Owing to its immense popularity, Golden Retriever is the most demanded and familiar dog breed. But parenting this breed isn’t as easy as it seems. And since this breed is prone to obesity, you must be very conscious about the food you give. So, there are some homemade food recipes you can try for your Golden Retriever.
Further, some of the homemade food recipes full of qualitative nutrients and healthier for your Golden Retriever are:
- Chicken casserole
- Fish patty treats
- Crockpot pork delight
- Simple rice and chicken breast
- Veggie meat blast
- Doggie stew
- Meat fest
- Beef bonanza
- Turkey delight
- Salmon skin meal
- Banana and peanut butter pup cakes
- Chicken raspberry biscuits
- Carrot apple biscuits
- Mixed fruit salad
- Berry fruit salad
- Autumn joy
- Apple cakes
- Fruit parfait
- Fruit and veggie strips
- Mixed fruit medley with chicken
Undoubtedly, I will discuss each of these homemade food recipes for your Golden Retriever in detail further in this article. However, before digging into this topic, you must first know about its importance along with the nutrients that homemade food must have.
(In addition, the crockpot is a type of pot that helps to cook your dog’s meal at a lower heat for a longer time.)
Why Is Homemade Food Recipes Important For Your Golden Retriever?
If you are a hectic schedule, you might be more reluctant to the commercial foods for your Golden Retriever. Moreover, do you consider various homemade recipes in the diet of your Golden Retriever once in a while?
As commercial foods are easy to get and takes lesser time to prepare, most owners are more likely to use these foods in their pal’s diet plan. However, they fail to understand the fillers and artificial ingredients used in commercial food can lead to several health problems like:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Skin coat thinning
- Allergies
- Immune deficiency
Furthermore, on the other hand, homemade food is qualitative and organic with various importance like:
- Homemade foods can manage your pal’s diet according to its needs.
- These foods help to avoid the complication of commercial foods
- As these foods include ingredients present in the home, you can save money.
- Homemade food recipes help to deal with the food intolerance issues of your Golden Retriever.
- Since you can use the ingredients that your dog prefers while making these recipes, even picky pets enjoy eating them.
- Preparing homemade food recipes requires time and effort. Thus, it helps to strengthen your bond with your pet.
Thus, give more emphasis on homemade food recipes to promote a healthier lifespan for your Golden Retriever.
But do you know the quantity of homemade food that your pet needs daily? Or can you freely feed your pal?
How Much Homemade Food Should You Feed Your Golden Retriever?
Generally, the amount of food that you need to serve your Golden Retriever depends on various factors like:
- Age
- Type of breed
- Environmental condition
- Intensity of exercise
- Health status
- Medical history
Besides this, the type of homemade food and its nutritional content also affects the food requirement for your dog. Thus, you must consider different influencing factors while determining the serving size for your pal.
Moreover, if you are feeding your pal other regular food along with homemade food, the quantity of homemade naturally reduces. Furthermore, a healthy adult Golden Retriever requires an amount of 900-1300 calories daily. So, you should manage your pal’s food according to this fact.
However, the general serving size for Golden Retriever is as follows:
Serving Sizes Of Homemade Food Recipes For Golden Retriever
Since a well-balanced homemade food is full of nutrients, only a smaller portion of this food can fill your dog’s stomach. Therefore, it is best to give about ½ to ¾ cup of homemade foods to your Golden Retriever.
Besides this, homemade foods are higher in quality and rich in nutritional content than commercial food. Hence, it is a much healthier option for your pal. In addition, the ingredients of homemade food are proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins that can make a remarkable benefit in your Golden Retriever’s health with just a little serving daily.
Moreover, commercial foods contain fillers and processed nutrients that can make your dog’s stomach full without providing all the essential nutrients for your dog. Furthermore, these types of food are the main reason for digestive problems like constipation, bloating, diarrhea, etc., in most dogs.
