
The English Springer Spaniel has a long history of pulling double duty as a mild-mannered house dog during the week and a driven hunting companion on the weekends. Bred to be bird dogs, this affectionate breed has a sweet temperament that loves having a job to do.
Your English Springer Spaniel needs quality food to keep up with its health and nutrition needs. While cheap dog foods will give your Springer the calorie count it requires, only a quality food will help your affectionate English Springer Spaniel thrive.
Let’s look at what makes the best dog food for English Springer Spaniels and how to choose the right one. Plus, we’ve put together a list of our favorites for all life stages so your companion can thrive throughout life. Let’s take a look.
- Why Quality Food Matters
- Best Dog Food for English Springer Spaniel
- 1. Ollie Fresh Pet Food Delivery
- 2. Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula
- 3. American Journey Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe
- 4. Iams Proactive Health Active Chicken & Turkey Recipe High Protein
- 5. Gentle Giants Canine Nutrition Chicken
- 6. Merrick Backcountry Raw Great Plains Red Recipe
- Best Puppy Food for Springer Spaniels
- Best Senior Dog Food for English Springer Spaniels
- 3 Common Health Issues A Good Food Can Help With
- What to Look For in a Quality Dog Food
- Ingredients to Avoid
- Feeding Chart
- Final Thoughts
Why Quality Food Matters
Joints are often an issue with athletic dogs, so quality foods can help maintain cushioning and strengthen muscle groups that help keep joints and dental health healthy.
They also need food that can help them maintain a healthy weight throughout their lives because this is key to keeping your Springer healthy and active. This, in turn, can also help reduce paw problems.
Best Dog Food for English Springer Spaniel
Let’s keep your Springer Spaniel healthy and happy. We’ve put together a list of recommendations for the best food for your English Springer Spaniel for a range of life stages and budgets. Let’s break it all down.
1. Ollie Fresh Pet Food Delivery
First 5 ingredients:
Turkey, Kale, Lentils, Carrots, Turkey liver
Protein: 10.0% min
Fat: 7.0% min
Fiber: 2.0% max
Moisture: 72.0% max
Food Type: Fresh
Best for: All Lifestages, All Breeds
Special Diet: Grain-free
Why you should buy it
- Ready-to-serve dog meal
- Clean and limited ingredient
- Alleviate digestive issues
Ollie’s cooked meals are a good balance between dry dog food and raw dog food diets. Meals are prepared and arrive at your house ready to serve or store in the fridge (or freezer).
Turkey Dish with Blueberries is a non-allergenic option that uses whole turkey and turkey liver for quality proteins plus whole fruits and veggies to give antioxidant and vitamin support.
It’s clean and limited ingredient, ideal for English Springer Spaniels prone to dental disease. It should appeal to picky dogs and help alleviate the digestive issues of dogs with severe allergies.
Portion sizes are simple, and foods contain balanced nutrition created by a Vet Nutritionist.
About The Company
Ollie is a company that was developed with your dog’s health and longevity in mind. They partnered with experts with a goal in mind: to provide an ancestral diet in easy to serve portions that wouldn’t overwhelm the way raw food diets often do. The formula is created right in the kitchen and shipped out ready to serve.
Pros
Suitable for allergies
Taste appeals to a wide range of dogs
Easy to serve
Cons
Requires cold storage
Delivery schedule choices aren’t available in all areas
2. Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula
First 5 ingredients:
Salmon, Barley, Rice, Oat, Meal, Canola Meal
Protein: 26.0% min
Fat: 16.0% min
Fiber: 4.0% max
Moisture: 12.0% max
Food Type: Dry
Best for: All Lifestages, All Breeds
Why you should buy it
- Highly digestible formula
- Ideal for sensitive canines
- A well-known and trusted brand
This is a premium dog food designed to meet the unique nutritional needs of dogs with sensitive skin and stomachs. Made with real salmon as the main ingredient, it provides high-quality protein that promotes lean muscle mass and supports healthy skin and coat.
This premium dog food is tailored for dogs like the English Springer Spaniel, with sensitive skin and stomachs.
It's made with real salmon for lean muscle mass and a healthy coat, vital for breeds prone to skin issues. Enriched with easily digestible rice, it reduces inflammation and ensures a balanced diet.
Free from common allergens, it's suitable for sensitive dogs. Packed with omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, it supports digestive health and a strong immune system.
Trusted by vets, loved by dogs, it's an ideal choice for sensitive pups.
About The Company
Purina is a well-established and reputable pet food company that has been providing high-quality pet nutrition for over 90 years. They offer a wide range of pet food options tailored to different life stages, dietary needs, and preferences, and are committed to producing safe and nutritious pet food backed by scientific research and expertise.
