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Goldendoodles are cute, intelligent dogs. And learning what a Goldendoodle can and cannot eat is a key to ensuring they have a healthy and long life.
Goldendoodle is an offspring of Golden Retrievers and Miniature Poodles and is cute, intelligent, fun, and the best companion you could ever ask for. Before bringing one home, you must ask to know what a Goldendoodle can and cannot eat.
A balanced diet will ensure your Goldendoodle has a long life. And since many have sensitive stomachs, you must be keen on what you feed your Goldendoodle. Avoid feeding them human food with spices and other items that can lead to stomachache. Commercial dog food is the best option.
Luckily, we’ve done the research and identified all the food you can and cannot feed your Goldendoodle, and the amount and time intervals to avoid overfeeding and underfeeding.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Food for Your Goldendoodle
We love doodles as they are happy, intelligent, and fun-loving dogs, and keeping them healthy for a comfortable and long life is an essential duty of a dog owner. So use the factors below when looking for what to feed a Goldendoodle.
● Size
The amount and type of food to feed your dog will depend on the size of your Goldendoodle. For example, if you provide your puppy formula, you will have to give him more to achieve the required calories. But if it’s in pellet form, then a lesser amount is needed.
Reputed sites such as We Love Doodles suggest: If your Doodle is less than six months old, you’ll have to give him three meals a day as he grows and needs the energy. But an adult dog should be fed twice a day; otherwise, you risk your Doodle becoming obese.
● Allergy
Check with your veterinarian what food your Goldendoodle is allergic to. This will help you when choosing food for your Doodle.
● Pickiness
Is your Goldendoodle picky when it comes to food? Then you would have to make the food exciting and fun. You can opt to make them homemade. If it’s pellets, add warm water to the food to give it a gravy-like consistency.
Alternatively, you can consider supplementing the dry food with a little bit of canned food to make it more appealing. Take a spoon and mix canned food with the pellets. It would be best to mix to ensure that your Doodle licks on the dry food as he reaches for the wet. Otherwise, if you place the canned food on the top, your Goldendoodle will just feed on the canned food and leave the rest.
● Digestion
Check if your Goldendoodle has any digestive issues before buying any food. Consult with your vet and determine which foods are best if they do.
When looking for what to feed your Goldendoodle, you have two options: buying commercial food or making homemade dog food. Most prefer commercial dog food as it’s readily available and easy to prepare.
● Commercial Dog Food
These dog foods can be bought from the store and are specifically made for dogs. The best part about using dog food is they have all the nutrients needed to help your Goldendoodle grow into a healthy and fun-loving dog. Besides, they are easy to prepare and can be stored in large quantities.
Dry kibble food is one of the best dog food on the market. It is readily available and contains all the essential nutrients, and the crunchy feel of the food helps clean plaque and tartar off your dog’s teeth.
What to Feed Your Goldendoodle
You need to feed your Goldendoodle a balanced diet. Also, be careful what you feed your Doodle, as most have a pretty sensitive stomach and may end up with a stomach ache. Here are a few pointers below.
Carbohydrate
To ensure you are feeding your Goldendoodle a balanced diet, you must add carbs to their daily meals. It helps improve your dog’s blood sugar level, but always ensure the foods you add have low carb content, such as sweet potatoes.
Therefore, maintain it below 40% because the protein content and other nutrients are low if you feed more carbs. Consider using wet food as most of them has a low starch content.
Vitamins and minerals
Ensure you are feeding your dog nutritious food ingredients that contain vitamins and minerals, such as salmon oil, flaxseed, and liver.
Fats and fatty acids
If your Goldendoodle is hyperactive, it needs all the energy it can get. Fat is a natural energy source, so give your Goldendoodle a high-fat diet—the best fat source for your dog includes canola oil, flaxseeds, and chicken fat.
Omega-3-fatty acids are essential for your Goldendoodle to help maintain healthy skin and fur. So, when buying dog food, avoid foods with terms such as animal fats and plant oils on the labeling.