Serving Size Of Homemade Food Recipes For Golden Retriever Based On Ingredients
Since homemade food contains several nutrients, the serving size of these food recipes for your Golden Retriever varies according to its ingredients. However, a general guideline of food required by a 20-pound Golden Retriever puppy daily is as follows:
Ingredients | Amount (per 20 pounds of a Golden Retriever) |
Meat | ¼ to 1/3 pounds |
Yogurt or cottage cheese | ½ to ¾ cups |
Eggs | 3 to 4 |
Meat + non-meat protein sources | 1/8 pounds to meat+ 1/8 cups of yogurt+ 1to 2 eggs |
Potatoes, rice, or other carbohydrates | 1 to 2 cups |
Canola or olive oil | A tablespoon |
Cooked vegetables | ½ to 1 cup |
Calcium (bone meal or grounded eggshell) | 1/3 tablespoon |
Now, as you are familiar with the foods that ensure a happy, healthier, and active life for your Golden Retriever, don’t you want to know what you should include in the meal to promote a qualitative lifestyle for your Golden Retriever?
Essential Nutrients Required In The Homemade Recipes Of Your Golden Retriever
Just like humans, Golden Retrievers need various types of nutrients for organs functions and proper growth.
Thus, the essential nutrients for your pal with functions are as follows:
Core Nutrients | Foods | Percentage Required | Functions |
Carbohydrate | Brown rice, sweet potato, oatmeal, millet, chickpeas, rye, barley | 45% |
|
Proteins | Eggs, fish, chicken, beef, milk | 30% |
|
Fats | Chicken fat, pork fat, fish oil, canola oil | 25%
|
|
Minerals | Vegetables, molasses, fish, beans, wheat bran, bone meal, organ, and muscle meat | 10-15% |
|
Vitamins | Spinach, carrots, liver, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, fish oil, turnip greens, eggs | 20% |
|
Besides this, your dog also requires an enormous amount of freshwater to enhance its immune system and prevent severe health issues. Thus, the body water content of your pal must be at least 10-15 %. However, an obese pet requires more water to promote weight loss, while underweight dogs need adequate fluid to prevent malnutrition.
Thus, while preparing homemade food recipes for your Golden Retriever, you should keep this in mind. Moreover, do you know about the foods that you can include in your pet’s diet?
Foods You Can Include In Homemade Recipes Of Your Golden Retriever
Despite its different digestive systems, some human foods are very beneficial for dogs. Thus, you must consider including these foods while you prepare homemade recipes for your Golden Retriever. Further, these foods include:
- Apple, Bananas, and Berries
- Carrot
- Cashews
- Chicken, beef, pork
- Cucumber
- Eggs
- Green beans and peas
- Milk, yogurt, and cheese
- Oatmeal, brown rice, and barley
- Peanut and peanut butter
- Salmon
- Sweet potatoes
- Pumpkin
Generally, these foods are great natural snacks to treat your Golden Retriever and encourage it to follow your commands while training.
Foods You Should Avoid In Homemade Recipes Of Your Golden Retriever
Moreover, all human foods aren’t beneficial for dogs. Usually, due to the difference in metabolism, digestion, and excretion process off humans and dogs, the following foods induce problems like constipation, allergies, bloating, and diarrhea in your pal.
- Alcohol, sodas
- Caffeine
- Chocolate
- Onions and garlic
- Grapes and raisins
- Mushrooms
- Nutmeg, walnuts, macadamia nuts
- Xylitol, cakes, candies
- Green tomatoes and raw potatoes
Thus, you should never include these foods while preparing homemade recipes for your Golden Retriever.
20 Homemade Food Recipes For Golden Retriever
Just like humans, every dog has its preference, likes, and dislikes. Therefore, keeping this in mind, there are several homemade food recipes for your Golden Retriever. Such as:
Mixed Fruit Medley With Chicken
Since you can include the fruit that your pal prefers in this recipe, your pal will love it. Usually, you just need to select the fruit and follow the methods.
