Best Dog Food For Jack Russell Terriers – Healthy Diet Guide

Jack Russell is a small terrier which many people like to raise as their pet dog. They will be a best friend for their owner with their active and energetic qualities. They have their origin as hunting dogs and are hyperactive.

So, it is very important to consider when giving food for them a lot as an owner of a Jack Russell. Therefore, this article is all about selecting the best dog food for Jack Russell terriers. 

What are the best dog food for Jack Russell? This is not a small issue because a big part of their health and well-being depends on their food. In that case, you have to select high-quality products like; Blue Buffalo life protection formula, the taste of the wild, wellness core Turkey meal and chicken meal, etc. Also, pay attention to; the health and the age of your dog, the nutrients contained in the food, flavor, expiry date when selecting the food for your Jack Russell.

Also, care about the food not to be given to them like; grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, macadamia nuts, etc., to maintain the good health of your Jack Russell. If you provide more than or less than the due amount, it is a problem. So, you should have a clear idea about the amount of food to be given for your Jack Russell according to its age.

Accordingly, in this article, I have discussed the amount of food to be given and how to feed a Jack Russell, what should be considered when selecting food for your Jack Russell, and the best dog food products for your Jack Russell.

Finally, I have provided some food that should not be given for your Jack Russell.

Let’s get started!

how to feed a Jack Russell? What is the amount of food to be given?

Jack Russell is a hyper-energetic hunting dog who loves to dig, run, jump and be active the whole day. They are also clever and independent. Therefore, you should be very careful when providing the best dog food for Jack Russell terriers. 

First of all, pay attention to the amount of food to be given to the dog because it will be harmful if you provide them with more or less amount of food. Here you should be concerned about their age, weight as well as nutritional needs. 

If your Jack Russell is about 8-12 weeks old, it should be fed at least 3-4 times a day. Make sure to give the due amount without exceeding it. Usually, it should be provided with 80z-120z food, 800-900 calories per day. Make sure to maintain its weight 3Ib-13Ib.

And, after about 6 months you should gradually start to decrease the food amount to be given. You can create a routine to feed it at the same time every day.

Generally, an adult Jack Russell is provided with 1.25-1.75 cups of food per day. That means about 100z- 140z of food per day. Also, make sure to include 450-650 calories and try to maintain its weight between 13Ib- 17Ib. 

When talking about the feeding of a Jack Russell, you can create a routine for that. 

• Morning: – Before starting other daily tasks, it is better to provide the first meal for your dog in the morning. It will give them more energy than they need to be active throughout the day.
• Mid-day: – Here, you should provide some healthy treats to keep up the dog’s energy level. Especially if they engaged in an activity where they had to spend more energy in the morning, you should do this. 
• Evening: – There is a possibility that the dog may be hungry at night. So, it is better to feed them with some food before going to bed. It will help them to settle down at night with better sleep. 
• Snacking: – When providing periodic treats for your dog throughout the day, it will be helpful for them to keep energized between meals. But make sure to give only healthy and quality treats. 

What should be considered when selecting food products for Jack Russell?

Food provides energy for Jack Russell to keep active throughout the day. Therefore, you should only select the ideal food for your dog. There, you should focus on many things like;

1. Age and health of your dog

Before feeding the dog any type of food, it is important to consider its age and health condition. It will help you to choose the best products for your dog.

If you choose the wrong food with the dog’s health condition, it will be worse with that by causing; vomiting, diarrhea, etc. And if you choose the wrong food item according to its age, it will be difficult for the dog to digest them.

So, consider the dog’s age and health when selecting the best dog food for Jack Russell. 

2. Nutrition 

Jack Russell is a hyper-energetic terrier. So, you have to provide all the nutritional needs of the dog through its food.

Accordingly, choose the food which contains a lot of protein, vitamins, carbs, minerals, etc. Remember that there are no alternatives for these nutritional needs especially, for protein. 

3. Date of expiry

Make sure not to buy a food item that is out of date or that can keep only for a few days, which is near to expiration.

