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.
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.
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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When And How To Change The Feeding Of Puppy To Adult
When your Golden Retriever is anywhere from 18 months to 24 months old, you should switch to adult dog food. The large breed puppies take a bit more time to attain adult development, and by two years of age, many of them are still growing.
Whenever your puppy reaches six months, you should begin feeding him twice per day, but you should keep him on puppy food until he reaches adult age.
It is always better to do this gradually as an abrupt switch may not be ideal. If you feed your dog twice per day, you can start giving him adult food mixed in with the one he is used to.
What Makes The Best Dog Food For Golden Retrievers
The Golden Retriever is a large-breed dog with a long body, soft medium-length coat, and a characteristic golden or golden-red color. Goldens excel at retrieving, swimming and hanging around the house. They typically live 11 years on average.
Goldens tend to be more moderate in energy level, depending on their personality. Some are go-go-go while others would prefer to be couch potatoes. Most prefer to spend their time playing fetch, Frisbee, swimming and snuggling.
Goldens tend to be very bonded to their family but friendly with strangers. They make the perfect companion for the active, outdoorsy family, ready to go on a hike or to the beach at a moments notice.
Golden retrievers also tend to be chow hounds and may want to eat you out of house and home. They can easily become counter surfers jumping on counter tops in the kitchen for an unsupervised snack or get caught chomping on a discarded apple core on the sidewalk.
Their healthy appetite can be a blessing and a curse. Most Goldens are not picky eaters, so they will typically enjoy any dog food you decide to give them. Golden retrievers are one of the easiest breeds to overfeed. Ive met many that are bottomless pits and will continuously beg or scavenge for whatever food you can provide.
That being saidit is important to prevent your Golden from becoming overweight or obese, and that starts with finding the best dog food for Golden Retrievers.
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Learn All About Grains In Pet Food
Grains? No grains? What are they and what do they mean for your dog or cat? Find out on this special Blue Buffalo Grain FAQ page.
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Dog Articles: Health
Puppy, adult and senior: all three stages are important times in your furry pals life when its appropriate to ask your veterinarian about your dogs diet.
Growth foods necessary at the puppy stage have higher protein levels and calorie counts to meet your pups developmental needs. But once your pup is six to 12 months old those needs change.
Thats usually when your puppy is nearing his adult height and can transition to adult food. Spaying or neutering usually occurs at this age as well, lowering your dogs need for increased energy; hence a reason to switch from puppy to adult dog food.
Breed size matters
Switching to adult food coincides with maturity, but due to the large variety of breeds, different dogs mature at different rates. Smaller breeds tend to mature faster than larger breeds:
Dogs up to 30 pounds mature around 10 to 12 months of age.
Some toy breeds can mature as early as seven to nine months old.
Medium breeds, up to 80 pounds, mature between 12 to 16 months.
Large breeds can mature at 12, 13, or even 14 months old.
Giant breed dogs can take up to two years to reach full maturity.
No more three squares a day
Most pet parents feed two half-portions of adult food when their dogs are over a year old.
Eyes on your furry friend. Not his food.
Switch slowly
How Much Food Should An Adult Golden Retriever Eat
Generally, the average amount of food an Adult Golden Retriever eats is around 3-5 cups a day. The problem is that each dog is different and will have its own specific needs. Factors like age, gender, energy levels, and lifestyles are all things that will increase or decrease the amount of food given. Also, some dog food recipes are high in calories and dont require as much per meal. When in doubt, consult with your veterinarian to prevent malnutrition or obesity, both of which can lead to more serious conditions if left unchecked.
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Your Guide To Preventing Disease By Choosing The Best Dog Food For Your Golden Retriever
- Stay away from artificial flavors, colors or preservatives such as propylene glycol
- Formulas should offer real meat or chicken instead of meat meal or chicken meal
- Must contain a good source of calcium
- Dog food formulas must meet AAFCO nutrient requirements for the correct life stage
- Must be manufactured by a reputable company
- Dog food formulas should offer antioxidants, healthy ingredients, Omega 3s, and the right amount of micro nutrients.
