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Dogs are as unique as people, but despite their differences, they all need a well-balanced diet for good health. However, dogs of different ages and sizes have different nutritional needs, and this is especially true for puppies. When you factor in developmental needs, ingredients and your puppy’s size and breed, choosing the right food can be difficult.
The energy requirements of a puppy can be nearly twice those of an adult dog. This means that a puppy might not have the stomach capacity to eat enough food to meet his needs unless the food is specially formulated.
When choosing a puppy food, select one that provides a highly digestible, nutrient-dense, 100% complete premium formula for growth. Such high-quality formulas contain the vitamins, minerals, protein, fat and carbohydrates your dog needs for sound and healthy development. With a premium formula, your puppy may have:
Puppies grow fastest during the first six months of life, and because growth rates differ among breed sizes, you need a formula designed to address the needs of your puppy’s breed or size. Feed your puppy this formula based on the recommended amounts for his weight and age until he is an adult.
Although large-breed dogs have bigger bones than medium or small breeds, large-breed puppies do not need more calcium. University studies have shown that:
Overfeeding and weight gain can contribute to developmental bone problems. This makes managing food intake even more critical. Puppies are at greater risk for developmental bone problems if they are overfed.
A formula with reduced fat and calories promotes optimum growth. Controlling the rate of growth to promote normal development is another reason to feed a large-breed diet, such as IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Smart Puppy Large Breed.
Medium-breed puppies have needs between those of large- and small-breed dogs. A medium-breed puppy’s nutritional demands can be satisfied by feeding a 100% complete and balanced formula that features moderate amounts of all the essential vitamins and nutrients, such as IAMS ProActive Health Smart Puppy Original.
Small-breed puppies have unique needs due to their small mouths and small stomachs, as well as the rapid growth spurt they experience when growing to adult size. That’s why it’s important to pack a lot of nutrition and energy into a small amount of food. A poor-quality diet might fill a puppy’s stomach before he can eat enough food to satisfy his nutritional needs. The result can be improper muscle and skeletal development and growth impairment.
IAMS™ puppy foods are formulated to be energy- and nutrient-dense to meet the needs of growing puppies. The IAMS™ formula for small and toy puppy breeds, IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Smart Puppy Small & Toy Breed, has concentrated nutrition for the lifelong health of your small- or toy-breed dog.
Golden Retrievers are energetic and full of stamina, so daily exercise is a must. Adult Goldens need at least an hour’s exercise every day. Like the pug, this breed is highly prone to obesity, so they will quickly put on weight without proper physical activity like running, swimming (they just love water), and playing fetch.
Caring for Golden Retrievers is a moderate issue. Golden Retrievers have two shedding seasons (spring, autumn) in a year where they shed pretty heavily. Otherwise shedding is not a major challenge. You need to brush your Golden 3-4 times per week and bathe them once a month.
Because they tend to gain weight quickly, we recommend that you monitor their caloric intake daily. This is why Goldens need complete and balanced meals that are tailor-made to meet their unique needs. We recommend giving them premium Golden Retriever food like IAMS™ Proactive Health™Adult Golden Retriever that contains L-Carnitine to support healthy weight management, Glucosamine and Chondroitin to support healthy joints, and Omega 6 and 3 fatty acids to support skin and coat health. It is best to split their daily allowance into two meals.
Recommended Golden Retrievers food intake-
| SIZE OF GOLDEN RETRIEVER | RECOMMENDED DAILY FEEDING (G) |
|---|---|
| 20-30 kg | 255-345 |
| 30-40 kg | 345-430 |
| 40-50 kg | 430-505 |
| 50-60 kg | 505-580 |
Golden Retrievers are prone to moderate levels of health issues. Common ones include cancer and blood disorders, hip and elbow dysplasia, dislocated kneecaps, skin conditions, hypothyroidism, cataracts, and ear infections.
An ideal world for a Golden Retriever is to live in a home with a medium or large-sized yard. While they do well in apartments, they need a great deal of outdoor exercise to stay fit. So if you can manage that, Golden Retrievers can do well as indoor and outdoor pets.
So, is caring for a Golden Retriever the right choice for you? Goldens are high-energy pets and are one of the friendliest breeds out there. Their friendly nature and comfort around little kids make them an ideal choice for many first-time owners.
