collies are hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, epilepsy, collie eye anomaly, allergies, and osteochondrosis dissecans. The right diet can lay an excellent foundation for good health in dogs. The best dog foods for Border Collies include supplements that will provide added support for optimal eye, joint, skin, and bone health.
The ideal diet for the Border Collie is comprised of approximately 18 percent protein and 5 percent fat.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for Border Collies
The active and athletic Border Collie is a flurry of daily activity, requiring a high performance food to thrive. Determining how much of a diet to feed a dog can seem like a difficult task. Thankfully, the best dog foods for Border Collies provide helpful starting points through suggested serving sizes based on a dog’s age and weight. These amounts can be adjustments in small amounts until the appropriate meal size is found.
The Border Collie is extremely energetic, remaining active throughout every waking hour of its day. Because of this, the breed is not likely to become overweight. However, since the Border Collie can be predisposed to hip dysplasia, owners should pay careful attention to the dog to ensure a healthy body weight. Free feeding is discouraged in this breed not because the dog will overeat but because Border Collies are such busy dogs that sometimes they will skip meals and can become underweight.
Dog Food Dietary Requirements for Border Collies
The spirited Border Collie is a whirlwind of energy. Because this breed is so busy, a diet that is well-balanced and based on a lean meat protein is vital to fuel its daily energy reserves. The best dog foods for Border Collies prioritize the use of a whole meat or meat meal as their foundation ingredient.
Some commercial dog foods make use of by-products as the basis of their formula since these ingredients are inexpensive sources of protein. Foods based on by-products or the plant-based proteins soy, corn, or wheat are ill-suited to the needs of the highly active Border Collie. In addition to this, the Border Collie can be prone to developing allergies, and plant proteins have been linked to allergic reactions in many dogs.
Many commercial dog food companies include ingredients such as chemicals, derivatives, fillers, artificial flavours, colours, and preservatives in their formulations. These ingredients offer no nutritional benefits to the Border Collie and are included only to improve the appearance and shelf life of the diet.
All diets require a high quality carbohydrate content to provide dogs with the antioxidants and dietary fibre they require for good digestion and a healthy immune system. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are the basis of this food group in dog foods. Dogs that have shown sensitivities to grains may do best on a grain-free diet.
Healthy fats are the cornerstone of health and wellness in the Border Collie, contributing the essential fatty acids required for strong reserves of energy and optimal coat and skin health. The ideal sources for these fats are animal-based foods such as chicken fat and oily fish. Some plant oils such as canola, coconut, sunflower, and safflower offer an excellent alterative, contributing bountiful amounts of these essential nutrients.
Supplements added to food can help a diet to work its most effectively. The most beneficial supplements for the Border Collie include prebiotics, probiotics, taurine, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Foods for Border Collies
In selecting the best dog food for the Border Collie, here are some guiding principles to keep in mind:
- Meets APHA nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
- Free from chemicals, flavours, colours, or other difficult to identify ingredients
- Fortified with beneficial supplements
- Based on lean meat proteins
- Related: See the Best Dog Food For Border Collies Puppies Here!