One of the Golden's best assets is its golden coat. The
best way to get a good coat is to grow it from the inside,
and that means proper nutrition. You can help that coat
stay healthy on the outside by brushing and washing.
Brushing a dry coat can result in hair breakage so mist
it ever so slightly with water before you start. Your
Golden Retriever should be brushed one to three times
a week.
Never shave your Golden Retriever. You can use any pair
of scissors to trim straggling hairs, but the main rule
when trimming a Golden is that less is best.
It is normal for a Golden Retriever to shed their hair.
If you find your Golden is shedding a lot then try to
brush them every now and then and remove the extra hair
before it gets on your couch! If your Golden is not scared
of the vacumn you can even vacumn your dog! Many dogs
love to be vacumned (use a soft brush attachment).
Excessive shedding could be due to a lack of nutrients
in the dog's diet so that is something to watch out for.
Putting 1 teaspoon of olive oil in you dogs food per day
may help reduce shedding a little.
Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Golden Retriever
- Alcoholic beverages
- Avocado
- Chocolate (all forms)
- Coffee (all forms)
- Fatty foods
- Macadamia nuts
- Moldy or spoiled foods
- Onions, onion powder
- Raisins and grapes
- Salt
- Yeast dough
- Garlic
- Products sweetened with xylitol
Exercise
Goldens are very active, and will appreciate as much
exercise as their owner(s) can provide. Goldens are not
prone to obesity, but as with any dog their weight should
be watched closely. This is especially true for elderly
or less active dogs.
Ear Cleaning
A homemade mixture of one part alcohol to two parts white
vinegar can be used as a simple ear cleaning solution
to remove ear debris.*
* Please note: Cleaning solutions will flush out debris,
but will not kill mites or cure infections. If your Golden
Retriever is showing signs of discomfort or the ear is
red, swollen, or painful, please consult your Vet, do
not attempt to clean it yourself.
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Chicken Gravy for Dogs
There may be times when you want to put some gravy on
your dogs food (maybe as a treat, or perhaps to disguise
some medicine etc.). Gravy intended for human consumption
is usually enjoyed by dogs, but is really too salty for
them. Here is a recipe that be used as a gravy for dogs
:
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
60 ml (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
120 ml (1/2 cup) whole wheat flour
950 ml (4 cups) water
250 ml (1 cup) dry milk
250 ml (1 cup) shredded carrots
Serves : 6
Preparation & Cooking
Melt butter in microwave using large bowl or measuring
cup. Stir in whole wheat flour until well combined. Add
water and milk and microwave at 50% power for 10 minutes,
stirring twice. Place all ingredients in food processor
and blend until smooth.
Serve cool; store leftovers in fridge or freezer.
Steak Snaps
Servings: 2 dozen / Cooking Time : 50 minutes
Ingredients:
3 eggs
710 ml and 44 ml (3 T) whole wheat flour
44 ml (3 T) wheat germ
44 ml (3 T) nonfat dry milk powder
3 beef bouillon cubes
15 ml (1 T) Worcestershire sauce
Preparation & Cooking
Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl while dissolving bouillon
cubes in 90 ml (6 T) hot water. Add flour, wheat germ,
dry milk, bouillon and Worcestershire to eggs and mix
until a stiff dough forms. Roll out dough to ½"
thickness on lightly floured surface and use cookie cutters
or knife to make doggie-themed shapes. Arrange on a cookie
sheet and bake at 180ºC (350ºF) for 25 minutes,
then turn over and bake an additional 25 minutes.
Allow to cool overnight.
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An Apple a Day Dog Treat
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 apple -- chopped or grated
1 egg -- beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
3/8 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with
vegetable oil spray. Lightly dust work surface with flour.
Blend flours and cornmeal m large mixing bowl. Add apple,
egg, oil, brown sugar and water; mix until well blended.
On floured surface, roll dough out to 7/8-inch thickness.
Cut with cookie cutters of desired shape and size. Place
treats on prepared sheet.
Bake in preheated oven 35 to 40 minutes. Turn off oven.
Leave door closed 1 hour to crisp treats. Remove treats
from oven.
Store baked treats in airtight container or plastic bag
and place in refrigerator or freezer.
MAKES 2 to 2 1/2 dozen
Canine Cookies #1
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup powdered milk -- non-fat
1/3 cup bacon grease -- *see Note
1 egg -- lightly beaten
1 cup cold water
In a bowl, combine flour and milk powder. Drizzle with
melted fat. Add egg and water; mix well. Gather dough
into a ball. On floured surface, pat out dough. Roll out
to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Gather
up scraps of dough and repeat rolling and cutting. Bake
on ungreased baking sheets in 350 degree oven for 50 -
60 minutes or until crispy.
* Note: Beef fat or Chicken fat can be used
Makes about 36 - 2 1/2 inch biscuits. Store in the fridge.
