Q: How much should a Golden Retriever eat?
My Golden Retriever is overweight, 9 years old, fed Iam’s Senior/Weight Control. I want to start feeding him in smaller portions, multiple times a day, in hopes to trick him that he’s full.
Also, what alternative snack do they like that are healthy, so to satisfy my dad and grandmother who think they MUST give treats? ...sigh
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Answers and Views:
Answer by durdenslabs
What you do is feed your Golden Retriever the amount that he needs to maintain his “ideal” weight. Find out from your vet how much he should weigh, then go by the recommended feeding listed on the food.
Our female Lab was overweight at one point by about 7 lbs. We cut her food down to 2 – 2 1/2 cups a day (once in the morning) with a couple of dog bone treats during the afternoon.
Tell your dad to stop feeding him every time he’s near the food bowl. That’s why the dog is overweight in the first place.
They can give him regular dog treats or even plain yogurt if they have to – but only in small amounts.
Take him out to exercise more and give less food (as stated above).
Answer by ♥Golden gal&h
I feed my Goldens baby carrots for a low-fat low cal. treat! Also, Celery with the strings removed. You can also mix green beans cooked in with his food it will make him feel fuller and it will reduce the calories. I feed my guys here 2 times a day. Morning and evenings!
Personally, I would look for better dog food, to begin with. Iams anything I think is junk!
Look at Canidae Silver or Wellness weight management!
Much better foods so you feed less, to begin with! Exercise will help a lot too. Walks several times a day will help get the weight off! After winter some dogs will naturally put weight on. I always cut my Golden's food back in the winter months they just don't get the exercise they do when the weather is nicer!
Do not allow anyone to feed your Golden unless it is regular feeding time. If someone must give the dog something then reach for the carrots or the green beans. No high cal. or fat snacks at all. No people foods! No crackers, chips, peanut butter either. All high in fat and starch!
It would be to your Golden advantage to slim down to take the weight off its joints!
Answer by heather h
DO NOT! let anyone else feed him but you. and on the back of my dog food bag, it shows how much you should give ur dog. it has pictures of the size/weight of what ur dog should be. then it tells you how much to give them. I think for a golden retriever they are supposed to be fed 3 times a day. a dog that is overweight its 10 times harder on them then it is a person who is overweight ex. being 10lbs. overweight to a person is like being 20lbs. overweight to a dog. keep that in mind. oh, and when you feed him cut back on his portions.
Answer by triphazard99
As for Golden Retriever feeding schedule, multiple feeds would be a great way around this – just weigh out his daily portion according to the guideline recommendations (and allowing for the fact that you want him to gradually lose weight) and make it clear to your family that this is all he gets. It might help to point out that you are doing this so you have longer with your dog, and he will have a happier life too.
As for treats, if he's on dry food, you could allocate a portion of that to be given an ad hoc treats.. he won't mind! Rawhide chews are not only low in calories, but they will do his teeth and gums good too.
Be firm – and explain to your family exactly why you are doing this – and good luck!
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Answer by Apacapacas
I also have a 9-year-old golden retriever, and I give him 3/4 of a cup of kibble in the morning and 3/4 cup of kibble at night.
For treats, I give him frozen green beans and frozen broccoli. These two vegetables don't add anything to his diet, because dogs can't digest plant matter. It just goes right through them.
If your dad MUST feed the dog constantly, ask him to feed the frozen green beans or broccoli. Anything else will make your dog gain weight now that he's getting to be a senior dog and will start slowing down.
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Answer by ???
I would give it a half a cup in the morning and a half a cup at night, if that's too small. Don't give him more than 2 cups a day, this is how much you should feed your Golden.
Answer by laaron0711
For my big lab/retriever/rotty mix we were told to only give her and my smaller beagle mix one bowl of food a day so that they would lose weight and they already look much better. If the dog is food bowl aggressive it won't stop eating but one big meal a day usually late during the day is much better than multiple meals a day and healthier for them too. Feeding them at night will help them burn off calories during the day and will usually help them sleep. Hope I helped.
Answer by Emily13
Yes, you can feed multiple times a day providing you only feed the required daily amount for your dog.
Treats you could feed are IAMS or Eukanuba light. (These are the same companies)
Keep in mind if he gets these treats u need to reduce how much you feed your dog with normal dry food.
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