Ingredients To Make Mixed Fruit Medley With Chicken
- Cooked and chopped two pounds of chicken
- 3 cups of your pet’s favorite fruit
- 3 cups of cooked lentils (you can even use cooked rice or quinoa)
Preparation Of Mixed Fruit Medley With Chicken
- Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
- Serve the mixture in the food bowl of your pet.
Fruits And Veggie Strips
It is the best recipe for a teething puppy. Besides this, you can also serve it as a reward to encourage your dog while training. However, the ingredients and method of preparation are simple and include:
Ingredients To Make Fruits And Veggie Strips
- Sweet potato (1)
- Banana (1)
- Minced carrot (one cup)
- Whole or white flour (two cups)
- 1/3rd cup water
- Rolled oats (one cup)
- Apple sauce (one cup)
Preparation Of Fruits And Veggie Strips
- Soften the sweet potato by cooking it thoroughly.
- Mash it and banana until to prepare a smooth mixture.
- Add all the other ingredients and form a dough.
- Make strips from the dough and bake it for 25 minutes.
- Store it in the fridge or jars. And serve it when needed.
Fruit Parfait
It is a desert for your pal that you will undoubtedly love a lot. For this, you can follow the following procedure:
Ingredients To Make Fruit Parfait
- One cup applesauce
- Once cup diced blueberries
- Non-fat yogurt (one cup)
- Diced strawberries (one cup)
Preparation Of Fruit Parfait
- Thoroughly mix all the ingredients in the blender.
- Store it in the fridge and give it to your pal in smaller servings.
Apple Cakes
Like humans, Golden Retrievers also loves cakes. Therefore, this recipe can be the best substitute for making healthy cakes for your pal.
Ingredients To Make Apple Cakes
- One tablespoon baking powder
- One egg
- Two tablespoons honey
- 1/4th tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ tablespoon applesauce (unsweetened)
- Water (two cups)
- Dried apple chips (one cup)
Preparation Of Apple Cakes
- Mix honey, apple sauce, water, vanilla extract, and egg thoroughly.
- Then, add up the dry ingredients and again mix it well.
- Pour the mixture into the muffin cups and bake it in preheated oven at 350ºC for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- After baking, cool the cake and cut it into bite-size pieces.
- Then, store it for future use.
Autumn Joy
As its name suggests, autumn joy is a food treat recipe that your Golden Retriever will love.
Ingredients To Make Autumn Joy
- Half a cup of shredded coconut
- Two tablespoons coconut oil
- Two cups of mashed sweet potatoes
- One cup of pumpkin
Preparation Of Autumn Joy
- Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
- Spray oil in the food processor and put bite-size scoops of the mixture in it.
- Then, allow it to freeze for six hours.
- And serve it to your pal when needed.
Berry Fruit Salad
Fruit salad is chewy and full of nutrients. Thus, it is the best for teething puppies. Besides this, you can stuff it inside your pet’s toy to make the game more adventurous.
Ingredients To Make Berry Fruit Salad
- One tablespoon of applesauce
- One cup of strawberries
- One cup of blueberries
Preparation Of Berry Fruit Salad
- Mix all the ingredients
- Keep inside your pal’s toys and place the toy in its crate.
- It is a great way to distract your Golden Retriever while you do your household chores.
Mixed Fruit Salad
Generally, this recipe is similar to the above one. However, the only difference is it contains many fruits.
Ingredients To Make Mixed Fruit Salad
- One tablespoon peanut butter
- Half a cup yogurt
- Two sliced apples
- Two diced bananas
- One cup of blueberries
Preparation Of Mixed Fruit Salad
- Arrange the fruits in layers and pour the yogurt into them.
- Then, freeze it and give it to your pal as treats.
