How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Your Cavapoo

Which dog food will you put in his bowl?

That’s a great question!

But there’s a major complication!

And that complication is…drumroll please….

The pet food industry is GINORMOUS! 

I mean HUGE! 

And, if you’re like me, you may be surprised to learn that some of the biggest players in the industry are those we thought only cooked up candy and jelly! 

Let me give you a couple of examples. 

Mars Incorporated. 

They produce more than M&M’s, Twix, Snickers, and other snackable chocolate treats.

That’s right, they make dog and cat food! 

Mars Incorporated manufactures leading canine food brands like Cesar, Iams, and Pedigree, to name a few. 

In fact, Mars Petcare is the world’s leading pet food company with almost 50 pet food brands!

The second example is J.M. Smuckers, the jelly juggernaut! 

While Smuckers is known for their delectable jellies, they also produce vittles for dogs and cats. 

Well, let me back up and make a literary detour.  

J.M. Smuckers recently (at the end of April 2023) completed their sale of several pet food brands to Post Holdings, Inc. for a total value of $1.2 billion! 

You’ll recognize the brands that Smuckers sold: Rachel Ray Nutrish, Nature’s Recipe, 9Lives, Kibbles n’ Bits, and Gravy Train. 

The sale didn’t include their dog snack brand Milk-Bone and their feline brand Meow Mix.

Post Holdings, a corporation that we normally associate with cereal (Honey Bunches of Oats) now is a participant in the pet care industry!

Why did I use two paragraphs and a couple of minutes of your valuable time to tell you this? 

Simply to emphasize the enormity of the pet food industry! 

Here’s a statistic for you: According to Grandview Research, the global pet food market climbed to a staggering 99.1 billion dollars in 2022! However, it’s expected to grow by 4.3% CAGR from 2023 to 2030. 

But my post isn’t about “what dog food to buy for your Cavapoo.” 

Other bloggers have chosen that approach to feed your Cavapoo’s appetite. 

Instead, I’m digging a little deeper. I’m going a little farther to help YOU make that decision.

My post is all about “HOW to decide what food to buy.” 

Let me explain why I chose this approach.  

As I explained earlier, the dog food industry is enormous. And, as time goes on, it’s going to grow much larger. 

There will be new dog foods available. New choices. And new recommendations. And you’ll have different recommendations based on what blog you’ve read.

But my post will teach you the guidelines you need to know to make the best decision on what to buy to feed your pup regardless of new additions to the market. 

So, here’s the bottom line…you have so many choices…kibble, wet dog food, fresh food for dogs. 

Let’s explore each, starting with kibble, or dry dog food.

What ingredients should be in that perfect blend that’ll bless your Cavapoo’s health?  

There are several factors you should think about before you tote a bag of canine food out the door of PetSmart, Petco, or a hundred other companies.

Consider Your Cavapoo’s Age

The age of your Cavapoo is an important marker that’ll help you narrow your dog food choice. 

You wouldn’t want to serve your 8- or 12-week puppy the same food that you’d give your senior dog. 

Dog food corporations market special nutrients designed for each age group. 

Nutrients that’ll bolster the health of your Cavapoo, whether it’s to promote organ development, bodily functions, and good digestive health during the puppy stage of 0-18 months or for additional protein for older dogs to thwart the loss of muscle mass. 

Learn Those Labels!

Do your homework! 

Read the labels! 

Labels on dog food products reveal whether the ingredients are wholesome and good for your Cavapoo. 

There’s an ongoing debate in the pet care world as to whether corn, wheat, and soy are beneficial for your pet. 

If they serve no viable purpose, then shouldn’t they be considered as “fillers” in your canine’s food? 

Some even suggest that these fillers represent a lower quality dog food. 

The bottom line comes down to this: it’s your personal choice! 

However, whatever you decide, make your choice based on what’s more helpful to your Cavapoo. 

If your dog develops an allergic reaction or skin irritation because of corn, wheat, and soy-then discontinue their use. 

But if you eliminate them from your pup’s diet, make sure that you substitute other means to provide him a complete and balanced nutrition.

