You should always feed your Cocker Spaniel raw meat that has been specifically produced, for dogs, from the pet food supplier.
There are plenty of options and varieties of raw meat, such as liver and other offal, steaks and tripes, that you can feed to your Cocker, from recognised and respected raw dog food suppliers, these are well-balanced and have all of the nutrition that he needs to keep him active and healthy.
Can Cocker Spaniels eat raw meat? Dogs are carnivores and their main source of food should be meat based. Cocker Spaniels enjoy eating raw meat and it can be mixed with biscuits to add texture to your spaniel’s meals. So, yes, Cocker Spaniels can eat raw meat.
Is raw meat good for Cocker spaniels?
Up until about a year ago I had never really thought about feeding raw meat to my spaniels.
I had always used a dry, kibble based food, which, to be fair, my dogs seemed to enjoy one day and then get fed up of the next.
When I got my next Cocker Spaniel, Nimrod, I was surprised when the breeder told me that she had raised him on raw food, particularly tripe.
When we took him home she gave us some vouchers for the raw food that he had been raised on, so, with some trepidation, I ordered it.
When it arrived I was surprised at the quality of the packing, it was frozen so it went into the freezer.
When I fed Nimrod his ‘raw tripe‘ he devoured it and my older Cocker spaniel, Boris, was very interested in the empty bowl afterwards.
For almost a year I have been feeding Nimrod raw meat, tripe based, and he is doing really well.
He is a fit, energetic young Cocker Spaniel with a love of life.
Boris, has also developed a love of the raw food that we give to Nimrod, he always has some and loves it too.
Both of my dogs are healthy, lively with good coats and great energy levels from eating raw meat based food.
So I would say, from my experience, that raw food is good for Cocker spaniels.
A selection of good quality raw dog foods
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Does raw dog food need supplements?
The raw dog food that I feed to my two Cocker Spaniels is commercially produced from professional raw dog food manufacturers who produced a range of dog foods.
There is no need to add supplements to this type of commercially produced raw food as the food comes ready to feed and all nutritional needs have been addressed by the food producer.
If you make your own raw food for your dogs ( which I wouldn’t do and wouldn’t really know how to ) then it is possible that you would have to think carefully about supplements.
If you did decide to do this then you would need to know which supplements are safe for your spaniel and the correct quantities to use.
Personally I would always recommend that if you decide to feed your Cocker Spaniel on a raw diet then you get the food from a recognised raw food producer, they will have the necessary controls in place to ensure that it is safe for your dog.
Can I feed my Cocker spaniel raw meat every day?
Yes. My two Cocker Spaniels get raw meat for their meals every day.
I do mix the raw meat with dry biscuits to help the food to go further and to create bit of texture for them.
Texture is an important matter for dogs and they like to crunch a little, so biscuit is good.
The raw food that I use comes in a variety of flavors, tripe, beef, chicken, turkey and combinations of all of these and it arrives in frozen blocks that I store in the freezer.
They enjoy it, there is very little waste and they both do very well on raw meat based food.
How much raw meat should I feed my Cocker spaniel?
The amount of food that you give to your Cocker Spaniel will vary dependant on your dog and the type of lifestyle that he leads.
Just as it is with people, Cocker Spaniels are all different and what suit one dog may be too much or too little for another. Puppies, for example, will generally need more raw food than an adult dog due to their growth and development needs.
Similarly a very active Cocker Spaniel will require more food than an older dog which is less active.
An active adult Cocker Spaniel will need around 1 to 1.25lbs of raw meat per day, while a less active dog will need around 3/4lb of the same food.
How much raw meat can a Cocker spaniel puppy have?
For a Cocker Spaniel puppy you should feed him about 1lb of raw meat food daily.
Puppies are pretty good at controlling their food intake and if this is too much for him then he will leave some of the food when he is full.
You should watch your Cocker Spaniel and, if he is getting fat, then reduce the amount of food that you give to him, likewise, if he appears to be thin, then increase his food levels.
You should be able to easily feel your spaniel’s ribs and see the last few nearest to his backside.
You should not be able to see all of his ribs, or his spine. If you can then he is too thin.
What is the best raw food for Cocker spaniels?
We looked at 5 raw meat dog foods for Cocker Spaniels and, to be fair, the dogs seemed to enjoy all of these foods.
All of the manufacturers have their own take on raw foods and they all have very similar approaches to their production and sourcing of ingredients.
We were impressed with the natural qualities of all of the foods that we reviewed and that they all had no artificial additives, colourings, grains or other ingredients that could be detrimental to dogs.
Being free of additives helps each food to be suitable for all spaniels ( and other breeds ) regardless of age or condition.
So. To answer our question.
What is the best raw food for Cocker Spaniels?
We chose 4PAWSRAW dog Food. We love this food for it’s simplicity. It arrives frozen and needs nothing adding to it before use. The dogs love it, it is great value for money and the company offer a great range of tripe products of the same quality.
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What to look for when choosing a raw food
There are many raw dog foods available for your Cocker Spaniel and you’ll want to make sure that you choose the right one for your dog.
When considering a raw food it is wise to do some research about the company that produce the food and your main consideration should be what do they make their raw food from?
You will also probably want to check that the food contains no artificial additives, colours, sugar and grains.
Raw dog food is generally supplied in either frozen or dehydrated form.
If you buy frozen then you will need a suitable appliance to store the food until it is needed.
If you buy dehydrated raw food then storage is not as difficult as the food is dry, but, when you want to feed the food to your dog, you will need to add water to it first, otherwise your dog will not be able to eat it.
Finally most raw foods can be used as complete meals or as toppers on other foods such as dry kibble etc and this may be something that you want to think about.
Final Words
Many people have turned to raw foods in recent years for their dogs and, having fed raw tripe to my dogs for some time, I am an advocate of raw feeding.
All of my dogs enjoy the raw tripe that I feed and they are fit, healthy and have lots of energy.
If you are considering using raw food for your dog then why don’t you try a small amount, mix it into his normal food and see if he enjoys it?
The cost of raw food is minimal and I know that your dog will enjoy it.
