In this review, we’ll look at the best dog foods for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in 2024. We’ve compared the quality of ingredients, nutritional information, and value for money in order to help you make the best decision for your King Charles’ diet!
Our Best Dog Food
- Calories
- KCal/100g – 341.75
- Protein
- 24%
- Fat
- 12%
- Fiber
- 3.5%
- 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
-
- 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
-
- Chicken
- Sweet Potato
- Peas
- Chicken Fat
- Gelatine
- Dry Food
- All life stages
- Not listed
- 26%
26%
- 12%
12%
- 4.9%
4.9%
-
Buy now
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- Duck
- Sweet Potato
- Dried Duck
- Peas
- Lucerne
- Dry Food
- Adult
- Not listed
- 23%
23%
- 16%
16%
- 3%
3%
-
Buy now
-
- Chicken
- Chicken Mince
- Peas
- Potato Starch
- Poultry Oil
- Dry Food
- All life stages
- Not listed
- 37%
37%
- 20%
20%
- 4.5%
4.5%
-
Buy now
-
- Chicken
- Turkey Poultry
- Poultry Fat
- Dried Chicken Protein
- Pea Starch
- Dry Food
- Adults
- Not listed
- 36%
36%
- 17%
17%
- 1.9%
1.9%
-
Buy now
In-Depth Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Dog Food Reviews
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%
For a top quality diet that meets all of the hallmarks the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel needs from its diet, it’s hard to go wrong with Pooch & Mutt Calm and Relaxed. Often ranked among the best dog foods for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels on the market today, this high performance food has been carefully crafted to help reduce excessive levels of stress or anxiety in dogs. Its main ingredient is turkey, a meat that is rich in l-tryptophan, a naturally occurring ingredient that encourages feelings of calmness in dogs.
A grain-free food, Pooch & Mutt Calm and Relaxed includes fruits and vegetables that offer a bountiful supply of nutrients in its carbohydrate profile to boost digestion and the immune system. One of the most beneficial carbohydrates found in this food is sweet potato, a vegetable that offers an abundance of dietary fibre and antioxidants. The dietary fibre found in this diet comes from antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.
Nutra-Bionic, a proprietary supplement, adds glucosamine, chondroitin, and essential fatty acids into this recipe, promoting overall health and wellness in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Chamomile and brewers yeast have also been included in this recipe to soothe turbulent digestion and upset tummies.
Pooch & Mutt Calm and Relaxed is free from grains, cereal, gluten, GM produce, artificial flavours, colours, and preservatives.
Pros:
- Owners love that this diet has been crafted in Great Britain with locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.
- Turkey is the primary ingredient in this diet. The l-tryptophan contained in this meat helps to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress in dogs.
- The proprietary supplement blend Nutra-Bionic encourages optimal coat, joint, and skin health in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
- This diet includes none of the most common food allergens for dogs, giving owners confidence that this is a great diet for dogs with allergies.
- Dogs with gastrointestinal distress found relief from their symptoms when regularly fed this diet.
Cons:
- A few owners expressed that they found this food to be quite expensive.
- Peas and potatoes feature prominently in this diet, carbohydrates of questionable nutritional value for dogs.
- Some owners prefer a diet that includes whole grains in its formulation, believing their dogs require them for optimal digestion.
- It is unknown how much benefit ingredients such as brewers yeast and chamomile offer dogs.
- Some dogs dislike the taste of this food. This is likely simply a matter of preference. A switch to another Pooch & Mutt formulation based on a different protein may solve this problem.
Forthglade Natural Dry Dog Food review
At a Glance
- Top 5 Ingredients:
- Chicken
- Sweet Potato
- Peas
- Chicken Fat
- Gelatine
- Type: Dry Food
- Lifestage: All life stages
- Calories: Not listed
- Protein: 26%
- Fat: 12%
- Fiber: 4.9%
A diet that offers great nutrition at a reasonable price, it’s well worth giving Forthglade Natural Grain-Free Adult a try. Often recommended as one of the best dog foods for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels available for purchase today, this diet is manufactured using a proprietary cold press technique that helps to preserve nutritional quality in each of the ingredients.
The ingredients selected for this high performance food were chosen for their ease of digestibility. Forthglade Natural Grain-Free Adult contains no grains, instead making use of antioxidant and fibre-rich fruits and vegetables to encourage strong digestion and a healthy immune system. Its primary ingredient is duck, an exceptional meat protein that is lean and nutrient-dense to promote a healthy body in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Pros:
- Owners love the cold press manufacturing process, feeling this food is of exceptional quality and supports their dogs every nutritional need.
- Duck is a less commonly utilised meat, making this diet unlikely to trigger an allergic reaction in skin and stomach sensitive dogs.
- The presence of salmon and flaxseed oils ensures ample support for optimal coat and skin health in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
- Dogs regularly fed this diet enjoyed excellent digestion and good stool quality.