Ingredients that Raise a Red Flag!

However, while varying opinions exist about fillers, there are other ingredients in bagged dog foods that raise a persistent red flag. 

Artificial preservatives such as ethoxyquin, BHA and BHT are often added to dog food recipes to extend shelf life. 

These additives (when used in large amounts) have been linked to cancer and can damage major organs such as the kidneys and liver while also causing gastrointestinal issues. 

Natural Preservatives is the Way to Go!

To avoid any possible negative effects, why not choose wiser and healthier alternatives like vitamin C or vitamin E? 

As you scan labels on bagged dog food, you may come across the phrase “mixed tocopherols,” which simply means natural preservatives, extracted from vitamin E. These are good for pets because it strengthens your dog’s eye health, immune system, coat and skin, cell function, and fat metabolism.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

To give you a visual aid of good, wholesome, productive, and meaningful ingredients that should be in your pet’s food, look at the first pic. 

Notice the magnified words on the label. 

The first word that is enlarged is “Chicken.” 

Read my comments in the paragraph below that explains the value of protein (and specifically a meat protein) in a dog culinary diet!  

Also, in the first pic observe the magnified word “Tocopherols,” that emphasizes natural preservatives derived from vitamin E that are used to keep food from spoiling. 

Now, spend some time gazing at the second image! I expanded the abbreviation “BHA,” to preach against artificial preservatives and their potential damaging effects on our precious Cavapoos! 

Here’s a tip: instead of buying bagged dog food, purchase canned food. Why? Because canned canine food doesn’t contain BHA/BHT or artificial preservatives!

Protein-the First Ingredient on the Label!

Another crucial item to consider when choosing the absolute best dog food for your Cavapoo is that the first ingredient listed in any high quality dog food will be protein.

And the best protein that you can give your dog is undoubtedly a meat such as deboned chicken or salmon. 

Protein is vital to your Cavapoo’s health. 

Understanding what protein does will aid you in promoting good health for your canine. 

For example, selecting a dog food that is rich in protein will help build muscle tissue, connective tissue, hair, skin, as well as benefiting areas such as the digestive system, blood clotting, and muscle contractions. 

Know the difference between meats like deboned chicken or salmon and meat by-products! They’re not the same. Meat by-products can contain parts of animals that can’t give your pet any nutritional value. 

You Get What You Pay For!

Generally, you’ll find higher quality dog foods in stores that cater to the canine world. 

Shop at stores that specialize in selling food for your Cavapoo (and other dog breeds).

Grocery stores and dollar stores usually offer a lower quality of dog foods. 

So, if you’re concerned about your dog’s health, spend a few extra dollars on his diet.

Pull out the greenbacks! After all, feeding Fido the cheaper food could cost you a trip to the local veterinarian where you’ll have to pay a heftier price!

Your Dog’s Size Can Make a Difference in What Food to Buy

Though the consensus is that a dog’s breed doesn’t make much difference in the selection of a food for him, it goes without saying (just a little bit…) that smaller dogs like Cavapoos have smaller bites and will need smaller “bites” of food than German Shepherds, Labs, and Saint Bernards!  

In many of the major dog food stores, shelves are lined with good, high-quality foods for your pet. 

On the front of dog food bags are images or graphics of various breeds of dogs. 

One bag may have a pic of a Shih Tzu, while another bag offers the image of a Lab. 

The reason? Because dog food is not a one food for all proposition! 

What About Wet Dog Food?

Wet dog food could be a smart move for you in feeding your Cavapoo. 

Here are some positives.

If you have an older dog with dental problems, wet food would be easier for him to chew than the drier, harder kibble. 

Another plus are the many flavors available in the wet food market. 

For example, we fed Cesar to our Bama, our Shih Tzu/Terrier. 

He especially enjoyed Filet Mignon! 

But there are other recipes that’ll tickle your Cavapoo’s tongue. 

Here are a few: Beef; Chicken and Beef; Chicken and Liver; Chicken and Veal; Dry-Aged Ribeye; Duck; and Grilled Chicken. Cesar’s wet food spices up a dog’s menu!

