How Much Should A Golden Retriever Puppy Eat
A golden retriever puppy will have to be fed three meals a day until theyre six months old, at which time you can feed it 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 dry dog food a day. At this time, you should divide the food into three meals and serve it in the morning, noon, and evening.
Knowing how many times to feed a puppy is actually the first thing one should learn before they become a pet owner. Its the most important stage of a dogs life. So take your time to learn and master it well.
Chicken Soup For The Soul Large Breed
Primary Ingredients: Chicken, Turkey, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Brown Rice
Made with real chicken and turkey, the large breed dry food from Chicken Soup for the Soul is an excellent choice for your Golden Retriever. It contains the perfect combination of natural ingredients to enhance your pets coat and skin, as well as improve their immune system and boost their digestive health.
Customer Review: Always been an excellent food for my dogs. The food is a great holistic diet, produces a shiny coat, good digestion, and a healthy dog. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 4.5/5
Whats The Best Puppy Food For Golden Retrievers
Top 5 brands of Puppy Food for your Golden Retriever Recommend by our Vet
These 5 diets can help meet all the daily requirements for your Golden Retriever to grow healthy and strong.
These are all dry foods for Golden Retrievers. If you want to feed your Golden Retriever wet food, you can do that as a supplement, but its not necessary.
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Taste Of The Wild Pacific Stream Canine Formula With Smoked Salmon
Taste of the Wild is a high-quality dog food, and I think this recipe is a great choice for typical Golden Retrievers, which is what got it to the number one spot.
Its macronutrient breakdown is ideal, with 25% protein and 15% fat. I chose this recipe as the protein comes from salmon and ocean fish meal protein sources that are less likely to cause an allergic reaction in your dog. Plus, the use of smoked salmon makes it a very flavorsome food, so its good for enticing picky eaters.
The fat comes from canola oil, which is a very healthy source, as it is low in saturated fats, and high in omega-3s. Despite this, there are fewer omega-3s in comparison to other recipes in this review, which makes it a little less well-balanced.
There is a handful of fruit and veg, however, which I like to see for Golden Retrievers, as those antioxidants are essential to keep her healthy. Blueberries are included, which also provide essential nutrients for eye health.
This specific dog food does not include additional ingredients for a dogs joint health, so if your Golden Retriever suffers from hip dysplasia or arthritis, I wouldnt recommend this recipe.
PROS
- Good for typical Golden Retrievers
- Protein comes from fish – no beef or chicken
- Good choice for picky eaters
- A good handful of fruit and veg
- Contains ingredients that promote eye health
CONS
Best Dog Foods For Golden Retrievers Reviewed
All dog foods included on this list meet the standard AAFCO nutrient profile guidelines for dogs. Always consult your veterinarian before making changes to your dogs diet.
- First 5 Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Barley, Peas
- Key Feature: Comprehensive formula meets the specific needs of large breeds
- Guaranteed Analysis: 26% Crude Protein, 12% Crude Fat, 5% Crude Fiber, 10% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 340 kcal/cup
- Type of Product: No Corn, No Wheat, No Soy
- Life Stage: Adult
- Best For: Overall
The complete health formula features a 26% crude protein content from four animal sources. This helps build lean muscle in athletic dogs like Golden Retrievers. Chicken is the first ingredient, and this recipe does not contain any by-products.
Mixed tocopherols help prevent eye problems in predisposed breeds by protecting eye tissues. Plus, this dog food also contains additional glucosamine to help ease joint discomfort in Goldens.
Added omega-3 fatty acids help promote a shiny coat, brain function, and cardiac health. Healthy fats and taurine are essential for limiting the risk of heart problems in Golden Retrievers.
Whole food ingredients include sweet potatoes and barley as sources of complex carbohydrates. The formula does not contain any common allergens or fillers that may cause reactions in sensitive dogs.
- Life Stage: Growth
- Best For: Golden Puppies
- Type of Product: No Corn, No Wheat, No Soy
- Life Stage: Senior
- Best For: GoldenSeniors
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Golden Retriever Adult Loaf In Sauce Dog Food
GOLDEN RETRIEVER Adult loaf in sauce is designed exclusively for purebred Golden Retrievers over 15 months.
Available in
- The benefits
-
Golden Retrievers are prone to skin irritations such as hot spots. Targeted nutrition is important for maintaining a healthy skin and coat. The GOLDEN RETRIEVER Adult formula helps maintain a strong skin barrier and a healthy coat with an exclusive complex of nutrients, including PINCH, omega 3s , omega 6s, Vitamin A, biotin and high quality protein.
Golden Retrievers are susceptible to cardiac conditions. The GOLDEN RETRIEVER Adult formula contains additional nutrients to help support healthy cardiac function, such as taurine, EPA, DHA, L-carnitine and antioxidants.
