# Canin: golden retriever formula



## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

This is a food that I have yet to hear a good thing about after switching to or from the kibble, it contains IMO way too much carbs, and not even from good sources, and apparently very few meat sources. It lacks no additional probiotics, no chelated minerals, and when you consider the protien boosting effects of the corn gluten meal, low in meat content. I would certainly steer clear, nothing about the dog food is specialized for golden retrievers and calling it so, IMO is a scam. I would recommend some cat foods over this junk. 


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

Tuco said:


> It lacks no additional probiotics, no chelated minerals, and when you consider the protien boosting effects of the corn gluten meal, low in meat content. I would certainly steer clear, nothing about the dog food is specialized for golden retrievers and calling it so, IMO is a scam.


You recently told us probiotics were a scam because you remembered reading an article that said so. Why are you criticizing this food because it has no additional probiotics?


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## Millie'sMom (Sep 7, 2012)

I am not a Royal Canin fan. It is very overpriced for the ingredients. You can find a similar food or better food for less.


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

artbuc said:


> You recently told us probiotics were a scam because you remembered reading an article that said so. Why are you criticizing this food because it has no additional probiotics?


I think many foods that claim they have probiotics don't have any and that you should additionally supplement , that being said I was just making points about the food


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

Main reason I don't like the food is because its a "golden retriever" formula


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## Door (Apr 2, 2010)

I feed my dog Royal Canin for Golden Retrievers. I thought it was OK. Maybe I am wrong. It would hardly be the first time .

So what is better? Name names.


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

Door said:


> I feed my dog Royal Canin for Golden Retrievers. I thought it was OK. Maybe I am wrong. It would hardly be the first time .
> 
> So what is better? Name names.


Better in its price range, which the foods will be slightly better but not significantly? Or better in general?


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## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

When I was working it was one of the foods on Chance's rotation. He liked it and did well on it.


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

Feed whatever works for your dog. Mine never did well on grain free high protein diets and I am not about to feed one because "its better then the rest"


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## stealle (Nov 12, 2012)

I'm with tuco on this. I am very unimpressed with the ingredients in the canin golden retriever formula. I think the name they give these formulas are a total scam. There is nothing about the formula that makes it special for goldens. They just put a picture of a golden on the bag and name is "Golden retriever" formula and hope people will think, "I don't need to look any further! This food is made just for my dog!" Unfortunately is works; people buy into that. Most healthy dogs just need a high quality "All life stages" (ALS) formula. I am also annoyed by "weight control" or "weight loss" formulas. All you need is an ALS formula and don't overfeed. I personally prefer to feed a grain-free formula, but I don't push that on anyone. Some dogs do great with grains, other don't. I can't help but think if you can afford a grain free variety, it's better to go that route. 


If you want to hear brand names...

I am quite fond of high protein, low carb, grain free Orijen. It works for my Golden Retrievers which have a vast age difference. I'd imagine it would work for anyone elses golden retriever too, provided they are in average/good health. On weekends, I started feeding raw prey model with a smidgen of pumpkin. I was concerned about having stool issues bouncing back and forth between Orijen on weekdays and raw on weekends, but it's been working out great. I presume because of a combination of the pumpkin and Orijen has such high meat content. Orijen is quite pricey though.

Some other brands I respect are:

FROMM
Wellness
Innova/EVO
Dr. Tims
Ziwipeak (I occasionally use Ziwipeak as a topper cause it's waaaay too expensive to feed full-time to two goldens!)

If you do a search you will find tons of recommendations. The topic has been beat to death.


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## Keegans_mommy (Mar 11, 2013)

Tuco said:


> Main reason I don't like the food is because its a "golden retriever" formula
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


We all have our own opinions, but I really like that it is specialized for goldens. I am just so lost because mine has ichthyosis and I need a food for his coat. I've heard of acana Pacifica and orijen but I'm a college student and I cannot afford that. Anyone have suggestions for me?


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Keegans_mommy said:


> We all have our own opinions, but I really like that it is specialized for goldens. I am just so lost because mine has ichthyosis and I need a food for his coat. I've heard of acana Pacifica and orijen but I'm a college student and I cannot afford that. Anyone have suggestions for me?


Have you checked pricing online (petfood direct, pet food station)? With your pups's skin issue (has it been officially diagnosed), it looks like those with dogs having ichthyosis are doing well on a fish based kibble (do a search of the forum) as well as being supplemented with fish oil. Some brands also have a frequent buyer rewards program--I know Fromm does an 11th bag free when you send in the UPCs.


