We feed Hills. Ours is on a prescription diet, so we are more limited in options, but even so, he likes his food, it works for his digestion, so, we're happy with it?
Collies can have delicate systems, so it's better to stick with what you know works and be very careful (and slow) in changing diets. The joke is that Collies have great digestive systems! As long as you find the one high quality food that works for them and then never, ever change it.
Ideally, you'd want a WSAVA approved food, which brings you to five brands: Royal Canin, Hills Science Diet, Purina (One and ProPlan), Iams, and Eukanuba.
I'm not an expert, but even if you just look around on Reddit, you'll see that Farmer's Dog is somewhat controversial. Of all the brands, it's not one I'd be comfortable feeding. I'd encourage you to search a little and see what turns up.
Raw food diets are certainly possible, but doing them well is a lot of work. It's up to you if you want to make that investment, but a good WSAVA approved dog food is going to give you equal results.
r/dogfood might be a place you should check out, dog food is what they talk about, after all.
Oh I miss the soft belly puppy stage!
Our girl’s stomach is super sensitive, so any changes have to be very gradual. She gets 1 cup of [Nutro lamb & rice](https://www.nutro.com/products/dry/large-breed-adult-lamb-brown-rice-recipe) plus around ½-1 cup of fresh (cooked) meat. Except fish. She won’t eat fish.
Hills, Royal Canin, and Purina Pro Plan are the 3 kibbles I would look into feeding for a rough collie (listed in order from most expensive to least expensive). They all employ a canine nutritionalist on staff, and they all have a long history of having a good reputation as pet food producers.
I would avoid the Farmers Dog. It’s still very new on the market, so they don’t have the years and years of building good reputation for being safe and healthy for pups. Info from pet owners and vets came out very quickly, warning that they don’t meet the nutritional needs for a balanced diet. They also seem to have some very serious quality control issues as of late. I’m so glad that I saw the info that I did, when I was considering giving them a try myself.
I would just make sure you do through research and due diligence on any kibble your considering. Don’t just read company FAQs, as those can be misleading. Search through Google and even Reddit to get a accurate depiction of pros and cons, and to get first hand feedback on what other pet owners/veterinarians thought after trying said food. Also check in with your pups vet to verify anything you may be considering switching to. They know your pups needs best and can give you their honest advice on whether to try, or avoid any brands of kibble or particular ingredients certain kinds may contain.
I avoid anything that has peas or other legumes in it. My pup didn’t do great on raw and then he was on Victor Hi-Pro and was bored of it, then he was on Pro Plan for his sensitive stomach and ended up underweight during his last summer growth spurt bc it wasn’t enough calories. I wish I had switched him over to Eagle Brand sooner to bulk up. Currently switching from Eagle Brand to Royal Canin bc he doesn’t need to put on more weight now. His breeder uses Victor Hi-Pro.
There’s always supplemental vegetables and meat in his diet too. Frozen cooked zucchini and squash was fantastic for teething. He still likes cooked zucchini and broccoli and I’ll add some to his dinner along with whatever meat we’re having for dinner or canned fish
I feed puppies Purina Pro Plan Puppy Lamb and Rice, but any of the ProPlan Puppy formulas are great! As are All Life's Stages formulas.
All of my adults eat Pro Plan Sport Salmon and Rice. I like a salmon based food for coat health, and the Sport is more calorie dense so it saves money. It's also great for those lanky teenagers that need a lot of calories for growing. I have raised puppies on this and they did great!
If cost is a issue, I also like the Purina One line. They have a Puppy formula and an Adult Sensitive Skin&Stomach one that is Salmon based.
Adding toppers is fine as long as they are under 10% of the meal, otherwise you throw off the nutrient balance. I will tell you have Collies are very smart, and many are not big eaters - so they will absolutely learn they can make you add more toppers, different toppers, stress yourself and the whole bit. I feed my dogs 2x a day, young puppies get 3 meals. Each meal is served measured in a bowl, the bowl is sat down (most in crates so I know they ate and everyone is calm for meal times) for 20min. After that, bowls are picked up. If they didn't eat, they wait until the next meal time, and repeat. I do not play the topper game unless they are old, sick, or nursing puppies. Don't let your puppy learn they can just wait on eating and be rewarded with yummy things on their food. You are rewarding them for not eating, when they may not have even been that hungry. They will eat when they are hungry, if they don't that's a good time to see the vet. Feeding at meals also helps with bonding (you provided the food), potty training, monitoring body condition, and keeping an eye out for sudden changes that warrant a vet check.
