Are you ready to make a change to your Golden Retriever’s diet?
There are a lot of different food options for dog owners so it can be difficult deciding the best format for your Golden.
If you’ve been feeding store-bought kibble or wet food from the pet store, you may be ready to give a subscription model a try.
Golden Retriever owners have a lot of choice when looking to sign up to a fresh dog food company.
There are many fresh dog food brands who are looking to offer Golden Retrievers (and all dogs) the chance to eat balanced and complete meals.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the best fresh dog food for Golden Retrievers in the USA.
We’ve picked out a number of different dog food delivery companies who offer balanced and complete meals for Golden Retrievers.
Editor's note: The content on this website is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as veterinary, medical or professional advice. The content of our articles does not constitute veterinary advice. It’s always best to speak with your vet or a certified pet nutritionist before making any changes to your pet's diet or feeding routine.
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Things To Consider When Picking Fresh Dog Food For Golden Retriever
Golden Retriever tucks into fresh dog food (Photo: Adobe Stock)
So you’re ready to ditch the kibble or gravy in favour of fresh dog food that is balanced, complete and tailored to your Golden Retriever.
But what are some of the things to look out for when you’re attempting to pick between different fresh dog food brands? Let’s take a look.
• Fresh ingredients – We’ve only included fresh dog food companies that responsibly source their ingredients from local farms whether it’s meat, fruit or vegetables. We like to see dog food companies who use transparent labelling so you can recognise each ingredient in the recipe.
• Cooked loving – If a dog food company is using fresh ingredients, that’s great. But how are they cooking their meals? You don’t want to feed your Golden food that’s cooked at harsh, high temperatures. We’ve carefully researched the cooking methods of fresh dog food brands.
• Personalized meals plans – Golden Retrievers, just like any breed or mix, can be susceptible to weight gain. Therefore, your Golden could benefit from a personalized meal plan. This is a service most fresh dog food companies offer.
• Pre-portioned – In my experience testing the best fresh dog food companies in the USA, most brands will store their meals in pre-portioned packaging. In doing so, you can deploy portion control to ensure your Golden Retriever stays at a healthy weight.
• Vet approved – You want peace of mind that your Golden Retriever is eating balanced, complete and healthy meals. So there’s no doubt that seeing your Golden’s meals have been formulated by a pet nutritionist or vet will fill you with confidence.
• Recipe variety – I’ve got two picky eaters so I appreciate the ability to select different protein sources from a brand’s list of recipes. Whether your dog like chicken, beef, pork or lamb, options are a good thing. I like to use fresh dog food companies who offer at least three different recipes.
• Reliable deliveries – You’ve decided to sign up to a fresh dog food company to keep your Golden Retriever fuelled. If that’s the case, you’ll want to be sure that your Golden’s meals will arrive on time.
• Price – You should be prepared to pay a little extra if you decide to ditch the kibble or wet food in favour of fresh dog meals. However, you shouldn’t have to break the bank, either. It’s all about finding a balance.
Best Fresh Dog Food For Golden Retrievers 2023
Now that we’ve taken a look at some of the reasons to make a change to your Golden’s diet and things to look for, let’s examine the best fresh dog food for Golden Retrievers available right now.
1) Nom Nom
Website: www.nomnomnow.com
Golden Retrievers eye into Nom Nom (Photo: Nom Nom)
Nom Nom offer nutritionally-packed recipes that have been created by their board certified veterinary nutritionists. So you can have confidence that your Golden is eating balanced and complete meals formulated by experts. Nom Nom use high quality ingredients and every meat and vegetable is cooked individually before being mixed into batches. These batches are cooked at low temperatures to lock in vital nutrients and maximise digestability. Nom Nom offer three different recipes – beef, chicken and lamb, and these recipes will be tailored to your Golden’s specific needs before being sealed in pre-portioned packaging. Nom Nom’s meal pouches can be peeled open and resealed if you’re keeping the rest of the food for later. I really like how Nom Nom’s food looks like human-grade food – you can clearly see the chunks of meat and the vegetables. Of all the brands featured here, my dogs appeared to enjoy Nom Nom the most.
If you’d like to give Nom Nom a try, you can get a 50% discount off your first order by clicking this link.
