Health Concerns For Golden Retrievers
Unfortunately, Golden Retrievers can have certain genetic health concerns that owners should keep in mind. Here are some common diseases and illnesses that many Golden Retrievers can encounter over time.
Dog Cancer
Golden Retrievers tend to develop cancer more than many other dog breeds. Therefore, its important to choose food with natural ingredients. It should also be free of additives and artificial flavors.
Tumor cells also thrive on carbohydrates, so its important to feed your Golden Retriever a diet with fewer carbohydrates.
Dog Obesity
These dogs are also prone to becoming overweight and obese. In fact, a 2013 survey showed that over 60% of surveyed Golden Retrievers were overweight.
Diet plays a crucial role in keeping your Golden Retriever at a healthy weight. Again, avoid foods with high amounts of carbs, and make sure to look at the calories in the dog food to make sure its at a reasonable amount.
Make sure that youre in good communication with your veterinarian about your dogs weight. Your veterinarian can help you determine a healthy dog food formula for your dog and provide recommended portions that your dog should eat. Veterinarians are one of your best resources to help your Golden Retriever eat a healthy diet and avoid unnecessary weight gain.
Atopy and Food Allergies
If you suspect that your dog has a food allergy, consult with your veterinarian to see if you can pinpoint what foods are causing an allergic reaction.
What Makes Food High
Dogs are omnivores, so a good dog food will have a mix of meat, grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Theyll have few preservatives, added sugar, salt, or artificial colors.
The protein will come from readily available sources such as chicken or beef, and not exotic or boutique sources like kangaroo or venison .
Make sure to choose a puppy food that is approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials .
On the label, it will say is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.
AAFCO has strict standards for dog food and decides whether or not it is suitable to be sold as advertised.
Now heres a common misconception about dog food: animal byproducts are bad.
According to the AKC, quality, regulated animal byproducts can be good for your dog.
These byproducts can include organ meats or entrails, which often contain more nutrients than, say, plain chicken breast.
Of course, some foods may contain non-regulated byproducts, like hooves, intestinal contents, or even manure, so its important that you choose a reputable dog food.
Another misconception is that dogs should eat grain-free diets.
As you saw in the second study mentioned above, that can actually be very harmful for your dog and cause DCM.
Feeding A Golden Retriever Puppy
Although Golden Retrievers share many traits, not all Golden Retriever puppies will thrive on the same amount of food at mealtimes. The right amount for one puppy could be way too much or way too little for another! There are a huge number of factors that can influence the amount of food your Golden Retriever needs at mealtimes. This includes:
- Their adult size
- Type of dog food
- Amount of food used in training
And so on! So, it often takes a bit of time to get your puppys meal sizes perfect. Your veterinarian is a great source for helping with this, but you can figure it out at home too. And, a great starting point is a Golden Retriever puppy feeding chart.
Read Also: Recommended Dog Food For Golden Retrievers
Options As The Best Dog Food For Senior Golden Retriever
When getting the best dog food for senior golden retriever, it is always important to get the recommended food by vets. So, which are these food types? These are the food types that would have the right nutrition that a senor dog needs. This guide has the top food options you can buy today. Go ahead and look at the list to learn more about the various food options in the market before deciding the right one for your pet.
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Diy Dog Food Seasoning
While dogs cant have all of the same aromatics as humans can they can have a small variety of dried or fresh herbs and spices that contain great nutrients and help flavor their meals. Use a few teaspoons sprinkled on top or mixed into the food. These are some easily digestible herbs and spices to try:
Also Check: How Much Food Should A Golden Retriever Puppy Eat
Feeding Puppies Adults And Senior Dogs
As you can see in the chart, nutrition requirements are broken down by a dogs life stages: puppy, adult, and senior. Although AAFCO doesnt make separate requirements for adult and senior dog foods, most food marketed for senior dogs contains additional nutrients to aid digestion and keep joints healthy. Here are some specific caloric requirements published by the National Resource Council, but keep in mind these are just starting guidelines. Youll need to pay attention to your dogs needs and activity levels to fine-tune their meals.
What Is The Best Food For Golden Retriever Puppies
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Excuse me! Bowls empty!
Energetic, playful, and goofy golden retriever puppies burn a lot of calories and need highly nutritious food to grow and develop properly. The food you decide to feed to your puppy can affect them as an adult and give them a healthy head startor put their health at risk. Finding the best puppy food for golden retrievers is your best bet for preventing problems.
There are many high-quality puppy foods you can choose from, but not all are formulated to meet your pups dietary needs. Choosing the wrong formula can be detrimental to your pups health and cause nutrient deficiency, musculoskeletal problems, heart disease, or cancer.
While these arent things you want to hear, you need to understand the full effect of unhealthy puppy foods. On the other hand, high-quality food that is formulated to meet the nutritional needs of a growing golden retriever puppy will give your pup a good start in life .
To help you do just that, Ive found and reviewed the seven best dog foods for golden retriever puppies!
| CHECK PRICE |
*The above links lead to current prices and customer reviews on Chewy.
Keep reading to discover why I chose these recipes and check out the included helpful tips and buying advice to ensure you get the right product for your golden puppy!
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Taste Of The Wild Wetlands Grain
Best Overall Dog Food for Golden Retrievers
The ideal dog food is the perfect balance of quality, value, and size, particularly when it comes to large breeds like golden retrievers. While theres perhaps no perfect golden retriever food, Taste of the Wilds Wetlands Grain-Free dry dog food is about as close as you can get. The company is family-owned and manufactures its dog food in the US from local and sustainable ingredients. Theres no corn, wheat, grain, artificial flavors, or artificial colors in this kibble.
What youll get instead is 32% protein primarily from duck and chicken, but also from quail, turkey, and fish. Sweet potatoes, peas, and potatoes provide nutrients and 4% fiber, and the food is at least 18% fat. There are proprietary probiotics and antioxidants added to support overall health. At 425 calories a cup, your adult golden retriever will probably need 2.5-3.5 cups per day. Customers report that their dogs love the flavor, and youll love how easy it is on your wallet.
Flavors: roasted fowl
Sizes: 5 lbs., 14 lbs., 28 lbs.
Grains: none
What Are The Differences Between Puppy Food & Adult Food
Since puppies are growing and adults are just maintaining their weight, they have different dietary needs.
According to AAFCO, puppy food should have at least 22.5% protein, compared to 18% protein for adult food.
And for fats, puppy food should have at least 8.5% fats, compared to 5.5% for adults.
As far as when to switch from puppy food to adult food, talk to your veterinarian.
Theyll likely recommend making the switch when theyre done growing at about one year old.
To see a list of other milestones your puppy will hit check out this timeline of Golden Retriever puppy milestones.
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Halo Holistic Chicken Recipe Large Breed
Primary Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Dried Egg Product, Oatmeal, Pearled Barley, Dried Peas
This dry food by Halo Holistic uses a blend of chicken and liver to promote optimal bone strength and immune support in your Golden Retriever, among many other health benefits. Its an excellent option for owners who prefer holistic food options with no artificial flavors.
Customer Review: She loves her food, and I noticed her coat is very soft now. Gobbles it down!
Rating: 4.7/5
When People Find Out We Make Our Own Dog Food At Home They Always Ask Us What About A Raw Diet So Let’s Get That Out Of The Way First
There are LOTS of thoughts and theories on feeding your dog a raw diet especially a dog that is living with kidney disease. Our vet however, was personally opposed to feeding a raw diet due to the fact that dogs, just like us, are very susceptible to food poisoning. Besides that, a raw diet can be tricky to get just right! You run the risk of giving your dog a horrible belly ache by mixing a raw diet with cooked treats, so if you decided to go raw it is important to have both raw meals and raw treats planned for your pup at all times. NO MIXING the two! Since raw and cooked foods digest at different rates any combination of the two can wreak serious havoc on your pup’s gut which can lead to some pretty unpleasant situations for you – if you get my drift.
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Blue Buffalo Vs Wellness: Which Dog Food Is Better
The information provided through this website should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease it is not intended to offer any legal opinion or advice or a substitute for professional safety or care advice. Please consult your health care provider, attorney, insurance expert, or product manual for professional advice. Products and services reviewed are provided by third parties we are not responsible in any way for them, nor do we guarantee their functionality, utility, safety, or reliability. Our content is for educational purposes only.
How Many Calories Does An Adult Golden Retriever Need
The caloric needs of an adult golden retriever that is, from about one to seven years of age depends on their size and activity levels. Fully-grown golden retrievers can weigh anywhere from 55 to 75 pounds, and obviously, the larger the dog, the more food they typically need each day. Also, dogs that are active in terms of exercise and play with other dogs will need more calories than inactive dogs. Youll need to do some adjustments based on your dogs individual needs, but active, young adult golden retrievers typically need between 1,451 and 1,876 calories per day. Active adults need between 1,353 and 1,740 calories per day, but inactive adult dogs typically dont need more than 989-1,272 calories per day.
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How Much Should You Feed Your Golden Retriever Puppy
How much you feed your puppy depends on what your veterinarian says and what the label on the dog food says.
