Welcome A New Companion From Golden Meadows Retrievers
Your golden retriever must start life with a quality diet to keep it healthy and strong. At Golden Meadows Retrievers, we have been breeding golden retrievers for over 25 years and take great care to carefully screen applicants and offer our puppies a quality diet from the start. Even after you find your perfect match, well make sure you know how much to feed a golden retriever puppy now and as it grows.
But Why Is Homemade Food Specifically Beneficial For Golden Retrievers
The NZ Veterinary Nursing Association reports that Goldens Retrievers are among the dog breeds highly prone to developing food allergies.
Why is this important to know? Well, food allergies in Goldens tend to manifest themselves on their skin, most likely into a condition known as Atopic Dermatitis. This allergy skin disease is common in Golden Retrievers, and it can cause mild to severe itching, which, as a result of scratching or rubbing, often leads to further skin damage, irritation, infection, and discomfort.
Reducing allergic reactions start with a diet that has the vitamins, fatty acids, and minerals to decrease inflammatory responses, and homemade dog food has those critical components. Whats more important is that home cooking for your dog allows you to pick only those ingredients that you know wont cause an allergic reaction on your Golden Retriever.
If you dont know what foods your Golden Retrieve is allergic to, read our Dog Allergy Test guide, so you can identify which foods to avoid in his next meal.
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Know How To Tell If A Golden Retriever Is At A Healthy Size
The greatest lesson we can teach you is to learn what a healthy SIZE looks and feels like for your Golden Retriever. Notice that I dont say Weight.Weight is deceiving. It can change. As a puppy grows it changes all the time. You must be able to feel a dogs side to determine if your dog is at a healthy size or not. You have to look THROUGH their coat and feel the actual fat that they have. Your dog could look great to you, but after further investigation could be too thin or too fat.
Heres the key.Feel the skin located on the rib cage/side of your Golden Retriever. How thick is that skin/fat? Your goal is for that skin to be as thick as a sweater. If it feels like a t-shirt then your Golden Retriever is too skinny. If it feels like 2 sweaters then your Golden Retriever is too fat. You may say, But my Golden Retriever only weighs 67 lbs! The actual weight means littlehow fat is your Golden Retriever? You do not want your Golden overweight because, as mentioned before, it leads to many problems like dysplasia, heart issues and even cancer. It also voids our warranty if a Golden Retriever is found to be overweight.
Review the picture to the right. Most people would say the Golden in the top photo is too skinny, but the truth is that the top Golden Retriever is at a healthy weight.
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How Much Should A Full
As with puppies, how much an adult golden retriever should eat will depend on the dogs condition, sex and health, as well as the type of food. General guidelines suggest a fully grown adult golden retriever should eat 1,300 to 1,700 calories daily. A senior dog that is sedentary may need less than 1,300 calories, however, while a very active or large golden retriever or a pregnant dog may need more than 2,000. Even over a lifetime, a golden retrievers caloric and nutrition needs will change.
Counting The Macros For Your Golden Retrievers
Have you ever been on a diet?
If you have, then, you must be know that its not counting the calories that matterit is the source that does. If you eat more junk food on a diet, chances are that you wont lose weight or feel well even if youve just had 1200 kcal per day.
Same is the case for your Golden Retriever.
This essentially means that calories you get from your food come from the three vital macronutrientscarbs, proteins, and fats. Your body needs them all in adequate quantities to thrive.
And so does your Golden Retrievers.
However, macros need to be adjusted keeping in mind the dogs height, age, level of activity, etc.
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Avoid Overfeeding A Golden Retriever
For those who have Golden Retrievers at home, how to avoid overfeeding a Golden Retriever is an important issue. You have probably noticed that no matter how much food you put, your Golden Retriever wants to eat more and acts like he is on the brink of starvation! Because dogs are usually greedy, they often dont know when theyre full. Especially for delicious food, it will never eat enough. However, eating too much can have a bad effect on your dogs health. A lactating Golden Retriever mother should not control how much she eats. Because breastfeeding mothers need to eat a lot, in order to ensure adequate milk. When a golden dog mother has indigestion, we can give him some medicine such as lactase to help digestion, but do not give him less food.
Golden Retriever Puppy Feeding Chart
How Much? An 8-week old golden retriever puppy will only eat about 1.5 cups of food a day. By 4 months, he should be at 3 cups and up to 4 cups around 6 months.
What to Expect:You can expect your puppys appetite to gradually increase over time. Puppies will need a lot more food during periods of high growth, but then you will need to decrease the amount you are feeding him to keep him healthy as he reaches adulthood.
Careful: Some puppies will inhale their food as quickly as possible. They often might deceive you by trying to show you that they are hungry when they are not. Thats why its important to stick to the Golden Retriever puppy feeding chart.
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How Much To Feed A Golden Retriever Puppy: A Daily Guide
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Not much is more exciting than bringing home a new furry bundle of joy. And Golden Retriever puppies are just about the cutest thing ever!
You want to give your puppy the best start to life. Now, you have a bunch of questions about raising a Golden Retriever puppy.
At the top of your list is how much to feed a Golden Retriever puppy.
We want to help, so heres a comprehensive guide with everything you need to know about feeding your Golden puppy.
Wellness Complete Health Large Breed Adult
Rating:
Wellness Complete Health Large Breed Adult is one of 14 dry recipes included in our review of the Wellness Complete Health product line.
- First 5 ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, ground brown rice, barley, peas
- Type: Grain-inclusive
- Profile: Maintenance
- Best for:Adult goldens
Wellness Complete Health Large Breed Adult derives the bulk of its animal protein from chicken and chicken meal. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 29% protein, 13% fat and 50% estimated carbs which produces a fat-to-protein ratio of about 46%.
