# What kinds of food do you recommend for a 2 - 3 year old Golden?



## Claire Piersol (Mar 22, 2011)

Hello fellow Golden Retriever owners!

My husband and I just rescued a fantastic male golden retriever seven months ago. The rescue and vet think he is between 2 and 3 years old. We have tried a few different types of dry dog food that we feed him twice a day. I would really appreciate any advice anyone has on what brands and kinds of dog food to buy for Murphy and what kinds to avoid, etc. How many scoops a day should he be fed, etc. We think he is between 65 and 70 pounds. He was extremely underweight when we got him, (60 pounds in the beginning of July,) and now we have got him to a healthy, normal size, but we are very aware that he is just on the brink of putting on too much weight and that we need to keep a sharp eye on his diet and maintain regular exercise.

Thank you so much, all help would be much appreciated!

-Claire


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

There is no one "right" dog food. Any good quality food that your dog does well on is perfect. Most members here have tried several before the found the perfect one for their golden. I tried several higher end foods before settling on Purina One for my two goldens. 

Oh and Welcome to the Forum.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

Welcome to the forum.....

All 3 of my guys eat Orijen (Regional Red - All Life Stages). They eat kibble for breakfast and are raw fed at supper.

My guys are thriving on Orijen....no gas, no stomach issues, no poo problems. I feed my oldest and my middle guy 1 cup of kibble per day, while my youngest boy gets a little more (he's high energy)!!

All dogs are different and I know of some dogs on the forum who have not done well on Orijen. 

Is Murphy not doing well on his current kibble?


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## rhondas (Sep 10, 2010)

Food for our four legged children is a very personal thing and everyone picks what works best for them. Is Murphy's current food working for him? If not what type of issues are you experiencing. Just wondering.

What works for my 3.5 year old has been a grain free diet consisting of half home cooked (protein + veggies + supplements) and half Orijins (Adult, Six Fish or Red). I rotate Orijins on a per bag basis For home cooked (1) proteins can be chicken, turkey, salmon, lamb, liver, egg,(2) veggies can be string beans, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, carrots, asparagus, squash, (3) supplements are Nordic Naturals Omega 3 capsules that I squeeze the oil out of onto the food, prozyme, Balance-IT and fortiflora and to all this I add a tablespoon of pumpkin and a tablespoon of yogurt. I don't use broccoli because it raises his ALT levels - it's not uncommon for dogs to be very sensitive to broccoli this way.

I feed twice a day. He hasn't had any weight problems but I make sure he gets appropriate daily exercise.


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## Stretchdrive (Mar 12, 2011)

I always say "Pick how much you want to spend, and then I can help you find a food."  With that in mind, I LOVED Orijen, but I can no longer afford it at $62.99 a 30lb bag, so I now feed Taste of the Wild, which I get for $40 a 30 lb bag. There are lots that are cheaper though, and I am sure us Forum members can give you lots of brands


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## cprcheetah (Apr 26, 2009)

Personally I prefer to feed my dogs Prey Model Raw Diet, but had success with Natural Balance, Taste of The Wild, Wellness Core, Blue Wilderness, By Nature before I switched to raw in July 2010. IMO dogs should not eat foods that contain corn/wheat in them as they aren't easily digestible. I have found that the higher quality diet I feed, the less poop I'm picking up in the back yard. My dad (who is a Vet) actually feeds his dogs Kirkland (Costco's) brand Signature Lamb & Rice diet, and they do quite well on it.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I guess these things are important to me when looking for a dog food...

***** *The dog loves it.* <- Because it is not fun trying to force feed a dog who spits out more than he swallows.

**** It is healthy for the dog. *Turn the bag around and check out the ingredients. You want to see to named ingredients (chicken, turkey, beef, salmon) as opposed to 'animal meal' or 'fish meal'. I also prefer to see a list of natural ingredients... 

**** My dog thrives on it*. If I put my dog on a kibble and he has loose stool longer than 3 or 4 days, then I know it is not going to work and take it back to the store. Thriving also means maintaining a healthy weight with bright eyes and a shiny coat + healthy digestive system.

**** It is a big enough brand. *Because I'm seriously not going to special order and pay $$$$ for dog food. 

**** It isn't the brand that killed my dog.* Not literally, but our first dog was on a grocery store type kibble when he developed renal failure. I'm sure he had a hereditary weakness... but I would never ever go back to that kibble for emotional reasons. This kibble was one of those that was unamed animal ingredients + corn + assorted chemicals. 

Anyway. 

We mainly feed Nutro Ultra to our dogs.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

IMO, there isn't one brand for all dogs. There are many excellent foods out there and it depends on the dog and it's particular needs.

I feed Innova. When we brought Hank home I did some research and label reading. I liked what I saw and picked that brand. Hank has done very well on it, it's within my budget and available at the closest pet store.

Some dogs will do well on any brand, others have special needs due to allergies or other dietary needs. It's pretty much trial & error. Personally I would stay away from grocery store brands and buy the highest quality kibble I could afford.


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

We are a Fromm Family. Duck and Sweet Potato is our main staple. It's runs about $28.00 for a 15lb. bag. This will usually last around 20 days or so. I feed Maggie 1.5 cups in the morning and evening. You do the best you can for ingredients, nutrition and price to fit your budget. There are alot of great options. There is no one absolute very best of the best type or anything. Good luck and thanks for rescuing a golden. I say a bumper sticker today that said, "who rescued who?"


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## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

Fromm as well here..the Gold Line,


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## Launi (Nov 27, 2010)

Orijen and Evo are my kibbles of choice. I always look for a high meat content. For canned, I like various 95% meat cans (meat, some vegetable gum thickeners, and vitamins & minerals) from Evo, Nature's Variety Instinct, By Nature, Weruva, etc. If I had the time, I would feed Prey Model Raw.


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