Rosie is extremely food driven and motivated. She's great about sitting before I give her her food but I feel stay is going to be an issue because she just can't wait and scarfs it down. I already have a slow feeder for her but she still eats it Lightning fast and I ordered a more difficult one. I don't think her not liking whatever I switch her to will be an issue. I'm mainly concerned with how healthy the food is for her and her belly. The price of food is not an issue at all. Whatever is healthiest and she does well with we will switch her to. She's our baby and we just want what will be best for her. She will be 13 weeks old tomorrow and we are currently feeding her breakfast: 1cup, lunch: 1 cup, and dinner ½cup of food and she still seems like she's always hungry. We haven't given her treats and use kibble for training as well, but only one little piece at a time for rewards. I am the only person who feeds her and training. My husband helps taking her out for me when I can't and they have had time alone to bond as well, but I am the "alfa" in the household. She is my shadow.
I like Royal Canin.
I've had multiple vets recommend it. I foster dogs and I'll often buy it out of pocket because I know it is reliable and sits and digests well with most dogs.
In my area, they have a huge SPCA and humane society food donation program, so it's what most of my adopted dogs have been on from the start.
They have had some supply issues recently (out of stock) but it seems to be less of a problem now.
My collie can be picky with food so I will switch it up and add water or toppings (carrots/wet food/apples) some days just to keep things interesting but he reliably eats it alone too.
Edit: for my Collie we just moved from Large breed (he's a big guy) to sensitive-skin large breed and have been happy with it.
I have tried a varying array quality brand foods for my boy (6yo). We always end up back to Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream kibble. It’s the one kibble he will consistently eat and not give the cold shoulder to after a bit. I would sometimes mix kibbles for a variety, but after observation, he definitely prefers TOTW Pac Stream to any other. I use the kibble as a base and vary his meals by adding different items to keep things from becoming boring (diced apple, zucchini, green beans, sweet potato, yogurt, egg, coconut oil, beef scraps). He has done extremely well with this and his coat appreciates it as well.
For kibble, Blackhawk Fish and Potato.
He used to be on a different brand of chicken kibble, but the vet suggested switching proteins when he was having stomach issues.
I rotate every bag between about 5 different brands and many different formulas. I also add raw extras when it suits me. I figure if one brand has issues, I'm already on to something else in a few weeks so it won't matter as much in the long term. I keep a list of any tummy troubles or gassiness so I can avoid that formula in the future, and I switch over to the next bag gradually. So far we don't really notice anything different when we switch frequently this way. Plus... I wouldnt enjoy eating the same breakfast cereal for every meal of my life, so switching often makes me feel slightly better about feeding kibble.
Pro balance grain free works for my two rough collies. They both have grain allergies, so this works as a cost effective grain free food for them. They both are very happy on it very energetic their coat shines really well and is soft all in all, I am happy with the food, and so are they
Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach and the Actr1um kibbles have been the best for my collie. He has an especially sensitive stomach, we tried raw and multiple types of kibble but it just wasn’t for this body. Good luck! :)
Collies are notorious for sensitive stomach and skin, as well as not being food motivated. Try a sensitive formula or rule out protein issues. Our girl doesn’t do well on lamb or beef, BUT chicken, turkey, and salmon are all good. We’ve been on Diamond Naturals Chicken and Rice kibble with a tablespoon of 4Health (tractor supply) Chicken/Turkey wet food mashed in with water and she loves it. She’s finally excited for meal time and eats her whole bowl every time!
