Best Dog Food For Golden Retriever Puppies
The best food for Golden Retriever puppies is formulated for large, energetic breeds with a long coat.
There are plenty to choose from, and any complete food for medium to large puppies will probably be fine.
Which did you choose? Let us know in the comments section below!
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How Much To Feed A Senior Golden Retriever
A golden retriever will be considered a senior dog when he is about 7.5 to 10 years old, with the average lifespan being 10 to 12 years.
A senior golden retriever will need fewer calories than a younger adult, as he is generally going to be less active than he was in his younger years. Typically, hes going to need approximately 900 calories per day. If hes overweight, youll need to feed him less.
In some cases, youll want to start feeding your senior dog a specialty senior dog food , rather than a typical adult formula. Food made specifically for older dogs is often lower in calories, and it can contain nutrition that is good for older dogs, such as glucosamine and vitamins.
Many senior dogs continue to eat regular adult dog food, but it would be a good idea to consult with your vet and see if a diet change would be a good idea.
In most cases, you should still be giving him two meals per day, equally spaced and at consistent times.
Taste Of The Wild Pacific Stream Grain
Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Salmon, 2. Ocean Fish Meal, 3. Sweet Potatoes, 4. Potatoes, 5. Peas
Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream may not specifically be for large breeds, but this grain-free fish formula will do wonders for your Golden Retriever. The formula is perfectly balanced in terms of nutrition and made from high-quality ingredients such as real smoked salmon. Fish means your goldie will get all the fatty acids required for a gorgeous shiny coat. This one is also highly recommended for dogs who have sensitive tummies. It has probiotics to prevent digestive problems. It is free of grains, fillers, and common allergens. And it is full of antioxidants that support a healthy immune system.
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Golden Retriever Feeding Chart: Puppy And Adult
If you are a Golden Retriever owner, you more than likely have noticed that your dog enjoys eating. They will do just about anything for a morsel of food. Even though they love food, having a feeding chart is a helpful tool to avoid overfeeding.
Knowing what food and how much to feed your Golden Retriever at different stages of life are two common questions from owners. In this article we will share how much to feed a Golden Retriever from when they are a puppy to a senior. We will also address when is a good time to feed your Golden.;
Whether your Golden Retriever is a puppy, adult, or senior there are different nutritional needs at each stage. We will go in depth about what those needs are and how to meet them in the most effective ways. ;
Week Old Golden Retriever Puppy
A 2 week old golden retriever puppy is going to just have opened his eyes for the first time to see the world around him. At this age, he will not be able to walk far as he is still uncoordinated with his front and hind legs.
His food source should entirely be his mother, who should have easy access to her puppies, in addition to being well-fed herself. Nursing mothers need a high-calorie diet.
If you notice that there are pups in the litter not gaining weight as quickly as others, talk to your vet about supplements.
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Strong Bones And Optimal Growth With A Healthy Diet
The Goldie can be classed as a large breed. Puppies from this breed shouldn’t be given food that is too rich in calories so that they don’t grow too quickly. A consequence of the food containing too many calories can be the genetically determined final weight being reached or even exceeded earlier than expected, although the skeleton is not yet stable enough. This can be lead to misalignments of the limbs. Golden Retriever puppies need an adequate energy intake as well as a balanced supply of minerals, especially calcium and phosphorous.
In order to ensure healthy growth for Goldie puppies, the diet should be species-appropriate with a balanced proportion of calories, minerals, trace elements and vitamins.
Feeding recommendations for puppy food are based on the puppy’s current weight and the predicted weight of the dog as an adult. The weight of the parent animal of the same sex can be taken as a guideline. In addition, the quantity of food is adapted to the puppy’s activity level.
Your Golden Retriever’s Health
We know that because you care so much about your dog, you want to take good care of her. That is why we have summarized the health concerns we will be discussing with you over the life of your Golden. By knowing about health concerns specific to Golden Retrievers, we can tailor a preventive health plan to watch for and hopefully prevent some predictable risks.