Pros
Trusted by veterinarians
Uses high quality ingredients
Specifically formulated for dog with sensitivities
Enriched with prebiotic fiber, promoting healthy digestion
Balanced blend of nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants
Cons
Contains grains
A noticeable change in formulation
3. American Journey Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe
First 5 ingredients:
Deboned Beef, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Chickpeas
Protein: 32.0% min
Fat: 14.0% min
Fiber: 5.0% max
Moisture: 10.0% max
Food Type: Dry
Best for: Adult, All Breeds
Special Diet: Grain-free
Why you should buy it
- Quality and affordable
- Deboned beef as main protein
- Good source of fiber
American Journey has produced dog food that goes to show that cheap does not have to mean poor quality. Using beef as its main source of animal protein, this formula contains 32% protein and 14% fat, including healthy fats.
This is amazing for a budget dog food and will be more than enough to ensure your dog maintains a healthy immune system, bones, and muscles. However, some of this protein is from the vegetable source pea protein. This is harder for dogs to digest than animal protein, but shouldn't be too much of an issue for a healthy dog.
The dog food does also use chicken and turnkey meal to bolster its protein content, which could be of some concern to dogs with allergies. In those cases, you would be better off going with American Journey's limited ingredient range. Still, this formula is grain-free.
This formula does include “dried plain beet pulp” as a source of fiber. This is fine but the saponinins in it has been found to cause irritation in a minor amount of dogs' gastrointestinal tract.
About The Company:
American Journey is the house brand of known online pet products and food retailer, Chewy.com. Manufactured in the United States, American Journey products offer nutritious recipe choices ranging from grain-free to rice-mixed. All formulations are made without soy, wheat, poultry meal by-products, or any filler for a truly healthy feast.
Pros
Inexpensive
High in protein
Packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
Cons
Uses pea protein
Smaller bag sizes
4. Iams Proactive Health Active Chicken & Turkey Recipe High Protein
First 5 ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Dried Plain Beet Pulp
Protein: 30.0% min
Fat: 18.0% min
Fiber: 5.0% max
Moisture: 10.0% max
Food Type: Dry
Best for: All Lifestages, All Breeds
Why you should buy it
- Made with real, wholesome components
- With L-carnitine for better metabolism
- Provides the energy to support an active lifestyle
This is a specially formulated dog food designed for active adult dogs. Made with real chicken and turkey as the main ingredients, it provides high-quality protein to support muscle development and energy levels.
The recipe is enriched with essential nutrients, including omega-6 fatty acids, antioxidants, and prebiotic fibers, which promote healthy skin and coat, support a strong immune system, and aid in digestion.
This high-protein dog food is designed to fuel your dog's active lifestyle, helping them maintain their optimal body condition and overall well-being. It supports a high energy diet, which is perfect for Springers who have more energy than the majority of dog breeds.
This kibble is a trusted choice for active dogs, backed by Iams' commitment to producing premium pet nutrition that meets the highest standards of quality and safety.
About the Company:
Iams is a well-known pet food company with a long history of providing high-quality nutrition for pets. They offer a wide range of pet food options tailored to different life stages, dietary needs, and activity levels, and are committed to producing nutritious and balanced pet food backed by scientific research and expertise.
Pros
High protein content
Tailored for active dogs
Enriched with essential nutrients like omega-6 fatty acids, antioxidants, and prebiotic fibers
With essential minerals to maintain strong joints and bones
Cons
Has grains (may trigger sensitive dogs)
5. Gentle Giants Canine Nutrition Chicken
First 5 ingredients:
Chicken Meal, Pearled Barley, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Peas
Protein: 22.0% min
Fat: 9.0% min
Fiber: 4.0% max
Moisture: 10.0% max
Food Type: Dry
Best for: All Lifestages, All Breeds
Why you should buy it
- Chicken-based budget pet food
- Fosters good immune health
- With 12 whole fruits and veggies
Gentle Giants have produced a chicken-based dry budget dog food that is packed with vitamins and minerals. It uses twelve whole fruits and vegetables including beets, tomatoes, blueberries, cranberries, spinach, celery, and apples.
This means that your dog will not only be enjoying a flavor sensation, they will also be absorbing Vitamin A, Vitamin B 12, and Vitamin C from natural sources. These aim to foster good immune health in your dog. We are a little disappointed in this formula's protein and fat content.
This formula has been designed for dog's with sensitive stomachs, so it might be a good idea to try this if your pet is having digestive trouble with standard dog food.
Whilst, it isn't really competitive with premium dog food, Gentle Giants will be more than adequate for dog owners on a tight budget.