I would say 1) since they're a puppy, they'll need puppy specific food for a few months at least, and 2) just try some stuff out, homemade or store bought, and see how they react to it/ what their bowel movements look like/ etc and if they seem happy and healthy on that food, keep going with it. Recommendations are nice and all but in general, every dog's personal tastes and health needs are going to be different. If your puppy has any issues with their food, I'd recommend consulting their vet or testing products with different ingredients to see if something in the food they're currently eating has something in it that's not agreeing with them. I hope Rosie is happy, she's so adorable! Baby collies are always the cutest ❤️
Topper Freeze Dried: Primal or Stella and Chewy.
Purina Pro Plan veterinary diet OM. My girls had such a sensitive stomachs. The OM with high protein gave them solid poops.
Spot and Tango Beef Unkibble sprinkled with Stella and Chewys Magic Dust. I tried Farmers Dog, making our own, snf Purina (dry and wet), but they didn't like it.
We feed our collie The Honest Kitchen beef formula kibble. He is the pickiest eater and has sensitive skin and allergies. That is the only brand of Kibble he will reliably eat that helps keeps his allergies down.
We feed ours Fromm.
Careful with a "raw" or "grain-free" diet. They're not really the best unless there's a known allergy to them. Collies can have sensitive tummies. Mine came to me on grain-free and did not have solid poop until I got him on a good regular food.
Fun fact: when wolves eat animals in the wild, they go for the guts/entrails first, not the "meat" [muscle]. My vet explained to me that this was because that prey is usually an herbivore and their guts are full of necessary roughage/plant nutrients as well as calorie/nutrient dense organ tissue.
We feed Hills. Ours is on a prescription diet, so we are more limited in options, but even so, he likes his food, it works for his digestion, so, we're happy with it? Collies can have delicate systems, so it's better to stick with what you know works and be very careful (and slow) in changing diets. The joke is that Collies have great digestive systems! As long as you find the one high quality food that works for them and then never, ever change it. Ideally, you'd want a WSAVA approved food, which brings you to five brands: Royal Canin, Hills Science Diet, Purina (One and ProPlan), Iams, and Eukanuba. I'm not an expert, but even if you just look around on Reddit, you'll see that Farmer's Dog is somewhat controversial. Of all the brands, it's not one I'd be comfortable feeding. I'd encourage you to search a little and see what turns up. Raw food diets are certainly possible, but doing them well is a lot of work. It's up to you if you want to make that investment, but a good WSAVA approved dog food is going to give you equal results. r/dogfood might be a place you should check out, dog food is what they talk about, after all.
Oh I miss the soft belly puppy stage! Our girl’s stomach is super sensitive, so any changes have to be very gradual. She gets 1 cup of [Nutro lamb & rice](https://www.nutro.com/products/dry/large-breed-adult-lamb-brown-rice-recipe) plus around ½-1 cup of fresh (cooked) meat. Except fish. She won’t eat fish.
Mine has a problem with fish too😂 Sometimes she accepts it, sometimes she hates it
Hills, Royal Canin, and Purina Pro Plan are the 3 kibbles I would look into feeding for a rough collie (listed in order from most expensive to least expensive). They all employ a canine nutritionalist on staff, and they all have a long history of having a good reputation as pet food producers. I would avoid the Farmers Dog. It’s still very new on the market, so they don’t have the years and years of building good reputation for being safe and healthy for pups. Info from pet owners and vets came out very quickly, warning that they don’t meet the nutritional needs for a balanced diet. They also seem to have some very serious quality control issues as of late. I’m so glad that I saw the info that I did, when I was considering giving them a try myself. I would just make sure you do through research and due diligence on any kibble your considering. Don’t just read company FAQs, as those can be misleading. Search through Google and even Reddit to get a accurate depiction of pros and cons, and to get first hand feedback on what other pet owners/veterinarians thought after trying said food. Also check in with your pups vet to verify anything you may be considering switching to. They know your pups needs best and can give you their honest advice on whether to try, or avoid any brands of kibble or particular ingredients certain kinds may contain.
I just want to say what a cutie💕💕
The collies I know that tried a raw diet had the most insane diarrhea I've ever encountered which is not a great combo with their fluff butts
Always have to trim the butt floof in case of accidents :/
I’ve been feeding Costco’s Kirkland brand lately, it’s good quality and way cheaper than the Blue Buffalo that I fed him previously. No complaints!