Carrot Apple Biscuits
As carrot and apples are rich in antioxidants, it reduces the chances of heart disease and cancer in your Golden Retriever. For this:
Ingredients To Make Carrot Apple Biscuits
- One cup coconut oil
- One egg
- Two cups of wheat flour
- One cup of oats
- Sliced apples one cup
- Grated carrot one cup
- One tablespoon brown sugar
Preparation Of Carrot Apple Biscuits
- Make a dough mixing all the ingredients.
- Cut the dough into different shapes of cookies.
- Bake them in the oven for 40-45 minutes.
- Cool them down and store them to use when needed.
Chicken Raspberry Biscuits
Due to its ingredients, this recipe contains vitamin A to promote the digestion of your Golden Retriever.
Ingredients To Make Chicken Raspberry Biscuits
- One egg
- One cup cooked and shredded chicken
- Two cups of wheat flour
- One egg
- Honey (1 tablespoon)
Preparation Of Chicken Raspberry Biscuits
- Make a dough mixing all the ingredients.
- Cut it in the shape of cookies.
- Bake them in the oven until they are hard.
- Then, store it in jars to give treats to your pal.
Banana And Peanut Butter Cup Cakes
Banana and peanut butter fulfill the overall nutritional requirement of your pet. As bananas contain fibers, potassium, and copper, they are helpful for brain function and tissues development. Along with this, peanut butter is rich in fats and proteins. Thus, it provides energy and helps in the growth of bones and tissues.
Ingredients To Make Banana And Peanut Butter Cup Cakes
- Two bananas
- One beaten egg
- Two tablespoons of peanut butter
- Three cups of oats
- Two cups of water
- One tablespoon of baking powder
Preparation Of Banana And Peanut Butter Cup Cakes
- Mash the bananas and mix them well with all other wet ingredients.
- Then, add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Finally, pour it into the bite-size scoops in the baking pan and bake them for 20 minutes.
- Store it in the refrigerator and use it when required.
Salmon Skin Meal
A Salmon skin meal is a balanced meal with vegetables and salmon as a protein and omega-acid source. Thus, you can prepare it by following steps:
Ingredients To Make Salmon Skin Meal
- One broccoli
- Two carrots
- Salmon (2 portions)
- Three potatoes
- One squash
- Olive oil (2 tablespoons)
Preparation Of Salmon Skin Meal
- Slice down the carrots, squash, and broccoli.
- Then, mix it all and cook them.
- Further, spray some olive oil in the air fryer and fry the potatoes.
- Fry the salmon in the pan. And peel off the crispy skin after frying.
- Mix all the ingredients after cooking it for 15-20 minutes. (Except the salmon skin)
Chicken Casserole
Chicken casserole is a protein-rich and quick meal for your Golden Retriever. Further, to prepare this meal, you should follow the following steps:
Ingredients To Make Chicken Casserole
- Oats (1/4 cup)
- Chicken breasts (2)
- Chopped vegetables (broccoli, carrots, beans, and potatoes)
- Chick broth (2 cups)
Preparation Of Chicken Casserole
- Cut the chicken breast into bite-size pieces.
- Then, fry them in oil.
- Mix it with all other ingredients and cook it for 15-20 minutes.
- And your pal’s meal will be ready.
Fish Patty Treat
Fish patty treat is an omega-rich meal that is great for the skin coat and digestive system of your Golden Retriever. Moreover, you can prepare this easy meal by:
Ingredients To Make Fish Patty Treat
- Celery (1)
- Egg (1)
- Potato (1)
- Salmon can (1)
- Carrot (1)
- Flour (3-4 cups)
- Oil (3 tablespoons)
Preparation Of Fish Patty Treat
- Cut the carrot, celery, and potato into bite-sized pieces and add salmon, egg, and flour in it.
- Then, mix it well and form patties.
- Further, fry those patties in oil until its brown or dark golden.
- Finally, give it to your pal with some vegetables as a meal.
Crockpot Pork Delight
Usually, this is the combination of all the meaty delights with an extra ingredient, pork.
