Puppy Hip Care

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Because Goldens are a large breed of dog, they have special needs when it comes to taking care of their joints throughout their lives. Below are some of the expectations that exist so your puppy can have healthy bone and joint health.  Hip health is not just dependent on genetics, environment can play a part in developing joints!

 

• Puppies and Dogs should be kept at an ideal lean weight to prevent undue stress on their bones and joints.  This includes being able to feel their rib cage (not necessarily see it)  with only a small covering of fat over the top. Viewed from above, your dog should have an obvious waist line.  See website for a visual of a healthy weight:

 

https://www.dailypaws.com/dogs-puppies/dog-nutrition/dog-weight-management/dog-weight-chart

 

• Puppies and dogs should never be free-fed.  Feed puppies smaller amounts more frequently- up to four times daily of their total calorie requirement until approximately 4 months of age.  After four months, you can go down to three times daily until 6 months, and then two times a day from 7 months onward.  Calorie needs will vary with all puppies depending on their daily exercise. Check your puppy weekly to make sure the calories you are providing are adequate and not excessive.  

 

• Golden retrievers have fragile ligaments and bone plates until at least 18 months of age and great care should be given to their joint health.  Do not allow your puppy to go up and down stairs excessively until they are grown.  Do not allow the puppy to jump off any furniture or heights that are greater than the dog’s total height at his shoulders.  It is also ideal to provide textured surfaces to your puppy inside the home so that his or her joints can continue to develop properly.  This may involve putting down throw rugs if you have tile or hardwood flooring.  

 

• Exercising your golden retriever is important, but the type of exercise matters.  These dogs should not be ran on concrete or other hard surfaces until they are completely grown and their bones have fully developed.  The best type of exercise is dog-led, which means the puppy has a chance to play until he or she gets tired and can rest on their own terms.  This could be lightly tossing a ball around a grassy area, but does not involve constant running where the puppy stresses his joints. 

 

• Puppies under 18 months of age should be fed a high quality diet that is approved nutritionally for GROWTH of large breed dogs. Some dog foods will actually be labeled puppy, and some are approved for all life stages.  I have found raw and fresh foods to be the very best for my golden retrievers as it is low in carbs and allows for a nice slow, steady growth which can prevent stress on the joints.  My favorite companies for this include BJ’s raw food in Pennsylvania, and Titan Blends (if interested I can give you the name of our Co-Op). In addition we have also used Tucker’s Raw and like them very much.  Always make sure the food is labeled as “complete and balanced”.