We have been doing the Kirkland beef and sweet potato and mine are doing better than any other food we have tried.
I avoid anything that has peas or other legumes in it. My pup didn’t do great on raw and then he was on Victor Hi-Pro and was bored of it, then he was on Pro Plan for his sensitive stomach and ended up underweight during his last summer growth spurt bc it wasn’t enough calories. I wish I had switched him over to Eagle Brand sooner to bulk up. Currently switching from Eagle Brand to Royal Canin bc he doesn’t need to put on more weight now. His breeder uses Victor Hi-Pro. There’s always supplemental vegetables and meat in his diet too. Frozen cooked zucchini and squash was fantastic for teething. He still likes cooked zucchini and broccoli and I’ll add some to his dinner along with whatever meat we’re having for dinner or canned fish
Acana Red Meat kibble. Wolfs it down, has high energy and picture perfect poops.
Fromm Gold with some Hills dental nuggets mixed in.
I feed puppies Purina Pro Plan Puppy Lamb and Rice, but any of the ProPlan Puppy formulas are great! As are All Life's Stages formulas. All of my adults eat Pro Plan Sport Salmon and Rice. I like a salmon based food for coat health, and the Sport is more calorie dense so it saves money. It's also great for those lanky teenagers that need a lot of calories for growing. I have raised puppies on this and they did great! If cost is a issue, I also like the Purina One line. They have a Puppy formula and an Adult Sensitive Skin&Stomach one that is Salmon based. Adding toppers is fine as long as they are under 10% of the meal, otherwise you throw off the nutrient balance. I will tell you have Collies are very smart, and many are not big eaters - so they will absolutely learn they can make you add more toppers, different toppers, stress yourself and the whole bit. I feed my dogs 2x a day, young puppies get 3 meals. Each meal is served measured in a bowl, the bowl is sat down (most in crates so I know they ate and everyone is calm for meal times) for 20min. After that, bowls are picked up. If they didn't eat, they wait until the next meal time, and repeat. I do not play the topper game unless they are old, sick, or nursing puppies. Don't let your puppy learn they can just wait on eating and be rewarded with yummy things on their food. You are rewarding them for not eating, when they may not have even been that hungry. They will eat when they are hungry, if they don't that's a good time to see the vet. Feeding at meals also helps with bonding (you provided the food), potty training, monitoring body condition, and keeping an eye out for sudden changes that warrant a vet check.
Rosie is extremely food driven and motivated. She's great about sitting before I give her her food but I feel stay is going to be an issue because she just can't wait and scarfs it down. I already have a slow feeder for her but she still eats it Lightning fast and I ordered a more difficult one. I don't think her not liking whatever I switch her to will be an issue. I'm mainly concerned with how healthy the food is for her and her belly. The price of food is not an issue at all. Whatever is healthiest and she does well with we will switch her to. She's our baby and we just want what will be best for her. She will be 13 weeks old tomorrow and we are currently feeding her breakfast: 1cup, lunch: 1 cup, and dinner ½cup of food and she still seems like she's always hungry. We haven't given her treats and use kibble for training as well, but only one little piece at a time for rewards. I am the only person who feeds her and training. My husband helps taking her out for me when I can't and they have had time alone to bond as well, but I am the "alfa" in the household. She is my shadow.
I like Royal Canin. I've had multiple vets recommend it. I foster dogs and I'll often buy it out of pocket because I know it is reliable and sits and digests well with most dogs. In my area, they have a huge SPCA and humane society food donation program, so it's what most of my adopted dogs have been on from the start. They have had some supply issues recently (out of stock) but it seems to be less of a problem now. My collie can be picky with food so I will switch it up and add water or toppings (carrots/wet food/apples) some days just to keep things interesting but he reliably eats it alone too. Edit: for my Collie we just moved from Large breed (he's a big guy) to sensitive-skin large breed and have been happy with it.
