Best Dog Food for English Springer Spaniels : 15 Healthy Recipes Broken Down by Budget, Diet and Life Stage - Dog Food FAQ (2024)

Sean Green – Dog Nutrition Specialist

with support from the FAQ Research Team

Our dog food rankings and recommendations are developed through in-depth ingredient analysis paired with hands-on pet trials. We rate, rank, and review recipes based on the healthiest options that meet criteria important to owners – including budget, diet, and food form.

The English Springer Spaniel has deep roots in the hunting and tracking world. These dogs were initially bred to sniff out and trap game in the wild. The ESS is known for its energy and agility, but today they are known as a fantastic companion and house pet.

When purchasing English Springer Spaniel food, it’s essential to consider the unique needs of your breed so you can buy the right food for your specific pup.

With this breed, they are always on the move, and from an early age, they want to get outside and chase birds around the yard. If you plan on adopting a Springer Spaniel you want to make sure you have plenty of outdoor space for them to roam around.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this article:

What is the Best Dog Food for an English Springer Spaniel?

Understanding An English Springer Spaniel’s Diet Requirements

Just like proper nutrition and a well-balanced diet are important to you, it’s also important to your pup. Feeding your dog the best English Springer Spaniel food gives them the energy they need throughout the day, and it helps prevent illness as they age.

There are many kinds of foods on the market, and some are designed for specific purposes while some are generalized to meet the needs of many pups. We always believe the best route to take when deciding on food is to go with a food brand that is reputable and backed by research.

The benefits of feeding your dog a proper diet are almost endless but here are some of the most significant impacts a diet will have on your Springer Spaniel.

• Puppy English Springer Spaniel Diet – When your Springer Spaniel is a puppy they require more protein and fat than adults and seniors because they are actively growing. At this stage, you want to stay paying attention to their habits and learn about their level of activity so that you can feed them properly. Generally, 22% protein and 8% fat is a good benchmark.
• Adult English Springer Spaniel Diet – As your Springer Spaniel makes his way into adulthood you want to reduce the amount of protein and fat they consume while continuing to feed them the highest quality proteins possible. You can decrease their intake to approximately 18% protein and 5% fat at this time.
• Senior English Springer Spaniel Diet – As dog’s age to around 8-9 years old they begin to decrease their activity and become more sedentary. At this time it’s important as a pet parent to pay attention to your dog’s weight so you can cater to their unique needs. No dog is the same so it’s, hard to say how much you should feed them. If they are not putting on weight, feel free to feed them the same amount for the rest of their life.

Special Dietary Considerations For English Springer Spaniel

This breed is known for its endurance and incredible health, but just like every other breed, they are not exempt from genetic health problems. English Springer Spaniels are known for having a variety of different joint and bone problems so when you adopt this breed many breeders will provide a health clearance from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.

Here are some of the common health issues and how they relate to the diet of an English Springer Spaniel.

Hip Dysplasia

Sometimes this issue can go completely unnoticed, and other times it can cause severe pain. This is an inherited condition where the thigh bone does not fit correctly into the hip joint so it can slip out of place when triggered by falling, jumping, or slipping.

While there is no way to prevent this, feeding your dog the best English Springer Spaniel food can help your pup maintain a healthy weight which puts less pressure on the joints. Making sure that your dog keeps their weight down is the best thing you can do for their health.

Retinal Dysplasia

This is a malformation that affects the retina. Dogs are typically born with this issue, and there is no treatment, but the chances of it causing blindness in your pup are slim. The best way to prevent this issue from causing blindness is by taking your pup to the vet for regular eye tests.

Skin Disease

Diets play a significant role in your dog’s skin health, and that is incredibly important for English Springer Spaniels. When this breed has a poor-quality diet, it is immediately reflected in their coat and skin by greasiness, scaliness, and hair loss.

Allergies also play a major role in your pup’s skin health. If your dog is allergic to something, it can trigger allergies that cause him to itch and scratch himself excessively. When dogs scratch and bite at themselves too much, it causes skin irritations that can later lead to infection.