Fiber
Like humans, your Goldendoodle food must have fiber to assist digestion. Some fiber foods include meat, meat meals, rice, and veggies.
In small amounts, you can also add dietary fiber, such as inulin, chicory, oats, barley, and beet pulp to your Goldendoodle’s food.
High-quality Protein
Protein is a must ingredient in your food. The types of protein found in the food include fish, chicken, beef, poultry, and turkey. Check the packaging for the content.
Ensure that there is a minimum of 2 to 3 proteins, and the ratio of meat proteins to meal proteins should be 2:1. Plant proteins must always be less because your Goldendoodle won’t be able to digest them in large quantities.
Homemade dog food
Homemade dog food is tricky to make as it’s quite a challenge to get the right amount of proteins, vitamins, carbs, and other nutrients to make the meal a balanced diet. However, it’s the healthiest meal you can feed your Goldendoodle as it’s free of preservatives and additives.
Homemade dog food is best for picky eaters as you can make the food more appealing, and it helps you bond better with your Doodle. And you’ll never have to worry about food recalls which often happen with kibble food.
Since the food is not dry, your dog’s digestion will improve, and ailments attributed to poor diets, such as skin allergies, obesity, diabetes, and reduced immunity, will be eliminated.
You can feed your Goldenddodle some vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, bell peppers, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, carrots, apples, pears, and watermelon.
So, you can consider making homemade food for your dog, but first, you must learn everything you should avoid and what nutritional quantities to add to your meals.
What Not to Feed Your Goldendoodle?
If you want your Goldendoodle to live a long, healthy, and happy life, you must ensure that it stays away from the following foods:
- Grapes
- Prunes
- Raisins
- Cherries
- Citrus fruit
- Chocolate: It is toxic for any dog
- Onions
- Garlic
- Coffee
- Soda
- Macadamia
- Raw eggs
- Raw meat: It may contain salmonella, which is harmful to your Doodle
- Avocado
- High sugar content foods
- Salty foods
- Dairy: If fed in small quantities, it’s okay. However, it isn’t good for your Doodle in large amounts as its digestive system is not meant to process dairy. So keep a close eye on your Doodle and caution everyone in the house.
Note that some of these foods are highly toxic for your doodle and can be detrimental to their health. So if they happen to consume by accident, seek medical attention immediately as it may lead to organ failure and eventually death.
How Many Times Should You Feed a Goldendoodle in a Day?
The number of times to feed your Goldendoodle depends on which stage in life they are in. If it’s a puppy, you must feed it three times a day. This is because they need the energy to grow. They are the most active at this stage, so it’s vital to replenish their energy.
An adult Goldendoodle should be fed twice a day. This will prevent obesity and keep them full, thus preventing them from destroying things in the house or nibbling on things they shouldn’t.
How Many Calories to Feed Your Goldendoodle
Most of the dry food has feeding instructions written on the packaging. But sometimes it would benefit from modifying them to your dog’s needs, especially if they are not very active, the food may be a little too much.
A good rule of thumb to observe when feeding your Goldendoodle is the 1 cup of food per 15 pounds of weight per day. Therefore, if your Doodle weighs 30 pounds, that’s 2 cups, which can be divided into two offerings, morning and evening.
With that said, monitor your Doodle’s weight to see if what you are feeding them is sufficient; if your dog is too thin, consider adding the amount of food. But if it’s gaining weight rapidly, consider reducing the food.
Should I feed treats to my Goldendoodle?
Sometimes you will need to give your Goldendoodle treats as a reward for a job well done, but ensure that the treats account for 10% of their daily food intake to avoid obesity.
Final Words
For many people, dogs are like family, so they are pretty careful when choosing their food. Therefore, you must know what a Goldendoodle can and cannot eat. Hopefully, this article has provided you with sufficient information to help you feed your doodle better, ensuring it has a long and healthy life. So use the information above to have a healthy and happy companion.
