What Is A Good Diet For A Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers are large breeds and as per NRC of National Academies, sedentary dog should have 900 to 1272 calories while active dogs should consume 1353 to 1740 calories per day. Ideal diet of Golden retrievers should have 30% proteins, 15-20% fats, 30% carbohydrates and ingredients like omega 3, fatty acids, DHA, EPA etc.
What Roles Does Golden Retriever Fulfill
Due to their intelligence , the Golden Retriever can fulfill several roles.
- Working dog Above all, this dog loves to work. This dog is capable of focusing on a given task without distractions. Goldens have such high work rates that they will not stop until completely exhausted.
- Hunting dog This dog is a retriever dog. They are capable of retrieving game both from land and water.
- Guide dog The modern-day Golden Retriever is a guide dog. These dogs help people with mobility issues live their lives independently and safely as a mobility assistance dog.
- Search and rescue dog Excellent sense of smell and dedication to work makes these dogs excel in search and rescue. Several police forces across the world employ Golden Retrievers as part of their K9 units.
- Dog sports This dog also excels in dog agility competitions. They are naturally competitive, coupled with a high work rate, Goldens are hard to beat.
- Family dog Goldens have a calm and pleasant temperament. They are eager to please, loving, and affectionate dogs. All of these traits make them highly desirable companion dogs.
Best Chew Treats For Puppies
When youre puppy is teething youll know about it.
Our puppies have been no exception. You could tell from the wooden chair legs where theyd been working their jaws when we left the room!
Puppies do this because their teeth are sore, and chewing soothes them.
To try and spare your furniture you can invest in some chew treats!
A teething puppy is happy as long as he has something to chew on.
Our first chew treat is a familiar looking item from Nylabone.
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Finding The Best Dog Food For Golden Retrievers In India
With some experience and a lot of research, we choose Angels dog supplies online regularly from Amazon India. Our list is not exhaustive. Also, remember that each dog is unique and requires careful consideration before selecting what may be the best food.
We have always avoided friendly advice and recommendations from others including pet parents, and through discussions in pet forums. Proper research has included extensive scanning of various authoritative sites as our main source of knowledge. In addition, however, we also advise you to consult your vet if in doubt and check the suitability of the product for your dog breed, size, age, and needs.
Do note that buying bigger bags of dog food works cheaper compared to multiple smaller ones. Hence some websites that mention per kg rates maybe a bit misleading when you are buying smaller quantities.
But if you want to delve straight into the names, heres the table below. However, we recommend you to read the article to understand why we chose what we chose.
Different Dogs Different Diets
Of course, nutritional needs vary from breed to breed. One only needs to look at a golden retriever to know they require a different diet than a Chihuahua!
Large breeds have special requirements, and its important that they be met. For example, joint and bone problems are much more common in big dogs than little ones, but choosing the right puppy food can reduce the risk.
Large-breed puppy food has reduced amounts of calcium and phosphorus, which helps control the rate of skeletal growth. Also, you may find puppy foods that contain glucosamine and chondroitin to support joint health and mobility.
With proper nutrition, you can lessen your dogs chances of developing conditions such as arthritis and hip dysplasia.
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How Much Food Should I Give Dog
This is a sub-question to the above for better clarity and warrants elaboration as it applies to all dog breeds. The quantity of food will need to be adjusted also based on the age. As the dog ages, it becomes less active and the metabolic rate decreases. You need to reduce the quantities. Dogs gain weight by the time they are 4 years and above, if you dont reduce the portions. Another important fact is that if you have neutered or spayed the dog, it is imperative that you give less food right from the beginning, and spayed dogs tend to put on more weight than non-spayed dogs. As per Wikipedia, puppies should eat about three cups of food a day and adults three to five cups. However, this is highly subjective, and depends on quality of the food and individual dog needs.
Exercise Requirements Of A Golden Retriever Dog
This dog is a hard-working gun dog that requires ample physical exercise to remain healthy. On average, we estimate, a healthy Golden Retriever needs at least an hour of exercise. If you are dog is on a homemade rice-based diet, then training is vital for its well being.
Keep in mind that this dog is prone to health issues such as obesity, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and heart disease. Unless you have a large yard for the dog to play, exercise is essential for its well being.
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Monitor Weight And Health
As with any new diet regiment, you want to make sure its having a positive impact on your dog. Be sure to monitor your Goldens health and weight for changes over time.
