Definitely one of the most popular dogs in the world, the golden brown coat of the Retriever makes them easily recognizable. They’re great breeds for first-time owners because of their gentle disposition and easygoing nature.
As responsible pet parents however, you need to meet the dog’s nutritional needs—it’s one of the major requirements of raising canine companions. For most, this means giving raw dog food recipes for golden retriever. Not sure how to do that? Here’s how:
Golden Retriever Profile
This active dog can grow up to 75 pounds for the male and up to 71 pounds for the female. They’re generally healthy dogs, but they are prone to some health issues. Common problems associated with the breed include allergies, eye issues, dysplasia, hypothyroidism, heart problems, and cancer. Because of these issues, it’s not uncommon for owners to create a recipe that naturally compensations for these likely problems. For example, pumpkin puree can be served for eye health or fish oil for the skin allergies.
Why Give your Golden Retriever Raw Dog Food?
Preparing your own raw dog food for your Golden Retriever gives you complete control of what goes in your dog’s diet. Raw meat has also been credited to have more enzymes compared to cooked foods. This means that your dog gets all the health benefits associated with quality meat. With a balanced homemade diet, your dog can also enjoy firm and regular stool, healthier fur, improved weight maintenance, and a more active lifestyle. If you are wary of the risks of raw feeding, subscribing to dog food delivery service platforms could be the solution. Brands like We Feed Raw are typically guided by pet food authorities so you know you are getting safe meals for your dog.
Raw Food Diets for Goldens
Let’s say you have a Golden Retriever and want to start making homemade dog food recipes for him. It’s good to start from a basic homemade dog food diet and simply built on it, depending on how your pet reacts. Here are some easy to make raw food recipe you can try out:
Rabbit and Beef Recipe
- 2.5 lbs of rabbit
- 1 lb of chicken heart
- 0.25 lb of beef liver
- 4 eggs
- 8 oz broccoli
- 6 oz berries of any kind
- 0.5 oz of chopped spinach
- 2 gm green lipped mussel powder
Preparation: start by cutting up the meat into small pieces. Grab a food processor and puree the spinach, berries, broccoli, and mussel powder together. Now mix them with the meat before portioning the recipe into smaller containers. This should be good for several meals but only for adult dogs. For puppies, you’d want to serve a different recipe.
Rice and Chicken
If the above recipe is a little too overwhelming, here’s a raw food diet that’s simpler:
- 2 chicken breasts – deboned
- 1 lb green beans
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 sliced sweet potato
- 1 sliced carrot
Preparation: to prepare this meal, put everything in one crockpot and expose to medium heat for slight cooking. Take it out and serve to your dog. While it’s not a raw dog’s diet – it should quick and simple enough to do.
Pork Delight
- 5 lbs of pork
- 3 lbs of pork heart
- 1 lb of pork liver
- 1 lb of any oily fish
- 6 tbsp bone meal
- 5 oz broccoli
- 4 oz dandelion greens
- 12 oz mixed berries
- 0.5 tsp salt
Preparation: simply cut up and mix all the animal products together. In a separate bowl, mix and puree the other ingredients before combining the two together. Freeze and serve in portions. This should last for about 2 to 3 days for an adult dog.
Basic Dog Food Recipe Ingredients
Of course, the two dog food recipe above are just samples. There are tons of possible recipes you can find online. You can also create raw dog food recipes yourself as long as you know the basic components of a raw diet. Typically, your food should contain the following:
- Around 1.5 cups of raw meats from the local grocery store. It can be ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, or anything you have handy. Including some bone in there can also be helpful.
- 0.5 cups of vegetables or fruits, ideally blended through a processor first
- 2 tsp of fish oil
- vitamin and mineral supplements like amino acids
Remaining ingredients you can add include beef drippings, coconut oil, salmon oil, chicken livers, sweet potatoes, vegetable oil, chicken necks, plain yogurt, or basically any other food that’s safe for your dog to eat. Note though that too much fiber can be a problem too so don’t overload your dog with fiber.
Keep in mind that not all Goldens are the same [1]. Some may have special dietary needs due to pre-existing health problems like obesity or eye problems. You’d want to consult with your vet every time you’re introducing your dog to a new diet. A slow transition is recommended for raw dog meals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is raw food good for Golden Retrievers?
Feeding raw dog food is good for all breeds including a Golden Retriever. However, this is only true if the raw food diet is composed of healthy ingredients for a balanced meal. Homemade food, if lacking in the nutritional guidelines, will never be healthy for any dog.
What raw foods can Golden Retrievers eat?
These breeds are not picky and will eat almost anything—but don’t let them! They’re allowed to eat meat, fruits, and vegetables, provided that they’re dog-safe foods. Some foods are simply not food for dogs like grapes, raisins, and chocolate. Some ingredients can trigger stomach upset in dogs so you might want to watch if there are negative signs after introducing something new.
How much homemade dog food should a Golden Retriever eat?
The serving size of dog’s meals really depends on the weight of the dog. Ideally, an adult dog should get 2 to 3 percent of his body weight in food every day. So if your dog weighs 30 pounds, dog owners should serve at least 0.6 pounds worth of raw dog’s food.
What is the healthiest food for Golden Retrievers?
The healthiest dog meal you can offer would be one that meets AAFCO standards [2]. It’s the gold standard when it comes to better health for dogs so it’s a good idea to base your food recipes from this. Note that the standards can change depending on your dog’s life stage.
