What Is The Best Food To Feed Golden Retrievers

Do Golden Retrievers Bark A Lot

There is no definitive answer to this question as the bark of a golden retriever may vary depending on the individual dogs personality and behavior. However, some experts believe that golden retrievers may bark more when they are excited or frustrated, which may be due to their natural hunting instincts.

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.

Merrick Grain Free Real Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe

Merrick is a brand that prides itself on high-protein, high-quality dog food, and it certainly seems popular among dog owners.

This recipe is quite high in protein, containing 34%, but the fat content is just under, at 14%. So, I think it suits active Golden Retrievers who get 1 – 1 ½ hours of exercise a day, but highly active or working dogs may need a touch more fat in their diets.

The protein content all comes from fish, so if your Golden is allergic to beef and chicken, this food is a good option. Salmon also has nutrients that help with your dogs eyesight.

The fat sources are salmon oil and flaxseed oil these oils provide omega fatty acids that nourish her skin and coat. However, there are less omega-3s compared to other brands.

Merrick throws in afew fruit and vegetables, including blueberries, which provide lots of antioxidants, helping her ward off eye diseases as well as cancer. However, it would be good to see some more whole food antioxidant sources in this recipe.

I think Merrick is a great choice for Golden Retrievers with joint troubles, as it provides very high levels of glucosamine and chondroitin.

PROS

Also Check: Akc Red Golden Retriever Puppies

The Best Dog Food For Golden Retrievers For 202: Reviewed And Ranked

This post may contain affiliate links to our partners like Chewy, Amazon, and others. Purchasing through these helps us further the A-Z Animals mission to educate about the world’s species..

Golden Retrievers are known for their wildly friendly personalities. But do you know what the best food for Golden Retrievers is? Its easy to get caught up in their personalities. They are extremely affectionate with their family, great with other dogs, and even perfect to have around young children. Theyre easy to train, they have moderate energy levels, and they have low barking levels. They do need significant mental stimulation but thats always easy to provide when youre dealing with such a friendly dog.

Your Golden has several different needs ranging from his health to his grooming to exercise and of course, training. But perhaps the most important are his nutritional needs because they lay a foundation for everything else. When you have a Golden, its vital he be fed high-quality dog food that is suitable for his life stage. Whether hes a puppy, an adult, or a senior, he has a different set of nutritional requirements.

Blue Buffalo Large Breed Puppy Food

Image courtesy Blue Buffalo

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice is a dry food that’s made with real chicken as the first ingredient. It also includes DHA for brain and vision development, calcium for strong bones, and whole grains for easy digestion.

This formula is designed to support your pup’s large frame and rapid growth, as well as his immune system, skin, and coat. The kibble is also extra-large and easy to eat.

You May Like: Golden Retriever Mix With Lab

Keeping Your Golden Retriever At The Right Weight

Golden Retrievers love to eat. They are very food motivated and often seek out treats, scraps, and ways to sneak a snack. It is up to their owners to make sure they stay at a healthy weight and not get into things like peoples food, cat kibble, or eat the whole bag of dog food Owners need to make sure Goldens eat the right amount of healthy, well-balanced dog food. Feeding a Golden from puppyhood to her senior years is not a small task. Her nutrition needs the same care and attention as ours does.

Keeping up with your dogs regular vet appointments and always providing a high-quality diet can go a long way to her overall health. Make sure to change her diet as her needs change. This is not an area to try and go the cheap route. These foods rarely have the right nutritional balance to keep your dog healthy.

Diet Plan For Adolescent Golden Retriever

Usually, once a Golden Retriever puppy grows above 12 weeks of age, it reaches its adolescence stage and teething. So, in this stage, you should start giving your pal some healthy chewing options like fish skin, chicken bones, etc.

Furthermore, start giving your pal dry food mixed with an enormous amount of water. Besides this, you can also use wet foods for your Golden Retriever. In addition, try adding some vegetables to the dog food while preparing your pets meal to ensure that the meal has all the essential nutrients.

However, be careful that your pals food is not too dry. Thus, always maintain a run-in consistency.

You May Like: When Golden Retrievers Attack

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Recipe

Image courtesy Blue Buffalo

The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Recipe is a great food for golden retrievers. It is made with real salmon, 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 salmon, which provides your dog with high-quality protein. This is a necessary part of your golden retriever’s diet to ensure that they are getting all of the nutrients that they need.

How Much Food Should Golden Retrievers Eat

Once you have settled on the type of diet to feed your dog, you now have the next hurdle! How much food should your Golden Retriever eat?

