Golden Retriever Homemade Food Tips
Once you decide on a recipe for your Golden, its time to make it. We recommend following these tips.
Tender & True Organic Grain
Best Organic Dog Food for Golden Retrievers
To receive the certified USDA Organic label, a food must contain at least 95% organic ingredients. If they dont have that label and most organic dog foods dont theyre only partially organic. Out of the few actual certified organic foods, Tender & Trues dry dog food is the best balance of value and quality. Although its expensive for dry dog food, its actually one of the least expensive certified organic dog foods out there. The company even claims it is climate pledge friendly.
Its protein comes from chicken and chicken meals, and it contains no grains. The chickens are humanely raised without antibiotics. At 350 calories a cup, Tender & True contains 26% protein, 16% fat, and 7% fiber. An adult golden retriever will probably need 2-3 cups a day.
Flavors: Chicken & liver
Sizes: 4 lbs., 20 lbs.
Grains: none
Things To Consider When Searching For Best Golden Retriever Puppy Food
Having said that, there are some general guidelines one can follow.
For instance, less expensive dog foods typically have lower-quality ingredients. The contents are often inexpensive, low-grade animal protein sources, like by-products and fillers.
Fillers are frequently things like cornmeal, rice flour, or seed hulls.
In general, thoroughly review the nutritional content of your chosen diet. Heres a quick checklist you could use to identify high-quality dog food:
- Does it have protein-rich ingredients?
- Are the ingredients wholesome and natural?
- Does the diet have controlled calcium and phosphorous levels?
- Is the calorie and fat content limited to manage growth?
- Does the label state that the diet is complete and balanced?
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Best Overall Puppy Food: Purina Proplan Large Breed Puppy Food
Purina ProPlan Large Breed is the best choice for your Golden Retriever puppy, as it provides a complete, healthy, and nutritious diet. The number one ingredient is chicken which provides the protein your puppy needs for strong muscles and healthy body function. This food comes highly recommended from our staff veterinarians.
This puppy food has added minerals such as calcium and phosphorus to build strong bones and teeth. It includes other natural sources of glucosamine to supplement joint and cartilage health.
The ProPlan brand is the highest quality line of Purina dog food apart from the prescription diets. We found there are added omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil and antioxidants to support the immune system, brain development, and vision of your puppy. This food meets many nutritional needs of individual puppies.
Top Ingredients:
- Highest quality line of Purina dog food apart from the prescription diets
- Comes in the flavor chicken and rice with chicken as the #1 ingredient
- Supports immune system, brain development, and vision
- Available in two sizes 18lb. and 34lb.
This puppy food provides many health benefits to your Golden Retriever through natural ingredients that will help them grow healthy and strong during their first couple years of life.
Hills Science Diet Perfect Weight Dry Dog Food
You need look no further than the giant image of a very smiley golden retriever on the front of this dry food pack to know its an ideal snack for yours.
Full of balanced proteins and fats this food is designed to get your bundle of joy into shape and develop lots of lean muscle to stay that way.
There are no artificial flavorings, colorings, or preservatives used whatsoever in this blend, making it a truly healthy option for your retriever.
You can expect to see positive changes to their weight as quickly as 10 weeks.
This is a great affordable food to start your dog on to transition them from prescription snacks.
Its gentle enough not to disturb their stomach culture too much, making it a pretty handy treat for older dogs that arent as active who are in and out of the vet.
If your golden retriever prefers their dried food soaked, Dr. Hills dog food is slightly more absorbent than other dry foods on the market, making them a more succulent treat.
This extra swelling also makes for some extra tasty frozen snacks too.
Pros
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Choosing The Best: What To Look For
The dog food market is littered with different brands and products, most promising the world and failing to deliver. Having to sort through all the available products online can be overwhelming, especially if you are a new dog owner or youre looking to switch your Golden Retriever to much higher quality dog food you can rely on. When youre looking for the best food for Golden Retrievers, there are a couple of factors you should take into consideration. They include:
Natural Balance Fat Dogs Low
Best Dog Food for Losing Weight
Since golden retrievers are highly food-motivated, theyll do almost anything for a treat. Unfortunately, this also means that they will pig out when given the chance, and over time, this can mean weight gain. In addition to limiting treats, you can also choose a high-fiber, low-calorie dog food to help your golden retriever lose weight safely while also feeling full after mealtimes. Natural Balance Fat Dogs food is a great choice for this purpose.
This food contains only 310 calories per cup, and a golden retriever should eat about 3.25-4.25 cups of it a day for weight loss or 4-5 cups for weight loss. Theres at least 26% protein, which comes from chicken and salmon meals, along with 7.5% fat and 10.5% fiber. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids will help ensure heart health as well as a smooth, shiny coat.