- Owners feel this food offers premium shelf nutrition at a reasonable price point.
Cons:
- Dried peas play a starring role in this diet, an ingredient of questionable nutritional value for dogs.
- There are no prebiotics or probiotics found in this food. However, there is a large amount of dietary fibre to support digestion found in this recipe’s fruit and vegetable content.
- There is no taurine in this recipe, an important nutrient to support optimal heart functionality in dogs.
- A few owners felt this food was expensive.
- On rare occasions, a few dogs experienced mild gastrointestinal distress with a switch to this food. This is likely related to too rapid a change from the old diet to the new and will resolve in time.
Barking Heads Dry Dog Food review
At a Glance
- Top 5 Ingredients:
- Duck
- Sweet Potato
- Dried Duck
- Peas
- Lucerne
- Type: Dry Food
- Lifestage: Adult
- Calories: Not listed
- Protein: 23%
- Fat: 16%
- Fiber: 3%
For a diet that offers exceptional nutrition at a reasonable price, it’s well worth giving Barking Heads Doggylicious Duck a try. The basis of this diet is free range duck, a meat of exceptional quality that is full of flavour and easy for dogs to digest. One of the best dog foods for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels on the market today, this diet is free from grains, using vegetables and fruits such as sweet potato and peas in its formulation to support digestion and the immune system.
This food is considered to be hypoallergenic, making it a great selection for dogs with allergies.
It contains no artificial flavours, colours, or preservatives.
Pros:
- Duck is the main ingredient in this diet, a lesser used meat protein that is unlikely to trigger an allergic reaction in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
- Salmon oil has been included to ensure ample servings of essential fatty acids for coat and skin health in dogs.
- This diet is grain-free, a bonus for owners of dogs with sensitivities to grains.
- Glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM have been added to this diet to assist with joint health in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
- Dogs love the taste of this diet, licking their bowls clean at every meal.
Cons:
- This diet includes peas in its recipe, a less desirable carbohydrate of questionable nutritional value for dogs.
- This diet has a limited number of fruits and vegetables in it formula; however, those that are included are typically high in nutrients such as the superfood: the sweet potato.
- There are no prebiotics or probiotics in this diet.
- Some owners feel that this food is overpriced.
- A few owners noted some mild gastrointestinal distress in their dogs when fed this diet. This is likely simply a result of too quick a transition from the old food to the new.
Applaws Natural Complete Dog Food review
At a Glance
- Top 5 Ingredients:
- Chicken
- Chicken Mince
- Peas
- Potato Starch
- Poultry Oil
- Type: Dry Food
- Lifestage: All life stages
- Calories: Not listed
- Protein: 37%
- Fat: 20%
- Fiber: 4.5%
Applaws Natural Complete Adult is often ranked among the best dog foods for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels available for purchase today. This diet utilises all natural ingredients in its recipe as much as possible to provide top tier nutrition to meet the needs of active dogs. A high protein food formulation, Applaws Natural Complete Adult is from artificial flavours, colours, and preservatives.
This diet contains no grains, instead prioritizing fruits and vegetables in its carbohydrate base. This approach ensures support for digestion and assistance with maintaining a healthy body weight. Prebiotics and probiotics occur naturally, providing an added boost for fluid digestive processing in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Pros:
- Chicken is the main ingredient in this diet, a meat that is rich in flavour to encourage the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to eat its meals with hearty abandon.
- This diet is grain-free, making it a good choice for dogs with allergies.
- This diet includes foods with naturally occurring prebiotics and probiotics to support good digestion.
- Taurine has been added to this diet to support ideal heart health.
- Owners feel this diet offers premium nutrition at an affordable price.
Cons:
- This diet is high in protein which may be too rich for some Cavalier King Charles Spaniels to tolerate well.
- Some dogs do better on a diet that includes some whole grains in their formulation.
- A few owners noted they felt this diet was pricey.
- Very rarely, a few dogs experienced mild gastrointestinal distress and an increase in flatulence when transitioned to this food. This may be as a result of too quick a change from the old food to the new.
- A few owners noted an increase in thirst in dogs fed this food regularly.
Crave Dry Dog Food review
At a Glance
- Top 5 Ingredients:
- Chicken
- Turkey Poultry
- Poultry Fat
- Dried Chicken Protein
- Pea Starch
- Type: Dry Food
- Lifestage: Adults
- Calories: Not listed
- Protein: 36%
- Fat: 17%
- Fiber: 1.9%
Crave Dry Dog Food, one of the best dog foods for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels available today, is a top shelf food formulation designed to well support the needs of toy and small breed dogs. A diet that prioritizes exceptional flavour, chicken and turkey are the foundation of this food, two meats with a taste that dogs love. This diet is rich in protein and includes pieces of freeze-dried meat to encourage hearty eating in even the pickiest of eaters.
