King Charles Cavaliers should NEVER be given grain free foods, unless recommended by your veterinarian due to allergy issues. Grain free goods have been linked to cardiac issues in cavaliers. We start our puppies on Purina Pro Plan Savory, Shredded Chicken and Rice. It is a very good dog food with our puppies and nine adult dogs doing very well on this food. It has probiotics added which is wonderful as it aids in digestion and immunity for the dogs.
We provide our new parents with a small bag with advice if switching foods, please do it slowly. Begin by giving 3/4 Purina and 1/4 the new food and increase the portion of new food decreasing the Purina proportions slowly over ten days. Switching foods too fast can cause upset stomachs and diarrhea. We feed puppies three times a day eventually transition to twice a day as they grow older. We recommend separate feedings 3/2 times a day rather than having it available all day long. This is vital to be able to monitor food intake especially when there is more than one dog in the home.
May not need to be said but feed the right animal the right food. Puppy food is for puppies up to one year old, adult dog food for those healthy adults over one year of age, and never feed cat food to a puppy or adult dog. Each animal food formula is specific for that type animal and feeding something else can actually be harmful to your trusted companion.
It is especially important to monitor puppies to make sure he/she is eating enough to grow and meet its nutritional needs. We put the food down giving them an hour to eat then take up the food until the next feeding. Remember fresh water should always be available to them and when finished eating is the perfect time to take him or her outside for potty time. Helps avoid accidents inside speeding up potty training!!
Our puppies and adult dogs most times are provided only dry food avoiding table foods as some may not be a good choice for a cavalier. When one isn't feeling well with vomiting and/or diarrhea, we will switch him/her temporarily to boiled or roasted chicken and white rice until feeling better. We then transition to mixing chicken, rice and dog food until going back completely to dog food.
Next post will be discussing treats/rewards for your canine partner.....
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