The amount of food Golden Retrievers need depends on their age, whether a puppy, adult, or senior. Activity level, overall health, serious illness, pregnancy, or nursing can also increase a dogs energy needs. The key is ensuring you dont overfeed or underfeed your dog.

Dont worry if youre feeding commercial dog food, the packaging should indicate the recommended feeding guidelines for your Retrievers age. On their websites, most brands often have valuable tables or calculators.

These must indicate how much food to offer per the dogs weight, but you must also consider your dogs activity level. Inactive dogs, for example, may need 10% less than what is recommended on the food label, while energetic dogs may need 20% to 40% more.

Suppose you want to feed a homemade diet, raw or a combination of dry and wet. In that case, as mentioned above, you can contact your veterinarian or a pet nutritionist to ensure your Golden Retriever is getting the necessary nutrients and calorie intake.

Also Check: Golden Retriever Puppies For Sale Orlando

Purina Pro Plan Adult Dog Food

The top five ingredients in this formula are chicken, rice, whole grain wheat, poultry by-product meal, and soybean meal. It has a minimum protein of 26 protein percent.

The formula also has live probiotics to support healthy digestion.

Pro Plan Adult Shredded Blend combines a hard kibble with tender, pieces of real, shredded chicken for enhanced flavor and texture. Itâs a more cost-effective formula than some that are higher-ranked.

It has live probiotics to support healthy digestion as well as omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat.

It contains no artificial colors or flavors.

Although this formula is highly-ranked and has been a favorite with consumers, please note that it contains poultry by-product and soybean meal, both of which are often considered to be inferior ingredients.

But apparently many consumers have found that their dogs are doing well on this food.

Nutrition Recommendations For Goldens

AAFCO, the regulatory organization that establishes regulations for pet food and animal feed places the greatest emphasis on protein.

They suggest that puppies maintain a diet of at least 22% protein, while older dogs need a diet of at least 18% protein. AAFCO also suggests a diet that contains around 8% fat for puppies and 5% for adult dogs.

These figures are treated as a benchmark, and most quality pet food manufacturers exceed these figures. Beyond fat and protein, there are some other important ingredients to look for when shopping for dog food.

Read Also: Whelping Box For Golden Retriever

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Adult Large

The top five ingredients are deboned salmon, chicken meal, pea protein, peas, and tapioca starch, with a minimum of 32 percent protein.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Large Breed Chicken is a great option for those looking for higher protein and an optimal blend of calcium, phosphorus, and essential vitamins to help keep bones strong.

Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids found in fish meal and flaxseed ensure a healthy coat.

An ideal blend of protein, fat and carbohydrates are also included to assist your large breed dog in keeping a healthy weight.

The formula doesnât contain any grains or gluten and has no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

It also has antioxidants to boost immune health and no poultry by-products.

Glucosamine and chondroitin are added for healthy joints.

When Should I Feed My Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers should have scheduled times to eat daily. The scheduled times will help them with their energy levels and keep them healthy.

You can schedule their eating times as to what works best for your schedule. For example, feeding them before you leave for work and then when you get home.

As a puppy, they will eat three times a day, so you will need to find times in those first few months to feed them more often. When they are an adult or senior, the scheduling of feeding times will be easier because they will only eat twice daily.

You May Like: What Size Dog Crate For Golden Retriever

Royal Canin Golden Retriever Adult Breed Specific Dry Dog Food

Royal Canin Golden Retriever Adult Breed Specific Dry Dog Food

• Contains essential nutrients

Royal canin golden retriever dog food is made especially for adult golden retrievers, to encourage your dogs to chew the food, it comes in an exclusive kibble shape.

It reinforces your dogs skin barrier with essential nutrients and helps to get healthy, shiny coat skin and maintains ideal weight.

With taurine, DHA, EPA is included in this food, helps to promote the heart health of your golden retriever dog.

One of the reasons to list this dog food at last place is because of its expensive price.

And royal canin dog foods are available for other breeds also.

How Many Calories Does My Golden Retriever Need

Golden Retrievers are large dogs that can weigh between 55 – 75 lb, with the females on the lower end of the spectrum.

An average Golden Retriever weighs 70 lb, which is the weight I have based the following calorie intake* estimations on:

*I worked out these calorie intakes using Dog Food Advisors calorie calculator. Consult with your vet to get an exact amount for your dog.

Don’t Miss: Getting A Golden Retriever Puppy

How Should I Feed Golden Retriever Puppies

Golden retriever puppies need to eat plenty in order to support rapid growth and development in the early stages of their life. However, what most parents dont know is that its actually important to control your puppys growth rate by making sure not to overfeed him.

