The 10 Best Dog Food For Golden Retrievers [Healthy & Tasty]

A golden retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds in the world, because of its friendliness, docile, smartness, affectionate, and playful nature, the lifespan of a golden retriever is 10 – 12 years.

Like other dog breeds, golden retrievers are also at risk for several health issues, to keep your golden away from these issues, you need to give them quality dog food.

Choosing the best dog food is a hard thing for the owner, there are lots of factors you need to consider before choosing dog food for your lovable dog.

And most importantly you need to choose a dog food that doesn’t contain BHA,  BHT, artificial preservatives, coloring, propylene glycol, white flour, gluten, corn, corn syrup, rendered fat, and food dyes.

To make things easier for you, we researched and made a list of some best dog food for golden retrievers out in the market based on ingredients, customer’s review, rating, quality, and price.

Without wasting any second, let’s get started.

Quick Comparison Of Our Favorites:

Image Product Details   Price 
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Adult Dry Dog Food Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Adult Dry Dog Food ✅High-quality protein
✅Contains wholesome whole grains, garden veggies, and fruits
✅ Enhanced with vitamins and minerals
Check Price
Purina Pro Plan with Probiotics Shredded Blend High Protein Purina Pro Plan with Probiotics Shredded Blend High Protein ✅Shredded blend chicken and rice
✅Contains probiotics veggies and fruit
✅Free from artificial ingredients
Check Price
Nature's Recipe Grain Free Easy to Digest Dry Dog Food with Real Meat Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free Easy to Digest Dry Dog Food ✅Real Meat, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin
✅Salmon is the 1 ingredient
✅No corn, wheat, artificial colors or flavors
Check Price

The 10 Best Dog Food For Golden Retrievers [Healthy & Tasty]

Here is the list of our top 10 best dog foods for golden retrievers.

1.) Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Adult Dry Dog Food

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Adult Dry Dog Food

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Adult Dry Dog Food

  • High-quality protein
  • Contains wholesome whole grains
  • Garden veggies and fruits
  • Enhanced with vitamins and minerals

Top 5 ingredients:

  • Deboned chicken
  • Chicken meal
  • Brown rice
  • Barley
  • Oatmeal

Here comes the most favorite dog food among dog lovers and loved by their dogs, blue buffalo made up of real chicken, that gives high-quality protein to your dog at a reasonable price.

The reason most people choose this product for their dogs is that it contains high protein, garden veggies, and fruits, rich in antioxidants, omega 3, omega 6, vitamins, and minerals which are carefully selected by holistic veterinarians.

The presence of glucosamine, carbohydrates, supports joint function and overall mobility of your dogs and keeps them energetic all day.

It also helps to build strong muscles and the immune system.

This dog food is also available in flavors like fish, lamb, weight chicken, small bite chicken.


2.) Purina Pro Plan With Probiotics Shredded Blend High Protein

Purina Pro Plan with Probiotics Shredded Blend High Protein

Purina Pro Plan with Probiotics Shredded Blend High Protein

  • Shredded blend chicken and rice
  • Contains probiotics, veggies, and fruit
  • Free from artificial ingredients

Top 5 ingredients:

  • Chicken
  • Rice
  • Whole grain wheat
  • By-product meal
  • Soybean meal

It is made of a high protein and a shredded blend of chicken and rice formula, the first ingredient of the purina pro plan is real high protein chicken, and followed by vitamin A,omega-6, natural prebiotic fibers are present to promote digestive health and to nourish the skin and coat.

Optimal levels of protein and fats help your dog to maintain an ideal body condition.

While hard kibbles are combined with tender, more likely your dogs will love the taste and texture.


3.) Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free Easy to Digest Dry Dog Food with Real Meat

Natures Recipe Grain Free Easy to Digest Dry Dog Food with Real Meat

Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free Easy to Digest Dry Dog Food with Real Meat

  • Real Meat, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin
  • Salmon is the 1 ingredient
  • No corn, wheat, artificial colors, or flavors

Top 5 ingredients:

  • Salmon
  • Chicken meal
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Tapioca
  • Starch

The main reason you can consider this dog food for your golden is the first ingredient of this product is salmon.

Normally, salmon is a great source of omega fatty acids that support the immune system of your dogs and decrease inflammation.

With that said, it contains sweet potatoes, pumpkins, active nutrients, and antioxidants and doesn’t contain poultry by-product meals, artificial flavors, preservatives, corn, and wheat.

And also it strengthens the muscles and bones of the dog with help of phosphorus, calcium, and protein.


