What Is The Best Dog Food For Golden Retrievers?

Golden Retrievers are some of the most popular dogs in America. In fact, according to the American Kennel Club, Golden Retrievers rank as number 3rd in popularity out of 195 total dog breeds. If you have a Golden Retriever, you likely know how fantastic these dogs are. They're friendly, loyal, and brilliant dogs. As such, you'll want to feed them the best Golden Retriever dog food, so they'll have a long life filled with happiness and playfulness. Additionally, the right diet can protect against common illnesses that these dogs face.

What is the best dog food for Golden Retrievers? Here are our top picks.

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula: Adult Large Breed

This food is one of the best there is, mostly because chicken is the first ingredient. That fact alone means that this food has lots of protein (22%!), which Golden Retrievers need. However, the makers of this food don't stop with proteins. It also includes multiple vitamins and other compounds to promote joint, bone, and coat health. It's one of the most well-balanced foods out there. 

Of course, many people trust Blue Buffalo to provide quality food for their dogs, and in this formula, the makers don't disappoint!

Nutro Lamb and Rice: Adult Large Breed

Nutro has one of the best dry dog foods for Golden Retrievers in their lamb and rice formula. Your dog will likely love this food. Even though it's not hypoallergenic, because it's lamb, it can sometimes avoid allergies - if your particular pup is prone to that. 

One of the best aspects of this formula is that they have done a fantastic job packing in as much protein as possible. With 21% protein and a mere 13% fat, this food will provide your dog with as much nutrition as possible!

There are no by-products or fillers. The bag that you get from Nutro is full of goodness for your dog, and it will show with a clean, smooth coat and a healthier physique!

Science Diet: Adult Large Breed

Science Diet is a brand that many veterinarians will trust. Their formula for large breeds shows why. With 20.5% protein and 12% fat, this dog food is perfect for your growing Golden Retriever. The top ingredient is chicken, but the elements that follow are also natural, including whole grain wheat and cracked pearl barley.

This particular dog food is also very well-made. It provides lots of nutrition in a tasty package, making it one of the best dog foods for Golden Retrievers.

What's the Best Dog Food for Golden Retriever Puppy?

For Golden Retriever puppies, we recommend considering Blue Buffalo Wilderness Large Breed Puppy. This dog food has all the quality of other Blue Buffalo food, just oriented towards puppies instead of full-size dogs. 

Since this food is for puppies, it has a much higher protein content of 35%. Similarly, there's a higher fat content of 14%. Each of these percentages means that this food will give your beloved puppy the nutrition it needs to grow big, powerful, and in good health.

How Do I Know Which Foods Are Good?

While the above foods are ones that tend to be best for Golden Retrievers, it's worth understanding why these foods work best. 

Golden Retrievers have somewhat unique dietary needs. They are generally healthy dogs, but they are prone to some illnesses. In particular, all large dogs, including Retrievers, may be predisposed to a genetic condition called hip dysplasia. With this condition, dogs display decreased activity, mobility, and a decrease in overall quality of life. 

One of the factors that influence whether or not a dog will suffer from this condition is nutrition. Dogs that receive more inadequate nutrition during their early years are more likely to suffer from hip dysplasia than those that receive quality food. Having an obese dog is a risk factor, as well. Fatty foods or foods that are high in carbohydrates will lead to obesity, much like humans! 

Therefore, when you want the best dog food for Golden Retrievers - the food that will give them the best possible chance at a high quality of life - you need food that his high in protein and has glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health. You'll also want food free of fillers and low in fat. These properties will ensure that your Golden Retriever has the best levels of nutrition.

You Can Provide The Best Dog Food For Golden Retrievers

By picking one of these foods, you'll be sure to give your dog one of the best dog foods for Golden Retrievers. Choosing a high-quality dog food is essential for all breeds, but Golden Retrievers are especially sensitive due to the potential for hip dysplasia. Therefore, please ensure that you choose a dog food that is high in protein and has the necessary vitamins and minerals to ensure a healthy life!

What is the best dog food for Golden Retrievers?

In general, you should consider the following three dog foods: Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula, Nutro Lamb and Rice, and Science Diet. All of these are the adult, large-breed formulas. For the best dog food for a golden retriever puppy, we recommend checking out Blue Buffalo Wilderness Large Breed Puppy.

How much food should a golden retriever puppy get?

For the first 12 weeks, a golden retriever puppy will need three meals a day. Each meal should consist of about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of dry food. Once they reach 12 weeks, you can go down to two meals per day. Remember to serve with water on the side, so that way your pup is adequately hydrated.

Is grain-free food bad for golden retrievers?

For the most part, no. However, in 2019, the FDA began investigating if grain-free diets were responsible for an uptick in dilated cardiomyopathy cases. With this disease, the heart muscle struggles to pump blood, which eventually leads to congestive heart failure and death. Larger breeds, like Golden Retrievers, are prone to this disease, but there hasn't been a ruling on this. It's worth noting that the uptick in cases is still relatively small. So, while grain-free food is not necessarily bad, unless your vet gives you the ok, you might want to consider sticking with grains until the FDA issues a ruling on this.

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