Cavachons are a mixed dog breed between Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Bichon Frise. They are affectionate, cuddly, super cute, and they love to play. They are also pretty adaptive since they can both live in an apartment or in a yard. They also get along with kids pretty well.
However, just like any other dog, they might need a breed-specific dog food to fulfill their needs. In some cases, the breed plays almost no role, and the need for the individual dog is the actual priority. That is why picking dog food for a Cavachon might be a little bit troubling for pet parents.
When you have a loving canine companion, you have no choice but the feed him with the best dog food that nourishes his body. We know that some of you are struggling when it comes to picking the right nutritious food, that is why we picked the 5 best dog food for Cavachons.
We also included a Buyer’s Guide section at the end of this article. Make sure to read it to get some extra information about dog food!
Here is the list of our selections:
- Our Top Pick: Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free Small Breed Dry Dog Food
- Runner Up: Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Dog Food
- Best for Budget: Rachael Ray Nutrish Dog Food
- Best for Seniors: Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dog Food
- Best High Protein: Wellness Core Natural Dry Dog Food
Our Top Pick: Nature's Recipe Grain-Free Small Breed Dry Dog Food
About: Want to feed your dog with real chicken and no additives as every pet parent should? Nature’s Recipe makes it to the top in our selections because it is the best natural dog food you can get.
Features: Dog food can be easily filtered down with their first ingredient. Real meat is very beneficial, filling, and nutritious compared to meals. As you see, Nature’s Recipe Small Breed Dog Food uses chicken meat as the first ingredient. It will be helpful for your dog to get the protein he needs for his body.
This recipe is also grain-free, and the manufacturer did a great job by replacing grains with more filling food such as potatoes and pumpkins. Also, there are no additives used in this dog food.
What is best is they made the size of the pieces smaller for small breeds like Cavachon. However, we were not satisfied with the flavor options.
- Real Chicken as the First Ingredient
- Potatoes and Pumpkins Instead of Grains
- No Additives are Used
- Small-Sized Pieces for Small Dogs
- Does Not Come In Many Flavors
Runner Up: Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Dog Food
About: This dog food has many flavor options, and there are no additives used in any product. If your dog gets bored with one flavor, there are many more options in this brand.
Features: The reason why we like Natural Balance is that they use limited ingredients in their products. It is very beneficial for Cavachons with sensitivities. What is more, the kibbles are small and crunchy, so your pooch can keep his teeth clean.
There is extra fiber in this product to support the digestive system of little dogs. Fiber is something we would like to see in dog food, but definitely not chemical additives. Luckily, this dog food does not contain any.
The only bad thing about this product is the package size. 12lbs of food is too much for a small breed, so the food might get stale before your pooch finishes.
- Different Flavor Options
- Limited Ingredients
- Fiber
- No Grains Used
- Package Size is Too Big
Best for Budget: Rachael Ray Nutrish Dog Food
About: Another great dog food alternative for pet parents on a budget is Rachael Ray’s Nutrish dog food. It is made of real chicken meat and no additives.
Features: This product has farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient. Small dogs are known to be extra active than the others, so this one is a great option to balance out their caloric needs.
What we liked the most is that the ingredient list is pretty simple. No poultry by-product meal, artificial flavors, or artificial preservatives are used in this product. However, this dog food is not grain-free. Make sure that your dog has no allergies if you are planning to feed him this one.
Cranberries are an excellent food to support the immune system in dogs because they are rich in antioxidants. Rachael Ray dog food has that delicious berries precisely for that!
- No Poultry By-Product Meal
- Small, Crunchy Kibbles
- Cranberries for a Better Immune System
- Farm-Raised Chicken As the First Ingredient
- Not Grain-Free
Best for Seniors: Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dog Food
About: Older Cavachons need special additions to their diet, and Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula is excellent for senior dogs. Because it has some amazing nutrients that will help your pooch avoid most of the late-life issues.
Features: This dog food is made of high-quality real chicken meat, so the protein amount is very high compared to the other brands. It is made for senior dogs who suffer from joint pain since this dog food has glucosamine and chondroitin for healthy joints and muscles.
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula is made of natural ingredients only and does not contain any artificial flavors or preservatives. However, we should mention that this dog food is not gluten-free. Make sure that your dog is not allergic if you are going to feed him with this dog food.
- High-Quality Protein
- Made with Natural Ingredients
- No Artificial Flavors or Preservatives Used
- Glucosamine and Chondroitin to Help Support Joint Health
- Not Gluten-Free
Best High Protein: Wellness Core Natural Dry Dog Food
About: This dog food from Wellness gets almost 50% of its protein source from the meats, and there are no additives or by-products are used.
Features: First of all, there is no grain in this dog food, which makes it the perfect choice for dogs with allergies. Also, it has enough nutrients to nourish the bodies of active Cavachons because it is produced with optimum calories for small breeds.