About the Company:
The brainchild of Burt Ward, the actor famous for playing Robin on the television series ‘Batman’ back in the day. What not everyone knows is that Ward is also a huge animal lover and runs Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions to find homes for abandoned dogs and pets in distress.
An American-made brand of dog food, Gentle Giants, is designed to keep your dog healthy with a view to increasing their lifespan.
Pros
A great natural formula
Made with twelve whole fruits and vegetables
With added prebiotics and probiotics
Contains vitamins and antioxidants
Cons
Kibble is too big for small dogs
May not be a hit for finicky eaters
6. Merrick Backcountry Raw Great Plains Red Recipe
First 5 ingredients:
Deboned Beef, Pork Meal, Salmon Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes
Protein: 38.0% min
Fat: 17.0% min
Fiber: 3.5% max
Moisture: 11.0% max
Food Type: Dry
Best for: All Lifestages, All Breeds
Special Diet: Grain-free
Why you should buy it
- Freeze-dried bits of meat
- Supports coat and skin health
- No artificial flavors or colors
Back Country Raw provides a premium kibble blended with freeze-dried bits of meat for texture and plenty of protein. Merrick uses only whole sources of protein and quality complex carbohydrates to provide energy and muscle support all day.
Whole fruits and veggies give your dog vitamins and minerals while essential fatty acids support coat and skin health. It’s grain free and contains no artificial flavors or colors. It also helps support joints with glucosamine and chondroitin.
About The Company:
Merrick uses only whole, premium ingredients to provide your dog with nutrient-dense foods. The company makes and tests food right in local kitchens just like it’s been doing for the past 25 years.
Pros
Freeze dried meat bits
Premium kibble
Joint and skin support
Cons
Freeze dried bits can settle to the bottom
Kibble doesn’t satisfy some dogs preferences
Best Puppy Food for Springer Spaniels
Puppies need controlled growth. Whole protein sources keep muscles healthy and build good bones. Fatty acids help with brain development while fruits and veggies provide essential vitamins and minerals.
1. Wellness Core Grain Free Puppy Chicken And Turkey
First 5 ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Lentils, Peas
Protein: 36.0% min
Fat: 18.0% min
Fiber: 5.0% max
Moisture: 10.0% max
Food Type: Dry
Best for: Puppy, All Breeds
Special Diet: Grain-free
Why you should buy it
- Includes fatty acids and DHA
- Good for brain development
- Created by vets and pet expert
Wellness Core uses whole proteins from chicken and turkey to provide the building blocks of healthy growth for your puppy. It includes fatty acids, including DHA, for healthy skin, coat, and brain development.
Whole veggies and fruits give your puppy plenty of vitamins and antioxidants while guaranteed levels of phosphorus and calcium support healthy bones. It has no fillers, artificial flavors or colors, and uses probiotics to promote digestion.
About The Company
Wellness uses a team of veterinarians and pet experts to create a balanced, grain free food that doesn’t sacrifice any nutritional requirements. Puppies get everything they need to build healthy bodies and maintain optimum growth.
Pros
Whole proteins
Guaranteed calcium and phosphorus levels
Includes DHA
Cons
Uses potatoes and peas
Taste doesn’t seem to appeal to some puppies
2. Nulo Freestyle Chicken, Salmon & Lentils Puppy Recipe
First 5 ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Salmon Broth, Chicken Liver, Salmon
Protein: 9.5% min
Fat: 5.0% min
Fiber: 1.0% max
Moisture: 78.0% max
Food Type: Wet, Pate
Best for: Puppy, All Breeds
Special Diet: Grain-free
Why you should buy it
- Uses both chicken and salmon
- Great proteins for growing bodies
- Guaranteed levels of DHA
This Freestyle recipe uses both whole chicken and salmon for complete proteins for growing bodies. It’s grain free and uses lentils as a source of complex carbohydrates and fiber.
It has guaranteed levels of DHA in addition to fatty acids for brain development, healthy skin, and coat. It’s low glycemic and will help control growth. Plus, it uses antioxidants and probiotics to support digestion.
About The Company
Nulo was created about ten years ago in a focus on providing low carb and low glycemic foods to dogs. It’s manufactured in states with an emphasis on sustainable farming and strives to provide a quality ancestral diet for your puppy.
Pros
Guaranteed DHA
Whole proteins
Support for bone health
Cons
Canned food is messy
Strong smell
Best Senior Dog Food for English Springer Spaniels
It’s likely that your senior has slowed down a bit, so weight control is critical here. Formulas should provide plenty of nutrients but cut back on the calories to help your senior control weight.
Fiber is key to this as well. Also, look for formulas with glucosamine or chondroitin for joint health.
