Best dog food for a cavapoo
A cavapoo is a small to medium dog, usually a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel crossed with a poodle, and does best on a small-breed formula with moderate calories, since both parent breeds are prone to putting on weight easily if not watched.
Feeding a Cavapoo
A small breed
An adult Cavapoo typically weighs 5–11kg, so a healthy Cavapoo eats a modest amount compared with other breeds. Every feeding guide on a bag is written per kilo of body weight, not per breed — start there, then adjust to the dog in front of you.
Life stage
A small breed is usually done growing at 10–12 months, which is roughly when a puppy food has finished its job. With a typical lifespan of 12–15 years, there is a long adult stretch in the middle; switch to a senior food when your vet thinks it is worth it rather than on a birthday.
Small mouths, crowded teeth
Smaller breeds get dental disease more often than big ones, largely because the same number of teeth are packed into a shorter jaw. Kibble size is worth checking, and a dental chew counts towards the daily 10% of calories from treats.
Mealtimes can do some of the work
A breed that struggles to settle on its own gets more out of a meal that takes effort — a lick mat, a snuffle mat or a puzzle feeder using part of the daily ration rather than extra food on top of it.
How much should a Cavapoo weigh?
Adult 5–11kgfully grown at 10–12 months
| Age | Stage | Typical weight | Of adult size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 weeks | Just home | 0.8–1.8 kg | 17% |
| 3 months | Young puppy | 1.4–3 kg | 27% |
| 6 months | Growing fast | 2.7–6 kg | 54% |
| 10–12 months | Fully grown | 5–11 kg | 100% |
A guide, from the same rule of thumb our puppy growth predictor uses — each age is that share of the way to maturity for a small breed. Puppies grow fastest early, so a real puppy usually sits a little above the middle rows. Weigh yours and ask your vet if the number worries you.
Complete dog foods that suit a Cavapoo
Complete foods from our range, matched to a Cavapoo's size band and what the breed typically needs. Stock levels and delivery dates are live on each product.
Pedigree Can in Jelly Puppy 6 Pack
Complete Pedigree puppy food in jelly with chicken, lamb and poultry recipes
£10.15
Arden Grange Adult Dog Calming Turkey Sweet Potato
A grain-free complete turkey food with added L-tryptophan and chamomile
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Natural Turkey
Cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs from 2 months, soft enough to mix with water for young pups
£45.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Salmon
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for dogs, built on fresh and dried salmon
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Duck
Cold-pressed grain-free duck food with fruit and botanicals, in two bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Chicken
Cold-pressed grain-free chicken food with fruit and botanicals, in three bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Turkey
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% turkey, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Forthglade British Classics Chicken Family Lunch
Complete Forthglade wet dog food with 75% chicken in a 395G tray
£2.45
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
Harringtons Just 6 Dry Dog Food Lamb
Grain-free lamb dry dog food in 2KG and 12KG sizes, with size-specific formulas
From£13.99
Sizing the food to the dog
Cavapoos generally settle somewhere between a small and medium dog, often in the region of 5.5 to 10kg fully grown depending on which generation and poodle size sits behind the cross. A small-breed formula, with smaller kibble pieces sized for a smaller mouth and a calorie density suited to a lighter dog, generally fits better than a food designed around a large breed's needs.
Because cavapoos can vary noticeably in size even within the same litter, weigh your own dog and check the feeding guide against their actual weight rather than assuming they will land in the middle of the breed's typical range.
Weight management matters for this cross
Both parent breeds behind a cavapoo — the Cavalier and the poodle — are commonly food-motivated and can gain weight easily if intake is not watched, and that tendency often carries through to the cross. A food with a sensible calorie density, combined with measured meals rather than free feeding, does more for a cavapoo's long-term health than any specific brand choice.
Extra weight puts additional strain on joints and, in Cavaliers particularly, on heart health, so keeping a cavapoo at a lean, healthy weight through diet and portion control is one of the more genuinely useful things an owner can do.
Coat and digestion
Cavapoos typically inherit a soft, often wavy or curly coat from the poodle side, and a diet with adequate quality protein and fatty acids supports coat condition, though grooming does more heavy lifting here than food choice. Some cavapoos, like their Cavalier parent, can have a more sensitive digestion, so a food built around a single named protein source and easily digestible ingredients is worth trying if your dog shows any signs of a sensitive stomach.
Introduce any new food gradually over a week or more, mixing it in increasing amounts with the current food, which matters especially for a smaller dog whose digestive system reacts more visibly to sudden changes than a larger breed's.
Common questions
- What size food does a cavapoo need?
- A small-breed formula generally suits a cavapoo's typical adult weight of around 5.5 to 10kg, with kibble sized for a smaller mouth. Weigh your own dog and check the feeding guide against their actual weight, since cavapoos vary in size.
- Are cavapoos prone to weight gain?
- Yes, both the Cavalier and poodle side of the cross tend to be food-motivated, so measured meals and a sensible calorie density matter more for this breed than for a naturally leaner dog.
- Do cavapoos need a sensitive stomach food?
- Not automatically, but some inherit a more sensitive digestion from their Cavalier side, so a single-protein, easily digestible recipe is worth trying if your dog shows any signs of an upset stomach.
- How do I switch my cavapoo to a new food safely?
- Mix the new food in gradually with the old one over a week or more, increasing the proportion each day. A sudden switch is more likely to cause an upset stomach in a smaller dog than in a larger breed.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.