To help prevent allergies it’s important to experiment with the right foods and locate any food allergies early in your dog’s life so you can avoid those ingredients down the road.

Ear Infections

Due to the size and shape of their ears, ear infections are common in this breed. The best way to prevent ear infections from occurring is to regularly clean your pups ears and make sure always to keep them dry. When your dog is out and about moisture and dirt can get trapped underneath the flaps of the ears, and if it’s not cleaned out, it leads to infection.

English Springer Spaniel Feeding Chart

While there is no correct way to feed your pup, the most important thing you can do is feed your dog the best English Springer Spaniel food possible.

Experts recommend introducing your dog to a new food by gradually mixing it into their old food and seeing how they receive it. You might want to start with a 25% new food to 75% old food ratio and every week increase the new food ratio by 25% until you eventually have depleted all of the old food.

Here is a general guideline you can follow when feeding your dog.

• Adults: 1.5 – 2 cups divided into two meals a day
• Puppies: as much as 4 cups divided into 2-4 meals a day
• Seniors: 2 – 3 cups a day (varying based on age and weight)

Best Dog Food for English Springer Spaniels

Now that you understand how to look at dog food ingredients and decide right from wrong let’s give you some examples of the best English Springer Spaniel foods. These formulas contain the best ingredients and provide the highest nutritional value for your pup.

Here are our top 15 picks:

Zignature Turkey Limited Ingredient Formula

Best Overall Food for English Springer Spaniel: This food provides your pup with wholesome nutrition and the high-quality protein from turkey, peas, chickpeas, and flaxseed. The company always uses meat as the first ingredient, and they supplement your dog’s health with fruits and vegetables.

The formula is grain-free and limited ingredient, so it’s great for dogs with food allergies. All the turkey they use is raised in the American Midwest and is free from corn, wheat, soy, dairy, and fillers.

The company makes all its foods in small batches in Minnesota and South Dakota from reliably sourced farms. They enlist the help of nutritionists and food scientists to provide your pup with the maximum amount of health benefits and nutritional value.

Pros: Great for stomach problems, limited ingredient diet is ideal for allergies, grain-free, lean sources of protein

Cons: Some pet parents have concerns over loose stools and high fiber

Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Turkey and Potato

Most Affordable Food: This breed is known for skin allergies and irritations, so it’s best to feed them a sensitive limited ingredient formula whenever possible. Blue Buffalo Basics uses one major source of protein along with calcium and phosphorus to help with bones and teeth.

Blue Buffalo also packs a bunch of vitamins and minerals into their Life Source bits that they include in all their foods.

The food also contains glucosamine which is great for joints and joint issues. As with all of our food recommendations, this one contains no by-products, corn, wheat, soy, or dairy.

Blue Buffalo started with a pet owner and his dog Blue. They were concerned about Blues health because he was suffering from a variety of different health issues that they later found was due to a poor diet. The problem was, all the high-quality foods were so expensive that they could not afford to feed Blue such an expensive diet.

Pros: Affordable for families on all budgets, highly palatable formula, helps with colitis

Cons: Dogs won’t eat Lifesource Bits, frequent shipping issues from Blue Buffalo

American Journey Salmon and Sweet Potato Grain-Free Recipe

Most Popular Food: When you are struggling to decide on dog food for your Springer Spaniel it’s often best to look at what other pet parents are doing and piggyback off their experiences. This food has exceptionally high reviews on Chewy, and it seems that most reviewers are highly satisfied with the food.

It uses salmon and sweet potato as its primary ingredients, and it has a high protein content of 32% which is ideal for active or working dogs. The formula also combines chicken meal and turkey meal which could cause allergies for some dogs that do not sit well with multiple protein sources.

There are plenty of healthy ingredients in here that nourish your dog’s skin and coat like flaxseed, salmon oil, and berries.