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

Keegans_mommy said:


> We all have our own opinions, but I really like that it is specialized for goldens. I am just so lost because mine has ichthyosis and I need a food for his coat. I've heard of acana Pacifica and orijen but I'm a college student and I cannot afford that. Anyone have suggestions for me?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


No you have to understand its NOT specialized for goldens, I'm pretty sure it's Exactly the same in ingredients with perhaps a slight caloric change by using more or fewer rice hulls ( which are also a controversial ingredient) to change between smaller and larger breeds. the same as all the other "specialized foods" they have including the German sheppard food, bulldog food, boxer food, chuiwawa food ( or however you spell it lol), yorkshire terrier food, and the shitzu food. You are literally paying a fair bit extra for its claim to be specialized. I too am a colledge student and although due to my job I'm a lot better off than most being able to lease a house, money is still tight. I would not be able to sustain feeding a premium brand food easily without making some changes. I feed a raw diet, I spend a day every 2 weeks purchasing the meat and outing them into portion bags and freezing all I do is take one out every morning and feed. If you go to a raw dog food supplier and do it yourself, you can feed an adult 100 lb dog for 2.50 a day, about the same price as a medium brand dog food except I have much more control over what my dog consumes, and at the very least in the unprocessed aspect, they are getting a healthier more wholesome diet.


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

And a raw diet did wonders for my old tibetan mastiffs allergies and skin issues


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

SheetsSM said:


> Have you checked pricing online (petfood direct, pet food station)? With your pups's skin issue (has it been officially diagnosed), it looks like those with dogs having ichthyosis are doing well on a fish based kibble (do a search of the forum) as well as being supplemented with fish oil. Some brands also have a frequent buyer rewards program--I know Fromm does an 11th bag free when you send in the UPCs.


Fish oil is pretty expensive, and i dont believe its completely nessesary as dogs can produce their omega 3s, although it does help with many dogs including my own. Most fish based kibbles are premium brand that I'm aware of.


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## stealle (Nov 12, 2012)

Keegans_mommy said:


> We all have our own opinions, but I really like that it is specialized for goldens.


But it's not specialized for goldens. I don't know how far along you are in your college education but, I'm sure you are at least somewhat familiar with credibility and research. All of these dog food companies are very good at making things sound better than what it really is (and I don't think Champion foods is an exception). So we can take into consideration the marketing, but we really need to educate ourselves on the nutritional requirements of dogs. They are different that humans. The RDA of vitamins and minerals are not the same between dogs and humans. The ability to digest/utilize certain foods are different between dogs and humans. Carbohydrate requirements are different. Some foods that are nutritious for you can literally kill your dog within hours. Then you have to consider caloric need; do you have a working dog, athletic dog, or a dog that is indoor 99% and rarely gets exercised. 

Basically what I'm suggesting is to do a little research from credible sources on dog nutrition. You'll find there really is no such thing as a special formula for golden retrievers. There will be some variation between the nutritional needs of large breed growing puppies and small breed growing puppies. And different nutritional needs between active dogs and inactive dogs and that's about it for average healthy dogs. Of course, dogs with illness or allergies have other requirements and is a different topic. 

You probably can't go wrong by visiting Click here: Dog Food Advisor - Best Dog Foods and selecting a food that has been rated 5 stars. Read lots of the reviews there and learn about all of the common ingredients found in dog foods. Give one a try that falls in your budget. If one doesn't seem to work out for your dog, try another.


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

Keegans_mommy said:


> We all have our own opinions, but I really like that it is specialized for goldens. I am just so lost because mine has ichthyosis and I need a food for his coat. I've heard of acana Pacifica and orijen but I'm a college student and I cannot afford that. Anyone have suggestions for me?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach
Nutro Fish (they have grain inclusive and grain free)
Simply Nourish Salmon/Sweet potato

Feed what you can afford, I feel that foods specialized for a certain breed are a scam. I saw the size of the Shepherd formula kibble and nearly fainted. Mine would easily choke on those large pieces as he doesnt chew.


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## stealle (Nov 12, 2012)

Ichthyosis has no cure. However, I believe diet is important in helping to reduce the symptoms. I think fish oil is a good supplement for most all dogs and might help a little. You can also try adding some virgin coconut oil to the diet, but if I had to recommend something for ichthyosis I believe these products would be the most helpful:

Amazon.com: Virbac Allerderm Spot On for Medium & Large Dogs over 20 lbs (6 pipettes of 4 ml): Pet Supplies

and

Amazon.com: Douxo Seborrhea Spot-on, 25 Applications: Pet Supplies

If you try one of them, just follow the package instructions. I think the Verbac Allerderm is more superior than the Douxo product but it's also more expensive. If you can afford it, I would recommend using them both. You can not really overdose these products. Perhaps, use the Verbac Allerderm monthly and use the Douxu in between a couple times a month or more.


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## stealle (Nov 12, 2012)

A1Malinois said:


> I saw the size of the Shepherd formula kibble and nearly fainted. Mine would easily choke on those large pieces as he doesnt chew.


