The Retriever Expert Expert Care Tips For Your Retriever
The Golden Retriever is, no doubt, one of the smartest dog breeds in the world, and having them as part of our family is really incomparable. So, to show them our love and affection, feeding them with the right doggy diet is a great idea. Actually, there would be a big difference in their lives if we also introduce fruits and veggies into their diet. But, what vegetables are good for Golden Retrievers?
As pet owners, it is good to understand that there are human foods that are not suitable for dog’s consumption. We need to be very keen on what to feed a Golden Retriever. In this blog post, we will reveal the golden list of veggies that is friendly for the Goldies’ health. Also included here is the proper way of preparing vegetable meals for our beloved fur baby. As a bonus, we will give you a delicious and nutritious vegetable recipe that you can try feeding for your Golden Retriever.
What Vegetables are good for Golden Retrievers?
It is not only humans that can get great benefits from fruits and vegetables. In fact, even dogs, like the Golden Retriever, can also experience the advantage of eating veggies. Actually, vegetables help the Goldies in maintaining their overall health. At the same time, it will also be good for the pet owners as you will able to save bucks in buying pet foods.
Dogs also require various foods that are natural, organic, and contain complete and well-balanced nutrients. The vegetables highly feature all of those. It is generally rich in antioxidants, minerals, enzymes, fiber, and phytonutrients. That’s why it is also essential to feed your Goldies with various types of veggies.
If you’re ready to offer a healthy and nutritious meal to your Golden Retriever, check the list below to be able to know what vegetables are good for Golden Retriever.
BEETS
Beets are actually one of the vegetables that are good for Golden Retriever’s consumption. Want to know why? Well, these veggies contain an abundant amount of vitamin C, manganese, folate, potassium, and fiber. All of these are generally beneficial for the digestion of your Goldies and into his immune system. Those nutrients also help in maintaining the health of their skin and coat.
BROCCOLI
This green vegetable is very rich in various amounts of vitamins. Vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium are the nutrients broccoli can offer. They are generally helpful in the improvement of the dog’s bone density, fight against diseases, and betterment of their heart health.
Additionally, broccoli is also a big help in the development of the dog’s vision. Lutein and zeaxanthin are the nutrients responsible for it. It also has lots of beta-carotene so, your Golden Retriever can have good eyesight during night walking.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Vitamins A and C along with vitamin B6 are the nutrients inside the butternut squash. So, feeding these vegetables are good for Golden Retrievers as it is a big help in the improvement of the immune system of the dog and in the overall function of their heart and eyes.
CARROTS
Still, looking for what vegetables are good for Golden Retrievers? Don’t worry as carrots would give you the answer. It has vitamin A comes from beta-carotene. Aside from that, it also contains vitamin B6, vitamin K, biotin, and potassium that are all beneficial for the dog’s overall health.
Not only that, carrots had a powerhouse nutrient profile. With that, here are the other nutrients that your Goldies may acquire from eating carrots:
- Vitamin C, D, and K
- Minerals including copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, niacin, phosphorous, potassium, riboflavin, and sulfur
- Lutein
- Lycopene
Well, lutein and lycopene basically support protecting the eyes of the doggy from UVB radiation. To feed the Golden Retrievers with carrots, prepare it through a light steaming process and simply add it over your dog’s regular kibble. Serve carrots as a raw snack of your pooch or another best option is to add it up on homemade doggy vegetable recipes.
CELERY
Generally, celery is a vegetable that is high in antioxidant levels because of the vitamin A and C that it has. Feeding your Golden Retriever with celery will make them feel young and healthy.
CUCUMBER
The thing that makes cucumber great for Golden Retrievers is that it is fully packed with phytonutrients and antioxidants. Due to that, the Goldies will generally get the benefits of the anti-inflammatory effect.
GREEN BEANS
The green beans generally help in making the dog feel full. Why is it so? It is due to the abundant amount of fiber inside the green beans. Moreover, this veggie also contains the most essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, C, B6, and K.
Irons and calcium are also part of the nutrient profile of green beans. Lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene can also be found as the essential nutrient content of this veggie that is good for the Goldies.
KALE
If you feed your Golden Retriever the vegetable kale, they will definitely get the vitamins K and A plus iron. With those nutrients, kale becomes one of the good vegetables for Golden Retrievers as it provides the proper function of the dog’s vision immune system. Kale is also helpful in the Goldies’ bone health and energy metabolism.
