Iams Proactive Health Large Breed Dog Food
Rating:
ProActive Health Large Breed is one of 14 dry recipes covered in our review of the Iams ProActive Health product line.
- First 5 ingredients: Chicken, ground whole grain barley, ground whole grain corn, ground whole grain sorghum, chicken by-product meal
- Type: Grain-inclusive
- Profile: Maintenance
- Best for:Adult goldens
Iams ProActive Health Large Breed derives the majority of its meat protein from chicken. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 25% protein, 14% fat and 53% estimated carbs producing a fat-to-protein ratio of about 56%.
This classic, grain-inclusive, large breed design has been offered by Iams for many years. Its especially popular with professional breeders. We like the fact that its also 100% free of BHA and other high-risk chemical preservatives. Highly recommended.
Sample buyer reviewAll the pets in the household love Iams. My puppies just switched to adult food and this has been a quick an easy switch. Would recommend Iams to anyone.
How Much Food Should Golden Retrievers Eat
Once you have settled on the type of diet to feed your dog, you now have the next hurdle! How much food should your Golden Retriever actually eat?
The amount of food Golden Retrievers need depends on their age, whether a puppy, adult, or senior. Activity level, overall health, serious illness, pregnancy, or nursing can also increase a dogs energy needs. The key is to make sure you dont overfeed or underfeed your dog.
Dont worry if youre feeding commercial dog food, the packaging should indicate the recommended feeding guidelines for your Retrievers age. On their websites, most brands often have valuable tables or calculators.
These must indicate how much food to offer per the dogs weight, but you must also think about your dogs activity level. Inactive dogs, for example, may need 10% less than what is recommended on the food label, while energetic dogs may need 20% to 40% more.
If you want to feed a home-made diet, raw, or a combination of dry and wet, as mentioned above, you can contact your veterinarian or a pet nutritionist to ensure your Golden Retriever is getting the necessary nutrients and calorie intake.
What Human Foods Can A Golden Retriever Puppy Eat
There is a lot of human food that golden retrievers can eat in moderation. Humans consume protein, fats, and fiber. Dogs can eat these foods as well. Proteins like fish, eggs, beef, turkey, chicken, and salmon.
They can also have vegetables that are cooked and carbs in small proportions like pasta. They can even eat some dairy products.
Please keep that in mind that golden retrievers tend to gain weight, so it is always better to feed them more protein.
The vegetables are also good because they provide much-needed fiber for the digestive system, but give them carbohydrates only in small amounts, especially if they do not exercise that much.
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Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food
Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food is also a great choice of puppy food for Golden Retrievers. This food contains high-quality ingredients and is made in the USA. It supports healthy brain development that increases the intelligence and trainability of your Golden Retriever. This food is highly recommended by our staff veterinarians as well.
Below is Eukanubas Large Breed Puppy feeding chart.
Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Feeding Chart
| Puppy Age |
|---|
| 3 5/8 Cups Per Day |
Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind
Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind is our top choice for Golden Retriever senior dog food. It is formulated with botanical oils to increase alertness and mental sharpness in dogs ages 7 and older. Our staff veterinarians recommend this dog food for your aging Golden Retriever.
Below is a feeding chart for Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind.
Purina Pro Plan Bright Might Feeding Chart
| Weight | |
|---|---|
| 2 ¾ 3 ½ Cups Per Day | |
| Over 100 lbs. | 3 ½ Cups Per Day plus ¼ cup for each 10 lbs. over 100 lbs. |
This chart is not built for your individual dog. It is best to consult your veterinarian for the right amount of food that will provide your Golden with a healthy lifestyle in the senior years.
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Dog Feeding Guidelines About What Not To Feed Dogs
Your Golden Retriever would happily become a bottomless garbage can if you let him. For his own safety, follow these wise dog feeding guidelines. Make sure he doesn’t get any of the following:
- Never give your dog chocolate. It contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs.
- Avoid feeding him grapes and raisins. He may not like them anyway, but their ingestion has recently been associated with kidney failure in dogs.
- Don’t feed your dog bones, as they can splinter and cause a number of major problems.
- Raw or cooked onions can cause fever and even death. Leave onions off his menu.
- Don’t feed your dog cow’s milk. Some dogs react unfavorably to it and it may cause diarrhea.
I know its tough to resist those big, brown eyes. But tell him he cant have that tasty tidbit, because you love him. Then make sure he gets the nutrition he needs in that yummy top-quality dog food youve selected.
If you stick to these dog feeding guidelines and make sure he gets plenty of exercise, you’ll be the happy recipient of his love and loyalty for many years.
Nutritional Guidelines To Follow
To ensure a homemade dog food diet will meet your Golden Retrievers dietary requirements, you need to take into account your Goldens weight, health condition, size, and activity level.