Ingredients To Make Crockpot Pork Delight
- Four pounds of mixed meat (one pound beef and three pounds pork)
- Water
- One cup of blueberries
- Two carrots
- Chopped kale (one cup)
- Cubed apple (one cup)
- One large cubed sweet potato
Preparation Of Crockpot Pork Delight
- Add all the ingredients to the crockpot and mix it well.
- Then, cook it in a low setting for eight hours.
- After cooking, cool the meal and store it in the refrigerator to use when needed.
Simple Rice And Chicken Breast
Simple rice and chicken breast in a simple and most delicious homemade food recipe for your Golden Retriever. And for this:
Ingredients To Make Simple Rice And Chicken Breast
- One cup brown rice
- Two cups water
- One pound of green beans
- Slice sweet potato (1)
- Sliced carrots (2)
- Deboned chicken breasts (2)
Preparation Of Simple Rice And Chicken Breast
- Make layers on all the ingredients in the crockpot and add water.
- Then, cover the pot and cook in low heat for eat hours.
- Finally, cool the meal and serve it to your dog.
- Store the excess in the fridge for future use.
Veggie Meaty Blast
Since this recipe is full of meat, your pal for sure loves it.
Ingredients To Make Veggie Meaty Blast
- Frozen peas (8 ounces)
- Chopped carrots (8 ounces)
- Ground turkey (3 pounds)
- Chicken thighs (3 pounds)
- Diced potatoes (2)
- Sweet potatoes (2)
- Frozen blueberries (1 cup)
Preparation Of Veggie Meaty Blast
- Cook the ground turkey and chicken with sufficient water and cover them.
- After 20 minutes, add all other ingredients and allow them to cook for 12 hours.
- Then, cool and freeze your Golden Retriever’s meal.
Doggie Stew
Doggie stew is one of the healthiest recipes for your pal that includes all essential nutrients in it. Such as:
Ingredients To Make Doggie Stew
- Olive oil (1 tablespoon)
- Chicken livers (2 quarters)
- Skinless and boneless chicken thighs (three pounds)
- Sliced carrots (2)
- Water (2-3 cups)
- Parsley (1 handful)
- Sliced apple without seeds and core (1)
- Frozen peas (1 cup)
Preparation Of Doggie Stew
- Mix all the ingredients and cook them in the crockpot. (Except peas, olive oil, and parsley)
- Then, cover the crockpot and cook it in low heat for eight hours.
- Finally, add the remaining ingredients at the last 15 mins and stir it.
- And cool and store it in the refrigerator to use when required.
Meat Fest
For this recipe, select the meat that your Golden Retriever loves the most. And follow the following procedure:
Ingredients To Make Meat Fest
- Four pounds of meat (beef or chicken)
- One large cubed apple
- Two diced carrots
- One large cubed potato
- Water (one cup)
- Brown rice (1 cup)
- Blueberries (1 cup)
- Chopped kale (1 cup)
Preparation Of Meat Fest
- Cook all the ingredients in a crockpot and mix them occasionally while cooking.
- Further, cook it in a low setting for seven hours.
- After cooking, cool it before serving.
Beef Bonanza
Since Golden Retrievers enjoys beef, this recipe is best for your pal. All you need is:
Ingredients To Make Beef Bonanza
- Ground beef (2 pounds)
- Brown rice (1 cup)
- Kidney beans (1 ounce)
- Chopped butternut squash (1 cup)
- Carrots (1 cup)
- Canned frozen peas (1 cup)
Preparation Of Beef Bonanza
- Mix all the ingredients and cook them in a crockpot.
- Then, cover and cook it in low heat for six hours.
- Finally, serve it to your Golden Retriever after cooling.
- Store the excess in the fridge for future use.
Turkey Delight
If you have a busy schedule, it is the best recipe for you. Since this food is storable, you can prepare a large meal and store it for days.
