This beautiful and aerodynamic canine was bred in Hungary as a pointer and retriever—but what’s the best dog food for Vizslas? What do you feed a dog that’s as agile as he is loveable? Well we’ve done the research, and here’s the verdict.
Best Dog Food Choices for the Vizsla
**There's more info below, but you can also click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon or Chewy.
**Disclaimer: Our dog food reviews are based mostly on (1) our expertise and that of the experts with whom we consult and (2) the information provided by the manufacturers. We do test many dog foods (with our dog's help), but we can't test them all. As such, please remember the above recommendations are our opinions, and you should consult your vet before making changes to your dog's diet.
Calorie Requirements: How Much Does a Vizsla Eat?
**Please note: these estimates are based on an average weight for this breed. Every dog is different. Please talk to your vet before making changes to your dog's diet.
This retriever/pointer grows to an average height of 23 inches tall at the shoulder, and will end up weighing anywhere from 45 to 65 pounds. They’re not necessarily a ‘huge’ dog breed, but they do require plenty of calories to stay fueled and energized.
A less-active Vizsla will probably eat close to 1,000 calories per day, while a moderately active dog of this breed will eat a bit more—somewhere closer to 1,230.
If your dog actually hunts, tends to be highly active, or takes part in any kind of agility or obedience courses, then you’re probably going to end up feeding quite a bit more. It’s not uncommon for super-busy Vizslas to eat 2,000 calories per day!
With that being said, always keep an eye on your dog’s eating habits—and don’t be afraid to adjust the caloric intake a bit if it seems to be off.
You don’t want your dog to be overweight, as this could cause health problems—but your dog will also be happier and feel better if you make sure that he/she receives enough calories.
Looking for More Information?
This video, titled Vizsla 101, is a pretty good resource for breed-basics pertaining to this canine. I definitely learned a few things from it—so if you’re looking for some more info, I would certainly recommend it.
It’s not necessarily a ‘professional’ video, but it does include some nice footage along with the information.
Vizslas: Macronutrient and Diet Information
This dog breed tends to be susceptible to hip dysplasia, so make sure that you include plenty of glucosamine, chondroitin, Vitamin C, and Omega 3 fatty acids in his/her diet.
In general, you’ll want to feed a grain-free kibble that’s filled with real nutrients and low on cheap filler. Wheat and corn products are especially pointless for dogs, and are almost always included in cheaper dog food to keep the prices down.
Lean sources of protein will fuel this energetic dog breed and keep it going, while a range of essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids will help to promote better overall health.
Whatever you do, try to avoid cheap retail-chain dog food with this breed. Buy a high-quality kibble that contains plenty of meat-based protein, and stay away from the supermarket-big-bag-specials.
You really get what you pay for when it comes to dog food—so don’t sacrifice on quality when it comes to your canine’s health!
Common Vizsla Health Problems
While this canine does tend to be pretty healthy, it’s important to remember that no dog breed is immune to sickness and disease. And unfortunately, this is also true of the Vizsla.
With that being said, you can rule out a lot of potential problems by finding a reputable breeder to adopt from. This article, published on dogtime.com, will give you a pretty good idea of what it takes to find a reliable, quality dog-breeder to work.
A good dog breeder can provide you with health clearances for a lot of genetically-passed diseases.
At any rate, here are some of the most common conditions that tend to affect dogs of this breed.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy
This disease affects the eye (or more specifically, the photoreceptors toward the back of it), and can eventually cause blindness.
A dog-food that contains ingredients like cold water fish, carrots, blueberries, and kale can do a lot to prevent eye and vision problems in dogs—so choosing a kibble that contains these types of foods can make a big difference for your Vizsla.
Hip Dysplasia
Hip Dysplasia affects the hip joint of the canine, and prevents the thigh bone from fitting snugly into the pelvic socket. It can result in pain and/or lameness in one or both rear legs, and can cause your dog a pretty serious level of distress if it’s not taken care of.
A dog food that’s rich in glucosamine, chondroitin, Vitamin C, and Omega 3 fatty acids can help to prevent and/or lessen the symptoms of this disease—though the only way to prevent it for sure is to make sure that both parents were tested for it and came up negative before breeding.
Epilepsy
Unfortunately, some Vizslas are prone to Epilepsy—which causes seizures. You can manage it with medication, and dogs that get it can live a full and healthy life—but there is currently no way to cure it.
One of the best things that you can do for your epileptic pet is to switch from feeding cheap, retail-store filler dog food to a high quality, premium-grade kibble that contains a wealth of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
(Visit this page on canine-epilepsy.com to learn more about the role that a dog’s diet can play in helping him/her to cope with this illness.)
Your dog food of choice should be filled with quality, meat-based proteins, and should be free from artificial preservatives and additives.
How to Feed a Vizsla Puppy
Vizsla puppies tend to weigh 12 to 14 pounds by the time they’re 10 weeks old, and require about 440 calories to stay fueled and energized.
Most Vizsla pups will be fully weaned before they’re 6 weeks old—but this doesn’t mean that it’s time for them to leave the litter yet
This dog breed can be especially challenging to raise if they’re not given plenty of time for socialization before being adopted—so try not to adopt a Vizsla puppy that’s any younger than 8 weeks old.
Reputable breeders would probably never let puppies go home any earlier than this anyway—and some even wait for 10 weeks, just to make sure that the puppies are socializing and adjusting appropriately before going home with their new family.
So, What’s the Best Dog Food for Vizslas?
It took quite a bit of research to answer this question—but in the end, we really felt that Orijen Adult Dog was the best choice for this dog breed.
There are doubtlessly a lot of different options out there, and some of them are seriously awesome—but here’s why we chose Orijen as our number-one choice for the Vizsla.
First of all, this kibble is produced from freshly-delivered regional ingredients. It contains plenty of lean-protein, and several different types of cold-water fish.
It’s packed with quality sources of Omega 3 fatty acids, and also contains ingredients that are known for being rich in glucosamine—which are both excellent for this dog’s predisposition to hip and joint problems.
It also contains ingredients like whole eggs, pumpkin, carrots, and kelp—which are all good for the eyes.
Add to this the fact that it’s grain free and supplemented with a ton of vitamins and minerals (including Vitamin B12), and you really come up with a dog-food option that’s almost perfectly suited to this breed’s specific nutritional needs.
Pros and Cons
- It’s grain free
- Contains Omega 3 fatty acids, glucosamine, and lean protein
- Provides a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids
- Contains alfalfa, which is sometimes considered a filler
- You might have to order it online, as it can be hard to find in stores
Orijen Adult Dog really stood out to us as a premium, top-grade kibble option for the Vizsla—and we enthusiastically recommend it if you’re focused on providing real, raw nutrition for your pet above all else.
Image credit: Amazon.com