Pros: High protein content, grain-free recipe, highly recommended online, contains pre and probiotics

Cons: Contains some filler like pea protein, high protein and fat could cause some pups to gain weight

NomNomNow Chicken Chow-Wow

Best Super Premium Food: If you are looking for a premium dog food that provides your pup with the best of the best, then you should look no further than this offering from NomNomNow. The company combines human-grade ingredients to craft food that is edible for dogs and humans.

This specific formula is high in protein and fat so it’s the best English Springer Spaniel food money can buy. These foods are purchased directly from the NomNomNow website, and they require refrigeration. They come in pre-portioned bags, so it takes all the guesswork out of deciding how much your pup needs to eat.

This company strives to lead the pet food industry in all natural, high-quality ingredients and they certainly give other companies a run for their money. NomNomNow only crafts raw dog foods that contain nothing but human-grade ingredients. They believe if you wouldn’t feed it to yourself, you shouldn’t feed it to your dog.

Pros: Human-grade ingredients, high protein diet, raw ingredients give pet parents peace of mind

Cons: Requires refrigeration, only can order from the NomNomNow website

Brothers Complete Turkey Meal and Egg Advanced Allergy Care Formula

Best Food for English Springer Spaniel with Allergies: If your Springer Spaniel has a hard time with allergies and is scratching a lot you might want to take a look at their diet. Many foods contain artificial dyes and flavors that cause dogs to feel irritated which results in excessive scratching or biting.

This formula from Brothers is a specific allergy relief recipe intended to heal and balance out your dog’s diet. The food works well for dogs of all life stages, and it helps them avoid skin conditions or stomach problems. They use low-glycemic carbs from the cassava plant along with digestive enzymes that help with breaking down food and absorption of nutrients.

Pros: Specially formulated for dogs with allergies, contains pre and probiotics, easy to digest protein sources

Cons: High protein and fat may cause some pups to gain weight, the bag does not have a resealable lock

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet Sweet Potato and Venison Grain-Free Formula

Best Food for English Springer Spaniel with Sensitive Stomachs: If you are concerned about your pup’s digestion or if they are prone to vomiting and loose stools you might want to try this formula from Natural Balance.

The recipe contains limited ingredients as well as only one protein source from venison. The company specifically manufacturers limited ingredient foods that are grain-free and low in protein and fat to make the food easily digestible. They also include fatty acids and flaxseed to help nurture your pup’s coat and skin.

Pros: Limited ingredient diets are ideal for dogs with sensitive stomachs, only one protein source, moderate protein and fat content, great for skin and coat health

Cons: Can make skin and coat oily, could be challenging to transition pup based on the flavor

3 More Top Rated (5 Star) English Springer Spaniel Adult Foods

Solid Gold Fit and Fabulous Law/Low Calorie

If you are trying to control your Springer Spaniels weight, you might be looking for a food with lower fat and lower calories. This option from Solid Gold has an excellent reputation for helping pups with weight gain issues.

The food still contains all the nutritious superfoods alongside fresh caught Alaskan Pollock to support a healthy immune system, skin, and coat. Give your pup high-quality protein with low fat that will help him drop enough weight to get back in shape.

Nutro Wholesome Essentials Adult Farm Raised Chicken, Brown Rice and Sweet Potato

The emphasis on this food is on quality. Your pup needs high-quality protein to receive their nutrition, and that is why things like by-products cannot stand up against farm-raised chicken. Real chicken delivers amino acids that your dog needs to build and maintain healthy muscles and optimal metabolism.

Nutros premium dog food also helps your dog digest the food by containing easily digestible ingredients for proper nutrient absorption. In all of their formulas, they never use artificial flavors or colors, only all-natural ingredients.

If your Springer Spaniel’s coat is looking a little dull, this food also helps with proper levels of omega-6 fatty acids and zinc which are known to promote healthy skin and coat.

Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Chicken and Veggies Recipe

This food contains all-natural ingredients in a simple recipe from farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient. The formula does not use any by-products, wheat, wheat gluten, or artificial anything. This recipe is ideal for pups of all breeds and sizes but recommended for adults only.

