Can Golden Retrievers Eat Raw Meat? — Dog Food Facts

Can Golden Retriever dogs eat raw meat? The answer actually depends on a lot of factors. Raw meat is not 100 percent recommended by veterinarians and animal nutritionists. However, the consumption of raw meat is not necessarily frowned upon either. To say the least, there are a lot of benefits and drawbacks of Golden Retrievers eating raw meat.

In this article, that is exactly what I’ll be covering. We’ll discuss how your Golden Retriever will benefit from eating raw meat. I’ll also discuss the possible negative outcomes of your dog eating meat. 

Can all dogs eat raw meat?

Before we ask, “Can Golden Retrievers eat raw meat,” we should first determine if all dogs eat raw meat. Veterinarians have said that feeding a dog a diet that consists mainly of raw meat may not provide the complete and balanced nutrition that it needs.

However, when you include raw meat in your dog’s meal along with other ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, and vitamins, you can create a balanced meal for your dog. Not all dogs are required to have a diet that consists of raw meat. When done correctly, the raw meat diet is a beneficial one for dogs. 

Dogs love to eat bones, and raw meat is a nutrient-rich food source. Cooking raw meats has the potential to remove many of the vitamins and minerals that dogs need for a healthy body. Raw meat doesn’t upset the stomach lining. Dogs can safely eat homemade dog food if it has no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

Can Golden Retrievers eat raw meat?

Golden retrievers, just like many other breeds of dog, are not recommended to eat raw meat. However, once done correctly, your Golden Retriever will reap its benefits. There are a lot of nutritional benefits that your Golden can receive from eating raw meat. However, there are some drawbacks to it as well.

All Golden Retrievers can eat raw meat, but that doesn’t mean that they should. It’s really up to the pet parent’s decision on what to put in a Golden Retriever’s food bowl. 

Have you ever thought about allowing your Golden Retriever to have just a bit of meat? Maybe you think raw meats should be off limits because you don’t know how bacteria will react. That could potentially mean that your Golden Retriever could get sick. However, that doesn’t mean that all golden retrievers should never eat raw meat.

Golden retrievers, dogs, and golden retriever puppies can eat raw meaty bones, organs and non-meat products. Raw meaty bones include, but are not limited to: wild game, venison, beef liver, turkey liver pâté, liverwurst (gourmet pulled pork), ground beef, pork kidney, pancetta (mozzarella), wild plants and mushrooms. So yes, your golden retriever can eat raw meaty bones — and that’s great news!

Can Golden Retrievers eat raw meat?

That question may seem quite odd as well as pretty basic. Dogs ingest about 60% water, 15% protein, and only about 3% of fat in their food. Typically, any dog can eat raw meat. They were originally hunters before we domesticated dogs. 

Raw meat refers to those foods that have not been cooked before being consumed. Since dogs can’t cook, they would eat their food uncooked. Raw meat contains more protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that a dog would traditionally need to maintain its body. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t any bad side effects of eating raw meat. Unwashed or infected raw meat can spread diseases and cause very bad harm to your dog.

Golden retrievers are able to eat raw meat as long as it’s cooked properly in their environment. Raw meats like chicken and turkey can be dangerous for golden retrievers because of the bacteria, viruses and heat that can be present in raw meats. Because of this, owners should be aware how to cook their meat so that golden retrievers do not get sick from it.

Raw meat is good for the dogs, but not for human health as there are bacteria colonies that are harmful to our digestive systems.

It is common knowledge among veterinarians that there is a good nutritional value and other benefits when a Golden Retriever eats raw meat. Let’s discuss these briefly.

What are the benefits of Golden Retrievers eating raw meat?

When there is a controversial topic such as “Can Golden Retrievers eat raw meat,” there are multiple benefits and drawbacks lists that you can find. You will be able to find all this information online, but here is what I have personally noticed about my Golden Retrievers when they were fed a raw meat diet.

Better Overall Appearance

There are many reports that feeding your Golden Retriever raw meat, their overall appearance will improve. This is true in my case. I have noticed that my Golden Retriever had a much shinier coat. Their coat was practically gleaming when the sun shone on it! If you thought that your Golden Retriever was clean, putting them on the correct diet will significantly change this. That significant change is a hundred percent positive as well!

Besides a shinier coat, I did notice that my Golden Retriever (who has mild skin allergies) did have less scratchy skin. I personally did not think that their diet could affect their skin this much. If your Golden Retriever has allergies, I recommend that you include raw meat in their diet. It will clear up a lot of rashes or skin problems that your Golden Retriever may be experiencing.

Their skin condition changes because there are some additives in dog food that affects the way their skin and coat appears. Once you take away these additives and other ingredients, you are stripping away what is giving your Golden Retriever an allergic reaction. Remember that allergic reactions can come in a lot of shapes or forms. The flakiness of your Golden Retriever’s skin could already be a mild allergic reaction already.

The last improvement of my Golden Retriever’s appearance is that he got cleaner teeth. I think that it is because my dog didn’t have to chew as many hard parts (like kibble) as he used to. The fact that he did not have to chew anything kept his teeth clean. However, proper dental care should still be done even though he has clean teeth.

Better Mood

Perhaps a few days after I included raw meat in my Golden Retriever’s diet, I have noticed that he is in a much better mood. He has plenty of energy to run around during the day. He does not get tired even after we walk for 45 minutes after meal times. I am very pleased because he used to have lower energy levels, but now he is in a much better mood.

That being said, including several pieces of raw meat in your Golden Retriever’s diet will encourage a much better mood. Perhaps if your Golden Retriever is always destructive around the house (chewing on things that he should not chew on) or barking (trying to get your attention), you can try changing his diet. You can either add more dog food to his bowl, adjust his diet to add more protein, or change his diet altogether to a different kind of dog food.

You will notice that most of his destructive ways will subside as you start to feed him better. That’s not to say that you weren’t feeding him well before. However, now you are just feeding him everything that he was lacking before. Perhaps he just needed more protein in his body. After all, proteins are very important if you want your Golden Retriever to become active.

That’s why it’s so good to feed your Golden Retriever raw meat. It’s basically protein in its purest form. However, only the right preparation will give those nutritional benefits to your dog.

Better Digestion

Golden Retrievers can have sensitive stomachs. One of the solutions to this is to change their diet. A diet that includes raw meat will help improve their digestion. When a Golden Retriever eats kibble, it takes a while for their stomachs to break down the food because of its hard consistency. It takes even longer for their stomachs to break down food if your dog has a habit of gobbling down all the food in his dog bowl.

Chewing is an essential part of a dog’s eating process. If they do not properly chew their kibble, it could cause blockages in their intestines. Blockages in their intestines will make it hard for them to poop.

On the other hand, even if a Golden Retriever gobbles down raw meat, their stomachs will still find it easy to break it down. This is because raw meat is made up of healthy proteins and fat. Those are so much easier to break down than hard kibble.

Thus, that’s how your Golden Retriever will have a better digestive system when you feed them raw meat. However, speaking of digestion, please make sure that the food that you feed them is clean. Only purchase raw meat from a reliable source. If you consider it safe for a human being to eat, then you can also deem it safe for your Golden Retriever to ingest.

Poorly prepared raw meat will cause a number of digestive problems for your dog. Your Golden Retriever’s health will be severely compromised and we don’t want that. Later on, I’ll be sharing the other drawbacks of a Golden Retriever eating raw meat.

You will know all the ingredients

Feeding your Golden Retriever raw meat means that you have to prepare each meal yourself. Preparing your Golden Retriever’s meal means that you know what ingredients will go into your dog’s body. This is especially important for Golden Retrievers who have food allergies.

A food allergy can be deadly. Some pet parents are careless enough to buy whatever dog food is available in the grocery and call it a day. Then, they’ll become totally torn when they find out that their Golden Retriever is having an allergic reaction to whatever was in the dog food that they bought. 

Responsible pet parents always check the food labels on the dog food bag. Alternatively, responsible pet parents prepare their Golden Retriever’s meal instead. This will include veggies, proteins (either cooked or raw meat), healthy oils, and vitamins.

Fun Fact: When your Golden Retriever sees that you are the one preparing their meals, they will consider you the alpha in their pack as well.

Better Overall Health 

Your Golden Retriever will start to shine like a beacon of outstanding health. Their immune system will be at their peak. That means that they will be resistant to almost all kinds of sicknesses. Of course, sometimes you can’t really stop a sickness from invading a body, but the right diet will help strengthen your Golden Retriever’s immune system.

They will also have a leaner body weight. They will not be at risk of becoming obese. Obesity attracts a lot of sicknesses, which is why keeping them healthy is important. What I mean by this is that when your Golden Retriever starts to become overweight, they are more prone to illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer.

The best way for you to boost your Golden Retriever’s immune system is having them drink the appropriate amount of water per day. In addition to that, they must also be fed a well-balanced diet that consists of protein, vitamins, minerals, and a good serving of vegetables. There are some fruits and vegetables that dogs enjoy. One of those fruits and vegetables is apples, carrots, and bananas. 

There are many other food choices that you can include in your Golden Retriever’s diet other than raw meat.

Are there drawbacks of Golden Retrievers eating raw meat?

Since there are benefits, there are drawbacks as well. Since nothing in this world is perfect, the same goes for raw meat. That’s why in this discussion of “Can Golden Retrievers eat raw meat,” I have decided to include the drawbacks of Golden Retrievers eating raw meat as well. This is for you to make the best decision for your beloved pet.

It has Unseen Bacteria

Raw meat contains a high level of bacteria from the intestines of animals that have died or been eaten by the retrievers. If you take the raw meat from untrusted sources, it could be contaminated and you would never know it. 

That’s why if you’re buying your raw meat from an untrusted source, just cook the meat instead of feeding it raw. Yes, you will lose most of the nutritional value of raw meat, but it’s a lot better than spending a lot of cash for your Golden Retriever’s medical expenses.

It’s Costly

Feeding your Golden Retriever a diet that consists of raw meat will mean that it will cost you more cash. This is because you will be buying a lot more meat so that you will have enough for a balanced diet for your Golden Retriever.

Buying dog food or kibble is certainly a lot cheaper than buying raw meat and other ingredients. That is primarily one of the reasons why pet parents don’t want to switch their Golden Retriever to a diet that includes raw meat and other food.

You might be spending $5 to $10 per day if you opt to switch your Golden Retriever to a raw meat diet. If you cannot afford this, that is okay. There are a lot of food alternatives that you can choose for your Golden Retrievers. These alternatives are dog food and kibble that already includes all the necessary ingredients for your dog.

However, keep in mind that all the other ingredients will be there as well. That includes the additives, meat meal, and others. You won’t have complete control over what your Golden Retriever eats. That may be dangerous if your Golden Retriever has a food allergy. Just make sure that you check the food labels on the dog food and you should be fine.

It’s Time-Consuming

Since you or your family members will be the ones to prepare your Golden Retriever’s meals, expect that it can be time-consuming. Instead of doing other things like chores, you will have to set some time during the day to put your Golden Retriever’s food together.

After getting used to the routine, I am sure that you will spend less and less time working on your Golden Retriever’s diet. However, if you want to be efficient and swift, you might consider an alternative to a raw meat diet. 

You could also prepare these meals in advance. However, you also have to make sure that the containers that hold your Golden Retriever’s food is well-refrigerated. Otherwise, the food will just spoil and you will have wasted your cash and efforts.

Has the Potential to become Unbalanced

You are literally controlling what food goes into your Golden Retriever’s body. This will include the raw meat, vitamins, and oils that you put in. Too much of something will give your Golden Retriever stomach problems.

You can find good recipes for a well-balanced raw meat diet for Golden Retrievers on websites like YouTube. These websites have video instructions on how to construct the best diet that includes everything that your Golden Retriever needs.

When you have the correct recipe, your Golden Retriever will reach maximum healthiness. They will have extra protection against a lot of sicknesses. Not to mention that they will also have a healthy body weight. They won’t have a hard time moving around because of obesity. They will also have higher energy levels that a Golden Retriever should have.

However, if you simply assume how much food your Golden Retriever needs without doing any research, you will also end up doing more damage than you want. 

Where do I find raw meat for my Golden Retriever?

Keep in mind that the raw meat for your Golden Retriever should be well-prepared. It should come from a reliable meat supply store. You can’t just pick up a dead animal in your backyard and feed its meat to your dog. That is incredibly dangerous and should not be done. You can only do that if you have experience in hunting. A hunter will know if a piece of meat is healthy or if it has disease.

A hunter will also know how to clean and prepare the meat that they have caught. This cleaning and preparation will make raw meat edible for Golden Retrievers.

Fun Fact: Golden Retrievers were initially bred to retrieve the game that their owners hunted down. Due to their soft mouths, they are able to carry these hunted animals without damaging them.

What does a healthy diet of a Golden Retriever look like?

Golden retrievers, like all breeds of dogs, can eat meat. Raw meaty foods are full of nutrients for dogs and are an excellent source of B-complex vitamins and other important nutrients. However, it should be kept in mind that certain vitamins are destroyed when meat is cooked or cut up. Raw meats are not inherently unsafe but you should learn about the health risks associated with eating raw meats before deciding to prepare something raw for your best friend.

Raw meat contains more antioxidants and vitamins than cooked meat. Dogs digest their food faster when they eat raw versus cooked meats. Golden retrievers, fox terriers, and many other types of dogs have natural diets that include raw meat. Raw meat is much healthier for your dog than any commercial dog food. These raw meaty meat products can be part of a dog’s final diet. Raw meat is very easily digested.

Final Words

Can Golden Retrievers eat raw meat? Of course they can — provided the meal that they eat also include all the other nutrients and minerals that they need in order to become healthy. A raw meat diet can be beneficial, especially for pet parents who can afford it. However, there are also some drawbacks to it — especially how time-consuming it can be. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether to switch your Golden Retriever’s diet to a raw meat one!

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