PUMPKIN
Neutralization of free radicals is the major function of pumpkin. Besides, Golden Retrievers really love to eat pumpkin as a kibble topper or ingredient of a homemade doggy meal. It also has lutein and zeaxanthin which are both good for the improvement of a dog’s eye health.
SPINACH
Another good vegetable that is good for the Golden Retrievers is spinach. The list of nutrients that your dog can get from it includes vitamins B6, B9, and E as well as vitamin C and K. Carotenoids, calcium, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and potassium are also present in spinach in abundant amount.
SWEET POTATOES
If the digestive health of your Goldies is your concern, then don’t forget to feed him with sweet potatoes. These vegetables are good for Golden Retrievers especially on their digestion because of their high fiber content. It also has vitamins like C and B6 plus manganese, beta-carotene, and other antioxidants.
MUSHROOMS
Generally, there are three types of mushrooms that are good for consumption of the Golden Retriever. And here are those:
Shitake mushrooms
This type of mushroom contains lots of medical features and has an abundant amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals. It has vitamin B6, A, and C and also includes the following minerals:
- Copper
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Niacin
- Pantothenic acid
- Potassium
- Selenium
- Thiamine
- Zinc
Moreover, the shitake mushrooms have loads of around 50 or more enzymes. Because of that, this is great for Goldie’s digestion as it also has pepsin.
Reishi mushrooms
Reishi mushroom is another type of mushroom that is also good for a dog’s digestive health. Aside from that, it increases the energy level of the Golden Retriever. Reishi mushroom also aids in the regulation of the immune system and cardiovascular health of the dog. It is also helpful in curbing the allergies of the Goldies. Coumarin, polypeptides, polysaccharides, and amino acids are the nutrients inside this mushroom.
Maitake mushrooms
Mostly, this type of mushroom has plenty of uses in the medicinal world of canines. Thus, the healing powers of the maitake mushroom are lining up. In case you feed your Golden Retrievers with this mushroom variety, your fur baby will able to experience the following effect:
- Prevention of cancer
- Regulation of dog’s blood sugar levels
- Reduction of cholesterol in canines
- Blockage of tumor development
- Enhancement of dog’s immunity
- Fight against infections in the Golden Retriever
*Toxic Vegetables and Fruits not to be Eaten by the Goldies
Well, you need to be on the lookout here. If there are vegetables that are good for Golden Retrievers, there is also the opposite. Some vegetables and fruits may be toxic to dogs so avoid giving the following to your Goldies:
Aromatic vegetables such as garlic, chives, and onions
This group of aromatic vegetables can generally damage the health of your pooch by targeting their blood cells. Because of that, the Golden Retrievers may suffer from low iron levels inside their body and their kidneys can be damaged.
Seeds of apricots, cherries, peaches, persimmons, and plums
In case the Goldies accidentally consume the seeds of persimmons, inflammation of the small intestine will generally occur. The same thing goes with the seed of apricots, cherries, peaches, and plums as it contains cyanide. This is very poisonous not only for dogs but also for humans.
However, the fruit meat is not as harmful as its seed provided that you will only provide the flesh alone without any seeds. So, it is still fine to let your Golden Retriever eat just a bit of these fruit.
Rhubarb
How rhubarb become toxic to dogs? Basically, this has oxalates that may cause a great concern on the dog’s kidneys, digestive system, and nervous system. Moreover, rhubarb may also decrease the level of calcium inside the Golden Retriever’s body. Because of that, renal failure, as well as other health problems is at hand.
How to Prepare Vegetable Meals that are Good for Golden Retrievers
Since you have it, make the most out of it! If you already have the vegetables that are good for Golden Retrievers, then it is better to have an idea of the proper way of preparing them for your doggy. Cutting the veggies in small bite-sizes is good enough to prevent the Goldies from choking. Moreover, pureed veggies highly offer optimal benefits to your Golden Retriever.
Regardless of the way you prepare it, vegetables can be a great treat for the Goldies. Just make sure that your pooch does not have any issues with its digestive system. Below are the basic preparation methods for your Golden Retriever’s vegetable meal:
1-Blanching
Blanching is actually a method of vegetable preparation in which the veggies are quickly submerged into the boiling water. Afterward, it will then submerge into the cold water. It is the best method of vegetable preparation. Doing this process will basically clean the vegetable surface and take out all the dirt in there.