The recipe is rich in fiber from brown rice and beet pulp and also supplies your pup with plenty of prebiotics to regulate their digestive system and bowel movements.

The only downside to this formula is it contains a few fillers we typically like to avoid like soybean meal, and whole ground corn but they are the fourth and fifth ingredients.

3 More Top Rated (5 Star) English Springer Spaniel Puppy Foods

Merrick Real Beef and Sweet Potato Grain-Free Puppy Food

This food features real beef as its first ingredient alongside sweet potatoes and an array of other high-quality vegetables. The brand is all natural and grain/gluten free with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

Merrick always uses USDA inspected deboned meat, and as you continue to read about these high-quality dog foods, you get an idea of what the best dog foods should look like. All their foods balance out your dog’s diet with 55% animal proteins, healthy fats, and fresh produce.

Merrick believes in using whole foods and ingredients in all of their formulas. They use science and nutrition to craft their dog foods, and they do so in small batches so they can closely monitor every step of the production process. Merrick designs their food to fuel your dog instead of just filling them up.

Nulo Freestyle Turkey, Cod, and Sweet Potatoes

If you are concerned about your pup’s ability to chew dry kibble you could opt for a wet pate from Nulo. This food is grain-free and uses real turkey and broth to help your pup grow strong muscles and bones.

The food provides balanced levels of calcium along with phosphorus for teeth and bone health. Something we like is that this food also contains salmon oil which is a critical ingredient to help with brain development in puppies.

The story of Nulo starts with a Labrador named Max and his best friend, Michael. The two are always up for a challenge, so Michael decided to leave his job and pursue his dream of building a healthy pet food company. This desire stemmed from the alarming growth of diabetic dogs due to diets high in carbs and sugar. Today, Nulo continues to serve their pet families by providing high-quality foods with simple ingredients.

FirstMate Endurance Puppy Pacific Fish Meal Formula

This food is specifically designed to give your puppy the maximum amount of nutrition right when they need it. During the growth stage, your Springer Spaniel requires a lot more protein and fat than they will later in life, and this formula gives it to them in one single protein source.

The formula uses ocean fish meal which is a lean and novel protein which offers a ton of fatty acids to help with your puppies’ skin and coat. The next ingredients are potatoes which are highly digestible for a pup’s sensitive stomach.

3 More Picks For Senior English Springer Spaniel Foods

Merrick Real Chicken and Sweet Potato Grain-Free for Seniors

This food is an excellent option for aging dogs because it provides a balanced diet with L-carnitine to help regulate their metabolism. The formula would work well for pups regardless of their weight or age because it still contains the vitamins and nutrients they need throughout their life.

As always, Merrick uses real chicken as the first ingredient along with fruits and vegetables and no artificial anything.

Merrick believes in using whole foods and ingredients in all of their formulas. They use science and nutrition to craft their dog foods, and they do so in small batches so they can closely monitor every step of the production process. Merrick designs their food to fuel your dog instead of just filling them up.

American Journey Chicken and Sweet Potato Grain-Free for Seniors

We don’t believe that food quality must decrease as your dog ages. You can still give your pup the best English Springer Spaniel food no matter how old they get. This formula helps your dog maintain a high level of activity into their older years with coconut oil, glucosamine, and mineral-rich marine algae. These ingredients help to support brain and joint health.

The food is grain-free and does not contain any artificial flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives.

At American Journey, they believe in crafting foods to fuel your dog’s everyday adventures. All their formulas start with real deboned protein alongside fresh fruits and vegetables manufactured in the United States.

Nulo Freestyle Trout and Sweet Potato Grain-Free Senior

As your pup ages, lean protein and lower fat become the topic of discussion, and this food from Nulo gives your senior precisely what they need.

The grain-free formula does not contain any chicken or egg, and it uses glucosamine and chondroitin for hip and joint health. The recipe has L-Carnitine as well which is a heart-healthy ingredient that helps with metabolism and vitality. They use deboned trout, turkey meal, and salmon meal as the first three ingredients with plenty of vegetables and fruits following.