Golden retrievers that are overfed as puppies and grow too fast have a higher risk of developmental abnormalities like hip dysplasia. Ask your vet exactly how much to feed your golden pup to make sure youre not overfeeding or underfeeding.

No matter what volume of food youre giving your golden retriever puppy each day, you should make sure to space it out between three meals for the first few months. This allows blood sugar to remain stable and reduces the risk of hypoglycemia. At three to six months, you can reduce this to two times a day.

How Much Do Golden Retriever Puppies Grow Each Week

Goldens will gain about two pounds a week on average from 2 months until they reach about six months. They will start to put on about one pound a week for the next few months. There will be times when they gain weight rapidly and then weeks when they seem to plateau. Continue to feed them a consistent amount and adhere to a regular feeding schedule. This helps you monitor how much a pup is or is not eating. If your golden is not eating or seems to be constantly hungry, it Is best to consult with your vet. Do not offer them human snacks or a lot of treats as a substitute for well-balanced dog chow.

Don’t Miss: How Many Years Does A Golden Retriever Live

Commercial Food For Golden Retriever

Commercial dog food is a popular option because it comes in many varieties and can be found almost anywhere. This makes it easy for owners to find something that their dog likes and can eat without having to worry about getting ahold of any unusual ingredients or finding time to prepare anything.

Though commercial food is the easiest and most convenient option, it can also be expensive. Commercial foods are convenient because you dont have to worry about finding the right mix of nutrients and ingredients, which is important for some dogs with special dietary needs because homemade food may not cover all the nutrients.

How Often Should I Feed My Golden Retriever Puppy

Growing puppies have different nutritional requirements than adult dogs, requiring more frequent feedings at varying stages of development. Depending on age, heres how much you should feed your Golden Retriever puppy:

Golden Retriever puppies get all their nutrients from their mother when they are born. However, starting the weaning process onto a new diet from three to four weeks old is safe.

Puppies in the early stages of development need enough calories, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals to support rapid growth and development and set them on the road to a healthy life.

Learn More On How Often Dogs Should Eat In This Video

Since Golden Retrievers are a medium-large breed, they should be fed large-breed dog food even puppies. Large breed dog food is essential for your puppys nutrition.

But why?

Large breed foods have a higher protein content and lower calcium, phosphorus, and fat content. It is nutritionally designed to keep puppies from growing too quickly, leading to debilitating conditions like hip and elbow dysplasia.

While adult dogs can thrive on one meal a day, most Golden Retriever owners feed their dogs twice daily. It makes it easier for the dog to digest the food, control hunger, and avoid life-threatening bloat . My dog would much rather eat twice a day.

Don’t Miss: Best Food To Feed A Golden Retriever Puppy

Which Food Is Best For My Golden Retriever

When it comes to feeding your Golden, the ideal diet will ultimately depend on your dogs individual needs. Whether you have a growing puppy or an aging senior, there are plenty of great foods on the market that will help your Golden stay happy and healthy for as long as possible!

If youre still unsure what food you should choose for your pup, you can always consult with a reputable breeder or veterinarian for their recommendations on what food is best for your puppy.

Hills Science Diet Large Breed Puppy Food

Image courtesy Hills Science Diet

Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Large Breed dry dog food is tailored to support your puppy’s skeletal & joint development. This premium pet food features an ideal blend of ingredients for large breed puppies, including DHA from fish oil for healthy brain & eye development.

This recipe includes natural sources of glucosamine and chondroitin to support your pup’s joints as he grows, calcium for strong bones, and a clinically proven antioxidant blend for a healthy immune system.

Plus, it’s made with no artificial flavors or preservatives.

Also Check: Best Quality Dog Food For Golden Retrievers

Our Third Choice: Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy

3rd Choice

Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food uses high-quality ingredients and is made in the USA. Its high-quality chicken is the first ingredient for protein that will power your Golden Retrievers day.

This puppy food supports muscle growth and bone health in active puppies with optimized levels of calcium and phosphorous. It also supports healthy brain development with clinically proven levels of DHA for a smarter, more trainable Golden Retriever puppy.

If the two choices listed above were not to your liking, this option is also highly recommended by our veterinarians. Choosing Eukanuba for your dog will leave you confident they are getting the nutrients they need.

Top Ingredients:

• Complete balanced nutrition for large breeds
• Added omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E
• Comes in 3 bag sizes 5lb, 16lb, and 33lb.