The loyalty and friendly demeanor of Golden Retrievers make them one of the most popular dog breeds in the world. For this reason, you as the owner need to take care of your Retriever by learning everything you need to know about their nature and overall well-being. Understanding their nutrition not only boosts their immune system but also allows your furry friend to live a long and happy life. It all comes down to choosing the right type of food, incorporating healthy treats into their diet, and managing portion sizes as they continue to grow. In today’s article, we will be discussing whether it is right to feed your Golden Retriever a raw diet and whether it provides any kind of benefits to their immune system and overall health.
What is raw feeding?
A raw diet comprises raw meat, raw organs, raw bone, and sometimes fruits or veggies. This means that there is no heat involved in preparing it before feeding your dog. Since dogs are carnivores, they need a diet that is packed with adequate amounts of protein, moderate fat, and very little or no carbohydrates. This makes raw meat the best diet for most dogs, especially when you compare it to kibble.
Is the raw diet safe for your Golden Retriever?
The raw food diet for dogs can be the healthiest diet!
A raw diet is naturally delicious to your dog because they are carnivores, and their system is well adapted to this type of food. However, it poses a higher risk of parasites and other microorganisms that are present in raw food. When preparing a raw diet for your Golden Retriever, you need to follow all the necessary precautions in terms of food quality and safety. The recommended raw diet for a Golden Retriever involves meats that have been frozen to get rid of parasites, and properly washed before being served at room temperature.
Reasons to feed Your Golden Retriever raw diet
When you feed your dog a raw diet, you get to understand what is in your dog’s food and what they get when they eat that. Keep in mind that dogs can have allergies to the commercial foods you buy at the stores. A raw food diet can eliminate unnecessary ingredients that canine friend doesn’t need and give them more of what builds their immune system. It makes your Golden Retriever enjoy food time even more because a raw diet is naturally appealing to their taste buds. Because carnivores get more nutrients from foods that are rich in nutrients, feeding your dog with raw diet gives him a shinier coat and healthier skin. Besides boosting their immune system, a raw diet gives your Golden Retriever the nutrients he needs without fillers. This means that they will have smaller stools because a raw diet isn’t filled with unnecessary nutrients.
What are the downsides of feeding a raw diet to my Golden retriever?
First, a raw diet costs more than kibble which can make it difficult for owners to keep up with their budget. You will also invest a lot of time in feeding your Retriever a raw diet because of the safety precautions you need to take. Another disadvantage of serving a raw diet is that it poses a higher risk of parasitic infection to your furry friend. The reason why you might consider cooking the food first before serving your Golden Retriever is that it kills off bacteria, germs, and parasites. There is a high possibility that your dog could be infected by intestinal parasites if served a raw diet. Your dog getting sick means frequent visits to the vet, which can be costly in the long run.
How to maintain a proper weight for your Golden Retriever
Golden retrievers are known to gain massive weight over time so it is essential to fill their diet with biologically appropriate proteins, ground bones, healthy fats, and some vegetables that are rich in vitamins and minerals. You need to pay specific attention to your dog’s physical appearance and overall weight as they adapt to its diet. How much food you feed your Golden Retriever will vary depending on its age, weight, metabolism, amount of exercise, quality of food, and whether you would want him to gain, maintain or lose weight. When creating raw feeding recipes for your Retriever, it is essential to maintain the correct ratios of ingredients so you can achieve the desired outcome for their weight and physical appearance.
You can feed your Golden Retriever a raw diet as long as you take the necessary precautions before presenting it to your dog. However, a raw diet can be expensive in the long run that’s why many homeowners opt for kibble or processed dog food. It all comes down to how much you are willing to invest in terms of time and money. All in all, a raw diet is ideal for your furry friend as long as you take precautions to reduce the risk of parasitic infections.