4.) IAMS Proactive Health Adult High Protein Large Breed Dry Dog Food

IAMS Proactive Health Adult High Protein Large Breed Dry Dog Food

IAMS Proactive Health Adult High Protein Large Breed Dry Dog Food

  • Farm-raised chicken
  • Promotes healthy digestion and immunity
  • High protein

Top 5 ingredients:

  •  Chicken
  • Ground whole-grain barley
  • Ground whole grain corn
  • Sorghum
  • Chicken by-product meal

IAMS proactive in one of our favorite dog foods, not only ours, it is one of the highest-selling dog foods in the market and it is recommended by veterinarians.

The reason most people purchase this for their lovely dog is it derives the majority of protein from chicken, and it promotes healthy digestion, immune system, and strong muscles with real farm-raised high-quality chicken, wholesome fibers, and prebiotics.

And more importantly, it doesn’t contain any artificial flavors, colors, and fillers that affect dogs.

It is also available with a lamb and rice flavor, and it is one of the cheapest large breed dog foods on this list.


5.) Diamond Naturals Dry Food for Adult Dog

Diamond Naturals Dry Food for Adult Dog

Diamond Naturals Dry Food for Adult Dog

  • Real pasture-raised beef
  • No artificial flavors
  • Nutrients rich

Top 5 ingredients:

  • Beef meal
  • Grain sorghum
  • Ground white rice
  • Dried yeast
  • Egg product

This premium-quality dog food is enriched in high-quality protein that is mainly derived from real pasture-raised beef and also contains lots of premium ingredients with added vitamins and minerals.

The guaranteed level of selenium and vitamin E ensures that your dog is getting essential antioxidants, nutrition, and omega-3,omega-6 fatty acids help to maintain healthy skin.

It is made with the most advanced food safety protocols and the price of this product is cheap.


6.) Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Dog Food

Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Dog Food

Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Dog Food

  • High-quality protein
  • With wholesome grains like oatmeal
  • No meat by-products

Top 5 ingredients:

  • Deboned chicken
  • Chicken meal
  • Oatmeal
  • Ground barley
  • Peas

This crunchy kibble is made in the USA with the finest ingredients like chicken and wholesome grains.

All the ingredients used in this dog food are selected by experts and it supports the immune system, bone health, and skin of your adult dog.

In addition, probiotics, prebiotics, chicory root extract, fibers combine to give healthy digestion.

It gives a guaranteed level of calcium, phosphorus, vitamins A to support the eyes, teeth, gums of your dogs.

And it is rich in antioxidants due to the presence of blueberries and spinach.

They also offer food for puppies, senior dogs at a reasonable price.


7.) Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Adult & Senior Dry Dog Food

Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Adult Senior Dry Dog Food

Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Adult & Senior Dry Dog Food

  • High-quality protein
  • Made with non-GMO ingredients
  • Contains essential antioxidants

Top 5 ingredients:

  • Chicken
  • Whole grain brown rice
  • Whole grain sorghum
  • Brewers rice
  • Chicken meal

This delicious dry kibble is enriched with high-quality protein and it is perfect for any large breed that is 18months or above.

Natural sources like glucosamine and chondroitin are formulated to support your dog’s healthy joints.

It is made up of non-GMO ingredients, essential antioxidants, and protein as the first source of ingredients, and it doesn’t contain any chicken by-products meal, corn, soy, or wheat.


8.) Merrick Grain Free with Real Meat + Sweet Potato Dry Dog Food

Merrick Grain Free with Real Meat Sweet Potato Dry Dog Food

Merrick Grain-Free with Real Meat + Sweet Potato Dry Dog Food

  • Real deboned chicken as first ingredients
  • 84% of protein from animal sources
  • Grain-free

Top 5 ingredients:

  • Deboned chicken
  • Chicken meal
  • Turkey meal
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Potatoes

We like that this dog food is free from grains and made with real deboned chicken as the first ingredient and sweet potato, the best one for dogs who are allergic to grains.

Sweet potato is an excellent source of vitamins, fibers, antioxidants and it reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer.

The protein content of this dry dog food is 65%, and also contains healthy ingredients, vitamins, fibers, and minerals.

And 84% of protein sources are formed from animal sources, these ingredients and combinations help your dog to maintain weight, healthy joints, and increase in energy.

It also comes with flavors like salmon, beef, bison, duck, lamb, turkey, and venison.