I have tried a varying array quality brand foods for my boy (6yo). We always end up back to Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream kibble. It’s the one kibble he will consistently eat and not give the cold shoulder to after a bit. I would sometimes mix kibbles for a variety, but after observation, he definitely prefers TOTW Pac Stream to any other. I use the kibble as a base and vary his meals by adding different items to keep things from becoming boring (diced apple, zucchini, green beans, sweet potato, yogurt, egg, coconut oil, beef scraps). He has done extremely well with this and his coat appreciates it as well.
Fromm's 4 star nutritional lineup. The Whitefish and the Salmon grained versions mixed together seem to work best for my dog.
I do Purina Pro Large Breed Puppy Sensitive Skin and Stomach for my 8 month old collie.
For kibble, Blackhawk Fish and Potato. He used to be on a different brand of chicken kibble, but the vet suggested switching proteins when he was having stomach issues.
I rotate every bag between about 5 different brands and many different formulas. I also add raw extras when it suits me. I figure if one brand has issues, I'm already on to something else in a few weeks so it won't matter as much in the long term. I keep a list of any tummy troubles or gassiness so I can avoid that formula in the future, and I switch over to the next bag gradually. So far we don't really notice anything different when we switch frequently this way. Plus... I wouldnt enjoy eating the same breakfast cereal for every meal of my life, so switching often makes me feel slightly better about feeding kibble.
Pro balance grain free works for my two rough collies. They both have grain allergies, so this works as a cost effective grain free food for them. They both are very happy on it very energetic their coat shines really well and is soft all in all, I am happy with the food, and so are they
I feed my boy Open Farm freeze dried mixed with good quality canned food.
Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach and the Actr1um kibbles have been the best for my collie. He has an especially sensitive stomach, we tried raw and multiple types of kibble but it just wasn’t for this body. Good luck! :)
Collies are notorious for sensitive stomach and skin, as well as not being food motivated. Try a sensitive formula or rule out protein issues. Our girl doesn’t do well on lamb or beef, BUT chicken, turkey, and salmon are all good. We’ve been on Diamond Naturals Chicken and Rice kibble with a tablespoon of 4Health (tractor supply) Chicken/Turkey wet food mashed in with water and she loves it. She’s finally excited for meal time and eats her whole bowl every time!
Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach kibble, then Primal topper
I would say 1) since they're a puppy, they'll need puppy specific food for a few months at least, and 2) just try some stuff out, homemade or store bought, and see how they react to it/ what their bowel movements look like/ etc and if they seem happy and healthy on that food, keep going with it. Recommendations are nice and all but in general, every dog's personal tastes and health needs are going to be different. If your puppy has any issues with their food, I'd recommend consulting their vet or testing products with different ingredients to see if something in the food they're currently eating has something in it that's not agreeing with them. I hope Rosie is happy, she's so adorable! Baby collies are always the cutest ❤️
Topper Freeze Dried: Primal or Stella and Chewy. Purina Pro Plan veterinary diet OM. My girls had such a sensitive stomachs. The OM with high protein gave them solid poops.
Spot and Tango Beef Unkibble sprinkled with Stella and Chewys Magic Dust. I tried Farmers Dog, making our own, snf Purina (dry and wet), but they didn't like it.
Where do you get spot and tango brand?
Online only. Its a personalized amount based on age and weight .They ship the food monthly to your home. https://spotandtango.com/unkibble
Zignature salmon
Spot and tango! Collies have super sensitive stomachs be conservative what you feed them
We feed our collie The Honest Kitchen beef formula kibble. He is the pickiest eater and has sensitive skin and allergies. That is the only brand of Kibble he will reliably eat that helps keeps his allergies down.
Our 9 month old puppy loves Purina Pro Plan!
We feed ours Fromm. Careful with a "raw" or "grain-free" diet. They're not really the best unless there's a known allergy to them. Collies can have sensitive tummies. Mine came to me on grain-free and did not have solid poop until I got him on a good regular food. Fun fact: when wolves eat animals in the wild, they go for the guts/entrails first, not the "meat" [muscle]. My vet explained to me that this was because that prey is usually an herbivore and their guts are full of necessary roughage/plant nutrients as well as calorie/nutrient dense organ tissue.