Best dog food for my golden retriever?

Question

Hi, well my Golden is about a year and a half, and I've been feeding her Bil-Jac formula. However tonight I just read that (contrary to what my vet said) it's actually a terrible choice for her food, so I'm going to begin switching her food tomorrow (gradually). The more I researched different sites/forums, the worse I felt for feeding my dog such crap... I was curious though what recommendations you have for that particular breed? Sounds like "Orijen" is of very high quality, but I kept reading posts about how it's really high in protein, and can cause problems for large breeds? Any truth to that? Or are they just talking about large-breed "puppies"? Money isn't too much of an issue, but if you wouldn't recommend Orijen, then what are some good brand names you'd recommend for Golden Retrievers? Thanks for any help you could give me

Answer 1

Favorite Answer

I dont like orijen for my Golden's. Your right it is too high in protein and it does make a big difference with Large breed dogs too. Your Golden is still growing and will be until she is 2 years old. She doesn't need it!

I feed Natures Variety Prarie Lamb & Rice for all my Golden's here. They look wonderful and their coats are just beautiful too. Nice firm stools and tons of energy!

If this is not avaible to you then look for a food with no higher protein levels than 26%.

Another excellent food is California Naturals too. Or Wellness! Not the Wellness Core, again to high in protein.

Hope this has helped.

ADD: to high a protein lever for Large breeds & Giant breeds dogs is a very real concern. When a dog developes Pano, Knuckeling over and joint problems because of feeding to high protein levels while still growing, then you tell me that protein at too high of levels is not the main cause.

I have studies this for over 30 years and have attended more confrences on this very subject for more years than you are old.

High protein is not needed for a developing large breed or Giant breed period!

Source(s): Former Golden breeder and owner for over 20+ years

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I would avoid the high protein foods.. They are too much for a dog to properly use. They'll come out as hot spots in a breed like the Golden. The high protein foods are for dogs that are actually working.. Not a dog that is doing obedience or a family dog, but a dog that is out in the winter cold pulling a sled... A normal pet does not and cannot use the protein provided in these new high protein foods.. It's a marketing gimmick because people felt they needed it, dog food companies provided it.

The high protein food will cause a dog of any size to grow too quickly. It's especially hard on a larger dog because you end up with an adult body on bones and joints that grew too fast, and are meant to carry a puppy..

I cannot recommend a food for you, as I am disappointed in the foods out there.. Either with the ingredients they use.. or the fact that they are all going to much smaller bags, with a much bigger price tag. Dog food companies are taking advantage of people's concern over the recent recalls and are ripping people off...

Answer 4

1. Everyone here will post their favorite foods. Some will be right, some will be clueless. Here is an objective evaluation of food quality: www.dogfoodanalysis.com and you should plan on getting a 5 or 6 star-rated dog food.

2. The claim about high protein is wrong. You don't want to give high protein levels (above 28%) to a puppy that is still growing (basically, a small dog up to 9-10 months, a larger dog up to 15-16 months) because you don't want the body mass and muscle develop to outpace the skeletal growth. That said, there were studies done 4-5 decades ago that found that high protein levels caused kidney problems with dogs. BUT....those studies involved poor sources of protein (animal scraps, diseased carcasses, rats thrown in, chicken beaks, etc.). What we've since found out is that given a high quality protein source, there is NO kidney damage. In fact, in the wild, feral dogs often live off diets of 98-100% protein. And necropsies of dead wild canines shows an almost total absence of renal problems (ie: kidney issues). There is only one concern to have with a high protein food (again, anything above 28%) and that is: has your dog basically finished developing skeletally/structurally? Oh, it will add some weight. But if the growth plates have fused, the bones have stopped growing, than there is no problem going with protein.

3. I feed my dog a couple of different foods (not all at the same time--I rotate). This is to avoid developing an allergy and to give my dog a routine. I just finished 3-4 months of Orijen (which he does fine on) and am now back on Innova Evo. Before the Orijen, he had 3-4 months of Wellness CORE. I've also used Solid Gold "Barking at the Moon" too. I recommend all of those foods. Merrick is also good. California Natural is supposed to be good (but I've never tried it). The dogfoodanalysis.com site will steer you in the correct direction.

4. A couple of other things to look at with dry kibble:

--no wheat. It's a filler. Dog's short gut don't process complex carbos well. It's also a major source of allergies. In fact, all grains are bad for dogs (wheat is the worst).

--no corn. It's like wheat and also a prime allergen.

--proteins should be no less than 2 of the first 5 ingredients and ideally 4 of the top 5. And look for pure protein sources (ie: "white fish" rather than "fish" or "chicken" or "turkey" rather than "meat"). That's because a generic title like "poultry" may often be an excuse to mix meats (which is a way of reducing quality control) or throwing in other body parts (beaks, claws, feathers).

--omega 3 and 6 ingredients are a good thing

--fat is important. Dogs and humans process food differently. A low protein, low fat diet leads to an energetic, healthy, lean human. A diet of 12% protein and a dog will DIE of malnutrition. And high fat is actually good for a dog. A range of tests with field and performance sport dogs found that a dog eating a diet high in fat had....more energy, more speed, better focus, and got injured less. So the ONLY dog I'd put on a low-fat food is one that is aging and sedentary (which is not the case with your Golden).

Answer 5

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Answer 6

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Answer 7

Goldengal is correct here. I would be leery of not only a high protein dog food for a large breed, but puppy food at all. Protein isn't just protein, but is directly related to the fat content as well. As a larger breed puppy, too much protein can cause your dog to grow rapidly, causing the dog to be taller, and causing joint issues (including pano- painful *growing pains* in your puppy).

The standard poodle breeders I know never feed puppy food- they go directly to the adult dog foods. A nutritious adult food with a protein content of 22-24% is what I look for with my poodles.

High protein diets should be reserved for extremely active working dogs- like agility dogs, working herding dogs, etc. Feeding that high of protein to a less active dog is a recipe for trouble.

Not to mention- not all protein is created equal- there are a variety of protein sources that your dog just can't digest as well. There is a web-site that has tons of great information, and I have referred to it often.

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=myths

Source(s): http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=main

Answer 8

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Answer 9

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Answer 10

I feed my dog Royal Canin. They have different foods specified for either the breed, size, age or lifestyle of your dog. When I switched foods I noticed my dog's coat got softer, she had less gas, didn't shed as much and had more energy. I know Petsmart and Petco sell it, but here is their website:

www.royalcanin.com