Golden Retrievers?

Question

I have a 5 year old "Duke". His mother was a registered Golden Retriever & his father was a registered White German Shepherd. Duke looks like a golden retriever and weighs 100#. My question is what is the best feed for him; should it be all dry or is it OK to mix other food to add to the variety. I have always mixed left over meats & sometimes potatoes and vegetables in his meal. I really want to do what is best for Duke as he is a cherished member of our family. I feel that there are many foods that are a "no no" regarding what he is fed. He does have Hip Dysplasia and is regularly attended to by a veterinarian. My question is solely on "what is best for Duke" and I feel I may be feeding him incorrectly. He also receives other treats during the day with the main meal being in the evening. The dry foods he has been receiving are "beef flavored Gravy Train" and Pedigree Kibbles and Chunks mixed half & half. Please indicate absolute "no-no's" regarding his diet.
Thank you!

Answer 1

If you're interested in learning about what's good and what's bad to feed your dog, I highly recommend the Dog Food Project: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/

There are a whole bunch of fantastic articles there on how to read the ingredients labels and what things to avoid. If you read a few of the articles there, it should give you a better understanding of how to read the label on your own and choose the highest quality dog food that your money can afford.

Some of the articles:
Label Information 101: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=labelinfo101
Identifying Better Products: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=betterproducts
Ingredients to Avoid: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients
The Yuck Factor: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=ingrd
Questions on Diet: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=questions
Myths about Feeding: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=myths

There's also a product list that includes just about every brand of commercial dog food available along with ingredient lists and nutritional information.

Good luck with your dog!

Answer 2

Here are some tips, I have worked with many dogs.

Wet food first of all can cause the teeth to rot. So I do not advice you to give it to him as a regular food meal. Once a week is sufficient.
Dry food is best, It also helps keep the teeth clean where as wet food like stated will rot the teeth. Iams, ukanuba-dog-food, Purina. Make sure you buy a dog food that goes with your dogs age. Buy buying a dog food high in protein can actually cause more problems if your dog isn't to active.

Also atleast 1hr per day of outside activity will keep your dog healthy for a long time to come.

* Notes for extras * There are all sorts of nice sprays you can buy that will help keep the skin from drying out and it will also condition the coat of the animal keeping it healthy and vibrant looking.
Make sure you keep the ears clean and free of dirt and mites.

I hope this helped you out

Answer 3

Golden Labrador? you should mean Yellow Labrador. besides, i do not understand all the a lot about Labs, yet i do study about Goldens... a million) A 30-minute walk in the morning and at evening is honestly no longer adequate workout for the dogs. Goldens are ball-loopy, so that you'll finally end up out in the outdoor tossing a ball for him for hours and hours and hours till he/she flops down exhausted. 2) Goldens are many times astounding with youthful babies, yet should be supervised even as round them till you've discovered what type of temperament the dogs has. Even the sweetest of breeds has lemons. can help around the homestead? In what way? for further information on Goldens, click the hyperlinks i have protected in "factors".

Answer 4

You could not be feeding the dog crappier food if you tried.

Go to PetSmart and get a GOOD brand of food. Even their Authority brand is a good choice. What you are feeding is total junk!!!!!!!

Answer 5

Wow! 100 lbs is too heavy for a bird ;)
Try a 50/50 diet of science of science diet and iams.
Good luck!

Answer 6

ive used that science diet food before and in my experience it was great... my dog shed less hair, breath smelled better, seemed more playful, etc. It is expensive though.