Lol. That's probably the biggest variation between the formulas. There are probably just 50 different sizes of kibble; Chihuahuas get tiny sized kibble and Great Danes get giant sized kibble.


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

stealle said:


> Lol. That's probably the biggest variation between the formulas. There are probably just 50 different sizes of kibble; Chihuahuas get tiny sized kibble and Great Danes get giant sized kibble.


I remember looking at this food and the rep told me that I could feed it to mine and I was like he has little GSD in him, hes mostly Belgian Shepherd and she told me no never mind if I feed it, it could hurt him...

My father...as much as hes my father made me laugh. He had a goldendoodle and he bought a bag of the golden retriever and bag of the poodle and mixed it as per his breeders and VETS instruction....wow


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

A1Malinois said:


> I remember looking at this food and the rep told me that I could feed it to mine and I was like he has little GSD in him, hes mostly Belgian Shepherd and she told me no never mind if I feed it, it could hurt him...
> 
> My father...as much as hes my father made me laugh. He had a goldendoodle and he bought a bag of the golden retriever and bag of the poodle and mixed it as per his breeders and VETS instruction....wow


Wow... His vet... Lord I swear some vets shouldn't be allowed to recommend a dog food until they've taken Afew thorough nutrition courses that aren't sponsored by hills...


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## stealle (Nov 12, 2012)

A1Malinois said:


> My father...as much as hes my father made me laugh. He had a goldendoodle and he bought a bag of the golden retriever and bag of the poodle and mixed it as per his breeders and VETS instruction....wow


Lol. Well that must be the perfect formula for that dog! 

Since royal canin has "Breed health nutrition" for purebreds, I guess everything else is "mutt" formula. :doh: For those who really want to do what's best for their mixed breed, they could do genetic testing and grab a bag of each necessary breed formula and mix them together.


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

stealle said:


> Lol. Well that must be the perfect formula for that dog!
> 
> Since royal canin has "Breed health nutrition" for purebreds, I guess everything else is "mutt" formula. :doh: For those who really want to do what's best for their mixed breed, they could do genetic testing and grab a bag of each necessary breed formula and mix them together.


I pray the last part is sarcasm... Lol


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

stealle said:


> Lol. Well that must be the perfect formula for that dog!
> 
> Since royal canin has "Breed health nutrition" for purebreds, I guess everything else is "mutt" formula. :doh: For those who really want to do what's best for their mixed breed, they could do genetic testing and grab a bag of each necessary breed formula and mix them together.


LOL. They should make a Belgian Malinois formula. I can grab a bag of Malinois and a bag of GSD and mix in 1/4 bag of GSD in the 3/4 bag of Malinois and call it a day.


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## stealle (Nov 12, 2012)

Tuco said:


> Wow... His vet... Lord I swear some vets shouldn't be allowed to recommend a dog food until they've taken Afew thorough nutrition courses that aren't sponsored by hills...


I really don't think most vets are all that educated in nutrition. For instance, most vets do not agree with feeding raw. Perhaps that is changing with more current education. Is it Tuco?


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

That means the lab specialty food must actually be a mix of Newfoundland food and st Hubert's dog food 


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## Keegans_mommy (Mar 11, 2013)

Tuco said:


> No you have to understand its NOT specialized for goldens, I'm pretty sure it's Exactly the same in ingredients with perhaps a slight caloric change by using more or fewer rice hulls ( which are also a controversial ingredient) to change between smaller and larger breeds. the same as all the other "specialized foods" they have including the German sheppard food, bulldog food, boxer food, chuiwawa food ( or however you spell it lol), yorkshire terrier food, and the shitzu food. You are literally paying a fair bit extra for its claim to be specialized. I too am a colledge student and although due to my job I'm a lot better off than most being able to lease a house, money is still tight. I would not be able to sustain feeding a premium brand food easily without making some changes. I feed a raw diet, I spend a day every 2 weeks purchasing the meat and outing them into portion bags and freezing all I do is take one out every morning and feed. If you go to a raw dog food supplier and do it yourself, you can feed an adult 100 lb dog for 2.50 a day, about the same price as a medium brand dog food except I have much more control over what my dog consumes, and at the very least in the unprocessed aspect, they are getting a healthier more wholesome diet.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I definitely see what you're saying. I actually am very well versed in nutrition and just recently began to find the truths of canine nutrition. I had him on a raw diet a few months back and he did very well. Where would you suggest buying the meat from? I had to stop because it got expensive  


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

The cheapest supply is a raw dog food wholesaler, which are often large meat markets or slaughterhouses, you can find a local one by going on yahoos raw feeding group and posting a thread looking for one. If there isn't one or you don't have room to buy wholesale find a local butcher, not large butchers with multiple locations but small locally owned ones often owned by immigrants, ours is Portuguese. Either way it should still be cheaper than a pricier kibble


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