The classic, grain-inclusive, large breed design contains no meat by-products and no BHA or other cancer-causing synthetic preservatives. Easily recommended for adult goldens.
Sample buyer reviewOur dog had developed a bit of a gas issue with another leading brand that featured mostly red meat, so I wanted to go back to a food with mostly chicken. After a lot of research, I settled on Wellness Complete, and weve been very happy with it. Our dog readily goes for the food, and for the first time with any kibble, she will eat a few pieces out of our hand as a treat. I am impressed by the nutritional balance and the glucosamine and chondroitin since she is 80+ pounds, and it seems to have eliminated the gas problems.
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How Much Should A Golden Retriever Eat Daily
On average, an adult Golden Retriever will eat between 2 and 3 ½ cups of food per day. However, the exact amount of food varies from one dog to the next and depends on age, activity level, weight, health problems, and quality of food.
Furthermore, neutered golden Retrievers need fewer calories compared to their unaltered counterparts, and nursing females will have to eat more to maintain their weight and produce milk for the puppies.
Final Thoughts The Importance Of Nutrition
Many pet food companies have spent millions of dollars studying which ingredients have the highest levels of nutrients to achieve a nutritious, balanced diet that will help vital puppy growth and mental and physical development.
Its your job to do your due diligence and select the right one for your doggo! As for supplements, theres no reason to feed them if your dog is eating a complete and healthy diet unless a veterinarian recommends them. So heres my best piece of advice:
Choose a diet that is appropriate for your Golden Retrievers age, your lifestyle, and your beliefs and invest in the highest-quality dog food you can afford. Your dog will enjoy a longer and healthier life due to this, and you will both be happier as a result.
I hope youve enjoyed this article and its helped you decide on the best diet for your Golden Retriever.
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What To Feed My Golden Retriever Puppy
Puppies need a lot of nutrients per day to support their activity levels and their growing bodies, so its crucial to purchase a dry dog kibble that is specifically made for large breed puppies.
Look for formulas that are high in protein with smaller kibble pieces, checking the label to ensure it is a complete and nutritious diet. Many people assume that there is no difference between a puppy and adult food, but the difference lies in the nutritional value.
Wet canned food is often something new dog owners ask about, though wet food tends to be better suited for smaller breeds. Typically, large breed puppies and dogs do well with kibble alone, since theyre formulated for large breeds. Unless recommended by your vet, wet food is not a necessary addition to your puppys meals.
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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Can Golden Retrievers Eat Bones
Youve probably heard the expression give a dog a bone, right? But can Golden Retrievers eat bones?
Golden Retrievers can eat bones. They are high in nutrients, especially calcium and phosphorus, and can help clean and strengthen your dogs teeth. On the other hand, cooked bones must never be fed, as they can splinter and cause injuries or choking. The bone must also be larger than your dogs muzzle.
Cooked bones soften and splinter instantly in your dogs mouth or throat, causing choking. Beef or lamb bones are stronger and less likely to splinter than chicken or pork bones.
Give your Golden Retriever a bone appropriate for his size, such as a big beef shank bone. All bones should be wider than the length of his muzzle, making swallowing them whole impossible. When feeding your Retriever a bone, always keep an eye on him.
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, which well cover later.
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Choosing The Right Formula
It is better to feed those formulas to your pups which have been specifically developed for growing puppies. If the formula has been developed specifically for the growing needs of puppies, it will be mentioned on the package.
You should avoid those foods which do not have meat listed as the first ingredient. If, for instance, you see a package with corn or meat by-products listed as the first ingredient, you should not purchase it.
How Is Dog Food For Large Breeds Different
Puppy Formula Dog Food for Large Breed Dogs: Puppy Food for Large Breed Dogs is lower in calories per serving than other Puppy Food formulas. This allows the pup to grow at a healthy rate for supporting joints and bones. Additionally, the Large Breed Puppy Food contains the perfect amount of Calcium for controlling bone development.
Adult-Formula Dog Food for Large Breed Dogs
Adult Dog Foods for Large Breeds often add ingredients like Glucosamine to support healthy joints. These kinds of issues are painful for your dog and often occur in larger, heavier adult dog breeds. Some Large Breed Dog Foods contain fiber blends and prebiotics that aid digestion.
Dog Food for Obese Dogs There are no laws governing marketing claims on Dog Food labels. For this reason, I leave the ultimate decision to you regarding Dog Foods formulated for overweight dogs. Be aware that the low calories could be coming from ways that arent optimum for your dogs health. Better is a sound diet, which we will go over in the very next section and an adequate exercise regime for your dogs weight-loss!
FYI: In the United States, Dog Food is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration in cooperation with the State Department of Agriculture. The nutritional guidelines are developed by the National Association of American Feed Control Officials . If you discover an issue regarding the dog food you purchased, you can address the issue here.
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American Journey Large Breed Chicken And Sweet Potato
Rating:
Large Breed Chicken and Sweet Potato is one of 14 dry recipes evaluated in our review of the American Journey product line.
- First 5 ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal , turkey meal, peas, chickpeas
- Type: Grain-free
- Profile: All life stages
- Best for:Golden retriever adults and puppies
American Journey Large Breed Chicken acquires the majority of its meat protein from poultry. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 33% protein, 13% fat and 45% estimated carbs which yields a fat-to-protein ratio of about 40%.
This large breed formula also contains a prebiotic. Prebiotics can help support the growth of healthy bacteria in the large intestine for better digestion. An exceptional, budget-friendly option. Easily recommended.
Sample buyer reviewI have four furry children from small to extra large, all picky in their own way : Treats, bones, & obviously food. All four of em absolutely loved this brand! Theyve been on it for only a week, & I can already tell how healthier their coats look, & a bit of needed weight loss.
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 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.
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