Golden Retrievers, known for their friendly nature and loyalty, are a popular breed. Like all breeds, Golden Retrievers have specific nutritional needs. Many owners are now turning to raw food diets to optimize their Golden Retrievers' health and well-being. This comprehensive guide explores the benefits of a raw diet for Golden Retrievers, provides practical advice on how to implement it, and addresses common concerns.
Understanding the Raw Diet
A raw diet consists of uncooked, unprocessed foods, mirroring the ancestral diet of canines. It typically includes raw muscle meat, bones, and organs, and may also incorporate raw or lightly processed fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. This approach aligns with the "clean eating" concept for dogs, emphasizing fresh, real foods.
What is a Raw Diet?
A raw diet is comprised of raw meat, bones, and organs. It may also include raw or slightly processed fruits, veggies, seeds, and nuts.
Why Feed Raw?
The benefits of feeding a raw diet include:
- Cleaner Teeth and Fresher Breath: Raw bones, in particular, help to naturally clean teeth and reduce bad breath.
- Reduced "Doggie Odor": A raw diet can lead to a less intense dog smell.
- Smaller, Less Smelly Stools: Raw food is more digestible, resulting in less waste.
- Healthier Skin and Coat: The natural oils and nutrients in raw food contribute to a shinier coat and healthier skin.
- Potential Disease Prevention: Some proponents believe a raw diet can reduce the risk of common diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, although more research is needed.
Safety Considerations: Bones, Salmonella, and Bacteria
Are Bones Okay for Dogs to Eat?
Raw, size-appropriate bones are safe and beneficial for dogs. They provide essential calcium and help maintain dental hygiene. Cooked or smoked bones are prone to splintering and are not safe.
Read also: Best Food for Golden Retrievers
What About Salmonella and Bacteria?
Dogs are designed to eat raw meat, and their bodies are equipped to handle bacteria like Salmonella. Their gut flora and stomach acid help to neutralize harmful pathogens. However, it's crucial to source high-quality, fresh meat and avoid feeding spoiled or rotten meat. It is important to note that 18% of all dogs carry salmonella as part of their gut flora.
Implementing a Raw Diet for Your Golden Retriever
How Much to Feed
A good starting point is 2-3% of your dog's ideal adult body weight per day. This is just a guideline, as individual needs vary based on activity level and metabolism.
Can You Feed Kibble and Raw?
There are no studies proving that it is bad to feed kibble and raw in the same meal. Even if you can only provide fresh food for half of your dog's diet you will be increasing there health dramatically.
Three Ways to Feed a Balanced Raw Diet
- Pre-made: Purchasing a pre-made version. While this may be more expensive, when purchasing from a reputable source you will not have to worry about making sure it is balanced or preparing meals. These meals are typically packaged individually or in patties.
- Follow a Recipe: The next option is purchasing a recipe from a raw feeding coach and putting the meals together yourself. This is as close to DIY as you can get while still ensuring you get a balanced diet. I recommend purchasing three or more recipe's containing two or more proteins so that you can alternate them and be sure to get the variety in your dog's diet that they need.
- D.I.Y.: The third option is completely DIY. While this is the most inexpensive it also requires the most time to prep. IDO NOT recommend doing a DIY plan until you feel comfortable and confident that you understand your dog's dietary needs.
Sourcing Ingredients
Where you source your ingredients is just as important as the ingredients. For example if you purchase your meat from a grocery store it has most likely been injected with a saline solution to extend its shelf life. Although I do not know the extent of how this could damage your dog's body I do know it can cause diarrhea and upsets tummy. Some raw feeders will offer to take freezer burn meat from hunters. While I don't think this will hurt your dog you're definitely not getting as many vitamins and minerals as you would with more fresh un-freezer burnt meat.
Ideally you would be able to find grass-fed organically raised meat that was processed and Frozen with no preservatives added. With that said I do believe a balanced raw diet of freezer burnt non-organic meat is still better than any kibble!
Read also: Feeding Your Goldendoodle
Interesting fact: Studies have shown that a organically raised chicken breast has 38+ more types of omega-3s then a commercially raised chicken breast.
