Is 18% fat in dog food okay for my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Unless your vet had given you specific diet requirements for a specific disease (kidney disease for example), this percentage should be fine. I will warn that some dogs actually develop diarrhea on high-protein foods, though I have seen many pets do great on it. Best wishes to you and Chloe!

The recommended level for an adult, spayed dog is about 18% protein and 9-15% fat. If she is active as in a working dog, doing agility trials several times per week, or other high-intensity activities, then a higher fat/protein combination is needed as the body uses up more energy and the muscles need to be continually supplied with protein. However, for a typical house pet with regular exercise, sticking to the recommended amount is best. Overfeeding leads to excess calories which turn into fat and weight gain and are not used.

Hello, neither of them are wrong or better than one another. The difference being is that the food with the higher protein is likely leaner (more energy is derived from protein) and has less carbohydrates or fat associated with it. Now, unless your dog is working dog, she may not need that much extra protein. Vice versa, the lower protein food may have a higher carbohydrate or fat percentage. Both foods however, if formulated for "maintenance" should meet the AAFCO requirements for energy of an adult dog. Meaning, you're going to be feeding the same amount of energy to Chloe, except one is going to be coming mainly from protein and the other one from fat and/or carbs. AAFCO recommends a minimum protein content of 18% in canine dog food formulations for maintenance. Therefore both of the foods you were feeding meet this minimum requirement. One of the contraindications for a high protein food is if your dog has kidney disease. With kidney disease, excess protein may worsen this disease and therefore, kidney diets actually contain less protein. Hope this helps.

It will make little difference in the long run. Dogs rarely develop heart disease due to a high fat diet like humans do. The heart disease a Cavalier is predisposed to stems from a failure or weakening of the heart valves that control blood flow through the heart. As long as Chloe is active and not overweight, the diet change is fine. Switch food gradually to avoid GI upset.

Hi and thanks for your post! Since Chloe is lightly active, I would choose the lower protein option (20% verses 25%). Higher protein foods are more appropriate for working dogs and highly active dogs. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I'm so glad to help you and that you like my answers! Royal Canin is an excellent food, and the 25% is fine for Chloe. Yes, you are right Cavaliers can be prone to heart disease, so the extra amino acids are good for them. Chloe is lucky to have you!

From looking at the picture, Chloe looks like an ideal weight right now. I can appreciate a good waist yet I can't see her ribs. You can certainly decrease her food a little to help prevent her from continuing to gain weight but watch closely to ensure she doesn't lose too much weight. I hope this helps!