Ingredients To Make Turkey Delight
- One shredded zucchini
- Two shredded carrots
- Three pounds ground turkey
- 1 to 2 cups of brown rice
- One cup of peas
- Three cups of chopped spinach
- Olive oil (1 tablespoon)
Preparation Of Turkey Delight
- Cook the rice with three cups of water.
- Cook the turkey in a crockpot until it is brown.
- Then, mix all other ingredients in the turkey and cook them.
- Finally, cool and store the meal to use when needed.
Furthermore, which homemade food recipe would you prefer for your Golden Retriever?
Do you think they are convenient and easy?
Best Dog Foods For Golden Retriever
Although, homemade food recipes are highly nutritious and qualitative. But relying only upon these recipes cannot fulfill the nutritional demand of your Golden Retriever. Therefore, it is best to add some qualitative commercial dog foods to get the best of both.
However, commercial food varies according to the age and health condition of your pal. Therefore, you will find different dog foods for overweight and underweight dogs. Thus, all these foods are as follows:
What Should You Feed An Obese Golden Retriever?
As your Golden Retriever is always hungry, it is more likely to get obese. Further, even if your pal’s obesity resulted from overeating, starving your pal results in fatal health issues instead of resolving the health condition. Therefore, to help your dog lose the extra pounds, you can opt for food low in carbohydrates and fats like:
- Natural Balance Fat Dogs Low-Calorie Dry Dog Food
- Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe
- Canidae PURE Grain Free, Limited Ingredient Dry Dog Food
- Health Extension, Little Bites
What Should You Feed A Skinny Golden Retriever?
Since a Golden Retriever has an undeniable love for food, obesity flows in its gene. Thus, these dog breeds are less susceptible to being underweight. Yet, there still exist some exceptions due to the health issues and history of abuse.
However, for the Golden Retriever that is skinny, here are perfect commercial food options to manage its weight:
- Hill’s Science Diet
- Purina Pro Plan Large Breed & Giant Breed Dog Food
- Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Natural Dog Food
- Purina ONE Grain-Free, Natural Pate Wet Dog Food
Moreover, a study in 2017 analyzed eight different homemade food recipes of Golden Retriever and found that all of them weren’t sufficient to fulfill the nutritional demand of the dogs. Furthermore, only 5 of these recipes contained the essential nutrients in the correct quantity to meet the National Research Council’s minimum requirement for adult dogs. In addition, only nine recipes fit the minimum standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
So, if you are thinking of relying only on homemade food recipes, you must drop the idea. Furthermore, do you know what will happen if you fail to manage the nutritional requirement of your pet?
Health Risks In Golden Retriever Due To Unbalanced Meal
After a Golden Retriever puppy leaves its mother, its growth and development solely depend on the food you serve. So, if you fail to manage the food according to the food and nutritional requirement of these dogs, you pal may suffer from various medical complications like:
- Cancer
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Kidney and liver disease
- Heat intolerance and more likely to get cold in winter
- Soft tissue damage that leads to bone and joint defects
- High blood pressure
- Digestive disorders (bloating, constipation, diarrhea, allergies, etc.)
- Weakened immunity
- Arthritis
- Heart diseases
- Respiratory problems
Besides this, a study has also found that the lifespan of dogs with unhealthy lifespan and unmanaged weight decreases by two years. Therefore, it is to analyze whether the homemade recipes you are using for your Golden Retriever fulfill its nutritional requirement or not.
Summing up, after you decide to own a Golden Retriever, it becomes your responsibility to ensure a qualitative lifestyle for your pal. And, for a good life, food plays a vital role. Thus, you must be careful about the food you choose for your pet.
Besides this, training and exercise are also equally necessary for your pet. Therefore, you must balance everything properly. However, if you ensure a healthier life for your pal, it is more likely to live some extra years than its average lifespan.
So, keep in mind that your pal’s good health is directly related to more memories and more fun with your pal.
Furthermore, I hope this article gave you all the necessary information about the recipe to prepare the best homemade food for your Golden Retriever.
Do you have any suggestions?
Please share your reviews and suggestions in the comments.