Different Raw Diet Models: BARF vs. PMR
Two common raw diet models exist:
- BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food): This model includes raw muscle meat, soft raw bones, liver, other secreting organs, vegetables, raw seeds and nuts, and fruit. BARF diets consist of raw muscle meat to provide essential protein, amino acids, and water-soluble vitamins.
- PMR (Prey Model Raw): This model focuses on mimicking the proportions of a whole prey animal, typically excluding plant matter.
The BARF model diet is the most common and popular raw diet for dogs. BARF diet feeding ratios are slightly different from PMR diet ratios to include vegetables, seeds, and fruit. It is important to note the muscle meat ratio does not mean to feed muscle meat exclusively.
Key Components of a BARF Diet
- Muscle Meat: Provides protein, amino acids, and water-soluble vitamins. Raw muscle meat is the foundation of a raw diet and will make up the majority of your dog’s raw meals. It supplies the nutrients necessary for a complete and balanced diet, including protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.
- Raw Meaty Bones: Offer calcium, phosphorus, and other essential nutrients. The amount of raw meaty bones a dog may need to maintain firm and consistent stool will vary. The 10% ratio is a starting guideline. However, many dogs do well on 12% to 15% raw edible bone content.
- Liver: An important ingredient in BARF diets to provide essential fat-soluble vitamin A and water-soluble vitamins. The 5% liver ratio is a starting guideline and this amount of liver provides more than recommended allowances for vitamin A.
- Other Secreting Organs: Beneficial for providing essential minerals and water-soluble vitamins. Other secreting organs are beneficial in completing essential NRC nutritional requirements for dogs.
- Vegetables: Provide essential nutrients and beneficial phytochemicals. Vegetables are beneficial in completing essential nutrient requirements for dogs.
- Seeds and Nuts: Offer essential minerals, fatty acids, and fat-soluble vitamins. Seeds and nuts are beneficial for completing essential nutrient requirements for dogs, but they must be pre-soaked and ground for feeding. Raw nuts and seeds contain phytates which are anti-nutrients that can negatively affect nutritional balance. Soaking raw seeds and nuts reduce phytates and grinding promotes optimal digestion.
- Fruit: Includes beneficial ingredients in BARF diets to provide antioxidants, but they are fed in small amounts due to their sugar levels.
The Role of Vegetables and Fruits
The inclusion of plant ingredients in raw diets for dogs can create a debate among many. Dogs cannot digest vegetables. Dogs can fully digest and absorb the nutrients from plant ingredients when they are prepared in a method to support optimal digestion. Puréeing raw, non-starchy vegetables is the easiest and most recommended method of preparation. Additionally, lightly steaming or fermenting vegetables are alternative preparation methods to promote optimal digestion. If starchy vegetables are selected to feed, they must be thoroughly cooked before feeding. Boiling or baking starchy vegetables until fully cooked allows the starch to become digestible for dogs.
Vegetables and fruit are not needed for essential nutrients. It is correct to say that vegetables and fruit are not needed for essential nutrients, but they do play a beneficial role in completing nutritional requirements in diets. Vegetables and fruit provide carbohydrates which can be used as a source of energy as well as fiber to support vitamin K synthesization and colon health.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Vegetables prove useful when completing nutrient requirements in PMR meals. Leafy greens are high in magnesium, which is a nutrient often deficient in PMR model meals. Additionally, specific diets with ingredient restrictions rely on plant ingredients to complete nutritional gaps where needed. An example is low purine diets where organ meats are not fed. Therefore, the use of plant ingredients is warranted to create a complete and balanced diet.
Plant ingredients are not beneficial. Vegetables and fruit contain carotenoids, flavonoids, antioxidants, and many other phytochemicals that are beneficial to immune function and health.
Golden Retriever-Specific Nutritional Needs
Golden Retrievers thrive on a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Additionally, Goldens are extremely prone to allergies. A naturally limited-ingredient raw diet like We Feed Raw makes it easier to avoid common dog food allergens, while our fatty acid-rich food also helps improve the skin and coat health of dogs who itch due to environmental allergens or dry skin.
