Border Collies never seem to run out of energy. They always want to be in on the action and love their time to exercise. They have an above-average activity level, and they need their calories to support said activities.
The amount you feed a Border Collie puppy differs from that of an adult. If you just brought home a few months old Border Collie, you should remember that they only need a small portion of the food. A half-cup of dog food should do for them at this age.
They cannot overfeed cause this will result in problems later on.
You can then add his food ration once he gets older.
Some owners, though do not know how to feed their Collies and would seek the help of a professional. This is also a smart idea cause the vet will know how much you can feed your dog depending on his age, weight, activity, and his size.
What You Can Feed Your Border Collies?
Remember to feed your dog a balanced diet, especially when they are just a few months old. Ensure that they are getting their protein supply from the healthy food you are preparing for them. Collies grow exponentially every day, and they must sustain this growth with the right amount of protein and calories.
They will also need their fill of Calcium and Vitamin D. This is helpful for their bone and joints, most especially that your Collies will surely be bouncing, running, flip, and turning soon in and outside the house.
Always check what is in their food and avoid dog foods that are filled with by-products and fillers that will not be beneficial to your dog.
The protein need of your Collies will wane as they grow into adulthood where a puppy will need 20 to 23% of protein ration, an adult will require 17 to 19% of the protein in their diet.
Carbohydrate is another essential that your dog needs, it will burn fast with this energetic dog.
Signs Indicating Your Border Collie Needs Better Nutrition
Their coat will feel stringy, rough, and lack a glossy appearance. Collies have beautiful coats, and if there is something wrong with it, you will notice them immediately.
This is also true if you groom them regularly and there is just too much fur on their fur brush or just sheddings around the house when it is not a shedding season.
You can check what you are feeding them or maybe you just changed their diet, sometimes this will cause them to shed more than what is usual.
Not having any energy for their usual routine.
Your Border may tell you something when they suddenly don’t have the energy to run with you outside and would rather sleep in the entire day. It can be their diet, or it can also be something else.
The easiest way you can control is their diet. You may need to change it or add something to it that it may lack. Again, the help of the professional is required when you noticed nothing seems to work for your Collie.
Frequent scratching and appearance of skin rashes. This can indicate food allergy, and you may need to check what food you are feeding them.
Some dog food has ingredients that may not be sitting well with your dog. Although Borders have a high resistance to food allergies, it is still best to be observant and have them checked by the vet the soonest time you notice frequent scratching or even the presence of red, inflamed skin.
Your vet will know what to look for and then what alternative diet should be prepared.
They suddenly seem to want more food than what they are used to eating.
This is another sign that they are not getting the nutrients that they need. Reasons may be the dog food that has bulk and weight without the required nutrients.
You will find your dog often begging for more food when they just finished having their meal, or they may also chew on something else to appease their hunger.
Have a chat with your vet and see what they recommend as well, so you can change the diet and give your dog a better alternative.
What Should You Remember When Feeding A Border Collie?
Do not give your Border Collie too much food in one seating. You should space out their feeding instead of giving them a big bowl of dog food to chow down in one go. This is not healthy for them to be too hungry and then eat fast to appease their hunger. You can instead give them a well-divided food ration the entire day.
Remove the food bowl when mealtime is over. Do not let the food bowl sit there the entire day when you are training your Border Collie cause they will think that it is just there for them any time of the day, which is a wrong notion.
Let them understand that they should eat when it is there cause it will be removed from their sight after. This will present them, a good habit of feeding once the food is served and not be picky during mealtime.
Do not give them their food every time they beg. Your Border should realize that there is a mealtime and they cannot always have what they want. Some dogs when allowed to beg for food will get the nasty habit of sitting the entire time looking at their humans who are dining, which is not good training for the dog.
Let them have their meal at a scheduled time, so they’ll know when they should expect their food.
Give the correct nutrients depending on their age. Your Border Collie will need their high ration of protein if they are just a few months old,but after that, lessen their protein intake. Adult dogs will also require less protein, so if you are unsure about their protein requirements, best to ask for help from their vet.
You will get more information by chatting with a professional. It is helpful to always have the assistance of the vet while you are raising your Border Collie through a happy, and healthy, long life.