Golden Retrievers have a big appetite,which can lead to excess weight gain that can affect their overall health. GOLDEN RETRIEVER Adult is formulated to promote an optimal body condition and help prevent obesity. Nutritional support includes highly digestible proteins , moderate fat levels, a unique blend of fibres and fat burning L-carnitine.
*Low indigestible proteins
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
- Product description
- Golden Retrievers are well-known for their happy personalities and luxurious coats. With targeted nutrients, GOLDEN RETRIEVER Adult loaf in sauce helps to promote an ideal body condition and strengthen skin.
Halo Holistic Chicken Recipe Large Breed Dry Food
With real, whole proteins, taurine, and no added salt, this product offers nutritional support for a healthy heart. The moderate fat content provides energy for the activity level of a golden retriever.
Whole foods such as cranberries, blueberries, and carrots in the ingredients mean this kibble is nutrient-dense and packed with antioxidants. There are no artificial additives.
A balanced blend of essential vitamins and minerals and natural sources of omega fatty acids supports your pups whole-body health. The supplementation with taurine helps to support a healthy heart and may help to prevent or treat DCM in golden retrievers.
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Golden Retriever Adult Dry Dog Food
GOLDEN RETRIEVER ADULT is designed exclusively for purebred Golden Retrievers over 15 months.
Available in
- The benefits
-
The Golden Retriever has a straight muzzle and teeth that meet in a scissors bite. The kibble size, shape and texture of the GOLDEN RETRIEVER ADULT formula is designed specifically for this breed and encourages him to chew.
The skin and coat reflect the dogs state of health. An appropriate food is important in maintaining healthy skin and coat. The GOLDEN RETRIEVER ADULT formula helps support the skins role as a barrier with an exclusive complex of nutrients and helps maintain skin and coat health .
Golden Retrievers can be prone to cardiac sensitivity. The GOLDEN RETRIEVER ADULT formula contains specific nutrients to help support healthy cardiac function: taurine, EPA and DHA.
Excess weight gain can affect the health of Golden Retrievers, and therefore an appropriately balanced food is necessary for their well-being. GOLDEN RETRIEVER ADULT helps maintain the breeds ideal weight with an appropriate calorie and fat content.
- Product description
- Golden Retrievers are well-known for their happy personalities and luxurious coats. With targeted nutrients, GOLDEN RETRIEVER ADULT helps to promote an ideal body condition and strengthen skin, while the tailored kibble helps satisfy appetite.
What Are The Best Dog Foods For Golden Retrievers
We highly recommend looking at the comparison table we have below where we highlighted the features of each product.
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Now that youve read the above, you should know a bit more about what makes a good dog food and what makes a bad one. However, you still might be feeling a little overwhelmed by all the choice out there.
If youre reading this as the owner of a golden retriever puppy, you should chek out our choices of the best food for golden puppies here.
For adult goldens, weve selected a handful of what we think are the best dog foods for golden retrievers and discuss them in the rest of the article here. Of course, there are other great foods out there if none of these take your fancy, but we cant list them all!
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Orijen Puppy Dry Dog Food
| All Breed Sizes |
Reasons to suggest
- The recipe is rich in protein sources, such as chicken, turkey, fish, and eggs, which not only maintain her muscle growth but are also high in glucosamine and DHA for her brain and eye development.
- It is also based on an entire prey diet, which means it is full of animal organs, bones, and cartilage, which is exactly how it would eat in nature.
- Being rich in fish protein, such as flounder, mackerel, and herring, as well as fish oils, it is also wonderful for its golden, shiny coat and skin.
- This kibble is highly rated online and also has the highest moisture content which means its a great option for those fussy golden puppies.
- This premium recipe has the highest protein content and the highest number of calories per cup, so this will provide your Golden with all the growing power it needs.
What About Feeding Your Golden Retriever A Raw Diet Or Homemade Food
Other diets in the study mentioned above included raw diets and homemade diets.
Heres what Dr. Lisa Freeman had to say about it: We also emphasize that changing to a raw or home-prepared diet may not be sufficient to improve cardiac abnormalities and may increase the risk for other nutritional deficiencies or infectious diseases.
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Ollie Fresh Dog Food Lamb Recipe Best Overall
| Lamb, butternut squash, lamb liver, kale, and rice | |
| Protein Content: | |
| Calories: | 1,804 kcal/kg |
If youre looking for the highest-quality food for your Golden Retriever thats sure to get their allergies under control, its hard to top Ollies fresh lamb recipe. With a novel protein like lamb, its unlikely that your pup will have any issues, especially when its paired with butternut squash, kale, and cranberries like in this recipe.
Even better, Ollie pre-portions all the meals for you, so you know that your dog is getting exactly what they need. It considers all your dogs information when building the meal plan, and its perfect for all life stages.
Youll be feeding your dog fresh ingredients that theyll love, and itll help with their allergies. So, while it might be more expensive than traditional kibble, its easily the best overall dog food for Golden Retrievers with allergies.
