best dog food for cattle dogs

10 Best Dog Food for Australian Cattle Dog: Our Top Recipes for 2024

Australian cattle dogs are strong herders known to be highly intelligent, sometimes even more so than their owners! This is a small dog with a muscular build that grows up to 19 inches if female and 20 inches if male.

They generally weigh between 35 and 40 pounds. The American Kennel Club (AKC) describes the Australian Cattle Dogs temperament as alert, curious, and pleasant.

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These talented dogs are born with a white coat that over time turns red or blue-grey with a speckled pattern throughout. They have endless amounts of energy and are well known for their chasing and hunting abilities, along with their ability to mobilize farm animals of course.

These dogs love to run and theyre great at it. Since this is a pup that has a natural inclination toward rigorous exercise, pet parents need to be heavily involved in maintaining an active lifestyle for their Australian cattle dog. If this physical requirement is not met, this dogs boredom will lead him into mischievous activities.

The Australian Cattle Dog is very athletic and requires balanced nutrition to keep up with his energetic nature. High-quality dog food is a must, along with providing the right type of dog food throughout the different stages of life, ranging from puppy to senior.

If youre wondering where to start to find the best dog food for Australian cattle dogs, look no further. This guide covers the special dietary considerations and key nutritional needs of your Australian cattle dog and includes our top picks for high-quality dog foods available on the market.

A puppy feeding chart provides ample information for the first critical year of your pups life, starting at the 6-week mark until he reaches one year of age. At the end of this guide, you will find a section for frequently asked questions (FAQs) to provide you with enough information to pick the best, most nutritious food for your loyal companion.

Overall Best Australian Cattle Dog Food in 2024

Best Dog Food for Australian Cattle Dog?

1. Ollie Fresh Pet Food
2. Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Formula
3. American Journey Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe
4. Farmina Natural & Delicious Chicken & Pomegranate
5. Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Sweet Potato
6. True Acre Foods Chicken & Vegetable Recipe
7. Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe
8. Gentle Giants Canine Nutrition Chicken Recipe
9. Merrick Grain-Free Real Texas Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe
10. Wellness Complete Health Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal

1. Ollie Fresh Pet Food Delivery

Key Features:

• Straight to your door delivery service
• Made with human-grade ingredients
• Nutrient preservation via minimal processing
• Created by veterinarians

Ollie's healthy turkey feast formula is created by veterinarians with ingredients safe enough for human consumption. These formulas are specially designed for your favorite canine companion. All ingredients go through a gentle cooking process that allows nutrients to remain intact and be delivered for the optimal health of your pet.

There are no artificial flavors in Ollie's recipes, which lets your pup enjoy the natural flavors of all the wholesome ingredients included in his meal. If your pup has a sensitive stomach or is prone to allergies, this is a great option because it also omits those pesky fillers like soy, corn, and wheat that can cause stomach upset or allergy flare-ups.

The primary animal protein source included in this recipe comes from turkey. It also includes vegetables and fruits like carrots for eye health, blueberries for antioxidant support, and chia seeds, a superfood for extra health benefits. This meal is not only a delicious option your Australian Cattle Dog will love, Ollie also makes it easy for you as a pup parent by delivering all of these fresh ingredients right to your front door. Its a win-win for you and your adored four-legged companion.

Pros

• Zero artificial additives or fillers
• Delivery service for convenient shopping
• Safe, human-grade ingredients throughout recipe

Cons

• Have a higher price point than other products on the market

2. Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Formula

Key Features:

• Grain-free formula
• High protein content
• Added fruits and vegetables
• Includes a special K9 probiotic blend

Most Popular Food This dry dog food by Taste of the Wild is made with real Salmon and Oceanfish meal as the primary animal protein sources. Sweet potatoes and peas deliver energy that is easily digestible while real fruits and vegetables are included to provide antioxidant support as part of a balanced diet.

Taste of the Wild incorporates a K9 probiotic blend into their recipe that was created to encourage a well-functioning digestive system. Added vitamins and minerals provide your pup with adequate nutrition. This formula does not include artificial flavors, colors, or fillers.