1. Merrick Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Senior Recipe
First 5 ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Turkey Meal
Protein: 30.0% min
Fat: 12.0% min
Fiber: 3.5% max
Moisture: 11.0% max
Food Type: Dry
Best for: Senior, All Breeds
Special Diet: Grain-free
Why you should buy it
- Good option for senior pals
- Formula with weight control
- With antioxidant support
Merrick’s senior food uses a proper blend of protein and complex carbohydrate sources to balance calories with weight control. It features whole fruits and veggies for antioxidant support plus glucosamine and chondroitin to support healthy joints.
About The Company
Merrick uses premium kibbles formulated across all life stages to help your dog transition to its golden years with grace. Whole balanced meals help control weight and support your dog’s aging joints, eyes, and skin.
Pros
Joint support
Grain free weight control
Whole proteins
Cons
Taste is bland for some seniors
Kibble could be tough to chew
2. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Senior Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
First 5 ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley, Chicken Meal
Protein: 18.0% min
Fat: 10.0% min
Fiber: 7.0% max
Moisture: 10.0% max
Food Type: Dry
Best for: Senior, All Breeds
Why you should buy it
- With proprietary LifeSource bits
- Recipe has dense nutrition
- No empty fillers added
Blue Buffalo’s life protection includes their proprietary LifeSource bits, a blend of antioxidants and vitamins to support your senior’s health.
Chicken and brown rice adds dense nutrition without empty fillers for better weight control, plus vitamins and antioxidants to round out nutritional needs.
About The Company
Blue Buffalo was started by a family in search of the best nutrition for their beloved Airedale Terrier, Blue. Since then, the company has provided a balanced diet to support your dog in all stages of life.
Pros
LifeSource Bits
Balanced protein and carbs
No empty fillers
Cons
Some dogs pick out LifeSource Bits
Probiotic blend may cause runny stools at first
3 Common Health Issues A Good Food Can Help With
English Springer Spaniels, like other athletic dogs, face various health issues. Key concerns include:
- Ear Problems: Their furry, long ears predispose them to infections. Regular cleaning and trimming are crucial to prevent severe issues. Avoiding food allergens can also help minimize ear irritations.
- Hip and Elbow Dysplasia: Genetic factors contribute to dysplasia, causing joint misformation and mobility issues. Nutrient-dense foods aid in muscle support and joint strength, particularly those with glucosamine and chondroitin.
- Weight Management: Maintaining a healthy weight is vital for Springer Spaniels' athleticism. Nutrient-rich diets with proper protein and complex carbohydrates, avoiding empty calories, and controlling portion sizes are essential throughout their life stages to prevent obesity and associated health issues.
What to Look For in a Quality Dog Food
Proteins from whole sources, not by-product meals, are essential for your Spaniel's muscle growth, joint strength, and coat health, contributing to their overall health. Complementing proteins with complex carbohydrates provides sustained energy without empty calories, preventing weight gain and blood sugar spikes.
Fiber aids weight control, supports digestion, and maintains gut health, preventing overeating and gas. Incorporating whole veggies and fruits supplies vital vitamins and minerals.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin support joint health, while essential fatty acids protect the skin and coat, reducing inflammation and promoting softness.
Ingredients to Avoid
Cheap dog foods often contain harmful ingredients like soy, corn, and fillers that lead to weight gain and digestive issues. Avoid foods with poultry by-products, artificial flavors, colors, or common allergens.
Recently, potatoes, peas, and legumes have been linked to Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy; it's wise to avoid these ingredients, especially if listed among the first three on the food label, until more is understood about the connection.
Feeding Chart
A healthy adult Springer Spaniel consumes just under 1353 calories per day to stay healthy and maintain weight. You should consult your veterinarian for specific feeding recommendations and make sure to follow the serving sizes listed on your dog food. However, here are general recommendations.
- Puppies: Puppies grow quickly, and their food recommendations are likely to change rapidly. Make sure you follow your vet’s recommendations to keep growth to a proper rate.
- Adults: Generally, adults should maintain a weight anywhere between 44 and 55 pounds. Servings should be cut in half and fed twice per day to help the Spaniel keep up energy all day.
- Seniors: Seniors will get close to the same recommendations, but your vet may reduce those recommendations to just under 1000 calories per day to account for a drop in activity. Maintaining proper weight here is critical.
Final Thoughts
Feeding your English Springer Spaniel well is the key to controlling weight and maintaining muscle health all throughout life.
Athletic dogs need plenty of solid nutritional support for all their life stages so that you can enjoy your beloved companion from birth into the golden years. Don’t compromise on nutrition because this is key to your dog’s quality of life and happiness.