Dog Food For Golden Retrievers Buyers Guide
If you have a golden retriever then you should count your lucky stars because your golden retriever will always be there for you when you need a hug, theyll protect you with their own life and will always be there to share joyful moments. Their fluffy fur is perfect for snuggling up in front of the tellie, and who can resist that adorable face?
Goldies are the perfect family dog because they love kids and can teach them a lot about kindness and compassion.
We know very well that its difficult for most pet owners to choose the right kind of dog food for their pups because there are a lot of different dog foods out there. The best way to narrow down the dog foods to choose from is to educate yourself about your golden retrievers nutritional needs before you start looking at the different dog foods.
You should be aware of any health conditions that your pet may be prone to so that you can buy food that will help to prevent those conditions while supporting optimal health.
Here are a few pointers to help you out.
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.
Why Do The Ingredients Of A Food Matter
Of course, your golden is a highly intelligent and sociable dog. Hes very lovable and everyones his friend.
Unfortunately, goldens have a higher-than-average incidence of cancer. Many factors, including genetics and nutrition, determine a dogs health.
All dog foods are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration . They must also meet the Association of American Feed Control Official nutrient standards for the correct life stage.
But AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles consist only of minimum values for all the nutrients required by dogs and maximum values for just a few nutrients that can be toxic if consumed in excessive amounts.
As long as a food meets the minimum nutrient values expressed in the profiles, and doesnt exceed the maximum values, it can be labeled as complete and balanced.
But, even with such regulation, not all foods are created equal.
Feeding a food with low-quality ingredients may contribute to chronic inflammation and obesity. And chronic inflammation can contribute to arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and infection.
Foods should be made from wholesome, natural ingredients with no fillers, by-products, or artificial additives.
They should be rich in high-quality animal sources such as poultry, meat, and fish. They should also name the specific protein sources such as chicken, duck, beef, lamb, not a generic meat label.
If your dog becomes obese, you can even ask your vet about prescription weight-loss diets.
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What Do The Terms On The Label Mean
The labels on pet foods can be confusing. Learning what the terms mean can help you decipher which one is a higher-quality product.
The terms on a label are listed in descending amounts of ingredients. So the first few listed are found in larger amounts than those at the bottom of the items listed on the label.
And check the best by date to be sure that the food is fresh.
The 5 Best Dog Food For Golden Retrievers
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Affectionate, playful, and super intelligent, the beautiful Golden Retriever is popular all over the world. Their gentle nature and eagerness to please makes them an outstanding family dog.
Weighing in at around 55-75 pounds, these big dogs do require lots of daily activity.
They are perfect for any home where they can have some room to run or an owner that is dedicated to providing them with plenty of exercise.
Golden Retrievers are also great with children. Their golden color can be various shades but it is always golden.
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Royal Canin Golden Retriever Breed Specific Dry Dog Food
Our second super snack is designed exclusively for golden retriever tums, easily snagging second place on our crunchy list.
Even the shape of this kibble is tailor made to suit the straight muzzle and scissor chomping style of golden retrievers. Amazing, right?
Brimming with nutrients that ensure a lustrous coat, your retriever will be looking sharp, and thanks to the taurine, EPA, and DHA content, this food is amazing for your golden guy or gals ticker too.
Its never easy on you or your woofer when doggy weight problems strike, but with precision ratios of proteins and fats, this kibble can help your retriever shed or gain weight faster than other diets.
The caloric content is measured out perfectly for a retrievers specific dietary requirements.
Unfortunately, the meat content is made up of byproduct meal and fats, but that may actually be beneficial to retrievers with weaker digestive systems.
Real meat can be too rich for some dogs and cause stomach upsets. Perhaps it would be a good idea to mix this kibble with wet food with a higher meat content, giving your dog the best of both worlds.
Pros
Purina One Smartblend Natural Adult Dry Dog Food
PetListed Verdict:
Purina One is a solid choice for those looking for high quality dog food at an affordable price. The food has 30% protein content, with real turkey as the first ingredient, and Omega-6 fatty acids for a healthy coat.