Pros

• No fillers
• Easy to digest ingredients
• Gluten-free and grain-free
• No artificial colors or flavors

Cons

• Not certified organic
• May contain genetically modified ingredients (GMOs)

3. American Journey Salmon & Brown Rice Formula

Key Features

• Recipe does not contain grains
• High protein formula
• No fillers included in recipe

Most Inexpensive (Cheap) Deboned salmon is the primary animal protein source in this salmon and brown rice dry dog food by American Journey. The salmon has a tasty flavor your pup will happily gobble down this protein-rich ingredient is excellent for supporting the growth of lean muscle mass to keep your Australian Cattle Dog active and thriving.

Salmon oil and flaxseed are also included in this recipe to deliver omega fatty acids that serve to promote skin health and that will keep your dogs speckled coat shiny.

Theres also natural fiber from wholesome, easy-to-digest grains like brown rice and barley. Extra vegetables and fruits deliver the vitamins and minerals along with antioxidants that help to counteract the spreading of free radicals in the body.

Sweet potatoes and chickpeas are a great source of fiber that will provide energy and assist with smoothing out the digestive process.

Pros

• No fillers in recipe
• Protein-rich formula
• Gluten-free and grain-free

Cons

• May contain genetically modified ingredients (GMOs)

4. Farmina Natural & Delicious Chicken & Ancestral Puppy Formula

Key Features:

• Protein-rich formula
• Crafted for the tender puppyhood life stage
• No fillers like soy, wheat, or corn

Best Puppy Food This puppy formula by Farmina combines quality ingredients that provide your pup with protein, fat, and carbohydrates that are specially measured out to support his development. This chicken recipe omits peas, by-products, and legumes to avoid digestive issues.

Vitamins in this recipe are coated after cooking so they can maintain their freshness as your Australian Cattle Dog enjoys his meals day by day. Since the nutrients are better preserved, your four-legged friend is getting a balanced meal packed with the good stuff during each feeding time.

Pros

• Created for growing puppies
• No fillers in this recipe
• Lots of protein to support the development stage
• This formula leaves out genetically modified ingredients (GMOs)

Cons

• This formula is more expensive than other dry dog food options available on the market

5. Natural Balance L.I.D. Sweet Potato & Salmon Formula

Key Features:

• Limited ingredients for sensitive tummies
• No fillers in recipe
• No grains in recipe

Best Sensitive Stomach Food Natural Balances sweet potato and fish formula has a limited set of ingredients that provides a small amount of carbs and leaves out unnecessary artificial elements. Salmon provides the main animal protein source in this recipe and sweet potatoes provide fiber to encourage a healthy digestive system.

Healthy skin and good coat health is promoted via the omega fatty acids incorporated into this formula. If your Australian Cattle Dog has had a hard time adjusting to other dog foods, a limited ingredient product is worth trying. These recipes are crafted without common allergens to provide dogs with high-quality nutrition that supports their health.

Pros

• Grain-free formula
• Support digestion by omitting common allergens
• Great alternative for pups with sensitive stomachs

Cons

• Not certified organic
• May contain genetically modified ingredients (GMOs)

More Top Rated Australian Cattle Dog Foods

6. True Acre Foods Chicken & Vegetable Recipe

This is a good option if you are a pet owner on a budget. The formula consists of USA raised chicken combined with a variety of farm-grown vegetables including peas, carrots, and beats. It is grain-free but enriched with omega-3 and 6 to help keep your pet's coat flawless.

True Acres chicken and vegetable recipe is made without grains and the primary animal protein source is chicken, giving your pup a yummy flavor that will support his lean muscle mass maintenance. Real farm veggies like peas and carrots are incorporated to provide additional nutrients as a part of a balanced diet.

This formula does not skimp on antioxidants they are included to encourage a healthy immune system that helps to ward off illness. Natural fibers aid with the digestive process and omega fatty acids encourage coat and skin health. Like any high-quality dog food option, True Acre does not add fillers or artificial colors and flavors to this product.