The good thing is all the nutrients and flavor of the veggies still remain in it through this process. Moreover, blanching requires no cooking oil that’s why it is a healthy option for humans.
2-Pureeing
Blending the vegetables into a raw puree can generally offer a number of benefits and great digestibility to Golden Retrievers. Keep in mind that different veggies have different ways of pureeing. For example, celery and spinach are fine to be blended right away and no cooking is required.
Meanwhile, root veggies such as sweet potatoes and carrots need blanching or steaming. That way, blending those veggies could be highly possible. Generally, the goal of pureeing is to break down the cell wall of the vegetables to make it easier for Goldies to digest them.
3-Freezing
Another way of vegetable preparation is freezing. This generally works by cooking big bathes of veggies and store them in the freezer afterward. Freezing basically saves both of your time and effort. In order to have freeze-veggies, simply pour the pureed vegetables into an ice cube tray and put it inside a freezer. You can just grab the cube when your pooch needs a delicious and healthy treat.
4-Steaming
An excellent veggie preparation that does not need submerging in boiling water is steaming. This method cooks the vegetables within it as it also preserves the brilliant color and vegetable flavor. Aside from that, the nutrient profile of the vegetables is also retained.
Homemade Vegetable Recipes for Golden Retrievers
Vegetable recipes for Golden Retrievers are highly recommended in case your pooch is battling with a specific type of health condition. This is actually helpful in getting them under control. Below is a yummy and healthy vegetable treat recipe for your Goldies.
The Golden Veggie Smoothie
Well, one way of throwing things exciting and thrilling for your Goldies is to provide some spice and sprinkle a bit of flavor. If you want to give your furry friend a pack of vitamins and minerals, refreshing with this Golden Veggie Smoothie is a great idea. Yet, keep in mind that this is just a treat and not to be fed to your Goldies as a replacement for their meal.
What You’ll Need:
- 1/4 cup of each fruit – apples, pears, bananas, and peaches
- 1/4 cup of each vegetable – carrots, green beans, spinach, squash, and zucchini
- 1 tbsp of cream cheese
- 1/4 cup of fruit juice except for grape juice
- 4 tbsp of plain yogurt
What to Do:
- Initially, gather all the things that you’ll need.
- Place it all inside the blender.
- Basically, blend it well until you get a consistent mixture.
- Serve the Golden Veggie Smoothie to your Golden Retriever while fresh.
*Tips for Good Practices in Preparing Homemade Dog Food
Actually, if you decide to make or prepare a homemade vegetable meal for your Golden Retriever, it is very crucial to inform your vet about it. Honestly, we do not have enough knowledge of the Golden Retriever’s proper nutrition. So, having a discussion of this with the vet or veterinarian nutritionist will generally minimize the possibility of leading your Goldies to nutritional deficiencies.
Below are helpful tips to follow when preparing a homemade veggie recipe for the Golden Retriever. Consider doing this to feed your Goldies a nutritious meal or treat.
- Do not ever attempt to use toxic ingredients for your Goldies
- Cook the beans and starchy vegetables very well so that it will be easier for the Goldies to digest them
- For safety purposes, it is always good to do your own research about the individual ingredients right before using it
- Strictly follow the ingredients and the instructions stated for the homemade vegetable doggy recipe
- If you want, you may consider adding supplements to the diet of your Golden Retriever
- Learn the effects of any dietary changes on your pooch
- Don’t hesitate to ask any questions to the vet or veterinary nutritionist
Final Words
Generally, vegetables are not just good for Golden Retrievers. Besides, it can also be a delicious and healthy treat for you and your Goldies. Explore those veggies that are highly suitable for dog consumption and see for yourself its benefits for your Golden Retriever. If you are fond of feeding your pooch with healthier food options, then you may consider giving them homemade vegetable meal recipes.
However, you still need to be very vigilant here because there are also some vegetables that may cause toxicity to the health of the Golden Retriever. In case of accidental ingestion of these veggies, it is good to ask for the veterinarian’s assistance. After all, we all want to have a happy and healthy life, even the Goldies. So, feeding them with a high vegetable diet may give a nutritious addition to your Golden Retriever’s food.