Many diseases and health conditions are genetic, meaning they are related to your pets breed. There is a general consensus among canine genetic researchers and veterinary practitioners that the conditions weve described herein have a significant rate of incidence and/or impact in this breed. That does not mean your dog will have these problems; it just means that she is more at risk than other dogs. We will describe the most common issues seen in Golden Retrievers to give you an idea of what may come up in her future. Of course, we cant cover every possibility here, so always check with us if you notice any unusual signs or symptoms.
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How To Switch Food For Your Puppy
The digestive system of humans is better at handling changes in their diet as compared to dogs. Due to their versatile digestive system, people can enjoy different types of healthy diets without suffering from digestive distress. However, dogs must be given the same food every day without change to prevent the risk of an upset stomach.
If you want to switch to a better formula, remember to make the change gradually. You should not change the formula abruptly otherwise this will give your pup an upset stomach.
You can try changing the food of your pup over the course of a week. Start by adding a minimal amount of new food to the old formula. Increase the proportion of the new food with each successive meal. Keep doing this until the old food has been eliminated. Due to this gradual change, the digestive system of your pup will be able to adjust more easily to the new food.
If your pup has a very weak or sensitive stomach then you may have to make this change over a duration of 10 days.
Merrick Real Buffalo Beef + Sweet Potato Grain
This grain-free formula by Merrick is generally well-loved by all pooches, including Golden Retrievers. And its actually quite good for them because of its high protein grain-free formula. Your retriever will get powerful proteins from quality buffalo meat and beef. Sweet potatoes are among the top five ingredients, which means your pet gets enough carb to stay active all day. Then you have also got peas, apples, blueberries and natural sources of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
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Calorie Needs Decrease Around 1 Year
When your Golden Retriever puppy turns 1 year old, they should be most of the way done growing. That means its time to switch them to an adult dog food thats less calorie-dense than puppy food.
While overfeeding your puppy can cause joint and bone problems, overfeeding your adult Golden Retriever causes even more problems. Obesity is just as damaging to dogs as it is to humans.
Some health issues that can be caused by obesity in dogs can include:
- Heat intolerance
- Liver disease or dysfunction
How Much To Feed A Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers usually weigh from 55 to 75 pounds and reach their full height and weight when they are 12 to 18 months old. Keep in mind that every dog is an individual and that it can take more or less time for your Golden puppy to reach his adult size. However, your Goldens caloric needs will greatly decrease when he reaches 12 to 14 months and he will no longer need the same amount of food as before.
An adult and active Golden will need to eat between 1,300 to 1,700 calories per day. However, keep in mind that age, weight, activity level, health problems, and overall lifestyle will determine how many calories your Golden needs per day.
For example, nursing mothers and dogs that perform heavy work will need more than 2,000 calories per day in order to maintain their weight and stay healthy. On the other hand, if your pooch is more of a couch potato type than an athlete he will probably need around 1,000 calories a day in order to maintain a healthy weight.
During adulthood, your Golden Retriever feeding schedule should consist of two equally spaced meals ideally, you should feed your dog in the morning and evening. If you opt for feeding high-quality large breed dog food, an optimal Golden Retriever food amount will be:
- Females: 2 to 2 ½ cups a day
- Males: 3 to 3 ½ cups a day
- Active Males: 4 cups a day
- Nursing Females: 5 to 6 cups a day
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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.
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Is It Ok For An Older Dog To Eatpuppy Food
Puppy food was designed to be very good for puppies and dogs.
However, the ingredients that are used in a lot of these foods include preservatives, high levels of sodium, and a whole host of things that should never be ingested by a dog.
Most people think that they can feed their dog puppy food if itis aged eight or older.
Unfortunately, most commercial dog food contains preservativesthat are much too harsh for the digestive system of an older dog.
Your veterinarian will tell you that your dogs stomach is not developed enough to handle the development of some of the preservatives that are added to the dog food products.