2) Ollie
Website: ollie.com
Ollie provide fresh and healthy dog meals (Photo: Ollie)
Ollie are another fresh dog food company who offer balanced and complete meals tailored to your Golden Retriever. Just like Nom Nom, Ollie’s meals are balanced and complete, human-grade and abide by AAFCO standards. Their meals are cooked at low temperatures in small batches in their facility in Minnesota. Ollie are transparent about where their ingredients come from – their beef, chicken and turkey is sourced within the USA, while their lamb comes from the USA, New Zealand and Australia. They’ve got five different recipes – so there’s hopefully something for all Goldens irrespective of their preferences. Ollie offer flexibility when it comes to your Golden’s meal plan – whether you want to feed 100% Ollie, a mixed bowl plan or half fresh plan. I like that Ollie are catering to Golden Retrievers who like variety of ingredients, flavours and textures.
You can get 50% off your first Ollie order by signing up through this link and using the discount code “HELLOBARK” at the checkout.
3) Open Farm
Website: openfarmpet.com
Open Farm Grass Fed Beef (Photo: hellobark.com)
Open Farm are versatile dog food company who offer a lot of different options. For the purposes of this article, we’re going to be examine their fresh gently-cooked meals. Open Farm are transparent about where their ingredients have been sourced. You can trace each ingredients from the farm to the bowl. You won’t have to worry about any additives or nasties in Open Farm’s recipes thanks to their transparency. Open Farm offer seven different fresh slow cooked dog food. While we loved their 100% human-grade ingredients, Open Farm don’t offer the option to personalize your Golden Retriever’s meals – there’s no sign-up questionnaire. However, I really appreciate Open Farm’s transparency, careful meal preparation, meticulous source vetting and their sustainable approach to their business.
4) Spot & Tango
Website: spotandtango.com
Spot & Tango Unkibble (Photo: Spot & Tango)
Spot & Tango have created a range of simple recipes that use real ingredients. By completing their sign-up quiz, you can give Spot & Tango all the information required to meet your Golden’s specific needs. They’ll customize their recipes to cater to your Golden’s weight, breed and activity level. Just like the other options in this feature, Spot & Tango’s meals have been developed by vets to meet industry standards. Spot & Tango differ from the other brands in the sense that their recipes contain 12 simple ingredients (irrespective of whether you select Turkey & Red Quinoa, Beef & Millet and Lamb & Brown Rice).
Golden Retriever Care
Golden Retriever snacks on watermelon (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Golden Retrievers require a balanced and complete diet to keep them fuelled in their day-to-day lives alongside you.
The American Kennel Club recommends a high-quality diet to promote a healthy lifestyle for your Golden Retriever, whether you’ve got an adult or puppy.
The organization go on to add that Golden Retrievers are susceptible to weight gain. The AKC encourages Golden owners to monitor their dog’s calorie consumption and weight gain.
While you may have decided to give fresh dog food a try for your Golden, you need to be disciplined when it comes to feeding your Retriever treats.
The AKC add that feeding your Golden table scraps is a bad idea if you’re looking to avoid upsetting your Golden’s stomach or risking weight gain.
Golden Retrievers are an active breed and they require at least 60 minutes of exercise a day to ensure they get sufficient exercise and mental stimulation.
Anything Else To Consider?
Golden Retriever eats some kibble (Photo: Adobe Stock)
If you’re thinking about making a change to your Golden Retriever’s diet, you should speak to your vet before you start to transition your Golden.
Your vet will be able to provide advice and guidance on how to successfully make the transition from your Golden Retriever’s old food to their new food.
Alternatively, you can also speak to the fresh dog food brand to get their advice on how to make the transition.
Wrapping Up – Our Final Thoughts
Golden Retriever (Photo: Adobe Stock)
We’ve reached the end of our article on the best fresh dog food for Golden Retrievers.
If you’re ready to usher in a fresh new era for your Golden Retriever’s diet, we’re excited for you.
Our top pick would be Nom Nom based upon our experience testing and reviewing the fresh dog food brand.
However, you won’t go wrong if you opt for Ollie, Spot & Tango or Open Farm.