Flavor: chicken and salmon
Sizes: 5 lbs., 15 lbs., 28 lbs.
Grains: oat groats, barley
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Ingredients To Look For In The Best Golden Retriever Dog Food
The type and quality of ingredients used in Golden Retrievers food determine how nutritious and beneficial the food is to your dog.
- Lean Meat-The best food for a Golden Retriever is one with meat as its main ingredient and that meat should have low-fat content. Skinless chicken and turkey are mostly preferred than red meat because it has the right protein content and fat as well.
- Low Fat Large-sized adult dogs have a slower metabolism that results in easy weight gain. Ensure that the diet you are feeding your Golden Retriever is low in fat content and rich in fiber.
- Good Carbohydrates-No active dog breed can thrive without carbohydrates. Dog foods rich in carbohydrates provide the dog with the needed strength and vigor, whilst keeping them full for extended periods. Focus on fiber-rich carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes and other tubers.
- Vitamins and Minerals-Dog foods rich in berries and vegetables will add essential minerals and vitamins and increase immunity. These vitamins and minerals are also important for strong and healthy bones and teeth.
- Fatty Acids Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are essential in keeping the dogs fur and skin shiny and healthy.
- Grain-Free. If your Golden Retriever is allergic and sensitive to grain food, go for grain-free food whose ingredients are all-natural. Also, make sure that the food doesnt contain any artificial flavors or preservatives.
Best Dog Foods For Golden Retrievers
As one of the most popular dog breeds in the country, Golden Retrievers need a dog food formulated for their health needs. After consulting with your veterinarian, your Golden should be ready for adult food between 12-24 months. If youre searching for the perfect dog food for Golden Retrievers, weve rounded up the top-rated options based on customer reviews.
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Choosing The Correct Calorie Count For Golden Retrievers
The average adult Golden Retriever will require approximately 1300-1600 calories per day. Highly active dogs usually require a slightly higher calorie count and those that are less active a decreased amount. Spayed or neutered dogs also tend to require a lower calorie count that those that are entire or intact. The Pet Nutrition Alliance calorie calculator is an excellent guide but remember to consult your veterinarian for more detailed nutritional information. The dogs weight and appetite will also serve as helpful guides in determining correct portion sizes.
The best dog foods for Golden Retrievers are nutritionally balanced to support optimal canine wellness.
Things To Look For In The Best Dog Food For Golden Retrievers
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in the best food for a Golden Retriever:
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Whole proteins heading up the ingredients list
Proteins, preferably in the form of whole lean meats or meat meals, should be one of the first ingredients in any high-quality food suitable for the needs of the active Golden Retriever.
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Enriched with probiotics and helpful supplements
All foods can benefit from the addition of supplements and probiotics to help provide support for the Goldens development and overall health. Prebiotics and probiotics may assist with optimal digestion.
Chondroitin and glucosamine may also assist with sustaining joint health, which is beneficial for active, athletic breeds such as the Golden Retriever.
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Meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
All foods appropriate for the Golden Retriever should bear the AAFCO seal of approval, indicating it meets the standards for a complete and balanced food.
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How Much Am I Really Paying
When it comes to price, remember that your puppy wont need to eat as much food if theyre getting the nutrients they need.
You might find that expensive dog food brands are a better bargain in the long run than they might seem at first since youll need to feed less and hence buy less often than you would with a cheaper brand.
Natural Balance Lid Limited Ingredient Diets Sweet Potato & Fish Formula Grain
The best dog food for Golden Retriever dogs that are active, of an average weight, and in good condition is Natural Balance L.I.D. Sweet Potato and Fish Adult Formula. Its an excellent choice for adult Retrievers that are over 15 months old up to 7 to 8 years of age.
Because theyre prone to itchy, dry skin caused by inhaled allergens or atopic allergens, the Limited Ingredients Diet from Natural Balance with fish and sweet potato support a healthy coat and skin. The salmon and omega-3 fatty acids will reduce any skin irritations too.
If your vet suspects your pup has a food allergy, this isnt the best choice for an elimination diet type diagnosis.
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Dog Food Protein Content
The pet food label usually expresses its content as a percentage instead of an amount. The nutritional profiles of the Association of American Feed Control Officials and the National Research Council are the gold standards to follow. Its worth noting that the AAFCO uses percentage and the NRC, grams. The minimum recommended amount of protein is 22% or 45 g. Its 18% and 20 g, respectively, for adult dogs.
Animal-based proteins are complete and contain all the essential amino acids. Grains are another excellent protein source, albeit they may not have all these building blocks. The important thing is that the puppy food meets this minimum standard to ensure healthy development.