Key Details:
- 30% protein content, made with real turkey and venison
- Turkey is the #1 ingredient
- Good for active adult dogs, with balanced nutritional content
- Includes Omega-6 for healthy skin and coat
- Well priced compared with other dog foods
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More Highly Rated Dog Foods For Golden Retrievers
With our top choice covered, here are seven more golden retriever food options!
Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Salmon, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Sweet PotatoesKey Features :
While we think Taste of the Wild does more than enough to get the job done, your golden retriever may have specific dietary needs you need to keep an eye on. If thats the case, American Journey recipes pay close attention to keeping out ingredients like wheat, soy, and corn, which can impact your dogs stomach if theyre sensitive to them.
On the opposite end, you can find blueberries, sweet potatoes, carrots, and dried kept to help boost your golden retrievers immune system. Sweet potatoes and chickpeas help keep your dogs energy levels high. Deboned salmon forms the core protein, while flaxseed and salmon oil both bring in Omega-3 and Omega-6 acids.
American Journey recipes provide plenty of consideration for dogs with strict dietary requirements and picky eaters.
Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, OatmealKey Features :
Blue Buffalo dog foods focus heavily on providing a variety of natural ingredients to help give your dog the energy and nutrients they need to stay healthy. Chicken, lamb, and fish provide the base proteins for this food, while the brown rice provides plenty of grain benefits. Also, produce like apples, blueberries, pumpkins, and spinach, add a variety of nutrients to their diet.
Antiangiogenic Foods For Dogs
These are beneficial foods that help destroy blood vessels necessary for tumor growth and metastasis. These include:
- Curcumin
- Kale
- Apples
After reviewing over 500 cases of DCM, the FDA alerted the public as to the 16 dog food brands which resulted in the most cases of DCM. ACANA, Zignature, and Taste of the Wilde are among the brands that are mentioned. That said, we have intentionally omitted the listed dog food brands from our reviews for the time being.
Here is the list of the dog-food brands on the FDAs DCM POTENTIAL CONNECTION list. 91 per cent of the products were labelled grain-free , while 93 per cent contained peas, lentils , or potatoes , via CBC news.
The brands identified include:
For more information, visit:
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Recommended Brands Of Food
We have chosen some adult dog foods that you may want to consider for your Golden Retriever. These foods take into account the fact that Goldens are a large breed and that they can be prone to hip and joint issues. We have also selected for foods that are soy-free, in case your dog has any thyroid issues. We always try to choose foods that do not have artificial preservatives, coloring, or flavors/sweeteners.
Nutro Wholesome Essentials Lamb & Rice Recipe For Large Breed Adult
Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Deboned Lamb, 2. Chicken Meal, 3. Brewers Rice, 4. Whole Brown Rice, 5. Split Peas
Lamb and rice is something your retriever wont be able to resist. So, if you have a picky eater in the house, you need to get this one from Nutro Wholesome Essentials. While this is a meat-first recipe, high-quality varieties of rice add a lot of benefits to it. There are no by-products or fillers to cause any allergies or issues. You also get omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for your goldies coat and skin. You wont find a formula more wholesome than this one.
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Now You Can Get The Best Dog Food For Golden Retrievers
Orijen is the best dog food for Golden Retrievers as it adheres to strict manufacturing protocols. This dog food ensures enough proteins for your dog and keeps a balance of fats and multivitamins.
You have to be meticulous when buying dog foods for Golden Retrievers as they have a completely different set of requirements when it comes to vitamins and minerals. Since they are bigger, they would need more so you have to choose wisely so you wont make a mistake.
You can use the same types of food you feed Golden Retrievers for Goldendoodles.
Origen Puppy Large Breed Formula
The top five ingredients are deboned chicken, deboned turkey, yellowtail flounder, whole eggs, and whole atlantic mackerel.
This recipe contains a minimum of 43 percent protein, 18 percent fat and 30percent estimated carbs, creating a fat-to-protein ratio of about 41percent.
This high-quality food is more expensive than many five-star rated foods.
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Buying Dog Food Online In India
For most of our pet supplies especially dog food, we rely on online shopping as it offers the convenience of free home delivery and discounts that a visit to the local pet store may not offer you. Online shopping for pet food is especially convenient because you can avoid carrying heavy bags of dog food of 10 kg or even 20 kg bags.