Not preparing a balanced meal that is individualized to your dogs needs can lead to certain conditions or diseases such as lack of energy, skin or coat disorders, malnutrition or obesity, and more.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can save you thousands on vet bills down the road.
How Often And How Much To Feed Your Golden Retriever
It depends on your dog! A puppy can eat up to four times a day until theyre 6 months. After that, reduce the number of feedings as your dog ages, until about 1 to 2 feedings a day by adulthood .
The frequency, as long as they are fed at least once a day, isnt as big of an issue as much as how much they eat in total each day.
Your dogs total intake should be based on their size and activity level. Dogs who have an active day outside should eat more, while dogs inside should see a reduction of food. You as the pet parent are the best judge for the amount.
Once you know what your dog looks like at a healthy weight, you can use common sense: Is he looking thin? Average? A little fluffyand not in the furry kind of way?
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Canidae Limited Ingredient For Puppies
Texan dog food manufacturer Canidae are a cult brand with legions of loyal customers.
Their Natural Balances limited ingredient kibbles* is based on 9 key ingredients.It omits grain to help puppies with suspected food allergies feel better fast.
The recipe includes only whole food products plus vitamins, minerals and probiotics.
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Chicken And Brown Rice Recipe For Large Breed
Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Deboned Chicken, 2. Chicken Meal, 3. Brown Rice, 4. Oatmeal, 5. Barley
The top favorite of mine and many other Golden Retriever owners is this savory recipe by Blue Buffalo. Deboned chicken is the first ingredient, which means there are a lot of good proteins for your golden boy. You get high-quality ingredients without fillers and by-products.
All the ingredients are carefully chosen to give your baby the right amount of calories without increasing mass. One of the main reasons this is my favorite is the fact that this formula is created with good overall health in mind. It has glucosamine and chondroitin for joints, calcium, and phosphorus for teeth and bones, and Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids for healthier coat and skin. Highly Recommended!
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Why You Should Feed Your Golden Retriever Puppy High
Controlling what your golden eats is one of the most important things you can do when it comes to their health.
And although many goldens have lived healthy lives on Walmart brand pet foods, feeding them high-quality food will stack the odds of them being healthy in their favor.
Here are some benefits of feeding them a high-quality food:
- Healthy and beautiful coat
- Healthy bones and joints
- Fewer allergies
Thats a lot of health benefits, right?
Now high-quality food can be a little on the expensive side, but chances are likely that youll save more money in the long run on vet bills.
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Readymade Vs Homemade Dog Food
A lot of households prefer to give homemade food for dogs in India. Indian home cooked food is primarily vegetarian for the most part even with those who are non-veg. We should bear in mind that dogs being ancestrally carnivores, need proteins as their primary source of nutrition. This practice may not be suitable for pure breeds and non-native breeds of India.
It is not appropriate to compare the common Indian mutt to nonnative breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labradors, German Shepards, etc. While the Indian mongrels over 100s of years have adapted to home-cooked food and even food in the garbage, they have developed the genetic survival strength through this diet.
However, purebreds cannot tolerate homemade foods especially if it consists primarily of carbs. While you may not see immediate effects, the overall life and the life quality of the dog is drastically affected.
Thats not all, there are various other reasons like convenience, well-balanced, breed specific formulas available in market that are well-researched recipes.
Ingredients To Avoid In Your Labs Dog Food
Corn and soy are common, cheap fillers and frequently appear first on the ingredients list. This adds nothing but empty calories and can make it prohibitively difficult to control your Labs weight. If you cant seem to get your Labs weight under control without severe restriction, your food is probably full of just empty calories.
Food allergens can also cause issues. Its best to avoid by-product meals because these arent human grade ingredients. If your pet is particularly sensitive, you may need to avoid gluten, grains, and wheat. Artificial preservatives, flavors, and colors can also be very difficult for your dog to digest and offer no nutritional value.
Certain foods often contain a lot of potatoes, legumes, and peas. A recent study has shown a link between a condition known as canine dilated cardiomyopathy and a diet heavy in potatoes and peas. The link isnt fully understood so use your best judgment. We recommend staying away from foods that have these as one of the first three ingredients.
A few very common brands use cheap fillers to help dogs feel full and reduce cost. They may be friendly for your wallet, but you wont get the best health from your dog while feeding these foods regularly. Beneful, Kibbles N Bits, and Ol Roy are three frequent offenders, and we recommend staying away.
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The 7 Best Dog Foods For Golden Retrievers
Golden Retrievers are famously upbeat, loyal, and intelligent animals. Whether as a companion or addition to a family with small children, Goldens continue to be one of the top pet choices for millions of families around the country.
