Healthiest Diet For Golden Retriever?

[kwirky]

Hi,

We are getting a puppy at christmas time and would like some advise on the best diet to give them. My vet indicated that dry food is the best, and should make up about 70% of a dogs diet (but obviously need to feel puppy ones for the little doggy).

What is the general consensus re canned food etc?

Thanks

[poodlefan]

Hi,

We are getting a puppy at christmas time and would like some advise on the best diet to give them. My vet indicated that dry food is the best, and should make up about 70% of a dogs diet (but obviously need to feel puppy ones for the little doggy).

What is the general consensus re canned food etc?

Thanks

The best diet for a GR pup will be one that ensures slow growth and lean body mass. A fat pup is an invitation to joint issues.

With all due respect to your vet, there are many ways of ensuring a good diet for a growing pup and kibble is only one of them. You can feed raw or a combination of raw and kibble. But consider for a moment how a growing pups is supposed to exercise jaw muscles UNLESS it gets fed some food that really works the jaw. That means bones.

The person I'd be taking my advice from would be the pup's breeder assuming you're buying a registered pup from a responsible person that's health tested its parents.

IMO canned food is a very expensive way to buy water and to put foul smelling poo in your back yard. :D

My personal choice would be to feed a premium kibble supplemented by raw meaty bones. An all raw diet that has been carefully researched is an excellent diet and many breeders raise pups that way.

Edited September 16, 2010 by poodlefan

[kwirky]

Thanks so much.

Yes we are getting the pup from a breeder which we found through the Golden Retriever Association. I will definitely look into whatever they advise.

When you say raw, do you mean raw meat? What meat is good to give long term, even after they grow up?

[poodlefan]

Thanks so much.

Yes we are getting the pup from a breeder which we found through the Golden Retriever Association. I will definitely look into whatever they advise.

When you say raw, do you mean raw meat? What meat is good to give long term, even after they grow up?

A balanced raw diet is mostly meat on bones that can be chewed up and digested by the dog. Most folk feed chicken joints and/or carcasses, lamb ribs and necks and smaller beef bones. Rabbit is great too! This diet often includes vegetables pulped and fed with mix. If you google BARF diet and prey model diet (or search for them on here) you'll get the idea. Personally I'm not a fan of a prey model diet for pups but others will dispute that.

Don't let the Vet sells you Hills Science Diet - its overpriced and not great quality. I'd suggest you head over to the Golden Retriever thread and ask other owners/breeders what they feed.

Edited September 16, 2010 by poodlefan

[Golden Rules]

Thanks so much.

Yes we are getting the pup from a breeder which we found through the Golden Retriever Association. I will definitely look into whatever they advise.

When you say raw, do you mean raw meat? What meat is good to give long term, even after they grow up?

ANy raw meat is good, as long as it's not alive when they eat it.

Just note that for the first month or so after your puppy comes home, you should stick to whatever the breeder has been feeding so as to avoid possible tummy upsets.

My puppy will be fed a combo of raw and kibble (just for convenience sake), and the first bones he will get will be a chicken drumstick or chicken wing. Once he is bigger he will get a whole chicken carcass for breakfast eavery day :D

[kwirky]

Thank you so much!

[GoldenGirl85]

My girl gets kibble for breakfast (Royal Canin Golden Retriever, she was on Lab Jr but I decided to put her on the adult formula early), and pet mince (minced chicken frames) for dinner, once a week she gets sardines for dinner and on occasion Ill give her a whole chicken frame...depending on how much room I have in the freezer