If you give them expired food, it will catch diarrhea, vomiting, or any other sickness. Sometimes, it also causes their death. So, pay attention to this factor when choosing food items for the dog.

4. Flavor

Before choosing food, you have to understand the flavor that your dog likes most. It may be duck and chicken mix, grilled chicken, fish, beef, or other flavors.

If you provide them with their favorite flavor food with less odor, they will happily and willingly eat them. 

5. No preservatives or colors

Make sure to provide only healthy food for the dog with high quality. So, do not get food items with various colors and feature preservatives.

If you continuously provide them colored high preservative food, the dog will quickly be sick. 

6. Budget

This is beneficial for the owner, as all owners can’t spend money on highly expensive products. You can select healthy, less priced food products for your dog. 

What are the best food products for your Jack Russell?

You can find various types of food products for dogs in the market. But you can’t give all of them to your Jack Russell because you only have to choose the best dog food for Jack Russell terriers.

So, what are those best foods? Here, I will give you some types of the best dog foods that you can give your dog. 

1. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula

There are exceptional calories and protein in this food item which is important for the easy digestion of animal protein and grains. So, you can give this to your Jack Russell without any suspicion.

This includes; barley, chicken meal and chicken meat, brown rice, and oatmeal, which contain heavyweights specialized in supporting the immune system, coat health, and the optimum skin.

Also, the omega fatty acids, probiotics, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, prebiotic, glucosamine, etc., fulfill the mineral needs of the dog. 

2. Taste of the Wild

This will be the best food item for your Jack Russell with its nice taste that comes with roasted meat, fish, and poultry. Your dog can have natural and well-balanced nutritional formulation through this food production.

Their optimal muscles and organ tissues will develop with this high-quality food item with animal protein. This can be highly recommended for small breeds. 

3. Wellness CORE Turkey meal and Chicken meal

This is highly recommended for Jack Russell terriers with its calorie content and protein formula that is helpful for the dog to maintain its optimal functioning of the organ systems, joints, bones, and coat.

Freshly-grilled turkey acts as the best source of protein for your dog. Also, the omega-3 fatty acids and the antioxidant content in the food item increase its quality.

The probiotic organisms do the absorption of nutrients and optimum digestion of your Jack Russell in the food item. So, this will be the best food product for your Jack Russell.

4. ORIJEN puppy grain-free dry food 

This is a good food item for the Jack Russell puppies. It includes all the calories, protein, fiber, etc., with its ingredients like; chicken meat, whole eggs, turkey meat, chicken liver, and herring that is helpful for the healthy growth of your dog.

It also provides energy for the maturity of the immune system, skin, coat, heart, and brain of your hyperactive Jack Russell puppy with the help of amino acids, minerals, vitamins, glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega fatty acids.

This also prevents catching diseases and helps for the well-functioning of your dog. 

5. Purina beyond beef, potato, and green bean recipe

This food item will be the best choice for your Jack Russell with its ingredients like; water, chicken, liver, beef, dried egg white, as well as the amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and biotin, which ensure the strength of muscles and bones, leading to healthier skin and coat and ensure a healthy body organic system.

Most importantly, there are no cereal grains with allergies in this food item. Therefore, this will be very good food for your Jack Russell. 

6. Blue Buffalo wilderness duck and chicken grill

This is very popular among Jack Russells as they love its flavor a lot. It also helps to maintain healthy and strong muscles, coats, and the immune system’s effectiveness. There are no grains and they are full of favorable ingredients like; chicken, potato protein, duck, etc.

And, the linoleic acid, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids included in this helps maintain your dog’s good health with optimum delivery of nutrients. 

7. Royal Canin X-small puppy dry dog food

This will be one of the best choices if you like to give chicken byproduct meals for your Jack Russell puppy. The flavor, texture, size, and shape of this will be attractive to your dog.

Also, this is good for the immune system, heart, and the digestion of the Jack Russell. So, ingredients like; chicken by-product meal, brewer’s rice, chicken fat, corn, corn gluten meal, etc., will increase the quality of the product.