Our Second Choice: Royal Canin Golden Retriever Puppy Food
Our 2nd Choice
According to our staff veterinarian, Dr. Amanda Jondle, DVM, the second-best puppy food for Golden Retrievers is Royal Canin Golden Retriever Puppy Food. Royal Canin is designed to meet the nutritional needs of purebred Golden Retrievers 8 weeks to 15 months old. There is added vitamin E to support the immune system as an antioxidant and protects the skin. It reinforces the skin barrier with essential nutrients to support healthy skin and a shiny, golden coat.
They have designed their kibble specifically for Golden Retriever puppies. The kibble is shaped for a Golden Retrievers straight muzzle and scissor bite to encourage chewing.
The formula lists chicken by-product meal as their first ingredient. This would be a downside considering many other brands list whole chicken as the #1 ingredient.
Top Ingredients:
- Protects skin with essential nutrients
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The Best Golden Retriever Puppy Food A Summary
Throughout your golden retrievers life, youll be constantly striving to keep them happy and healthy. That all starts with choosing the best puppy food for golden retrievers.
Avoid low-cost foods that are more filler than substance, and look for better foods that are packed with nutrients to help your puppy grow. In particular, consider trying a large breed formula to meet the specific needs of your golden retriever puppy.
High-quality puppy food might cost more upfront, but in the long run, youll spend less than you thought because youll go through it more slowly than cheaper food.
Good nutrition is an essential part of any health regimen, and providing high-quality puppy food will lay the foundation for a long, and enjoyable life.
Eating Their Way To Health
Puppies have their own unique nutritional requirements. They are growing quickly, so while they eat smaller quantities of food than adult dogs, they need to extract far more nutrients like protein, minerals, and vitamins, to sustain their growth and development.
As such, the best dog foods for golden puppies are packed with extra nutrition and things that adult golden retrievers dont need.
Be sure to feed your puppy food that is specifically made for their age bracket and check the label to be sure youre getting the right formula.
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Iams Proactive Health Adult Large Breed
This dog food is an excellent choice for most adult Golden Retrievers. The first five ingredients featured in this dog food are whole ingredients, like chicken, ground whole grain sorghum, ground whole grain barley, etc. It is a grain-inclusive dog food, so Goldens that are sensitive to grain should avoid this dog food. Otherwise, it is healthy for most adult Golden Retrievers.
This dog food is ideal for maintenance, so it is best for dogs with moderate to minimal energy levels. Very active dogs may not benefit from this formula. It has 25% protein, 53% carbs and 14% fat, making it a good amount for most Golden Retrievers. It does not have any high-risk chemical preservatives or BHA, making it a popular choice for many breeders.
When Should I Feed My Golden Retriever
Your Golden Retriever should be fed at least twice daily. Once in the morning and then once in the early evening. If you go to work, feeding them before you leave and then when you get home is an example of a good schedule. Oftentimes, people like to feed them when they eat breakfast and dinner themselves.
If your dog seems hungry during the day, giving them a healthy snack can tide them over to their next meal. For healthy snack ideas, check out our article Best Dog Treats For Golden Retrievers.
Keeping your Golden Retriever on a feeding schedule is going to make it easier for you and healthier for them. If they are getting fed at different times it could throw off their routine and ultimately their health. Sometimes it could cause obesity as well. Using an automated feeder can help if your schedule is different from day to day, then you do not need to be home for the feedings.
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Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed
Pet owners that want a whole and natural dog food for their Golden Retriever will love this formula made by Blue Buffalo. It contains real meat, like deboned chicken, to promote strong muscles, which is crucial for big dogs like the Golden Retriever. Moreover, it contains whole grains, fruits and veggies that further encourage a healthy body.
A unique feature to this is that it contains LifeSource bits. These bits are a mix of nutrients that are further enhanced with more ingredients that are rich in antioxidants. The dog food also has chondroitin and glucosamine that helps support bone and joint health, making a dog more mobile. Moreover, it has omega 6 and 3 fatty acids that help the dog stay healthy with a beautiful coat.
This dog food is an excellent choice for dogs that are active and need extra support. It has L-carnitine that helps the muscles, helping aid a dog stay healthy and mobile in their active lifestyles. It also has loads of essential vitamins, phosphorus and calcium to encourage stronger teeth and bones. Moreover, there are antioxidants, mechalated minerals and vitamins to support a healthy immune system.
Instinct Raw Boost With Real Duck
Image courtesy Chewy
Instinct Raw Boost with Real Duck is a great food for golden retrievers. It is made with real duck, which is a source of high-quality protein. This food also contains sweet potatoes, which are an excellent source of carbohydrates and dietary fiber.
The first ingredient in this food is duck, which provides your dog with high-quality protein. Duck is a great source of protein for your dog and it is also a very tasty food. Your dog will love the taste of this food and you will be able to see a difference in their energy level and overall health.
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