- The formula should not contain hormones or steroids
- Dog food should not be overly processed
- Dog food formulas should state which life stage they are intended for
- Ingredients should not contain unnamed meat sources
- Ingredients should contain veggies and fruit
Why Transition From Puppy Food To Adult Food
A puppy is super active and growing. When a puppy is growing, they need more nutrients and calories than an adult dog. Puppy foods have higher levels of fat and protein to help your dog grow and nutrients found in mothers milk. Puppy food is a bit like formula for babies.;
Puppy food is nutritionally dense with more calories and protein per cup.;
Proteins are the foundation for your puppy’s growth and are necessary for daily growth. Puppies need more protein than adult dogs because they are constantly growing and are generally more active.
Puppy foods also contain higher calories than adult food to compensate for the energy puppies use playing and growing. About half their calories they consume are spent on tissue growth.;
Rich puppy food can lead to excessive weight gain for adult dogs so its important to transition when the dog is an adult.
Rich puppy food can also lead to soft stools for an adult dog who no longer needs the extra proteins they once did.
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Golden Retriever Calorie Requirements
Golden Retrievers generally range in weight between;55;and;75;pounds. Based on the average weight of this breed, the National Research Council of the National Academies recommends between;989;and;1,272;calories daily for sedentary Golden Retrievers and between;1,353;and;1,740;calories per day for active Goldens.
Pregnant and nursing Goldens may require 2 to 4 times the calories of a normal healthy adult Golden as the mothers energy requirements increase after delivery and during lactation.
Purina Pro Plan Sport All Life Stages Performance 30/20 Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food
Top 5 Ingredients:;1. Chicken, 2. Rice, 3. Whole Grain Corn, 4. Fish Oil, 5. Fish Meal
Athletic dogs deserve a specific diet crafted to boost their performance. And that;diet is precisely;what the Purina Pro Plan Sport Performance 30/20 Dog Food aims to provide. It features a unique blend of 30% proteins and 20% fats that prompts muscle growth and nourishment while amplifying your golden retrievers energy level with fats.All of the dog foods ingredients are of the finest quality, including real chicken for proteins and numerous sources of fats. Moreover, the dog food also contains a bunch of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and glucosamine, which ensure that your retriever gets a complete and holistic diet.
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The Importance Of Specialty Recipes
One of the biggest mistakes new owners make is providing their puppy with standard adult formulas. While your Goldie will surely have no problem gobbling up any food you put in front of them, you may notice the consequences later on.
Puppy formulas are specifically formulated to meet the needs of growing dogs.
Despite their small size, Golden Retriever puppies need to eat significantly more calories than their adult counterparts. Furthermore, they have unique nutritional requirements that need to be met.
Puppies go through a rapid growth spurt during their first year of life. At about 16 weeks, most Golden Retrievers weigh approximately 30 pounds. By their first birthday, they will be close to their full adult weight of up to 75 pounds.
That fast development cycle requires a lot of fuel and a healthy diet filled with vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. Most puppy foods are packed with all the essentials. They typically contain more calories per bite as well, allowing your dog to gain healthy weight without becoming obese.
Royal Canin Maxi Starter
First five ingredients Rice, dehydrated poultry protein, animal fats, vegetable protein isolate* and hydrolysed animal proteins.
Type Grain-free
Best for Best Starter Foods for Golden Retriever Newborn
This Golden Retriever dog food is the ideal way to start your puppys food journey to adult.
Why we like this product
- Kibbles rehydrate to a porridge-like consistency that is appetizing for bitch and weaning puppies
- Designed in a way that it supports bitchs high energy needs at the end of gestation and throughout lactation
- Contains nutrients that support the puppys natural defences and digestive health
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Expert Tips For Canine Nutritional Management
- Understand your Goldens activity level
- Age plays a role when choosing a formula
- Your dogs breed needs to be taken in to consideration
- Assess your dogs medical condition
- Consult with your veterinarian for the best nutritional advice
- Look for brands that assist with nutritional management for dogs with medical conditions.