8. Rachael Ray Nutrish lamb meal and brown rice

If your Jack Russell has food allergies, this food product will be the best choice for you because it does not contain the ingredients that cause allergies.

This food item has only lamb brown rice, chicken fat, beet pulp, pork flavor, and ground rice. But it does not say that it is less nutritious.

Your dog can have vitamins, amino acids, minerals, omega fatty acids, fat, protein, etc., through this food. So, this is one of the best dog foods that can be recommended for your Jack Russell.  

9. Merrick limited ingredients diet dry dog food

This is also good for the Jack Russells who have food allergies as this product does not contain ingredients that cause allergies. There are only peas, chicken, lentils, chickpeas, sunflower oil, and flaxseed.

They digest easily and are full of nutrients that ensure the good health of your Jack Russell.

Also, the dog can have amino acids, omega fatty acids, glucosamine, chondroitin, biotin, vitamins, minerals, etc., through this.

10. Purina ONE SmartBlend Small bites beef and rice

This food item includes beef, gluten meal, corn, rice flour, whole grain corn, and chicken by-product meal, which helps attract your Jack Russell with a nice flavor.

This will help to keep the skin and coat of the dog healthy. The limbs will be nimble and agile with the glucosamine present in the food item.

It also helps to gain omega-3 fatty acids, L-lysine, vitamins, minerals, etc. Therefore, this is one of the best foods for your Jack Russell. 

What should you not give for your Jack Russell to eat? 

When considering the best dog food for Jack Russell, you should also know about the things you should not provide for your dog.

So, here I will provide you with some food items not to be given for your Jack Russell.

1. Grapes and raisins

It has been found that grapes and raisins can lead to acute kidney failures in dogs.

So, this will be harmful to your dog, which may come out with vomiting and lead to the failure of kidneys within 3-5 days. 

2. Onions and Garlic

Onions and Garlic can cause the breakdown of red blood cells of the dogs, which is called hemolytic anemia.

If they are provided with small amounts, They will not come out with any symptoms. Still, if you continuously provide them in large amounts, that will cause many ill effects. 

3. Hops and yeast

Hopes which are used as an ingredient when brewing beer, can cause hyperthermia for the dogs. It is fatal.

Internal fermentation or intestinal blockage can result when the dog is given yeast dough, leading to alcohol poisoning. 

4. Macadamia nuts

The dogs can catch tremors, hyperthermia, and abnormal pain when they are provided with macadamia nuts. Usually, the effects of this are not fatal.

5. Chewing gum and toothpaste

There is xylitol, an alternative of sugar that can cause fatal liver damage for dogs in these products.

So, make sure not to give them these because it will be dangerous if their liver gets damaged.

Also, you should make sure not to give;

• Chocolates
• Caffeinated drinks and food items
• Cooked bones
• Almonds
• Avocado
• Rhubarb leaves
• Dried fruits
• Cabbage

Recap – What are the best dog food for Jack Russell Terriers?

We have discussed; best dog food for Jack Russell terriers with more details. I think this article will be helpful for all the Jack Russell owners as I have discussed important areas on dog feeding like; what is the amount of food to be given and how to feed a Jack Russell, what should be considered when selecting food for your Jack Russell, what are the best dog food products for your Jack Russell and finally I have provided some food that should not be given for your Jack Russell.

Food is an essential need for any living being for healthy growth, and it is the same for your Jack Russell. Especially as hyper-energetic, hunting dogs need many nutrients and healthy food for the better function of their body. There, you should pay much attention to providing the specific food amount according to the age and weight of the dog.

Also, select the best dog food for Jack Russell like; royal canin X-small puppy dry dog food, Rachael Ray Nutrish lamb meal and brown rice, Merrick limited ingredients diet dry dog food, etc.

And make sure not to give unfavorable food for the dog-like; chocolates, caffeinated drinks, food items, cooked bones, almonds, avocado, etc. Then you can own the healthy Jack Russell you ever needed.

Thank you for reading this post. Stay tuned with Jack Russell Owner for more interesting posts about your favorite dog breed.

Cheers from Shaggy and Lenny!