This USA made dog food has no additives or by-products. The complete package is all-natural. However, some pet parents have been reporting that their dogs are having stomach issues after eating it even though they love the taste. So, this might not be very beneficial for dogs with sensitive stomachs.
- Grain-Free
- No Additives or By-Products
- USA Made Dog Food
- Support Hips and Joints
- Not for Dogs Who Have Very Sensitive Stomachs
Buyer’s Guide
What Should Look for When Picking Dog Food for My Cavachon?
Picking the right food for your Cavachon might be challenging if you do not know what to look for in dog food. But do not worry because we are here to help pet parents.
Real Meat as the First Ingredient
The first and the most important thing about dog food is the protein source. Most of the protein content of dog food usually comes from the meat used in them. So, having real meat as the first ingredient in dog food is very important. All pet parents should know about the importance of protein in their dog’s diet.
The protein should be high-quality so that he can keep playing around, stay active, and healthy in their life. Another important factor is the meat meals. Your dog must be getting the protein from real meat, not from meals of these meats.
You might have heard some dog food companies claiming that chicken meal, turkey meal or beef meal is as good as or maybe even better than real meat, because of the nutritional values. It might be true that meals have more protein than meats.
However, meals also have lots of other ingredients in them. Most of the protein content of meat comes from vegetable protein that has no nutritional value for dogs, actually. Because most of the time, producers do not have to give details about what they are putting in meat meals.
So, dog food with real meat as the first ingredient is the best dog food you can get for your Cavachon. We included 5 dog food that has real meat as the first ingredient in our list, even for the pet parents who are on a tight budget. Make sure you check it out.
High Protein Content
Having real meat is one thing, but dog food should also need to have high protein content. Because when carbs are more than protein in dog food, little pups cannot get enough energy to keep their muscles healthy. Protein is the only energy source you need to look for in dog food.
Dogs need protein more than carbs because protein gives them long-lasting energy compared to carbs. High carb dog food can quickly raise the blood sugar levels and drop them, causing fluctuations of energy throughout the day.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Fats are required in a healthy diet of a dog because of the many benefits they have. There are many types of fats with many different benefits. Omega-3 Fatty Acids are polyunsaturated fats and are of great benefit to both humans and dogs.
Their main role is to regulate and generate hormones, and the hormones they generate have many advantages. First of all, it is very helpful to reduce inflammation, which tends to cause swelling and pain. That is why pet food packed with Omega-3 fatty acids can provide the best relaxation for Cavachons with arthritis or achy muscles.
They also assist your dog’s body with improving immune cells, which is why they are also very good at strengthening the immune system.
Omega-6 Fatty Acids
Omega-6 fatty acids are yet another excellent source of fat for your dog. They are typically found in poultry fats, linseeds, and canola oil. Omega-6 fatty acids help to keep your dog’s skin healthy by reserving the water that is located on the outer skin. Also, in a similar way with omega-3 fatty acids, they help to improve the immune system so that your pup gets sick less.
However, you should know that omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids work in reverse. While omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation, omega-6 fatty acids increase them. But it does not mean that they are bad for your Cavachon. Instead, they are very essential for your dog and have benefits.
But there is always the risk of an increase inflammation due to the consumption of too many omega-6 fatty acids. For that reason, you should keep a balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids for a healthy diet.
Healthy Carbohydrates
Carbs are not necessary for a dog’s diet, but there is no denying that it can be helpful if taken from healthy sources. Even though dogs do not need carbs to have a healthy life, some of them have many excellent benefits for your Cavachon.
But you have to take it into consideration that they come from many different sources, and some of them might also be harmful to your Cavachon. Because of their nutritional value, grains are not good for Cavachons, and we do not recommend getting a product with too much of it.
You should definitely avoid grains, especially with Cavachons that have allergies or sensitivities to grains. Because most grain types come with gluten, which is a substance that dogs can be allergic to. Even though your dog is not allergic to gluten, individual grains hurt them no matter what.
That is why we always recommend pet parents to buy dog food that has vegetables and fruits instead of too much carb. Fruits and vegs are safer than grains because they do not cause allergies, and they have more health benefits for pups. For instance, cranberries are a good source of antioxidants that help reduce inflammation on dogs.
Peas are also commonly used in dog food. They are very high on protein content and contain several beneficial vitamins. Also, they contain lots of fiber to support the digestive system. Just make sure that the product you are buying is not using peas as a substitute for meat to label it high protein.
Conclusion: Best Dog Food for Cavachon (2020 Reviews)
Cavachons are full of love and life, they are affectionate and love to play. However, they also need to replenish their fuel by eating some quality dog food. Here in this article, we reviewed five best dog food options for Cavachons.
Since every dog is different from each other, we tried to pick 5 different dog food for 5 different needs. It is essential to choose the right dog food for your Cavachon because it keeps him playing with you! Make sure that you read our Buyer’s Guide to get some extra information related to dog food.
We are hoping that this article will be helpful when you make your choice!