7. Instinct by Nature's Variety Raw Boost Chicken Recipe

Instinct is a high protein dog food that promises to bring the benefits of raw nutrition to your Cattle dog. Containing 37% protein (from mostly all animal sources) and 20.5% fat, Instinct will boost the development of your dog's muscle and bone fibers providing a great base for strength.

Instinct by Natures grain-free recipe uses real chicken as its main animal protein source and has a special addition: real freeze-dried raw meat pieces is incorporated into the kibbles, giving your pup a taste he will remember.

Your Australian Cattle Dog will get the benefits of raw nutrition, neatly packaged into a formula that stores on your shelf.

A probiotic blend makes this formula easy to digest and extra omega fatty acids make sure your pups skin is irritation-free and his coat remains healthy. Antioxidants are also included to ensure optimal immune system function.

8. Gentle Giants Canine Nutrition Chicken Dry Dog Food

This chicken dry dog food recipe by Gentle Giants is a fantastic option for pet parents seeking a GMO-free food option.

Included are farm-raised chicken for protein, oatmeal and rice as easy to digest carbs, and its packed to the brim with non-GMO fruits and vegetables like carrots, blueberries, tomatoes, and apples.

Gentle Giants have developed a dog food formula that includes a dense batch of high-quality ingredients. It rebels against the ancestral canine diet, instead, producing a dry dog food containing 12 non-gm whole fruits and vegetables.

This means that the food is naturally high in vitamins and antioxidants such as Vitamin A, B12, and Taurine without needing to artificially enrich.

There are lots of vitamins and minerals, probiotics and prebiotics, glucosamine and chondroitin in every bite to provide nutrition, digestive support, and joint support with every bite.

9. Merrick Real Texas Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe

Real deboned Texas beef is the primary animal protein source that makes this recipe a delicious option for your Australian Cattle Dog.

To complement the flavor and nutrition of beef, sweet potatoes, peas, blueberries, and apples are included in the recipe, providing all the nutrients your canine companion requires to lead a healthful life.

This is great for your dog's bone and muscle strength. Some of this protein is unfortunately delivered through pea protein which lacks some essential amino acids (this should be covered by the beef and lamb protein). If your dog has an allergy issue with beef, you can select from 7 other meat bases.

Extra glucosamine and chondroitin help to keep your athletic buddy moving freely, without pain, even as he ages.

10. Wellness Complete Health Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe

Wellness dry dog food recipe offers balanced nutrition with a special mix of deboned chicken protein and oatmeal carbohydrates.

Antioxidants encourage immune system health, keeping colds from afflicting your beloved pup. Sweet potatoes, blueberries, and apples give your Australian Cattle Dog the energy he requires for those long working days.

Wellness has produced dog food that could be described as an all-rounder. It contains an average amount of protein, fat, and carbohydrates for dry dog food.

This is a little bit below what we would recommend feeding your companion, but should still provide enough nutrients to ensure healthy muscle and bone development.

It does contain whole grains, which might present digestive issues for some dogs. As for the rest of its nutritional content, Wellness delivers.

The sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, apples, and ground flaxseed combined gives rich levels of omega-3, antioxidants, fiber, and essential vitamins. Whilst we do not view it as the best dog food formula, it will certainly deliver adequate nutrition to your Cattle dog.

