Choosing the Right Food Diet for Golden Retrievers

There are a bunch of different options for your golden retrievers’ diets. It can be difficult to find “one right way” to feed your pet. Many people will tell you not to buy commercial food while others say that making your own food while deprive your pet of a variety of vitamins and supplements that only commercial food can efficiently give your pet.

Anyone who wants to know how to best feed their animal needs to do a lot of research. You will have to weigh what all of the experts have to say and form your own opinion.

Choosing the right food for your dog requires a lot of common sense and research. Any extreme suggestion of how to feed your animal should be met with a touch of skepticism and rarely followed through upon. You cannot be influenced by horror stories and unusual situations.

Even those who dislike giving their Golden Retrievers commercial dog food can agree that there are some common vitamins that all dogs require. Dogs are naturally carnivores and they prefer to eat meat. All dogs do have the capacity to digest vegetable and grain matter and need to have this matter to get some of their vital nutrients.

Wolves in the wild will not only eat the meat, but also the internal organs of their prey. This way, they are getting the additional nutrients they need, as the internal organs will contain these vegetable and grain materials. Since Golden Retrievers and other dogs are related to wolves, they eat in a similar fashion and need similar supplements.

The diet of a Golden Retriever should have a substantial percentage of meat and a minimum amount of grain. Both wet and dry commercial dog food have this recipe and this is why most owners buy it for its convenience and appropriately portioned food.

The ingredients of your commercial dog food are always listed on the sides of the bag or can. Kibble, or dry dog food, will generally have 20 – 30% meat protein in a form that is dehydrated, usually chicken or lamb meal. This percentage has been supplemented with Vitamin E in order to keep the meat from spoiling.

Rice is often the next ingredient. Sometimes they use inexpensive rice kernels, but ground rice is typically preferred for your pet. Most commercial dog foods will have corn or wheat gluten in it. Some will even have wheat flour. Many dogs have allergies to these products, especially your Golden Retriever. If you see your animal excessively licking their face, scratching or rubbing their heads against the grass, they could be having an allergic reaction. They can also bite at areas of their skin that itch from the allergies.

Of course, your dog is going to scratch and lick its face no matter what it is fed. They can always have itches or lick their face after a meal. But if you see these actions repeatedly performed excessively, it can be a sign that they are allergic and you should remove the starch or germ product.

Corn gluten meal especially should be kept low in their diet. This is a plant protein that will slow down chemical activity. Some commercial dog foods contain the meat by-products, including beaks, necks and intestines of animals. These should be avoided for your dog. Thousands of dogs eat commercial dog food every day without problem and our standards will rise to ensure our dog’s food stays healthy to keep them happy.

More Articles on Golden Retriever Care: