The Golden Retrievers are large dogs who need a lot of good food. Their digestive systems are like all mammals with one stomach except their stomach’s pH is much lower than humans, i.e. more acidic. In nature, the dog’s ancestor, the wolf, ate meat and chewed bones. Many folks are afraid of a home cooked diet for dogs because they are told it is too complicated. They are told the ratio between calcium and phosphorus is too complicated. It is actually simple. The bones are the calcium and the meat is the phosphorus. In nature, as a general rule, they ate about equal amounts. Raw bones are great calcium and they will not splinter like cooked bones. Also, ground egg shells are great calcium.
We recommend the best kibbles or dry dog food like “4-Health Puppy Food, 100% Grainfree” at Tractor Supply. However, kibbles are cooked at very high heat. Burnt food is cancerous so by definition, kibbles are a cancer causing agent. We use kibbles but add on top the home cooked dog food (stew) and as a free choice between meals. We alway add coconut oil to dry kibbles.
We give our dogs plenty of fresh 'well water'. However, if you are on 'city water', we recommend the multi stage reverse osmosis filter to eliminate the fluoride and chlorine, which are poisonous halogens, that are probably added to your water. These are also cancer causing agents. The single carbon filter in the refrigerator or faucet head will not remove fluoride.
We feed and recommend a home-made beef or chicken stew. We make a large quantity and freeze several weeks worth. It is made with braised ground meat or chicken quarters with brown rice or other whole grains, miropois, (w/o onions), sweet potatoes, squash, kale and other vegetables. We also feed cooked organs like liver, hearts and gizzards. We feed sardines twice a week. We top the stew with raw or boiled eggs, and a good cultured yogurt like “White Mountain”. We add at various times other real food like the ground organic egg shells (calcium), canned pumpkin and ground pumpkin seeds (for tape worms), green powder (“VitaMineral Green” for tumors), vitamin C powder, sea weed, diced parsley, and apple cider vinegar. We give them raw vegetables to chew on...what ever is in season from the garden like carrots, string beans, or kale.
Our young puppies are fed a milky breakfast of goat’s milk, yogurt, raw eggs, canned pumpkin and old fashion oatmeal.
Also, we give the dogs the best human multi vitamin, Dr. Mercola’s Multi-Vitamin. We also recommend NuVet Plus herbal supplements to build the immune system and bone health. It also has shark cartilage to inhibit tumors. Many large breeders require NuVet for the first two years for health guarantees and showing rights.
There is one note about diet and skin hot spots. Skin eruptions occur due to the low oil in the dry kibbles. The skin is an organ of elimination and is connected with the liver. We feed our dogs in the stew coconut oil as well as a special formula of oils: salmon oil, olive oil, flax-seed oil, cod liver oil, and wheat germ oil. This protects their coat and reduces shedding. It will eliminate hot spots, unlike the antibiotics. If you do give antibiotics, you must rebuild the flora (yogurt) in their gut or the hot spots will get worse.
References: John Holmes' The Family Dog and The Farmer’s Dog (good common sense from a famous trainer) Andi Brown’s The Whole Pet Diet, Eight Weeks to Great Health for Dogs and Cats Dr, Jarvis's Folk Medicine (on Apple Cider Vinegar and bone health) www.nuvet.com 1-800-474-7044 (order code 90044)