Other than Amazon and Flipkart, some of the reputable online pet stores in India include dogspot.in, justdogsstore.com, headsupfortails.com, petsutra.com, pupkart.com, marshallspetzone.com, petshopindia.com, etc.
What is the best dog food brand available in India is everybodys concern. We all want nothing but the best for our pets, and hence are particularly concerned about what dog food we give our pooches. We too have been consistent and selective on the diet we choose for Angel.
Royal Canin Golden Retriever Adult dog food 20 Kg and Farmina Natural and Delicious Medium and Maxi dog food are the two brands we choose regularly for their popular and quality reputation. N& D is available in grain-free as well as low-grain varieties. No-grain dog food is more expensive but has a high content source of protein.
It would be incomplete if we do not mention Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition as one of the most popular brands of dog food available in India. Pedigree as a brand has become a generic name for any and all dog foods available in India.
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More traits and characteristics of Golden Retrievers
If I was considering a Golden Retriever, I would be most concerned about…
To help you train and care for your dog
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Eagle Pack Adult Large And Giant Breed Dog Food
Rating:
Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed is one of 7 dry recipes evaluated in our review of the Eagle Pack product line.
- First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, pork meal, ground brown rice, oatmeal, rice
- Type: Grain-inclusive
- Profile: Maintenance
- Best for:Adult goldens
Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Adult obtains most of its animal protein from chicken meal and pork meal. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 28% protein, 13% fat and 51% estimated carbs resulting in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 48%.
We like the inclusion of multiple probiotics to promote healthy digestion and flaxseed to help deliver above-average omega fatty acid content for better joint health. Highly recommended.
Sample buyer reviewWe used grain free before, but the risks led us to go wheat/soy free instead. Eagle Pack is fantastic. Our 6 year old Lab loves it and her coat is shiny shes eaten nothing but Eagle Pack since she was 4. She is a very active dog who retrieves every day, yet she thrives on amounts at the low end of Eagle Packs recommendation. Of the super dog foods, EP is consistently less expensive and yet we find it fully equal in taste and performance to the most expensive brands. We are committed users.
Now Lets Break Down The Recipe For My Easy Homemade Dog Food Shall We
The recipe box below contains a printable version of my go-to recipe for homemade dog food, which consist of lean ground sirloin, brown rice, carrots, hard boiled eggs, parsley, and a few tablespoons of oil that is high in Omegas. But sometimes, especially since social distancing, Ive found that it is helpful to have a list of easy substitutes for when ingredients run low. Plug in or swap out any of the items below based on what foods your pup likes/needs and what you have on hand to create your pups ideal dog food flavor profile.
Meat || Lean ground beef, ground chicken, ground white or dark meat turkey, & ground pork are all great options. Just be sure to make sure that any meat you feed your animals is free of seasonings when purchasing! Dogs living with a kidney disease diagnosis need meals that are lower in phosphorus so for us a lean ground beef like ground sirloin is best the way to go!
Eggs || Eggs are one the top 5 allergens for dogs and the yolks are very high in phosphorus -which you want to limit in dogs with kidney disease. But, eggs are also one of the highest quality forms of protein you can feed your pet! Ultimately, a hard boiled egg is Hoochs favorite thing on the planet so, with our vets approval we opted to leave them in his food.
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Purina Pro Plan Sport
Our number one chow for your resplendent canine really is among the best dog foods around.
Specifically designed for active dogs in the prime of life, its perfect for all those retrievers out there full of beans.
Pro Plan Sport features real chicken as its main ingredient which is essential for maximizing nutritional content and keeping your dogs diet as natural as possible.
Using a proprietary blend of proteins and fats, this kibble helps your dog develop and maintain lean muscle, so their bodies can keep up with their playful brains.
Few are aware of this, but respiration plays a big part in the metabolization process.
Many of the chemical reactions that occur during digestion use oxygen as a means of converting nutrients into energy.
Purina Sport invigorates this process, helping your retriever utilize oxygen more efficiently.
Its also been reported by many customers that this food isnt just great for dogs insides, but their outsides too, helping them maintain shiny, thick, smooth coats.
Pros