Our FAQ and English Springer Spaniel Feeding Guide

When feeding your English Springer Spaniel it’s important to consider their unique needs so you can get the best food for them. There is a lot of misinformation out there about what ingredients you should include in your pups’ diet.

Some people will tell you that animal by-products are perfectly okay in a dog’s diet, while others will tell you it’s a low-quality ingredient. There is no way to know everything, but luckily with the right amount of information you can guarantee that you feed your dog the best food possible.

We talk a lot about food brands and ingredients, but you also want to keep in mind how you store the dog food. Once the bag is open it begins to lose a lot of nutrients and the best way to preserve the food for a long period of time is by using an airtight container. If your dog has certain food allergies you might also want to shy away from plastic bowls.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about English Springer Spaniel Food:

What ingredients should I look for in my English Springer Spaniel Food?

The first thing you want to look for is a meat-based protein as the first ingredient. If you see anything other than real meat first on the list it tells you a lot about the quality of the food.

Ultimately, protein is the most critical ingredient in your dog’s food. You want your dog’s diet to of at least 20-30% protein, and Springer Spaniels require a high amount of protein due to their active lifestyle.

The most important thing to consider is the quality of protein. Some foods take their protein from ingredients like corn and peas, but the best English Springer Spaniel Food adds protein to the formula using real meats like chicken or beef. You always want to try and find foods that use meat or meat meal as the first ingredient in the food.

Fats and oils are also an essential part of your dog’s diet because they play a pivotal role in digestion and energy. Oil also vital for your Spaniel’s coat and skin; the oils help moisturize the skin and prevent it from cracking and flaking.

Like the previous component, the critical point comes down to where the fat and oil comes from. A lot of cheap dog foods use animal fats preserved with things like BHA which are harmful to your pup’s health. Some oils like vegetable or corn oil and industrial type oils that are the leftovers after all the healthy components get extracted.

The best oils are fish, olive, sunflower, and coconut.

How much food should I feed my English Springer Spaniel?

Feeding your pup can seem difficult because you want to help them maintain a proper weight but there is no cut and dry quantity to feed them because it all depends on the individual pup.

You can use the feeding guide above but also consider your dog’s current weight and lifestyle. Does your dog get outside a lot and have plenty of exercise? Does he/she look overweight? Use these questions to determine how much you should feed your Springer Spaniel.

What ingredients should I avoid?

If you understand all the healthy and nutritious ingredients you might want to also keep an eye open for the low-quality undesirable ones. Here are some of the worst ingredients you can find in your pups’ food.

• BHA/BHT – Every type of food needs preservatives, and there is limited proof of the negative effects of BHA/BHT, but we always include it as an ingredient you want to avoid. It seems like you only find these ingredients in cheap dog foods, so we doubt it’s a coincidence. BHA/BHT is a chemical preservative that is banned in a lot of countries but still legal in the USA.
• Artificial Colors/Flavors – Whenever you find anything artificial in your dog’s food, it should pop up a red flag. Companies use artificial colors to make the food look more appealing. The funny thing is, your dog does not care about the color of the food. Manufacturers make the kibble into cute shapes and color it up to market the product to you, not your dog.
• Corn Syrup – This sugary sweetener is common for flavor reasons in primarily wet food, but you’ll also find it in some dry kibble. Corn syrup always leads to weight gain which puts added pressure on your pup’s joints and causes mobility issues as they age.

The best English Springer Spaniel food never contains any added sugars or salts because they are not necessary. Your dog wants natural flavors from meat and vegetables, not refined sugar.

English Springer Spaniel Dog Food – A Final Word

Every dog is different, and each one requires its own unique food recipe that gives them what they need to stay active and healthy. Your breed is one of a fighting spirit and thrilling soul, so feed them the same way.

Give your dog the best food you can and that always starts with real meat, wholesome vegetables, and delicious fruits. Any of the brands we recommended above would be an excellent choice for your English Springer Spaniel.