- Great for all life stages
- Only fresh ingredients
| Beef meal, grain sorghum, ground white rice, dried yeast, and egg product | |
| Protein Content: | |
| Calories: | 3,518 kcal/kg |
If youre on a tight budget, Diamond Naturals Beef Meal & Rice recipe is what you need to get your Golden Retrievers allergies under control.
Its affordably priced, and by swapping out chicken for beef, it will help clear up many dogs allergy problems. Its a nutritionally complete formula made right here in the U.S.A.
- Beef protein helps with allergies
- Nutritionally complete formula
- No artificial flavors or colors
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula: Adult Large Breed
This food is one of the best there is, mostly because chicken is the first ingredient. That fact alone means that this food has lots of protein , which Golden Retrievers need. However, the makers of this food don’t stop with proteins. It also includes multiple vitamins and other compounds to promote joint, bone, and coat health. It’s one of the most well-balanced foods out there.
Of course, many people trust Blue Buffalo to provide quality food for their dogs, and in this formula, the makers don’t disappoint!
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Think About Your Dog’s Activity Level
Active dogs will need more calories than less active dogs, so be sure to choose a food that matches your dog’s activity level. If you are not sure how many calories your dog needs, talk to your veterinarian.
Now that you know what to look for in a food, here are our picks for the 20 best dog food for golden retrievers:
Blue Buffalo Basics Skin & Stomach Care
| Deboned salmon, oatmeal, brown rice, salmon meal, and peas | |
| Protein Content: | |
| Calories: | 3,475 kcal/kg |
Blue Buffalo is one of the biggest names in the pet food industry, and its Blue Basics Skin & Stomach Care recipe is one of the best choices if your Golden Retriever has food allergies.
It uses salmon as the primary protein source, which is an excellent choice for most dogs with food allergies. Its also a single-protein recipe, which is a huge perk if your dog has other food sensitivities.
However, to get the protein content to the level that your dog needs without driving the price through the roof, Blue Buffalo uses salmon meal.
The other issue with this recipe is that its expensive, especially when you consider that the largest size bag is only 24 pounds. Still, if your dog has a sensitive stomach and food allergies, this might be the recipe that they need to get it all under control.
- Great for sensitive skin and stomachs
- Single protein source
- Largest bag size is 24 pounds
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What Kind Of Dog Food Should My Golden Retriever Eat
As an active dog breed, golden retrievers should be fed dog food with plenty of protein. Most vets recommend that this protein comes primarily from animal sources, which contain essential amino acids and other nutrients that will help support your golden retrievers muscles, skin and coat, digestive system, and overall wellbeing.
Some dog food manufacturers promote breed-specific formulas for golden retrievers. While this is helpful in identifying some types of food that are beneficial to the breed, keep in mind that these labels are primarily a marketing tool. You dont necessarily need to choose a recipe labeled for golden retrievers to give your dog the nutrients he needs.
Best For Puppies: Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Golden Retriever Puppy
Do you have a Golden Retriever puppy? Since Golden Retrievers are considered a large breed, they have a different set of nutritional requirements than a smaller dog like a pug or Boston Terrier. Although theyre small at the beginning of their lives, in order for Goldens to grow into their full size with healthy bones and lean muscle mass, Golden Retriever puppies need specific nutrients. This dry dog food contains a special complex of antioxidants, including vitamin E to support your pups immune system development. The kibble size is distinctive because its designed specifically for your Golden Retrievers straight muzzle and scissor bite. With this kibble, your puppy is encouraged to chew through his food thoroughly. The formula contains essential nutrients to support healthy skin and make his coat head-turn worthy. High-quality proteins and prebiotics in the food also promote good digestive health.
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What Is The Best Way To Transition My Golden Retriever To A New Food
If you’re looking to transition your Golden to a new food, it’s important to do so slowly. Start by mixing the new food with the old food, and gradually increase the amount of new food over time.
This will help your Golden get used to the new food and minimize any stomach upset. Make sure to talk to your veterinarian before making any major changes to your dog’s diet. They will be able to recommend the best dog food for golden retrievers and help you make a smooth transition.
Learn More About Golden Retriever Care With Golden Meadows Retrievers
Your golden retrievers health is important to you, which is why deciding on the right dog food is a priority. A healthy diet makes a huge difference for your dogs immune system, muscle development, energy, temperament and overall well-being. When choosing the best healthy dog food for golden retrievers, pay close attention to the ingredients, labels and language choices. Look for wholesome ingredients and keep an eye on your dogs appearance and behavior to ensure the diet you choose keeps your pup happy and healthy.
Diet is only one element of a healthy, happy dog. To learn more about golden retriever care, check out our dog blog. Here at Golden Meadows Retrievers, were golden retriever specialists. Were members of the Golden Retriever Club of America and the International All Breed Canine Association . We understand golden retriever needs, and we can give you expert advice about their care. If you have any questions, or if youre interested in adopting one of our puppies, contact us at Golden Meadows Retrievers.
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