The Importance of Diet and Exercise
Golden Retrievers are prone to obesity, making a healthy diet and regular exercise crucial. Studies suggest that dogs lose more body fat and retain more muscle mass on high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets than they do on high-carb diets with an equal calorie value. Carbohydrates seem to be a bigger contributor to obesity in dogs than fat. While dogs have evolved some ability to digest carbohydrates, they never evolved a NEED for carbs in their diet. Like their wolf ancestors, dogs are still biologically designed to get their nutritional needs met from a diet rich in animal protein.
Age-Appropriate Raw Diets
Growing Golden Retriever puppies, active adult dogs, and slower senior dogs all have different nutritional needs, so they may need different types of dog food.
Best Dog Food for Golden Retriever Puppy
Since Golden Retrievers are prone to hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and obesity, their diet must ensure they grow at a slow and steady pace. Growing too quickly can cause or exacerbate numerous joint problems.
Best Dog Food for Adult Golden Retrievers
Since Goldens are prone to obesity, you’ll want to feed a low-carb, high-protein diet to keep your adult Golden Retriever in prime shape. In a survey, 90% of our customers reported that their dogs maintained a healthy weight on We Feed Raw, making our food an excellent choice for adult Golden Retrievers.
Best Dog Food For Senior Golden Retrievers
As Golden Retrievers age, they tend to slow down and require less food to maintain their weight. It’s critical that the food they eat be high in protein to help them maintain their muscle mass without gaining life-shortening weight. Studies show that overweight or obese dogs die up to 2 1/2 years younger than dogs of a healthy weight.
Not only is We Feed Raw fantastic for weight control, but it’s also rich in fatty acids that may help your Golden Retriever’s joints feel better as they age.
Special Dietary Considerations
While not all of the health issues Golden Retrievers are prone to can be prevented, lessened, or managed by diet, allergies and weight management are two things that are highly influenced by diet.
Allergies and Sensitivities
Golden Retrievers commonly experience skin allergies and may struggle with food allergies. Dry dog food often contains dozens of ingredients, making it difficult to avoid food allergens. On the other hand, We Feed Raw’s recipes are made from only one or two meat sources with some added vitamins and minerals.
If your Golden’s allergies are environmental rather than food-oriented, We Feed Raw is still an excellent choice. Chock-full of fatty acids, our food is great for skin and coat health.
Weight Management and Obesity
Contrary to what diet culture has been telling us for decades, fat is NOT the enemy; at least not when it comes to our dogs’ diets. Carbohydrates are the true problem, and high-protein diets like species-appropriate We Feed Raw can help your Golden Retriever lose excess weight and maintain a healthy weight. That, in turn, will help give you more years with them.
Feeding Practices and Portion Control
It can be hard to know exactly how much to feed your Golden Retriever because every dog is unique and has different needs. That’s why, when you sign up for a We Feed Raw meal plan, we ask questions about your dog’s age, breed, weight, body condition, and more. Then, we’ll tell you how much you should feed your Golden every day.
We’ll even show you how to portion the patty for your dog’s perfect daily dose of food, which you can break up into as many (or as few) meals per day as you would like. Some people like the convenience of once-daily feeding, while others break up their pup’s daily dose into two or more meals per day.
We Feed Raw is easy to feed when and how you want to. For high-energy, food-motivated dogs like Golden Retrievers, you can freeze part of their daily dose in a Kong, Toppl, or other enrichment toy to extend mealtime or keep them busy while you’re gone.
Transitioning to a Raw Diet
Transitioning is the single most important factor influencing your success with a raw diet. Just like people, some dogs handle a change in diet with ease. Others may be more sensitive, hitting a few speed bumps along the way. That’s why it’s important to choose the correct transition option for your dog. Doing so ensures a smooth and effortless switch to a raw diet (and a healthier lifestyle).
Transitioning Tips
- Gradual Introduction: Mix small amounts of raw food with your dog's current food, gradually increasing the proportion of raw food over 7-10 days.
- Monitor Stool: Changes in stool consistency are normal during the transition. If diarrhea occurs, slow down the transition process.