You may also want to consider Purina’s Beneful IncrediBites for little canine stomachs.

Among the variety packs offered are Chicken, Beef, and Salmon. 

Amazon gives them a 4.7 out of 5 from 7,853 ratings. 

How much will it cost you? Check them out on Amazon.

Another good choice is Merrick Lil’ Plates Small Breed All Life Stages Wet Dog Food. 

They received a 4.7 out of 5 points based on 3, 157 reviews according to Veterinarian.org. 

Fourteen dishes that’ll excite your Cavapoo’s palate are: Beef Dinner, Chicken Dinner, Lamb Dinner, Turkey Dinner, Duck Medley, Beef Stew, Lamb Chop Stew, Pot Pie, Surfin’ + Turfin’ in Gravy, Steak Tips Dinner in Gravy, Puppy Plate in Gravy, Beef Stew + Petite Pot Pie, Teeny Texas + Tiny Thanksgiving and Tiny Thanksgiving Dinner.

You can see that Merrick’s offers a broad selection of wet food for your little pup! 

An additional benefit of wet dog food concerns hydration. 

Wet food contains water (not a huge surprise, is it?). Because of the hydration benefit, your Cavapoo can hopefully avoid UTI’s! 

Adding to all of this is the fact that wet dog food contains an equal amount of protein as dry dog food, but less carbs. This can be a huge help to dogs that’re overweight.

Still another positive is the shelf life of wet dog food compared to dry dog food. Unopened wet dog food has a shelf life up to two years while unopened dry dog food has a shelf life of 12-18 months.

Now…let’s think about a few negative points about wet dog food.

There’s the matter of cost. 

It’s more expensive than kibble to feed your Cavapoo wet food. 

Let’s just consider Cesar’s. 

At Walmart the lowest cost for one Cesar’s pack is $1.34. Multiply that by 60 or 90 (depending on whether you feed your pup 2 or 3 times a day) and you’re getting into some serious money! 

Cha-Ching going in the wrong direction!

Wet dog food is slightly less effective for oral health than its drier counterpart. It’s believed that kibble battles plaque and buildup better than wet dog food; however, the dental benefit is not by much!

Fresh Food Could Be Your Best Alternative

If you had a choice between a lip-smackin’ supper made from scratch or opening TV dinners, which would you prefer? 

I think the answer is obvious! 

One thing that separates fresh food from kibble (dry food) is the variety or different recipes that you can feed your Cavapoo. 

Look at it this way: What if you ate the same meal three times a day, every day? 

It’d be plain, boring, unexciting. 

You’d be going through the motions of exercising your jaw muscles.

But with a little variation, you’d look forward to your meals.

It’s no different with your pup. 

By alternating dog recipes, you’d have a happier Cavapoo.

And he or she would love you for it!

Your Cavapoo is licking his chops right now, anticipating your selection! 

There are so many fresh food choices for you to consider. 

If I wrote a review or just a few paragraphs on each one, you’d have a book filled with options! 

So, I streamlined it to just three of the more popular choices. 

But remember, my blog post isn’t to inform you or to tell you what to buy. 

Rather, it’s to give pointers on HOW to make the best selection. 

And, armed with my information, you’ll be ready to make the right decision.

The Farmer’s Dog

Professed to be the fastest growing pet health service company in the United States, the company was formed in 2014 by two dog lovers who decided that it was time to do something about low quality dog food masquerading on store shelves as protein filled, high quality meals for dogs. 

So, The Farmer’s Dog was born with the mission of providing healthy, freshly made protein-filled meals for your Cavapoo. 

The Farmer’s Dog is a subscription-based meal plan. 

According to The Strategist the price ranges about $2 a day for smaller breeds like Cavapoos. Not bad, eh? 

Personalized frozen meals developed by board certified veterinarian nutritionists are shipped to you. 

These scrumptious meals consist of the following: meats such as whole beef, turkey, pork, chicken, and beef/chicken combo; fresh vegetables such as carrots, green beans, brussels sprouts, and broccoli; and fiber-rich foods like chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and lentils.  

