Intelligent, boundless, and friendly, border collies need the best dog food for border collie dogs to support their rich coats and their energy levels.
Whether you’re a seasoned owner or welcoming a new border collie pup into your family, understanding their dietary needs is paramount for their health and vitality. In this guide, we’ll explore everything from selecting the right food to addressing common dietary issues and creating a tailored diet plan for your beloved border collie.
Dietary Needs of Border Collie Pups
During the puppy stage, border collies experience rapid growth and development.
- Total Daily Calories: To aid their growing needs, pups will need as much as 1,400 calories daily, with these calories ideally coming from raw sources or high-quality border collie pup food. If you want the best dog food for border collie dogs, a good place to start would be our American Natural Premium puppy food.
- Protein and Micronutrients: Look for puppy foods that are rich in protein to support muscle development, as well as essential vitamins and minerals for overall growth.
- Serving Sizes: Due to their growing needs, border collie puppies need roughly one to 1.5 cups of dry food or kibble daily.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
Although border collies are energetic breeds, don’t consider this a license to overfeed them. As much as possible, avoid overfeeding your border collie as this can lead to obesity. Besides that, here are other mistakes to avoid:
- Feeding your dog grapes or raisins
- Introducing Xylitol as this is toxic for border collies
- Choosing dog food with too many artificial ingredients
Transitioning to an Adult Diet
Maturing border collies will require nearly the same amount of calories as when they were puppies. However, since this breed is prone to obesity, monitor your dog’s weight and adjust serving sizes accordingly.
The only time where you can go above the recommended adult calorie count of 1,000 calories per day is when your border collie actively and regularly herds.
Choosing the Right Adult Dog Food
The best dog food for border collie dogs will consist of the following:
- Dietary fats: 5% to 20%
- Natural protein: 18% to 30%
- Fiber: 4% (on the lower end to prevent gastrointestinal irritation)
Monitoring Weight and Adjusting Portions
Adult border collies can weigh anywhere from 30 to 55 pounds. If their weight starts to go over 55 pounds, you may want to decrease serving sizes. Reducing serving sizes for overweight border collies can help keep obesity at bay.
Special Considerations for Border Collie Dogs
Border collies are prone to weight gain due to their voracious appetite and high energy levels.
To maintain an ideal weight, incorporate regular exercise into their daily routine. You’ll also want to provide mentally stimulating activities to keep your border collie free from boredom and cravings.
Tips for Maintaining an Ideal Weight
To keep your border collie’s weight in a healthy range, follow these tips:
- Regular Exercise: Ensure your border collie gets plenty of physical activity every day. Engage them in activities such as brisk walks, jogging, playing fetch, or participating in agility training.
- Portion Control: Follow the feeding guidelines provided by your veterinarian or dog food manufacturer based on your dog’s age, weight, and activity level.
- Avoid Free Feeding: Avoid leaving food out all day for your border collie to graze on. Instead, establish set mealtimes and stick to them to regulate their calorie intake.
- Regular Veterinary Checkups: Schedule regular checkups with your veterinarian to monitor your border collie’s weight. Your vet can also detect any weight-related issues early on and recommend appropriate dietary adjustments or lifestyle changes.
Senior Border Collie Nutritional Needs
Calories must decrease as your border collie transitions to its senior years. At this stage of life, your border collie must also consume the following macronutrients in reduced amounts:
- Protein: 20%
- Fat: 10%
- Fiber: No more than 2%
Border Collie Supplements
Supplements can improve your senior border collie’s longevity and vitality. Some include:
- Omega-3
- Vitamin B complexes for dogs
- Vitamin C for immunity
However, it’s still best to check with your vet to see what supplements are safe.
Common Dietary Issues for Border Collies
Border collies are vulnerable to several dietary issues, including the following:
- Food sensitivities: Border collies are particularly sensitive to whole grains. When choosing the best dog food for border collie dogs, choose grain-free formulations like our beef recipe with carrots and cauliflower.
- Obesity: Like many medium-sized breeds, border collies can gain weight quickly. For this reason, monitor your dog’s weight and adjust serving sizes.
Special Considerations for Health Conditions
Certain health conditions — such as hip dysplasia or epilepsy — may require specific dietary modifications. Work closely with your veterinarian to develop a tailored diet plan that addresses your border collie’s unique health needs.
Border collies can also develop eye problems. Supplement your dog with Omega-3s and schedule a vet appointment as soon as you suspect vision problems.
Creating a Border Collie Diet Plan
When creating a diet plan for your border collie, consider their age, weight, activity level, and any existing health issues. Also, divide their daily food intake into one or two meals and provide access to fresh, clean water at all times.
Feeding Tips
Here’s how you can effectively feed your border collie:
- Gradually introduce new foods to prevent digestive upset.
- Monitor their body condition score regularly and adjust portions accordingly.
- Avoid feeding human foods that may be toxic to dogs, such as chocolate, grapes, and onions.
Homemade vs Commercial Dog Food
Homemade dog food offers the advantage of ingredient control and customization to meet your border collie’s specific dietary needs and preferences. However, it can be time-consuming and require careful nutritional planning.
On the other hand, commercial dog foods like American Natural Premium offer convenience, consistency, and complete nutrition tailored to your border collie’s needs. For this reason, commercial dog food may just be the best dog food for border collie dogs if you’re crunched for time.
Choose the Best Dog Food for Border Collie Dogs Today
By prioritizing your border collie’s nutritional needs, you’re investing in their overall well-being and quality of life. If you’re looking for the best dog food for border collie dogs, look no further than American Natural Premium.
American Natural Premium offers a range of premium dog foods crafted with care to meet the specific needs of border collies at every life stage.
Give your border collie only the best. Contact us today for bulk orders or inquiries.