The food you give your dog has a major impact on their health and wellbeing, so its important to choose the right option. To help, we researched hundreds of products and thousands of verified reviews to find the 7 best dog foods for Golden Retrievers available now. Heres our list:
Can I Give Vegetables To My Dog
Absolutely. A lot of Goldens love raw vegetables and fruits. Angel, our golden retriever, will eat most of them happily. You may want to boil sweet potatoes, pumpkin, potatoes, however. Avoid citrus as mentioned above. Bananas, papaya, apples, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach anything goes!
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Veterinary Care For Your Golden Retriever Puppy
Golden Retriever is a healthy dog breed. However, like us, dogs too need regular health checks. As a pet parent, you need to ensure that your dog gets its vaccinations and deworming tablets on time.
Golden Retriever puppy vaccination schedule
Please note The information in the table below is to give you a guideline on a Golden Retrievers vaccination schedule. Please consult with your vet for your puppys specific needs. Your vet will provide you with a vaccination card to keep track of your Golden Retrievers vaccination schedule.
| Puppy Age |
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Golden Retriever In Hunting
The Golden Retriever has exceptional hunting abilities. This dog is patient, calm, quiet, able to focus, and a never-quit work rate, making them the best gun dog in the world.
In India, the Maharajas used this dog for hunting teals . Hunting waterfowls require dogs to be extremely quiet, remain undercover, and wait for the hunters command to quickly retrieve gunned birds. Lack of native Indian dog breeds that can retrieve made this dog popular among the Indian hunters.
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What Kind Of Snacks Can I Feed My Dog With Kidney Disease
Our dogs walk a bit on the wild side when it comes to snacks as they love thin apple slices, banana chunks, carrots, whole unsalted peanuts in the husks, and dehydrated sweet potatoes! Dogs with kidney disease should avoid meat based chews/treats that are high in phosphorus, so you may find that you need to explore doing friendly fruit and veggies for treats like we have. We still on occasion will offer Hooch bully sticks or a jerky treat, but it is better for him if we limit his intake due to the levels of phosphorous that those treats contain.
Mixed Fruit Medley With Chicken
This is my favorite fruit recipe for Golden Retrievers. To make this you will need the following:
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds of chicken, cooked and chopped
- 3 Cups of fruit
- 3 Cups of quinoa or cooked lentils or cooked rice
Method
Simply mix all the ingredients well and serve bite-sized normal servings to your dogs.
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Feeding An Adult Golden Retriever
Golden Retriever is a working dog. These dogs are active, alert, and have a high work rate. The National Research Council of the National Academies recommends approx 989 and 1272 calories per daily for an adult Golden Retriever.
While we dont need to be scientific about feeding our dog, this should give you a baseline to aim. Ultimately, as pet parents, we need to learn what works best for our dogs based on practical situations.
Most Indian pet parents prefer homemade dog food over commercial kibble. Homemade dog food is an excellent choice as it is both economical and nutritious.
We at barks.in recommend a combination of homemade dog food and commercial dry dog food. This dog food, in our experience, strikes the perfect balance between cost and nutrition. Divide your dog daily ration into two meals per day. One meal can be homemade dog food, followed by commercial kibble.
Remember, Golden Retrievers are prone to food allergies, bloat, and obesity. Never feed your dogs spicy Indian food.
How To Choose The Best Food For Your Golden Retriever
When deciding on what kind of dog food, diet, or how much to feed your Golden Retriever, it should always be based on their age, size, activity level or metabolism, and health.
Goldens are medium- to large-sized dogs that require a high-protein diet to build and support their muscles.
Puppies will need at least 22% of it, while adults should have a minimum of 18%.
Fat, in the form of calories, are also essential as theyre your dogs concentrated source of energy at least 8% for pups and 5% for adults.
Unlike small breeds, Golden Retrievers will require a calorie-controlled diet. Excess calories can make Goldies grow faster or make them overweight, leading to bone and joint problems. So lower calcium and phosphorus levels are best.
Some say that the ideal consumption for Goldens should be more than 30% protein, less than 20% carbs, and at least 15% fat content. But keep in mind that there is NO one-size-fits-all kind of diet.
You will have to consider choosing a dog food, or recipe explicitly made for puppies, adults, and older Golden Retrievers. Expect that youll have to change it up accordingly, while also thinking of your pets needs or preferences.
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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.