Its tough to make general statements like, feed your puppy one cup per day, because 1) all puppies are different, and 2) different foods have different caloric densities.
One cup of Brand X food may have 300 calories per cup, while Brand Y has 400 calories per cup.
And heres an example of why it depends on the individual puppy
When we first got our puppy, Oliver, we were feeding him what the package told us to feed him.
During a vet visit our veterinarian said he looked too small and lethargic for a puppy his age , and he recommended we feed him a little more.
So when deciding how much to feed your puppy, read the label on your food and talk to your veterinarian to see whats best for them.
As far as how often to feed your puppy, this same rule applies.
Most people feed their puppies three times per day, and then eventually transition to two times per day when theyre a little older.
At this point, theyre not growing as much, so they dont need to eat as frequently, plus it will usually help them poop less!
For us, we fed Oliver three times per day until he was a little over a year old.
Thats when we switched to adult dog food and changed to feeding him two times per day.
- Getting a Golden Retriever Puppy? Get the gameplan for raising them right with the Golden Retriever Puppy Handbook.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain
Rating:
Wilderness Grain-Free Chicken is one of 18 dry recipes analyzed in our review of the Blue Buffalo Wilderness product line.
- First 5 ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal , peas, pea protein, tapioca starch
- Type: Grain-free
- Profile: Maintenance
- Best for:Adult goldens
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free Chicken obtains the majority of its meat protein from chicken. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 38% protein, 17% fat and 38% estimated carbs which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 44%.
This recipe also includes zinc amino acid complex and other chelated minerals, ingredients which deliver superior nutrition for larger breeds. Highly recommended.
Sample buyer reviewI get a few different flavors, but the dogs love it and they have no digestive issues and are very healthy. Their coats shine like they have been oiled. No dental issues. Blue Buffalo wilderness has been a favorite with us for a long time.
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Which Feeding Chart Is Best
There are so many feeding charts available to consider. In fact, every single dog food tends to have one on its packaging, and theyre often slightly different to one another. So, how are you meant to know how much to feed a Golden Retriever puppy?
As we mentioned earlier, you should only use Golden Retriever feeding charts as a guideline, because every puppy is so different. So, ultimately, no single chart is better than another. Instead, the best feeding chart or guidelines will be the ones you create by making adjustments based on your puppys health and body condition.
How To Choose The Best Golden Retriever Puppy Food
Golden Retrievers are large dogs. As adults, they will stand between 21 and 24 inches tall, usually weighing between 55 and 75 lbs. And, a good quality puppy food will support this intense growth over their first 12 months. But, how do you choose from the many options available?
When you first bring your Golden Retriever puppy home, they will need to eat the same food they were eating at the breeders home. If youre transitioning them to a new food, do so gradually over the course of a week. Changing abruptly from one food to another type can cause stomach problems and digestive upsets.
Puppies need a balance of certain nutrients and vitamins to support their growth not just as much food as possible. In fact, simply giving as much food as possible is linked to certain joint-related health problems. So, when searching for a high quality puppy food, there are a few key ingredients you might want to search for. This includes a real meat source, and the correct amount of nutrients like calcium and iron.
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Are Dental Chews As Good As Brushing For My Golden Retriever Puppy
Although dental chews are very effective for good oral health, nothing is as effective as brushing your dogs teeth. However, for the days when puppies refuse to cooperate, having some sort of cleanup is a million times better than doing nothing.
While puppies dislike teeth brushing, they usually love dental chews. Most dogs would never say no to a nicely-flavored stick. However, not all chews are equally effective. Low-quality products might not work as well, so you should invest in top-notch chews.
Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials
Best Golden Retriever Food for Limited Budgets
While wed all love to give our pooches the best of the best, most of us dont have the means to buy lots of top-shelf dog food. Golden retrievers are big, active dogs, which means buying a lot of dog food over the years, and so its important to find a food that fits into your budget. Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials is an adult dry dog food that maximizes nutrition and minimizes costs. This food combines hard kibble with softer shredded pieces to create a texture that dogs love to eat, and there are three flavors to choose from.
With 26% protein, 16% fat, and 3% fiber, along with living probiotics, Purina Pro Plan is a complete, highly digestible nutrition for your golden retriever. The chicken & rice formula is also good for all life stages, puppy through senior, so if your dog loves it, you wont need to switch as they age. An adult golden will probably need about 3-3.75 cups per day, each of which contains 387 calories.
Flavors: salmon & rice, lamb & rice, beef & rice
Sizes: 6 lbs., 18 lbs., 35 lbs., 47 lbs.
Grains: rice, whole grain wheat, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn
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