Healthy Dog Food For Golden Retrievers ... 3 Details To Consider

What is the best healthy dog food for Golden Retrievers? This is a question we will answer within this article and take a look at three details that you may want to consider in choosing a healthy choice. With so many products on the market today, all claiming to be the best, keep in mind that there are nutritional needs specific to the Golden Retriever breed.  Let’s now take a look at these needs (details) associated with a healthy diet.

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1. Healthy Dog Food For Golden Retrievers … Life Stages

• Puppy (Up to 12 Months) – Like most puppies, the Golden Retriever will grow and develop very quickly. To support this growth it is essential that you select a puppy food product that is nutritional and wholesome. The Golden Retriever pups are extremely active and energetic , and require a diet with this in mind. We will take a look at their nutritional needs just below.
• Adult  (1 to 7 Years) – The adult Golden Retriever will tend to slow down just a bit, but still possess a high energy level. Unfortunately, this specific breed may develop health issues during this life stage, although a quality diet and scheduled visits to your local veterinarian will significantly reduce these concerns. A nutritious and healthy dog food product is critical during this life cycle as well.
• Senior (7 Years and Up) – The Golden Retriever, during this stage, will show signs of the aging process. They may play less, sleep more,  with decreased metabolism. In addition, you may find that your pet is beginning, or has some joint health and mobility issues, which an appropriate food choice may help to alleviate some discomfort.

2. Nutritional Content … What To Look For

As mentioned earlier, Golden Retrievers are a bundle of energy, who enjoy an active lifestyle. As a result of this characteristic, the Golden Retriever breed should be provided with a high-quality diet. Quality recipes should contain a source of healthy proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins.

Look for dog food brands that are labeled as AAFCO approved. This approval is certified, meaning that this specific product meets and maintain a higher standard from what is required from law. For those unfamiliar with AAFCO or the AAFCO label, this article will be beneficial. In addition to this, choose a dog food product that has been formulated for the appropriate life stage and breed size. 

A nutritional diet for the Golden Retriever should be one that is complete and well-balanced. In addition to the AAFCO statement you will find on a pet food label, you should also find a nutritional statement as well. Here is that statement: “The Nutritional Adequacy Statement must state which life stage or stages the pet food product is developed and suitable for. The life stages for cats and dogs include gestation/lactation, growth, maintenance, and all life stages. It’s important pet owners select the appropriate life stage for their pet.” As a lifelong dog owner myself, finding the AAFCO and Nutritional Adequacy Statement on a product label, should bring a great deal of confidence to you!

3. Healthy Dog Food For Golden Retrievers … What Are The Healthy Ingredients?

Protein

 As we have already discussed above, the Golden Retriever breed is one that displays a high level of energy. In short, they play hard! As a result of this, owners of this dog breed should consider a recipe that contains a high quality protein (Chicken, Beef, Fish, Duck, etc.) A dog food formula that lists one of these proteins at number one. Here’s an example of this:

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Yellow Peas, Cracked Pearled Barley, Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Whole Grain Sorghum, Egg Product, Chicken Fat, Soybean Oil, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Liver Flavor, Lactic Acid, Flaxseed, Pork Liver Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate,

Complex Carbohydrates

Another source of energy, these carbohydrates also play a vital role in your pet’s well-being. These ingredients are digested more slowly, which helps to release this energy over a period of time. Finding a dog food product that contains a combination of ingredients that include oats, brown rice, and barley are beneficial to both energy and digestion. Here’s an example of this that you can find in a quality dog food label:

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley, Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 & 6 Fatty Acids), Dried Yeast, Salt, Direct Dehydrated Alfalfa Pellets, Potassium Chloride, Dried Chicory Root, Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, L-Threonine, DL-Methionine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Dried Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Taurine, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Sulfate, Vegetable Juice for color, Ferrous Sulfate, Shorten with AI

Healthy Fats

When you think of the role of healthy fats within your Golden Retriever’s diet, consider such things as flaxseed oil and fish oil to name a few. These healthy fats are directly involved with both the Omega-3 fatty acids and Omega-6 fatty acids that provide the following: 

Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Helps to maintain a healthy skin and coat, joint and muscular support, heart health, and brain development including your pet’s cognitive function.

Omega-6 Fatty Acids – Also assists with your Golden Retriever’s dog coat keeping it shiny, supports the immune system, cell structure and function. Here is an example of this type of ingredient label:

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Peas, Pea Starch, Miscanthus Grass, Natural Flavor, Dried Tomato Pomace, Potato Starch, Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 & 6 Fatty Acids), Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Yeast, Direct Dehydrated Alfalfa Pellets, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Dried Chicory Root, Choline Chloride, Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate, L-Threonine, DL-Methionine, Taurine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Dried Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, L-Carnitine, 

Healthy Dog Food For Golden Retrievers … Some Great Choices

Okay, now that we have a good grasp on what healthy dog food should look like, let’s take a look at a few healthy choices for your Golden Retriever. You will notice that these are not only popular brands, but they also contain the ingredients we just discussed above. You will find a healthy source of protein, carbohydrates, and fats in these products below. Let’s take a look:

 1.) Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Golden Retriever Puppy Dry Dog Food 

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3.) Wellness Complete Health Adult Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe

Details

• Specially formulated to provide whole-body nutritional support.
• Developed without any GMOs, meat by-products, fillers or artificial preservatives.
• Supported by omega fatty acids, antioxidants, glucosamine, probiotics and taurine.
• Crafted using carefully chosen ingredients that include premium proteins and wholesome grains.
• Made in the USA using only the finest globally sourced ingredients.

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4.) ORIJEN Senior Grain-Free Dry

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Final Thoughts

Did you know that the Golden Retriever, according to the American Kennel Club, was the third most popular AKC-recognized breed of 2022? This popularity can certainly be contributed to the number of unique characteristics the Golden Retriever displays. Without question, this specific breed can be found in households across the country!

In this article, we focused our attention on healthy dog food for golden retrievers, and specific ingredients to look for in making our choice. We looked at the nutritional needs of the Golden Retriever in various life cycles, (puppy to senior) and specific ingredients essential to their overall well-being. 

Hopefully, this article has brought you some value and will benefit your search in finding the best dog food product for your Golden Retriever. You have been presented with a number of quality products that should be considered. These are popular brands with dog owners everywhere that understand the importance of pet nutrition. To the health of your Golden Retriever!

Disclaimer

For those unfamiliar with dog food grain-free recipes, there has and is a controversy taking place as I write this article. The FDA has madeetween the grain-free diet and heart disease within dogs. For further information, the American Kennel Club has provided further details. Click here.

Disclaimer

The purpose of this site and articles are intended to provide a source of entertainment and information. As a dog owner and dog lover myself, I enjoy researching dog food products on the market to provide you with helpful insights. I am not a veterinarian nor an animal nutritionist, just a dog owner who wants to provide a healthy lifestyle to their pet. I use my research to express an opinion which may or may not be one you agree with.

eathealthydoggy.com assumes no responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of what’s written on this site. You should always consult with a veterinarian if you should have questions regarding your dog’s diet or overall health.