Golden retrievers are one of the most iconic and beloved dog breeds around today, and these pups are known for their high energy levels and food-motivated attitudes. Your golden retriever will be playful, loving, and curious, and it’s important that you give your dog a nutritionally sound diet to ensure that they stay happy and healthy. Our guide gives you a quick overview of the best dry dog food for golden retrievers, so you can start thinking about the best food for your pup.
Is Dry Dog Food the Best for My Golden Retriever?
Your golden retriever can benefit from eating only dry dog food or fresh dog food, or they may enjoy a mix of both types of food. The specific type of food that can be considered best for your dog is one that fits your budget needs, suits your dog’s health needs, and one that your golden retriever enjoys. With so many different options on the market, it might take a little bit of trial and error to find the perfect dry dog food for you and your dog.
How Much Should I Feed My Golden Retriever?
Your golden retriever should eat a varying amount of food each day depending on their age, size, activity level, and the caloric content of the food you choose. In general, your golden retriever will need around three cups of food a day as an adult dog; puppies need slightly less food with a different nutritional makeup to support their growth, and senior golden retrievers will need slightly less food to complement their lower activity levels. If you’re unsure about portion sizes or calorie needs, it helps to understand how much do golden retrievers weigh, their weight plays a major role in determining the right feeding amount and maintaining a healthy diet.
Best Dry Dog Food for Golden Retrievers
The best dry dog food for golden retrievers contains a balanced nutritional makeup, limited additives (such as artificial colors and flavors that can upset your dog’s stomach), and a healthy caloric content. If your dog shows signs of food sensitivities, make sure that you select a food made with a protein that they can tolerate; novel proteins like rabbit tend to be a better choice than something like chicken in many dogs with food sensitivities.
Our recommendations for the best dry dog food for golden retrievers include:
- Small Batch Freeze Dried Dry Dog Food – This formula is made for all life stages and has no synthetic supplementation.
- Steve’s Real Food Freeze Dried Dog Food With Probiotics – This formula can support your dog’s digestive health due to the addition of probiotics, in the form of goats milk
- Open Farm Sustainable Adult Dry Dog Food – A popular and humane choice that offers your dog all of the nutrition they need while being the only certified humane pet food company in the world.
- Stella and Chewy’s Freeze Dried Dinner Patty Dog Food – Great for golden retrievers who show sensitivity to grain-heavy diets.
Of course, this list is not exhaustive, and other types of dry dog food can be suitable for your golden retriever. Make sure to conduct ample research on your dog’s food before choosing a brand to ensure your dog receives all of the nutrients and calories they need in each meal; this detailed guide is a great place to start.
When Should I Seek Guidance About My Dog’s Diet?
If you have concerns about your dog’s diet, such as being worried that your dog is showing signs of food sensitivities or being unable to balance your dog’s diet to avoid obesity, you can seek out the guidance of a Certified Professional Canine Nutritionist. They can help you tailor the food recommendations to your dog and help assist with a food elimination diet if there is a suspected trigger food.
Common signs of food sensitivities in golden retrievers include itching, digestive upset, throwing up and loose stools. Your Certified Professional Canine Nutritionist can guide you when it comes to establishing a healthy diet for your dog or giving you food supplementation to get your golden retriever’s health and diet on track.
Ensuring Your Golden Retriever Stays Healthy
Ensuring your golden retriever stays healthy takes a combination of understanding your dog’s care needs, making sure they get enough exercise, and feeding them a healthy diet. Picking a dry dog food that your dog not only enjoys, but also provides the right nutrients and calories to get them through their day, is essential.
You can review our suggestions for the best dry dog food for golden retrievers above, and make sure to feed the dog in front of you.
