Alice White
Regardless of the age of the border collie, it is important to formulate a balanced diet that includes meat products that serve as the basis, carbohydrates in the form of healthy vegetables, as well as dairy products, vitamins, and minerals.
How to Feed Your Border Collie
It’s important to have a feeding schedule and stick to it day in and day out. A dog will not refuse food whenever it is given food, but that does not mean that it is hungry. If your pet has free access to food or eats outside of the schedule, then this approach to feeding the border collie can lead to a number of behavioral problems, for example, begging.
It is enough to feed adults twice a day. The number of feedings depends on the age of the dog, its activity, and the type of food. Border Collie puppies are fed three to four times a day. From 6 months, the number of feedings is reduced to twice a day.
Growing puppies consume more calories than adults. They need a lot of energy for normal growth and development. A 9kg Border Collie puppy should consume approximately 735 calories per day. Adult, but inactive dogs only need 700 calories per day. Active, exercising dogs consume 900-1000 calories per day. Individuals that are engaged in herding activities and are working at full capacity should consume 1400 calories per day.
Feeding Your Border Collie Dry Food
The recommended food intake is usually indicated on the dry food packaging, taking into account the age and weight of the dog. But you shouldn’t blindly trust the recommendations. Often, the specified food norm exceeds the required one, because the manufacturer is interested in the fact that his products are bought in large volumes. The faster the feed is consumed, the more often new packaging will be bought. Therefore, when determining the rate of feeding with dry food, the activity of the animal should be taken into account, which the manufacturer has absolutely no idea about. The more active the dog is, the more food it needs.
Among the dry food that can be recommended for feeding the border collie, we should highlight the food Acana, Orijen, Canidae. Representatives of the breed are mostly energetic enough, therefore, to maintain health and physical activity, feed with 25-31% protein and 18-20% fat should be chosen for them. Elderly dogs and pets with a sedentary lifestyle should use dry food with 22-25% protein. Overweight individuals should choose food with 5-8% fat.
Preference should be given to dry food based on easily digestible proteins, for example with lamb, turkey, salmon. Feed based on meat offal is undesirable.
Sweet potatoes may be present as a source of carbohydrates. Undesirable in the composition of corn, wheat, soy products.
To maintain healthy joints, dry food must contain chondroitin and glucosamine. To maintain a healthy coat and skin, sources of Omega-6 fatty acids must be present. Omega-3 fatty acids are responsible for maintaining the health of the heart, kidneys, and mental performance.
Fresh drinking water should always be readily available, especially when feeding the Border Collie with dry food.
Natural Food for Border Collies
The basis of the border collie’s nutrition is a high-quality protein (up to 80%). Sources of protein are lamb, beef, turkey, chicken, duck, as well as sea fish. It is allowed to give offal, for example, heart, liver, kidneys, green scar, and cartilage. Meat and some offal are given raw, fish is boiled or raw, but previously frozen and boneless. Fleshy bones, such as beef or lamb ribs, as well as chicken legs, necks can be given 1-2 times a week to maintain healthy teeth.
Carbohydrates are essential for the body, but excessive amounts of them can lead to overweight, diabetes. Therefore, their number should not exceed 10-15% of the diet. It is acceptable to give your dog carrots, broccoli, green beans, pumpkin, squash, spinach, green apples. Vegetables are served raw, chopped on a grater, in a food processor, or chopped into easy-to-eat pieces.
The border collie’s diet should contain dairy products, raw or boiled eggs, which are given 1-2 times a week. You can supplement food with rice, buckwheat.
When feeding naturally, it is important to ensure that your dog is getting enough vitamins and minerals with his food. You can mix fish oil, vegetable oil (1 tbsp. L.), Flaxseed, kelp in food.
The best treat you can give as a reward during your workout is dried liver. Otherwise, choose low-fat treats.
Feeding Border Collie Puppies
After weaning, Border Collie puppies need a high level of protein in their diet. But the percentage of protein gradually decreases as the puppy gets older. Too long a protein diet leads to rapid growth, which leads to abnormal skeletal development. Muscle beef is given in the form of small pieces, scraped meat, or minced meat.
Calcium and phosphorus are essential for bone growth and dental health. Therefore, food for border collie puppies should be rich in phosphorus and calcium. Their sources are internal organs, muscle meat, dairy products. But it is important to observe the measure. Excess calcium or phosphorus leads to health problems.
Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are needed to maintain immunity, skin and coat health.
The introduction of new foods into the Border Collie diet should be gradual, as should the transition from one type of feeding to another.
