Okay, so I’ve got this awesome Australian Cattle Dog, Blue. He’s a bundle of energy, always herding anything that moves (including the kids, sometimes!). I realized pretty early on that his food was a BIG deal – he needed something that could keep up with him. So, I started my research. First I just try to feed him some food I bought from supermarket. It seems like he doesn’t like it.
I started by looking at what was available locally. I mean, I’m not driving an hour for dog food every week, right? Checked out the usual pet stores, the grocery store, even the feed store out by the highway.
My next step was to read labels. Lots and lots of labels. I felt like I was getting a crash course in dog nutrition! I was looking for a few key things:
- High Protein: Because Blue is so active, protein is super important for building and maintaining his muscles.
- Moderate Fat: He needs fat for energy, but I didn’t want anything too high in fat, because I didn’t want him to get chunky.
- Good Carbs: I learned that Cattle Dogs can sometimes be prone to certain sensitivities, so I was looking for wholesome grains or maybe even grain-free options with things like sweet potatoes.
- No Junk: I definitely wanted to avoid artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. That stuff just isn’t good for anyone, dog or human!
Trying Some Foods
I picked up a few smaller bags of different brands that seemed to fit the bill. We tried one that was chicken-based, one with lamb, and even one that was grain-free with salmon. It was a bit of trial and error, honestly.
The chicken one, Blue seemed to tolerate okay, but his poops were a little… loose. Not ideal. The lamb one, he actually seemed to have less energy. Weird, right? The grain-free salmon, though? That’s where we struck gold.
His poops firmed up, his coat got super shiny, and he had that crazy Cattle Dog energy, but it seemed more… focused. He wasn’t bouncing off the walls quite as much. He seemed more satisfied after eating, too, which was a big plus.
Continuing to Learn
I keep checking and observing Blue. I am also doing some search online. I wanna make sure he gets enought nutrition.
So, that’s my journey to finding the best food for my Australian Cattle Dog. It definitely took some effort, some label-reading, and some, uh, “poop analysis,” but we got there! I hope my experience can help anyone who are facing the same problem.