- Dog food formulas need to be tested using the AAFCO feeding trial testing methods instead of by formulation
- The nutritional adequacy statement needs to be on the label
- The dog food formula that you choose needs to be complete and balanced
- The formula needs to be for the correct life stage of the dog
When it comes to choosing the best dog food for your Golden Retriever, keep in mind that a high-quality dog food will have better results in helping to keep your Golden healthy than a lower quality dog food.
Goldens may have diseases which are heavily impacted by their diets like inflammatory bowel disease or atopic skin diseases. These can be helped by feeding the correct diet, since Goldens with health conditions will need to follow a diet that is appropriate to their medical conditions. Always consult with your veterinarian for advice before changing diets.
How Long To Feed Puppy Food
Puppies need a complete and balanced puppy food until they reach maturity. Although dogs who are one year or older are often considered adults, this isnt always the case.
For dogs, adulthood depends more on breed size than their age. Because large and giant breeds take longer to mature, they need to eat puppy food longer than small- or medium-sized breeds.
Heres how long to feed puppy food based on breed sizes:
- Toy and Small Breed Dogs: Many toy and small breed dogs weigh less than 20 pounds at maturity and reach this size between 9 and 10 months of age.
- Medium Dog Breeds: Medium-sized dogs weigh between 21 and 50 pounds at maturity. They tend to reach maturity around 12 months of age.
- Large & Giant Breeds: Large breeds and giant breeds weigh between 50 and 100 pounds, respectively, and can take 18 months to 2 full years to reach maturity. They need to eat puppy food longer than small- and medium-sized breeds.
If you have a mixed breed dog or arent sure how big your dog will be at maturity, its best to consult with your veterinarian. They can tell you when to switch to an adult dog food and help make it a successful transition.
As puppies get older and reach maturity, it is important to monitor their food consumption. Leftovers in a bowl could signal that your puppy is getting full and needs less calories throughout the day. Start by offering less food per feeding and continue to monitor his body condition, says Purina Nutritionist Karina Carbo-Johnson, MS.
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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.
Dangerous Foods For Golden Retriever Puppies
Golden retrievers are special dogs. Some foods that Golden Retrievers should stay away from are:
- Avocado They contain persin, which is an oil-soluble toxin, They can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes death for dogs who are highly sensitive.;
- Chocolate Chocolate, has a substance called theobromine, which can have a detrimental effect on your dog.;
- Grapes and raisins Grapes and raisins can cause serious complications like kidney failure and even death if your dog eats them.
- Xylitol This can be found in gum, candies, baked good,s or other sugar-substituted items.;
Some other foods that you should look out for are Pips, seeds, and stones, Mushrooms, Nuts, Unripe tomatoes, Onions and garlic,; Nutmeg, Broccoli,; Rhubarb, Potatoes plants, Persimmon seeds.
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Purina Pro Plan Large
The top five ingredients are chicken, rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, and poultry by-product meal. The dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 32 percent protein.
It also contains 15 percent fat and 45 percent estimated carbs. This yields a fat-to-protein ratio of about 47 percent.
Its listed as a time-proven field-tested formula with balanced calcium levels ideal for large and giant breed puppies.;
This is a budget-friendly food that many people recommend.; This formula is highly-ranked and has been a favorite with consumers.
Purina Pro Plan is what we are currently feeding our guide dog puppies.
But, as is true of the adult Pro Plan food listed above, 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.
How To Switch From Puppy Food To Adult Food In 7 Steps
Here is how you can switch from puppy food to adult food step by step
- Start small: Only introduce adult dog food in small amounts
- Do some maths: If you are going to add ¼ cup of the adult food, remove ¼ cup from their current puppy food
- Gradually increase the portion of adult food and decrease the puppy food one every day in an unnoticeable amount while repeating the last step;
- When you reach the mid-week, you can make their meal 50% adult food and 50% puppy food
- In that time you need to watch your dogs weight closely;for any changes
- In that time you need to determine their body type and the amount of adult food they need.
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