This diet is free from the most common food allergens including maize, wheat, soy, and dairy, making this a good fit for dogs with allergies. A grain-free food, Crave Dry Dog Food includes fruits and vegetables in its recipe that are rich in the nutrients required for ideal digestion and a strong immune system.
Pros:
- Turkey and chicken are the main ingredients in this diet, two highly flavourful, nutrient-packed meats that assist the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with maintaining a healthy body.
- This diet is grain-free, making it a great option for dogs with allergies.
- This diet includes added prebiotics, glucosamine, chondroitin, and essential fatty acids to boost overall health.
- Owners feel this diet is very reasonably priced given its value.
- The stool quality of dogs transitioned to this diet appropriately was vastly improved.
Cons:
- This diet includes animal digest in its formulation, an ingredient that is controversial and objectionable to some owners.
- This diet includes peas, potatoes, and derivatives of both of these items quite heavily in its ingredients list. These items are of questionable nutritional quality for dogs.
- The high amounts of protein found in this diet may make it too rich for some Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
- The fibre content in this food is relatively low. This may mean some dogs will experience constipation as a result of inadequate dietary fibre for their system.
- Some dogs do not like the taste of this food and will not eat it. This is likely simply a matter of preference.
How to Select the Best Dog Food for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
The sweet-natured Cavalier King Charles Spaniel captures hearts wherever it goes. A beauty to behold, this breed is always happy as evidenced by its tail that is forever on the move, showing its contentedness and joy about life in general.
The breed is well renowned for its large, luminous eyes and heart-warming expression. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is well aware of its charms and often puts them to work to get people to yield to them whatever the dog’s heart desires, including cuddles, kisses, treats, and more.
A dog that requires only moderate daily activity, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel loves to eat and will easily become obese if over fed. For this reason, this breed should never be free fed.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a true Velcro dog, attaching itself to its owners and happily following them wherever they go. The breed does not do well when left alone for long periods of time.
A breed of good intelligence, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel enjoys learning almost as much it enjoys pleasing those it loves most. They are eager and willing training partners that respond best to treats and praise. Aversives and harsh words should never be used with this breed as it is quite sensitive, and its spirit can easily be broken.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel can suffer from a few genetic health problems, as all dog breeds do. These may include mitral valve disease, syringomyelia, episodic falling, hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, and keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye). Diet alone cannot prevent disease from occurring in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, but it does lay an excellent foundation for health and wellness. The best dog foods for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels contain supplements to support joint, eye, skin, and cardiac health.
The ideal diet for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is well-balanced nutritionally and contains approximately 18 percent protein and 5 percent fat.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
The sweet and joy-filled Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the ideal family companion, filling its family’s days with love and fun. To maintain ideal health, this dog breed requires a diet that is well balanced and comprised of the highest quality ingredients. Once the appropriate diet has been found, it is then necessary to determine how much of this food to feed the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
The best dog foods for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels list suggested serving sizes on their packaging. These can be used as a starting point with adjustments made to reflect the dog’s activity level, appetite, and body condition until the proper portion is found.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel loves to eat and excels at manipulating its owners into feeding it extra treats and people food. However, the breed easily becomes overweight if fed too much. Because the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is predisposed to both hip dysplasia and patellar luxation, maintaining a healthy body weight is critical. This dog breed should never be free fed, and all meals should be measured and intake monitored daily.
Dog Food Dietary Requirements for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel gets most of its activity from happily following its owner around. However, this dog breed still requires a premium quality diet to enjoy optimal health and wellness. The best dog foods for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels base their recipe on a lean meat protein. Whole meats or meat meals are the gold standard choice, providing bountiful amount of the amino acids required for a strong and healthy body.
Today, many commercial dog food manufacturers make use of by-products in their recipes. These ingredients are an inexpensive animal-based protein source; however, they are of lesser nutritional quality than whole meats or meat meals. Likewise, plant proteins such as soy, corn, and wheat, common allergens for many dogs, are best avoided in a diet for this breed.
Some dog food companies add chemicals, additives, fillers, artificial flavours, colours, and preservatives to their recipes. These ingredients contribute no nutritional value to any dog food and can trigger recurring allergies in some dogs. Their presence in the food is only to improve appearance and shelf life. These diets are undesirable for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Carbohydrates provide the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with the antioxidants and dietary fibre that drive healthy digestion and a thriving immune system. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are all excellent additions to any well-rounded carbohydrate profile. In cases of dogs with allergies to grains, a grain-free diet may be a better option.
Healthy fats provide the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with the nutrients required for healthy coat and skin and vibrant energy levels. The ideal sources for these fats are foods such as chicken fat and oily fish. However, the plant-based oils canola, safflower, sunflower, and coconut offer an excellent alternative, providing an abundance of the essential fatty acids the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel needs from its daily diet.
All diets can benefit from the addition of supplements to provide further health benefits to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The ideal supplements for this sweet and friendly breed are glucosamine, chondroitin, taurine, and prebiotics, and probiotics.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Foods for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
In selecting the best dog food for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, 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