6 Special Dietary and Nutritional Considerations of Australian Cattle Dogs

• Glucosamine Athletic dogs love their regular exercise and require healthy joints, bones, and muscles to keep movement agile and comfortable. Glucosamine is naturally found inside your Australian cattle dogs body, primarily held in healthy cartilage. Glucosamine assists with the production of glycosaminoglycan, which aids with repairing body tissue. When dogs enter the later stages of their lives, the natural production of glucosamine slows down, causing the repair process to become less efficient. This is ultimately what can lead to painful arthritic issues. Therefore, providing glucosamine as a supplement along with your pups food can help with rebuilding cartilage to promote ease of movement. Glucosamine has multiple benefits, including anti-inflammatory effects, lubrication of joints, and an overall increase in mobility, keeping your naturally active dog thriving and pain-free.
• Chondroitin Chondroitin is often supplemented alongside glucosamine because they complement each other in their effects within the body. Chondroitin protects cartilage from damage, aids with nutrient absorption into cartilage, and stimulates cartilage fusion. When delivered to your dog via high-quality dog food products, chondroitin works in tandem with glucosamine to protect and assist with tissue repair to keep dogs active and prevent the development of issues like hip dysplasia, arthritis, knee ligament injuries, and other common conditions found in aging dogs, especially those that have led an athletic lifestyle.
• Probiotics Probiotics serve several important functions, primarily helping with digestion to make mealtimes comfortable and efficient. Probiotics are especially important when a pup has a sensitive stomach, as a little extra digestive boost can make a world of difference. Probiotics also contain essential fatty acids that help with the promotion and maintenance of a healthy coat and healthy skin and they even have the capacity to stimulate your pups automatic anti-inflammatory response.
• Antioxidants Antioxidants not only help with maintaining the freshness of your pups favorite dog food, they serve a more important function: maintaining the health of your pup. Antioxidants work by tackling free radicals that can wreak havoc on the body. Free radicals are single atoms that travel through the body, damaging cells and DNA. Free radicals thrive in an unwell body, particularly a malnourished one. This is why antioxidants are so crucial they have the power to calm scavenging free radicals, preventing them from further damaging the body. Antioxidants promote optimal health by boosting the immune system and working tirelessly to counter the effects of free radicals in the body.
• High Protein Since your Australian Cattle Dog expends tons of energy in his daily pursuits, he requires a diet that is high in protein to meet his needs for boundless energy. Whether you are feeding dry dog food or wet dog food, you will want to choose an option that has a high protein content; higher than standard dog food options. This will ensure your active dog is receiving the nutrition needed to supply his energy and strengthen his lean muscle mass.
• High Fat Similar to your Australian Cattle Dogs requirement for high protein, high fat is suggested for this highly active dog to pack him with sustained energy that will fuel him throughout long days of vigorous exercise. This pup will burn right through his daily caloric intake and keeping a diet high in fat will ensure he is getting optimal nutrition to keep him energized throughout his days.

5 Key Nutritional Needs of an Australian Cattle Dog Puppy

• Animal protein Animal protein is a required staple in the diet of an Australian Cattle Dog. These dogs are extra active and energetic and require the support protein provides. When reviewing dog food labels, be sure that an animal protein source is listed as the main ingredient. Protein provides the amino acids that your pup needs to keep his muscle mass lean and optimized. Many dog foods also incorporate plant proteins which can be great additions for balanced nutrition, but ultimately, your Australian Cattle Dog needs to eat meat!
• Fat and Fatty Acids Fat is ultra-important for this inherently sporty dog. Fat provides long-lasting energy, facilitates the absorption of nutrients, and regulates hormones. Without fat, your Australian Cattle Dog will be unable to thrive and reach its potential for physical activity and mental acuity. Fatty acids protect his skin and coat health, making sure his spotted coat gleams with signs of health.
• Fiber Fiber is a great helper when it comes to digestive health. When consumed as a part of a balanced diet, your pups intestinal bacteria will ferment it into fatty acids so that they can assist with the prevention of bad bacteria overgrowth and colon recovery. Although an important component for digestive health, the overconsumption of fiber can create stomach upset in your pup. A little goes a long way with fiber.
• Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are helpful with delivering instant energy to your pup. Highly active dogs can burn through their carbohydrates with ease, but it is not suggested they eat a diet with a high carbohydrate count. In fact, carbohydrates are generally best when provided in smaller amounts, especially with your Australian Cattle Dog that will do best when the focus is on protein and fat.
• Water It is likely your Australian Cattle Dog loves guzzling down some fresh water following a long run or hard days work. Water adequately quenches his thirst, but it does more than that. It serves as a mobilizer, helping nutrients from food move throughout the body so they can do their work. Water also helps with joint mobility, as it freely offers lubrication. Being that joint health is vital for your Australian Cattle Dog, you will want to make sure your pup is staying hydrated.

