Healthy Diet: Understanding What Your New Golden Retriever Puppy Needs

Canine Nutritional Needs

Before food shopping for your new golden retriever puppy, it is important to learn about canine nutritional needs. What ingredients. should high-quality dog food contain? How do I plan a healthy diet for my pup? All dogs need appropriate amounts of proteins, fats, vitamins/minerals, and carbohydrates. While it is generally agreed that dogs are omnivores (eat both meat and plants), their strong carnivore heritage should be kept in mind when considering a dog’s diet. Dogs’ digestive process, teeth size/shape/configuration, GI tract, and fatty acid assimilation all emphasize the importance of a carnivore-based healthy diet.

Healthy Diet: Proteins

Made up of amino acids, proteins help build and maintain muscles, bones, and overall body health. Sources for protein commonly include meat (beef or lamb), poultry (chicken or turkey), fish and sometimes eggs. These come in a direct form (meat) or rendered form (meal). The rendered form, processed from scraps and cooked at high heat, is considered a less desirable/substandard protein source.

Healty Diet: Fats

Provide concentrated energy and facilitate nutrient absorption. As part of every cell in the body, fatty acids enable key functions in the immune and visual systems as well as supporting healthy skin and coats. Sources for good fats include animal fats: fish oil and chicken fat, or plant-based fats like flaxseed oil. The essential fatty acids, Omega-3 and Omega-6 are vital for canine metabolism and optimal health.

Healthy Diet: Vitamins

Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in a dog’s fatty tissue and liver. Vitamins A, D and K support vision, protein synthesis, immune system response, and skeletal system health. Water soluble vitamins (B range) are critical to the process of converting fats, proteins and carbohydrates into energy, known as energy metabolism.

Healthy Diet: Minerals

These are divided into two categories based on their concentrations in the body: macro minerals and trace (micro) minerals. Magnesium is an important macro mineral for the nervous system while calcium is essential for bone/teeth health. Crucial trace minerals include iron (oxygen transport) and zinc (skin and immune health). Mineral imbalances in dogs can lead to a number of health issues.

Healthy Diet: Carbohydrates

While not as essential as proteins and fats, carbohydrates contain glucose energy for muscle and brain function as well as dietary fibers that aid gut health.

Understanding Dog Food Labels

There are several key pieces of information that you should check for when researching dog food ingredients and nutritional value. The guaranteed analysis table lists the minimum percentage of crude protein and fat while giving the maximum percentage of crude fiber and moisture. The specific amounts that your dog will need vary based on age, breed, size, and activity level. It is generally recommended that puppies need about 30% protein and 15% fat, adults dogs require 20% protein and 10-15% fat, and active/working dogs 30% protein and 20% fat. Most dogs’ fiber intake should be around 3-5%.

Actual ingredients are listed by weight. The first ingredient is the greatest ingredient by weight and the list continues in descending order. The ingredient list provides an accurate picture of what is and what is not in the food. Ingredient sourcing/processing is the final important factor to consider. Where is the ingredient coming from? How is it processed? Often, processing will involve high heat or prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures that can destroy vitamins, decrease antioxidants, and cause carcinogenic (cancer-causing) agents to form.

Ingredients to Avoid

There are a number of food products that should not be a regular part of your puppy’s diet. Some of the most notable include corn and wheat gluten, artificial preservatives, meat meal, vegetable oil, white flour, rendered fat, processed carbohydrates, sugar, and corn syrup.