Feeding PDF  | Print |


Feeding Your Cavalier



Feeding a high quality dog food is very important to the health and longevity of your Cavalier. When looking into what brand to feed your Cavalier you should always look at the ingredients. The higher the ingredient the more of that ingredient is in the product. Meat proteins such as chicken, lamb, or beef should appear at the top of the list. Grains should be next on the list and vegetables last. If corn or corn meal is the first ingredient it’s a poor quality food that should be avoided. Dogs do not digest corn easily. Buying kibble from the grocery store should also be avoided; they carry low-quality brands. Compare the ingredients and you will see the difference yourself. The best place to get your Cavalier’s food is your local pet specialty store.

Please, do not over feed your Cavalier! As your veterinary will tell you over feeding your Cavalier will take years off its life. As with many small breeds it is very easy to over feed, they become overweight very fast. Being overweight can cause many health issues with the heart, patellas and hips among other things. Putting an overall strain on the body and shorting the life expectancy.

Changing your Cavalier’s Diet

Should you choose to change your Cavalier’s diet be sure to do it the right way. Do it gradually over a period of about a week to insure no stomach upset or runny stool occur. Gradually mix a small amount of new food with your Cavalier’s current food. Increase the amount of new food and decrease the current food until you are only feeding the new brand. We recommend leaving your Cavalier puppy on his/her current diet fed at Charming Cavaliers. If you choose to change please wait till after the adjustment period.

How much should I be feeding?

Your Cavalier should be fed about the same time every day. That time is based on your schedule, when you will be home to feed your dog but, they should be as evenly spaced as possible. Example: my adult dogs are fed two meals a day at 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Every dog differs in the amount of food they need to stay healthy; you will have to adjust these guidelines to fit your Cavalier to keep him/her at their ideal weight. 

2-4 months of age a Cavalier puppy should be eating three to four small meals a day about 1/3 cup at each feeding
4-6 months of age cut back to two to three meals a day but, ½ cup at each serving (a little less if serving 3 meals).
6 months - up to 1 year two meals a day 1/2 cup at each serving.
1 year of age your Cavalier should be eating once or twice a day 1 cup total. I normally choose to break the amount up and feed two 1/2 meals rather than one bigger meal as I feel they better digest their food and they benefit more from it nutritionally when they can digest it fully.

When feeding your Cavalier puppy I soak the kibble in a small amount of warm water before feeding. Not only will this make it easier for your young puppy’s teeth to chew the food but, it will make the food smell more appealing as well as allow the kibble to expand before your puppy eats it. This way it will not expand in the stomach overfilling them and causing stomach upset, vomiting or other health concerns. This is not necessary as your Cavalier matures. I add a little warm water for my adult dogs to bring out the flavor in their food. I also add some homemade mix-ins to their dinner instead of using canned food. If you use canned food only use a small amount of canned food as flavor. Canned food taste great to your Cavalier but, should be used sparingly. If fed as the only food it creates plaque buildup and tartar on the teeth and many canned foods don’t offer much nutrition value. 

In addition to the primary base of dry food I incorporate fresh homemade ingredients as well. Green vegetables detoxify and cleanse. Orange vegetables sweeten food and add cancer-fighting beta-carotene. Here is the homemade recipe I use. 

• 1/2 pound of ground beef, chicken, or lamb
• 1/4 cup of cooked rice (optional)
• One small potato
• 1/4 cup of green beans or carrots, you can use almost any vegetable

Preparing and Cooking
1. Prepare this homemade dog food by cooking the meat, which should be browned in a pan on the stovetop. Once the meat is thoroughly cooked, drain away the fat.
2. (optional) Cook the rice. Substitute wild rice instead for added nutrition. Once cooked, add the rice to the cooked meat and set aside.
3. Cut the potato and beans/carrots into small pieces and place inside a pot of boiling water. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes and beans/carrots are tender. Once cooked, drain away the excess water. You can choose to steam them instead.
4.  Add the potato and beans to the mixture of meat and rice and allow to cool before serving.  

Water is Crucial

I can't stress enough the importance of a clean constant water supply to the heath and wellbeing of your Cavalier. Please be sure that your Cavalier always has fresh cool water near by at all times. If you go on a trip it’s a good idea to bring water from home with you. A change in water can cause stomach upset and open water sources such as streams may carry parasites such as giardia.

Premium Food

At Charming Cavaliers we feed all our Cavaliers only high quality premium dog food. We do not profit from feeding or suggesting any of these brands, I have the best interest of the Cavaliers I breed in mind and I want to do all I can to insure they live long, healthy life’s. I believe that good breeding along with providing a healthy diet will accomplish this. It’s recommend that you check with your veterinarian when picking a food for your dog. Below are a few of the brands I feed and or have fed in the past.

     Royal Canin Babydog #30: We wean our puppies on Royal Canin Babydog #30 it’s a formula specially formulated for young weaning puppies. The kibble size is small and soft leading to easy digestibility. Babydog #30 has DHA to help support early brain development and immunity boosters to stimulate the production of antibodies that could help boost the puppies’ natural defense system.


     Wellness is a brand I use a lot. We buy their kibble, canned food and treats. It’s all natural, USDA human grade, holistic dog food with no fillers. They use pure proteins, whole grains, as well as fruits and vegetables. For puppies I feed the Super5Mix Just for Puppy.

     Natural Balance provides an all natural complete and balanced nutrition. It is formulated for all life stages, from Puppy through Adulthood. A combination of quality meats, brown rice, oatmeal, potatoes, fresh carrots, flaxseed and other fine ingredients provides the most natural balance nutrition for your dog. We use Natural Balance with good results.  


We will send a sample bag of food home with ever Cavalier adopted. This will be the food he/she is accustomed to eating. If you choose to change brands please do so slowly as advised above. If you have any questions about the food we are currently feeding or any question in general please feel free to contact us. We are always happy to talk Cavalier!