- Digestive Support: Consider using a digestive supplement to ease the transition and support gut health.
Supplements
Whole foods are amazing, clean, unprocessed sources of nutrition. But they may not always be enough for your dog’s needs. Supplements help us fill in those gaps. They can also boost your dog’s nutrition to optimum levels, support specific organ systems, and can aid in healing and recovery when it comes to a wide range of health ailments, diseases, and disorders.
- Eggshell powder for dogs
Foods to Avoid
Golden Retrievers should not eat (or drink):
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Grapes
- Macadamia nuts
- Nutmeg
- Onions
- Raisins
- Xylitol
- Yeast dough
Additional Tips for Success
- Ensure Freshness: Use high-quality, fresh ingredients.
- Proper Handling: Practice safe food handling to prevent bacterial contamination.
- Variety: Offer a variety of protein sources to ensure a balanced diet.
- Monitor Weight: Adjust portion sizes to maintain a healthy weight.
- Consult a Vet: Work with a veterinarian or canine nutritionist to ensure your dog's individual needs are met.
- NOTE No matter what diet you are feeding it is a great idea to do a blood test to ensure you are providing your individual puppy/dog with all the nutrients he or she needs. I recommend doing a CBC and a CHEM PANEL one to two times a year.
- It is good practice to put a golden on place or in a kennel for 30-60 min of quiet time after a meal. This will greatly reduce the risk of bloat.
- Want to learn more: I highly recommend the book give dog a bone by Dr Ian Billinghurst.
- Healthy Weight: Letting your dog get over weight especially while he/she is still growing can put strain on the growing bones and joints. This could potentially cause hip dysplasia and/or elbow dysplasia even if the puppy comes from a great blood line that has no history of dysplasia. It can also put stress on their organs potentially causing life threatening problems with their heart, thyroid, or pancreas just to name a few. Keeping your dog at a ideal body weight will allow his/her body to function the way it is meant to. It will also allow your dog to live a longer, happier, more fulfilling life.
- You should be able to easily feel ribs but when you run your hand over their back they should not feel spiny. :NOTE It is better for a dog to be slightly under weight than over weight.
- If you can see your dogs ribs and hip bones he/she is under weight. This can put strain on hes/her organs and his/her body may try pulling nutrition from his/her muscles and bones to try to survive.
- If you have increased his/her calories and he/she has not gained weight there may be something not working properly and you should seek advice from a reputable vet.
- PLEASE NOTE Please note we are not veterinarians.
Conclusion
Switching your Golden Retriever to a raw diet can be a transformative decision, leading to improved health and vitality. By understanding the principles of raw feeding, addressing safety concerns, and tailoring the diet to your dog's specific needs, you can unlock the full potential of ancestral nutrition and provide your Golden Retriever with a long, happy, and healthy life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What type of food is considered the best dog food for Golden Retrievers?
The best dog food for Golden Retrievers is a complete and balanced raw diet.
How do I choose the best dog food for a puppy Golden Retriever?
Golden Retriever puppies thrive on a high-protein, low-carb raw diet. At We Feed Raw, we send you nutritionally complete and balanced meals and tell you how much to feed to ensure your Golden puppy grows at the perfect rate.
How can I find the best dog food for Golden Retrievers with allergies?
The best dog food for Golden Retrievers with allergies is a naturally limited-ingredient raw dog food.
Are there specific brands that offer the best dog foods for Golden Retrievers?
We Feed Raw offers the best dog foods for Golden Retrievers because we have high-protein, low-carb, species-appropriate recipes that are delicious and easy to feed.
Is there a difference between the best dog food for a Golden Retriever and the best dog food for a puppy Golden Retriever?
Sometimes. Some dog foods are only certified for adult dogs or puppies. However, We Feed Raw meets AAFCO nutrition requirements for dogs of all life stages, including the growth of large breed puppies like Golden Retrievers.
Which dog food should I choose for my senior Golden Retriever?
Since they are so prone to obesity and joint problems, senior Golden Retrievers do best on a low-carb raw diet that’s rich in fatty acids. We Feed Raw is nutritionally complete, delicious, and an overall excellent choice for senior Goldens.