What's the Best Dog Food for Cocker Spaniels?
Looking for the perfect diet for your Cocker Spaniel? The best dog foods for this active sporting breed are well balanced and comprised of only the finest ingredients. Whether you share your home with a puppy, a mature adult, or senior Cocker, our list of the top recommended diets for this breed will help your dog achieve and maintain optimal health and wellness.
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Breed Info
Breed Group:Sporting | AKC Cocker Spaniel Profile
Ideal Weight:Female Adult: 26 to 32 pounds
Male Adult: 27 to 35 pounds
Exercise Need:20 to 40 minutes per day
Breed Summary
The charming Cocker Spaniel is the smallest member of the sporting group. This delightful dog type is a working breed known for its skills as a gun dog and a bird flushing retriever. Yet the Cocker Spaniel also makes for an excellent family companion. Loving and affectionate, the Cocker Spaniel is happy in its role as a lap dog, enjoying time spent with its family in active pursuits or simply lounging on the couch together.
One of the Cocker’s most enduring traits is its perennially joy-filled nature. The breed’s silky flowing locks make it the picture of sophistication and grace. A true people lover, the Cocker Spaniel is eager to please its family, making it a pleasure to train.
The Cocker Spaniel has moderate daily activity needs that can easily be accomplished with daily vigorous walks or hikes. The breed is well suited to nearly any living situation including apartment life. Extremely gentle and good natured, the Cocker Spaniel does especially well in families with children and also gets along well with other household pets.
Physical Traits
Stocky, athletic, agile, active, sturdy
Personality Traits
Happy, smart, energetic, friendly, sweet
Health Considerations
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Understanding what genetic conditions can affect the Cocker Spaniels provides a great basis for selecting the right diet for this breed. Since all dog breeds are predisposed to certain inherited disorders, knowledge of these conditions and which diets can help prevent them is crucial to attaining optimal health and wellness.
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Cataracts
Cataracts can be a very common problem in Cocker Spaniels, particularly as they age. A cataract is evidenced by a cloudy spot on the dog’s eye which leads to blurred vision. Though small cataracts do not impact the cocker in any meaningful way, cataracts can grow both larger and thicker over time, increasing the chance the dog will go blind. There are many different reasons why a dog may end up with cataracts. These include disease, injury, and advanced age. While many of these are hereditary, an excellent diet will help support good eye health in the Cocker Spaniels.
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Elbow and Hip Dysplasia
Elbow or hip dysplasia is the result of improper bone growth in the joint. As a dog develops, the incorrect bone alignment becomes more pronounced, and the joint begins to degrade. Over time, dysplasia leads to lameness in the affected limb. Maintaining a healthy body weight in the cocker can help relieve some of the pain associated with elbow or hip dysplasia. Certain ingredients can also mitigate joint issues, including:
Recommendations:
Antioxidants・ Chondroitin・ Glucosamine・ Green Mussel・ Methylsulfonymethane・ Omega-3 from Fish Oil・ Taurine・ Turmeric・ Vitamin E -
Eye Health & PRA
Progressive retinal atrophy (pra) is one of several eye conditions that can affect the sweet and sensitive Cocker Spaniels. Progressive retinal atrophy, also commonly known simply as pra, occurs when the rods and cones that help determine color and the dog’s ability to see well in dim lighting begin to deteriorate, leading eventually to blindness. Though pra is inherited, a proper diet that supports vision health can help support the cocker’s eyes. Our nutritionists look for foods that contain:
Recommendations:
Anthocyanins・ Astaxanthin・ Beta-carotene・ Carotenoids・ Glutathione・ Lutein・ Lycopene・ Omega-3 essential fatty acids・ Phytonutrients・ Vitamin A・ Vitamin C -
Patellar Luxation
Luxating patella is a condition that can significantly impact the active and sporty Cocker Spaniels. Patellar luxation occurs when the knee cap of the dog slips out of position. The degree of luxation is rated on a scale of 1 through 4 with 1 being minor and 4 being of far more serious concern and often necessitating surgery for correction. Not all joint issues are preventable, but overall bone and joint health can be improved with proper diet.
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Are Fresh Food Diets Good for Cocker Spaniels?
Only if they’re properly balanced.
Many well-intentioned Cocker Spaniels parents spend a lot of time preparing meals at home, but health benefits are lost if meals aren’t properly portioned and balanced with all the nutrients dogs need. Recently, a few companies have done an excellent job ensuring accurate portions and nutrient balance by delivering pre-prepped fresh meals customized to the size and needs of your dog. Farmer’s Dog, Ollie and Nom Nom have each been approved by our nutrition team as delivering truly quality and well-balanced meals. They can be a little expensive (usually 3-4x more per day than kibble), but many find the added health benefits worth the cost. They do offer discounts to new customers, though, if you’d like to try one out.
Pros and Cons of Fresh Food Diets
✓ Diets balanced by Nutritionists・ ✓ Customized portions for weight control・ ✓ Superior digestive and immune health ・✕ More expensive than standard dog food
Foods We Recommend for Cocker Spaniels Puppies
How long do Cocker Spanielss need puppy food?
Until they're to months old.
Cocker Spaniels are very focused on growing, and how we feed them should help them do just that. Since they have so much growing to do, they need higher amounts of nutrients than adult dogs, especially proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and — don’t forget — water. It’s still important to not overfeed puppies, so make sure to portion food and keep treats to no more than 10% of their caloric intake. Since balance is so important, we recommend that your young Cocker Spaniels is eating food that is made just for puppies from a reputable brand.
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Foods We Recommend for Cocker Spaniels Adults
When should Cocker Spaniels start transitioning to adult food?
When they're to months old
From a nutrition standpoint, Cocker Spaniels become adults once they reach about 90% of their expected weight. Once adults, our two key nutrition goals are balance and maintenance. We want balance because a dog’s body is responsible for a lot of things, like digestion, fighting infection, keeping muscles strong, and chasing squirrels. These are all important tasks, so we want to make sure each body function gets its share of nutrients. We also need to maintain a healthy weight. Underfed dogs are at risk for malnourishment, and overfed dogs can become obese — both of which lead to even worse problems for a Cocker Spaniel
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Foods We Recommend for Cocker Spaniels Seniors
When should Cocker Spaniels start transitioning to senior food?
All dogs can age differently, but small dogs like Cocker Spaniels can start to benefit from senior food around to years old
Ever watch kids running around the playground and wish you had that energy again? Yeah. Dogs get there, too. The metabolic processes in senior Cocker Spaniels slow down as they age, which often means they aren’t needing quite as many calories as they did in their prime. Smart dog food companies have formulated senior diets to ease up on calories but still help them feel full and give them adequate maintenance protein. Still, like humans, everybody is different. Sometimes older dogs need just as many calories, or more, depending on how their bodies progress. So keep a close eye on their body condition, and look for dog foods made for seniors.
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Our assessment analyzes your dog’s breed, age, and health considerations to recommend a science-based diet from over 10,000 options. Help maintain mobility, cognitive health, and quality of life.
Affiliate Disclosure:
We do not accept money to recommend pet foods. However, we do receive referral fees from online retailers (such as Chewy or Amazon) on qualifying purchases. Our recommendations are neutral, and diet recommendations are made without considering whether we will receive a referral fee.