The best homemade diet for Golden Retriever will always have the six essential nutrients any dog meal should always have.
| Nutrient | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Chicken, lamb, turkey, beef, fish, yogurt and cooked eggs | Builds and repairs muscles and other body tissues. Needed to make new skin cells, grow hair, hormones, enzymes and more. |
| Carbohydrates | Oats, brown rice, potatoes, and whole wheat | |
| Fat | From meats and oils such as olive or sunflower oil, fish oil, canola oils among others | Responsible for providing quality energy. Necessary for the normal development and function of body cells, nerves, muscles, and body tissues |
| Minerals | Calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, iron, zinc, etc. | Common functions include the formation of bone and cartilage, nerve and muscle function, fluid balance regulation, the transportation of oxygen in the bloodstream and hormone production. |
| Water | Water | Hydration is critical in dogs. A dog that loses too much water can get very sick and even die. Ensure they have water available throughout the day. |
| Vitamins | A, B, C, D, E, and K | Keeps skin and coat healthy, strengthens bones and teeth, and gives them the overall energy that they need to function. |
Its not advice to improvise when cooking for your pooch.
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Should You Feed A Goldendoodle Puppy Supplements
It is a common assumption that we should be giving our dogs only the best nutrition and that includes supplements. But, before you decide to give your puppy supplements, it is essential that you talk to your vet.
Your puppys food should provide all of the nutrientsthat he needs to be healthy and giving him unnecessary supplements can give him too much of something and make him sick. If you are worried about a deficiency, your vet will be able to guide you.
How Much Food Should I Feed My Golden Retriever
Q: How much should a Golden Retriever eat?My Golden Retriever is overweight, 9 years old, fed Iams Senior/Weight Control. I want to start feeding him in smaller portions, multiple times a day, in hopes to trick him that hes full.Also, what alternative snack do they like that are healthy, so to satisfy my dad and grandmother who think they MUST give treats? …sighPhoto Credit: sawyer90/Flickr
Answers and Views:
Answer by durdenslabsWhat you do is feed your Golden Retriever the amount that he needs to maintain his ideal weight. Find out from your vet how much he should weigh, then go by the recommended feeding listed on the food.Our female Lab was overweight at one point by about 7 lbs. We cut her food down to 2 2 1/2 cups a day with a couple of dog bone treats during the afternoon.Tell your dad to stop feeding him every time hes near the food bowl. Thats why the dog is overweight in the first place.
They can give him regular dog treats or even plain yogurt if they have to but only in small amounts.Take him out to exercise more and give less food .
Answer by Golden gal& hI feed my Goldens baby carrots for a low-fat low cal. treat! Also, Celery with the strings removed. You can also mix green beans cooked in with his food it will make him feel fuller and it will reduce the calories. I feed my guys here 2 times a day. Morning and evenings!
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Best Homemade Dog Food Cooking Practices
Its vital you discuss your Golden Retrievers specific nutritional needs with a veterinary nutritionist as every dog is different.
Why is this important?
A study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science found that 48% of home-prepared diets for dogs had no precise determination of ingredients and quantities and that 71.3 % of pet owners lacked information on how much to feed the animal.
As you can see, while most dog parents want the best when it comes to their furry friends nutrition, most of them dont have a proper understanding of dog nutrition. Thats why getting professional guidance on how to properly plan a home diet for Fido will minimize the risk of exposing your Golden Retriever to nutritional deficiencies due to a bad diet.
Here are some general guidelines to follow when cooking for homemade dog food for your Golden Retriever:
- Never use unsafe or toxic ingredients for your dog
- Cook all animal products thoroughly to kill harmful bacteria
- Cook all grains, beans, and starchy vegetables to make them easier to digest
- Research every ingredient before using it for safety
- Follow the recipe as instructed
- Add supplements to their diet as needed
- Understand the impact of dietary changes
- Run any questions by a veterinary nutritionist
Can You Free Feed Your Goldendoodle Puppy
Free feeding is the process where you set the daily allowed amount of food out for your dog and he just eats it as he goes throughout the day.
This can work well for some dogs, especially ones who have more self-control and knows how to listen to their stomachs. This is not the cast with a Goldendoodle puppy.
The puppy is going to eat the entire allotment in the first meal and then later when he is hungry again, he is going to look for food. Puppies need three meals a day and should not be free-fed.
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Golden Retriever Puppy Food Chart
Certainly, meal size might vary from puppy to puppy, however, an average meal size for a 7 weeks puppy would be 1/3rd to ½ cup food. Also, note that this food quantity is meant to be given to the puppy, during each meal. Dont feed water to your puppy along with the food, yet keep it handy, in case of an emergency. Perhaps, feeding dry might prevent plaque and tartar accumulation on his teeth. Besides, this becomes important, once the adult teeth of your puppy are out.
