Best Dog Food for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels 2025

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Best Dog Food for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels 2025

Written by Wag! Staff

Veterinary reviewed by:

Published: 07/03/2023, edited: 02/28/2025

The Wag! team conducts independent research and consults pet experts to curate our recommendations. This content is supported by our affiliate pet partners and we may receive a commission on the links provided.

The sweet-natured and adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the ultimate companion animal. This charming dog wants nothing more than to be by your side, and as a pet parent, you want your fur-baby to have everything they need to be happy and healthy.

And that’s where proper nutrition is crucial. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels need a diet that's appropriate for their life stage and also features:

a high-quality source of animal protein
fats for energy and skin and coat health
fiber for healthy digestion

With so many options available, choosing the best food for your dog is a confusing task. To help make it easier, we’ve put together this guide to the best dog food for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Check out the 6 foods below when deciding on the right diet for your fur-baby.

Overview

Open Farm Small Breed
Ollie
Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Small Breed
Weruva Classic Dog
NutriSource Senior
FAQ

Open Farm Small Breed

Best vet recommended overall pick

Open Farm Small Breed dog food is our top pick as the best dog food for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. This top-tier brand is recommended by Dr. Georgia Jeremiah, pet nutrition expert and veterinary consultant with Wag!:

“Open Farm dog food is formulated with high-quality ingredients and does not contain any artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. The company also prioritizes the use of ethically sourced and humanely raised ingredients.”

Open Farm offers 2 dry dog foods for small breeds: 1 grain-free food and 1 grain-inclusive option. Both foods are multi-protein, with chicken and turkey as the top 2 ingredients.

These recipes are designed to cater for the speedy metabolism of small-breed dogs, featuring antioxidant-rich blueberries and omega 3 fatty acids from green-lipped mussel.

Plus, Open Farm lets you trace all the ingredients in each bag of food right back to their source. Its foods also feature the Certified Humane and Ocean Wise labels, so you know this is a pet food brand that prioritizes animal welfare.

For a closer look at this brand, check out our full Open Farm dog food review.

Open Farm Ancient Grains Small Breed Recipe

Free Shipping on Open Farm

Why Wag! loves Open Farm

Recommended by our resident pet nutrition expert, Dr. Georgia Jeremiah.
100% traceable ingredients.
High-quality, humanely sourced protein.
Specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of small-breed dogs.

Considerations & concerns

The price tag may be a barrier for some pet parents.
Only 2 small-breed recipes to choose from.
The use of multiple proteins may not suit dogs with food sensitivities.

What pet parents say about Open Farm Small Breed

“I have two tiny Yorkies, one with picky tastes and the other with a very sensitive stomach. Both dogs are LOVING this Open Farm Small Breed food. The kibble size is actually tiny enough for my pups' 5-lb jaws (many so-called "small breed" brands are just too big), and the kibble pieces are not rock-hard and can be easily crunched. Stools have been perfect, energy levels are up, and eyes and coats are bright. My Yorkie with IBS usually struggles to transition to any foods that are not limited ingredient or specifically formulated for digestive sensitivities, but she has thrived on this brand so far. No issues at all. Definitely a testament to the high-quality ingredients Open Farm uses and the high digestibility of this formula.”

“I need to be better at leaving reviews but I had to for this one. I bought this because I have a tiny, less than 3lb Chihuahua. He wants to eat what his older and bigger brothers eat so I switched them all to this. They all LOVE it and are doing really well on it. Please never stop making these small bites for my baby!!!”

Why Wag! loves Ollie

Customized meal plans based on your pup’s nutritional requirements.
Cooked in USA kitchens.
Vet-formulated to provide nutrition for dogs at all life stages.

Considerations & concerns

Feeding fresh food is an expensive option.
Only 5 fresh recipes to choose from.
Some customers complain about getting automatic deliveries they don’t need.

What pet parents say about Ollie

“I am a devoted pet owner, new to Ollie, and am thrilled that my picky Havanese is enjoying her food. However, I am still transitioning on food amount as she is a light eater (more than not). Consequently not only food quality but customer service were critical components of my never-ending food search. Ollie has been great in meeting my needs. The food packages are very well boxed so they get through the mail unharmed and arrive on time. And, because of a modification required, I called today and the young man I talked with was very professional, and resolved my issue right away by being flexible in individualizing our needs. Thank you Ollie.”

“When we adopted our dog he was only 7lbs and could see his whole spine and ribs. He couldn’t eat kibble because of the state of his teeth. After switching to Ollie, he looks like a completely different dog. He absolutely loves the fresh food. We have tried chicken, beef, and turkey and our baby is a fan! It is so easy that they deliver to your door pre measured out food. Anytime we call customer service they are always helpful and willing to let us try samples before ordering. I know it is expensive but it is completely worth it!”

Why Wag! loves Merrick

Recommended by Dr. Jeremiah, pet nutrition expert and licensed veterinarian.
Cooked in the USA in facilities that meet FDA guidelines.
Good source of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat.
Deboned chicken is the first ingredient.

Considerations & concerns

The use of multiple protein sources won’t suit all dogs.
Some pet parents might appreciate larger bag sizes.
Some buyers report that their picky eater pups did not like this food.

What pet parents say about Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Small Breed

“I have always tried to give my fur baby the best. He did not really like his last brand of dog food. This one matches what vets are saying about what dogs really need. This seems to meet those goals. And he likes it. He seems to enjoy the whole grains too. I want Dash to enjoy his food as well as being good for him.”

“I have a tiny dog that is a very picky eater. I was not sure she would eat this, but to my surprise, she seems to really like it. She is very active and I believe this food will meet her nutritional needs. I do recommend this food for those tiny active dogs.”

Why Wag! loves Weruva

Recommended by Dr. Jeremiah.
Wide range of flavors to choose from.
High protein and moisture content.
Lots of buyers report that the Weruva range is highly palatable even to picky eaters.

Considerations & concerns

The price tag may be a barrier for some pet parents.
Not made in the USA.
Some buyers complain that the Paw Lickin’ Chicken recipe has too much gravy and not enough meat.

What pet parents say about Weruva Classic Dog

“I recently researched dog food brands and settled on several new ones to try. I bought a case of this food and hoped for good results. This food not only appears to be a high-quality food with quality ingredients. Best surprise is my dog just loves this brand. She is eager for mealtime and licks her bowl spotless which is not her norm. Best thing is she gets no stomach distress or diarrhea with it! This brand has been the best canned food I’ve found, big thumbs up!”

“So glad I found Weruva dog food as my two absolutely love it!! It truly does look and smell good enough to eat myself!!”

Why Wag! loves NutriSource

Recommended by our vet consultant, Dr. Georgia Jeremiah.
Chicken or turkey as the first ingredient.
Features essential nutrients like l-carnitine and taurine to help promote a healthy heart.
A grain-inclusive wet food recipe is also available.

Concerns & considerations

Not widely available at big-box pet stores.
Only 2 senior dry foods and 1 wet food to choose from.
Not the most affordable option.

What pet parents say about NutriSource Senior

"We buy this brand all the time but this was the first time we committed to senior food. And our picky eater loved the flavor. This will be our go to for our 10 year old lab from now on."

"We've had our 9 yr old English Springer Spaniel on this food for over a year now and she does just fine on it. She's a hunting dog and she has all the energy of a 4 yr old when hunting. If you compare ingredients with the Nutrisource's Adult food you'll see that there is less fat and more glucosamine in the senior food."