So, while it may be OK for an older dog to eat puppy food, it would be a bad idea.
However, feeding your dog puppy food as an adult has other problems as well.
In the wild, puppies are rarely introduced to adult food as they are not even fully weaned. So, if your dog is old enough to eat adult food, it is likely to develop digestive disorders and, worse, anemia.
Dogs can actually suffer from this disease if they have eaten adult dog food and have not been weaned.
This is caused by a failure of the liver to remove the toxin that the chemical preservatives create.
As a result, the dog becomes extremely sick and dehydrated. Ifyou have adopted a dog from a shelter, there is a good chance that the dog mayhave had an illness or disease that was caused by eating food that was poorlyprepared.
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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.
Golden Retriever Feeding Chart
If your puppy is two months old then give him one and a half cups of food. If he is three months old then 2 cups daily, for four months two and a half cups a day, and for six months, three cups daily.
If your puppy is seven months old then four cups for males and females should stay at 3 cups as they need less food.
Note: These guidelines are general, dont strictly follow them. The reason is that the amount of food depends on the weight and age of the dog and the quality of food.
You might be wondering how the quality of food matters, then let me tell you. Calories are an important part of puppy food, cheaper companies use fewer calories so as a result, you will need to give more of this type of food to your puppy. On the other hand, if you use good quality food then there is no need to give any extra food to maintain calories.
I hope it is clear!
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Royal Canin Golden Retriever Dry Puppy Food
Royal Canins Golden Retriever puppy dry food* is part of their specially tailored Breed Health Nutrition range.
This kibble is specifically formulated to support Golden Retriever growth between 8 weeks and fifteen months old.Even the shape of each kibble is carefully thought out, to promote proper chewing instead of gulping.
The recipe is rich in protein and supplemented with vitamins and minerals for joint and muscle development.
Taste Of The Wild Southwest Canyon
Rating:
Southwest Canyon is one of 9 dry recipes included in our review of the Taste of the Wild product line.
- First 5 ingredients: Beef, peas, garbanzo beans, lamb meal, canola oil
- Type: Grain-free
- Profile: All life stages
- Best for:Golden retriever adults and puppies
Taste of the Wild Southwest Canyon acquires the bulk of its animal protein from fresh beef and lamb meal. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 32% protein, 17% fat and 43% estimated carbs which results in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 52%.
Southwest Canyon also contains salmon oil. Salmon oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs. They help deliver better joint health and a lustrous skin and coat. A super popular brand. Highly recommended.
Sample buyer reviewTaste of the Wild makes both me and my dogs very happy. I have a pack of three that all love it and have beautiful coats that I can only attribute to their diet. As for me, its cost-efficient and doesnt stink like other dog foods. Id recommend it to any of my friends.
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How Much To Feed An Adult Golden Retriever
When golden retrievers reach adulthood, theyre typically between 55 and 75 pounds. They usually reach adulthood somewhere between 12 to 18 months old, but it can vary based on the individual dog. Typically, he will not need the same amount of food once he is 12 to 14 months old.
The amount of food that an adult golden retriever should be eating every day can vary considerably. A less active dog will need about 1,000 calories daily, while a very active dog or a nursing mother can need 2,000 or more.;
Once your golden retriever is an adult, here are the general feeding amount guidelines:
- For females: 2 to 2 and a half cups per day
- For males: 3 to 3 and a half cups per day
- For nursing females: 5 to 6 cups per day;
- For active males: 4 cups per day
These amounts are applicable if you are feeding your dog a high-quality food like Taste of the Wilds Grain-Free Salmon with the right amounts of all the essential nutrients, as well as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Once again, if youre feeding your dog cheaper food, you will need to give him more because of the higher amount of fillers and fewer calories.
Your dog should be fed twice every day, with the meals being equally spaced. Whatever amount he should be eating per day should be divided into two for each meal. Usually, you will want to feed your dog once in the morning and once in the evening.