Subsequently, try feeding your puppy at the same place every day and avoid any disturbance from kids or even cats. Thus, allow your Golden Retriever puppy to solely concentrate on eating his food. Furthermore, allow 20 to 30 minutes for your puppy to finish his meal and if he doesnt finish, dont give him the left-over in the next meal. Instead, note down the quantity he has consumed and provide him the same in all his meals.
Consequently, start feeding your puppy, leveled 1/3rd cup food at each meal and once he finishes each kibble for most of his meal, then move to heaped 1/3rd cup of food. Gradually, you might move from leveled ½ cup to a heaped ½ cup of food. Thus, if you follow this practice, your Golden Retriever puppy will remain healthy.
Below is a food chart for the Golden Retriever puppy that you might want to follow:
| Age |
When To Feed A Golden Retriever Puppy
When you first bring your Golden Retriever puppy home, you should feed them 3 times a day. Puppies have small stomachs but large calorie needs to support their growth.
When your puppy turns 6 months old, start feeding them twice a day.
You should continue to feed your Golden Retriever twice a day throughout their life. Free feeding makes it hard to see just how much your dog is eating and may contribute to obesity.
The last meal of the day, especially for puppies, should be about 90 minutes before bedtime. That gives them time to digest their food and go potty before bed.
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Transitioning To A New Food
Whether youre changing your puppy from the food their breeder fed them to something new or switching your puppy to adult food, you need to make the transition slowly. Abrupt changes to your Golden Retriever puppys diet can cause stomach problems.
Start by adding a little bit of the new food to the old food. Gradually start using more of the new food and less of the old for about a week.
Stress can also cause diarrhea, so try not to change your puppys food during stressful times. That includes the first month or so after you bring them home.
How Much Feed A Golden Retriever Puppy
A Golden Retriever puppy will have to be fed three meals a day until he is six months old, at which time you can feed him twice a day. Meal size can vary from one puppy to the next, but the average three-month-old Golden puppy will eat two cups of food a day.
A retriever puppy can be fed as much as he wants as long as you increase the amount as he grows, keeping in mind that adult retriever dogs should eat twice a day or more.
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Maintaining A Healthy Puppy Weight
Keeping your Golden Retriever at a healthy weight is tricky but crucial. You may be concerned about your puppy being too skinny.
However, the bigger concern is that your puppy may grow too quickly.
You should constantly monitor your puppys weight and adjust their diet accordingly. You should be able to feel, but not see, your puppys ribs.
If it gets harder to feel your puppys ribs, cut back on the food a little. If your puppys ribs become more prominent, increase how much you feed them.
Its also important to monitor how much calcium and phosphorous your puppy gets in their diet. Too much calcium or phosphorous can cause your puppy to grow too quickly.
Look for puppy food with no more than 1.5% calcium and 0.9% phosphorous.
Homemade Food For Golden Retriever Puppies
A Golden Retriever puppys diet varies from that of an adult Golden Retriever.
As Golden Retrievers age, they will require fewer daily calories. The AKC notes that senior dogs require 20% fewer calories than adult dogs. Puppies, on the other hand, need about twice as many calories per pound of body weight as an adult dog of the same breed according to the American College of Veterinary Nutrition .
A Golden Retriever puppy homemade diet should contain a proper balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fat, minerals, water, and vitamins as explained in our nutritional guidelines above.
Be sure to contact your veterinarian about your puppys diet. They will be able to give you expert advice and suggestions.
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Here Are Some General Feeding Guidelines:
For Golden Retriever puppies:
- Two Months Old: 1 ½ cups a day, 4 times per day
- Three Months Old: 2 cups a day, 3 times per day
- Four Months Old: 2 ½ cups a day, 3 times per day
- Five To Six Months Old: 3 cups a day, 2 times per day
- Six To Seven Months Old : 3 ½ to 4 cups a day
For Adult Golden Retriever:
- Females: 2 to 2 ½ cups a day, 1 time per day
- Males: 3 to 3 ½ cups a day, 1 time per day
- Active Males: 4 cups a day, 1 or 2 times per day
- Nursing Females: 5 to 6 cups a day, 1 or 2 times per day
Please note that these guidelines work only for high-quality dog foods that contain balanced nutrients. If you are unsure about how much and how often to feed your Golden Retriever, please talk with your veterinarian. I believe that he will be pleased to tell you exactly the right type of feeding schedule for your Golden Retriever.
Calorie Needs Decrease Around 1 Year
When your Golden Retriever puppy turns 1 year old, they should be most of the way done growing. That means its time to switch them to an adult dog food thats less calorie-dense than puppy food.
While overfeeding your puppy can cause joint and bone problems, overfeeding your adult Golden Retriever causes even more problems. Obesity is just as damaging to dogs as it is to humans.
Some health issues that can be caused by obesity in dogs can include:
- Heat intolerance
- Liver disease or dysfunction
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