9.) Halo Natural Dry Dog Food

Halo Natural Dry Dog Food Premium Whole Meat

Halo Natural Dry Dog Food

  • Real Whole Meat
  • Highly digestible
  • Non-GMO fruits and vegetables

Top 5 ingredients:

  • Chicken
  • Chicken liver
  • Dried egg products
  • Oat groats
  • Pearled barley

This dog food does not include any artificial ingredients, fillers, colors, rendered meals, and preservatives, it is made in the USA with high-quality meat and non-GMO fruits and vegetables for adult dogs.

It contains lots of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, protein, wholesome grains, and probiotics, which help to get healthy skin and support the immune system of your dog.

And chickens used in the products are certified by Global Animal Partnership, so the chicken is enriched with natural lights and treated properly.

The best thing about this product is it is highly digestible.


10.) Royal Canin Golden Retriever Adult Breed Specific Dry Dog Food

Royal Canin Golden Retriever Adult Breed Specific Dry Dog Food

Royal Canin Golden Retriever Adult Breed Specific Dry Dog Food

  • Contains essential nutrients
  • Promotes heart health with DHA, taurine, EPA, for healthy cardiac function

Top 5 ingredients:

  • Brown rice
  • Chicken By-Product meal
  • Oat groats
  • Brewers rice
  • Wheat

Royal canin golden retriever dog food is made especially for adult golden retrievers, to encourage your dogs to chew the food, it comes in an exclusive kibble shape.

It reinforces your dog’s skin barrier with essential nutrients and helps to get healthy, shiny coat skin and maintains ideal weight.

With taurine, DHA, EPA is included in this food, helps to promote the heart health of your golden retriever dog.

One of the reasons to list this dog food at last place is because of its expensive price.

And royal canin dog foods are available for other breeds also.


How To Choose The Best Food For Your Dogs?

As pet owners, we should give quality dog foods to our dogs, by giving a proper diet, which helps them to live healthily and without any diseases.

While there are endless dog foods available, choosing the right one for your dog is the hardest part of every pet owner’s life.

When choosing a food for your dog, look for,

  • High-quality ingredients
  • Nutrition contents
  • Consider your dog’s age, breed, activity
  • Avoid ingredients that are dangerous to dogs like fillers, wheat, soy, BHA,  BHT, artificial preservatives, coloring, propylene glycol…
  • Consult with your veterinarians 

How Do I Transition From One Dog Food To Another?

When switching from old dog food to new dog food, don’t do it without transition.

If you feed the new food to your dogs without any transitions, then there are chances that your dog will be affected by vomiting, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal distress.

To avoid this, mix 25% of new dog food with previous dog food for the first 3-4 days, then gradually increase the new dog food day by day, this transition may take up to 12 -14 days.

And also, take a look at the below video, Dr. Gary Richter shares the best method to change to new food.

FAQ:

What dog foods should I avoid?

When buying dog foods, always read the ingredients section first, and avoid dog foods that contain,

1.) BHA and BHT
2.) Artificial preservatives and coloring
3.) Propylene glycol
4.) White flour
5.) Gluten
6.) Corn and corn syrup
7.) Rendered fat
8.) Food dyes

Is It really necessary to feed dogs grain-free food?

It is not necessary to feed your dogs grain-free foods, the study conducted by FDA shows that grain-free dog food can lead to fatal diseases, but, they haven’t confirmed it yet, most veterinarians recommend giving dogs foods that contain grains.

What is the best food for a golden retriever?

FluffyDude recommends a blue buffalo and purina pro plan, but we strongly recommend you to consider your dog’s activity level, age, nutritional needs before giving them new food.

Do golden retrievers need special dog food?

The answer is no, adult golden retrievers can eat any type of dog food, but, keep in mind, excessive amounts of calories in dog foods may lead to issues related to bones and joints. So, it’s better to choose dog food for golden retrievers with low-calorie content.

Is Blue Buffalo good for dogs?

Yes, blue buffalo is one of the popular brands and healthiest dog food providers in the market, and it is loved by pet lovers and recommended by veterinarians, it contains high-quality proteins, wholesome grains, and garden veggies, and fruits.

Final Words:

So far, we have seen the list of best dogs for golden retrievers, choosing the best dog food, and food transition.

Overall blue buffalo is the best one, which contains essential nutrients, and deboned chicken is the first source of ingredients.

And the pricing is also lower than dog foods like Halo Natural Dry Dog Food, Royal Canin.

For people, who are looking for dog food even cheaper, IAMS Proactive would be a great choice.

We hope this article helps you find the best food for your golden retriever, consider sharing with other pet owners like you.