Meals from The Farmer’s Dog can’t be purchased from brick-and-mortar stores. You can only buy them online from The Farmer’s Dog. 

Here’s a product that you can’t go wrong with! 

No more processed food for your canine family member! 

Your dog will lap up his meals from now on! 

An added plus from The Farmer’s Dog is a 50% discount off your starter box. 

Ollie

Another superb fresh food option for your canine pet is Ollie. 

Their culinary creations consist of five fresh recipes: beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, and pork. 

The fresh beef recipe is crafted with sweet potatoes (a storehouse of beta carotene, vitamin C, and potassium-among other minerals and vitamins).  

There’s also the fresh chicken dish, mixed with carrots (a mine of potassium, fiber, and Vitamin A). 

The fresh turkey cuisine is power packed with blueberries (blueberries are rich in antioxidants and prevent cell damage. They’re also rich in fiber). 

Then there’s the fresh lamb plate laced with cranberries (this superfood is rich in Vitamin C, Manganese, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, and Copper. Cranberries prevents disease and bolsters the immune system). 

The fifth recipe offered by Ollie’s is pork with apples. Apples help clean your pup’s teeth and prevents halitosis (a big word for stinky bad breath. Lol). 

Like The Farmer’s Dog, meals from Ollie can only be purchased online. 

While The Farmer’s Dog wins out over Ollie regarding cost per day (The Farmer’s Dog costs about $2 a day compared to Ollie at less than $4 a day), Ollie offers a budget friendly price that starts at $1.00 a meal.

Like The Farmer’s Dog, Ollie also offers 50% off on your first box.

And there’s even more. If your dog doesn’t like Ollie’s food, you can get a full refund on the starter box!  

Nom Nom

One of the most inspiring comments on Nom Nom’s website is that with less than 100 Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists in the U.S., Nom Nom has two of them!

 I think that’s remarkable and shares in the success of this company. 

Nom Nom believes in the importance of cooking fresh food locked with minerals and vitamins demonstrated in four different recipes! 

Dishes include Beef Mash (composed of beef, potatoes, eggs, carrots, and peas); Chicken Cuisine (chicken, sweet potatoes, squash, and spinach); Pork Potluck (pork, potatoes, green beans, squash, kale, and mushrooms); and Turkey Fare (turkey, brown rice, eggs, carrots, and spinach). 

Nom Nom, like The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie, will give you 50% off your first box. 

What about the cost? Meals start at $2 per day. So, Nom Nom is very comparable to other competitive brands.

But there’s a couple of things I saw that separates Nom Nom from the field. 

First, they offer a variety pack stocked with samples for $20! That’s a fantastic deal! 

Second, they market their product at PetSmart Stores as well as online at PetSmart.com.

So, for those who may find it more convenient to jump in a car and drive down to PetSmart than filling out an order online, this may be the selling point for you!

Conclusion

After examining kibble, wet dog food, and fresh food for your Cavapoo, are you closer to a decision on the best food for your little furry family member?

Even after deciding on the type of food to give to your pup, now you must make an even more difficult selection-which brand will I choose?

As you may have gathered from reading my post, my intention throughout wasn’t to give you MY RECOMMENDATION for your Cavapoo’s culinary feast. 

That’d be too easy. 

My purpose was to give you the information you need to make the very best selection for your Cavapoo’s diet.

As a Cavapoo owner, you’ve made a huge investment. And with that investment comes big responsibility. 

We believe that we are what we eat.

If we eat junk food, it’ll affect our health in a negative way. 

We must guard against using too much salt in our diet. 

We need to drink the proper amount of water. 

And the dietary advice continues and on.

Your Cavapoo’s health depends largely on what he eats and what he doesn’t eat.

You and I are responsible to provide wholesome, nutritious, and beneficial food for our Cavapoos.

Your Cavapoo is hungry. And you’re the chef. What are you going to serve him?  

Remember, it’s all on your shoulders. 

Your canine buddy is depending on you. 

Take the information in my post and use it to furnish your puppy with a scrumptious, yet healthy meal program.

You can do it!

-Howell