Australian Cattle Dog Puppy Feeding Chart

• 6 Week Old Australian Cattle Dog During this tender stage, your Australian Cattle Dog is small and adorable and should still be with his litter. Canine moms have all the nutrients your pup requires at this stage and he should still be suckling milk to take in the nutritional boost mom is best suited to provide.
• 10 Week Old Australian Cattle Dog At this age, your puppy should be getting about four meals per day. He will be needing lots of protein and fat to support his athletic build and provide energy for all of his daily play and exercise. Pay mind to the dog food feeding instructions to be sure you are providing enough calories per day.
• 12 Week Old Australian Cattle Dog At twelve weeks, your pup should be maintaining his four mealtimes per day structured feeding routine. He will be steadily growing, using up all the nutrients provided to prepare him for adulthood.
• 3 Month Old Australian Cattle Dog At three months, meals can be provided three times per day. High-quality foods made for puppies that have high protein and fat content are the most suitable. Your pup has several months of growth left before reaching adulthood.
• 5 Month Old Australian Cattle Dog At five months, some pet parents begin to reduce meals to twice per day; however, you may still continue to feed three times per day, depending on how your pup reacts. Heed feeding instructions but incorporate flexibility to keep your pup satiated and not underfed.
• 1 Year Old Australian Cattle Dog Your dog has reached adulthood at this stage! Two meals per day will be adequate. Just be mindful and provide extra calories on days with vigorous exercise.

Our 2024 Australian Cattle Dog Feeding Guide

• Puppy Australian Cattle Dog During puppyhood, your Australian Cattle Dog will need to eat about three to four times per day. These dogs are highly active, and you may find that they request more food than what is suggested in their feeding instructions. Since these pups are natural athletes, so long as they are getting adequate daily exercise and burning their caloric intake, they can be provided with extra food to satisfy their appetites. A puppy between four to 12 months old should be weighing approximately 20 30 pounds at this stage.
• Adult Australian Cattle Dog When your Australian Cattle Dog reaches adulthood at one year, you can minimize feeding times to twice per day. The same considerations should apply as during puppyhood, taking into account how much activity your pup is participating in will affect how much food is fed on a daily basis. At this stage, your pup should have reached his adult weight, up to 40 pounds.
• Senior Australian Cattle Dog During the senior stage, your Australian Cattle Dog will be slowing down and will require less calories per day. You can reduce his meal amounts according to his reduction in activity to prevent weight gain. Extra glucosamine and chondroitin will be super helpful during this stage to help with any joint or mobility issues. At this age, your pup should he maintaining his adult weight.

Conclusion

The best dog food for Australian Cattle Dogs is one that meets their specific nutritional needs as active working dogs. A high-protein diet is essential, as these dogs have high energy requirements and need protein to support their muscle development and overall health. Look for dog foods that list a high-quality source of animal protein, such as beef, chicken, or lamb, as the main ingredient.

In addition to protein, a balanced and complete nutrition is crucial for Australian Cattle Dogs. They require a well-rounded diet that includes carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals to support their overall health and wellbeing. Avoid dog foods that contain excessive fillers, artificial preservatives, and additives, as these may not provide the optimal nutrition that Australian Cattle Dogs need.

Consider your dog's age, weight, and activity level when choosing a dog food. Puppies and senior dogs may have different nutritional requirements compared to adult dogs. Always consult with your veterinarian for personalized recommendations based on your dog's specific needs.

Remember to provide fresh water at all times, monitor your dog's weight and body condition, and feed them according to their individual needs to keep them healthy and happy. Regular veterinary check-ups and a well-balanced diet are key components of ensuring your Australian Cattle Dog thrives on the best dog food for their needs.

Now that you are acquainted with some of the best dog food for Australian Cattle Dogs available on the market, you can make a purchase that provides your pup with delicious, high-quality ingredients that are full of nutrients meant to support the overall health of your always handsome natural athlete.