Feeding high-quality food is important to keep a flat-coated retriever stay healthy and happy. To help you out, here I have talked about best dog food for flat coated retrievers.
When it comes to food for a flat-coated retriever, the focus should be on feeding high-protein food. It’s important because the breed is energetic and burns more calories. Low-quality food products consist mainly of corn and fillers won’t do well. This is an energetic dog breed. Depending on the day-to-day activities and lifestyle, the food requirements of a flat-coated retriever may vary. The food requirements for active pups and lazier pups will vary.
With high-protein and nutritious food, you can fulfill your flat-coated retriever’s food requirements even by feeding a small quantity. I’m sure this post will help you pick the right food product for your flat-coated retriever dog.
About Flat-Coated Retrievers
Like other retriever dogs, this one is also fun-loving and energetic. The breed was originally developed as a dual-purpose retriever on the land as well as in the water.
Due to higher energy levels, the breed requires plenty of exercise on a regular basis. To keep a flat-coated retriever healthy, it’s important to feed the right food and provide regular exercise. If we compare flat coated with other retriever breeds like a Golden Retriever, the major differences are related to physical appearance. Besides this, they also differ slightly in terms of temperaments.
Best Dog Food For Flat-Coated Retrievers (Reviews)
Let’s check out the ingredients, nutritional facts, features, pros, and cons of each food product:
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1. Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Adult Dry Dog Food
Blue Buffalo Wilderness is the best dog food for flat coated retrievers. Like Purina Pro Plan’s Shredded dog food, this one also has chicken as the main ingredient.
High-quality protein from deboned chicken and chicken meal will give your canine lean muscles. The food contains 34% protein and 15% fat. The good thing is, it does not contain any by-product meals. It is grain-free dog food. Not just by-product meals, it also does not contain wheat, corn, soy, artificial flavors, or preservatives.
It contains ingredients like menhaden fish meal and flaxseed that are rich in healthy fats like omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Healthy fats in the food would improve your canine’s skin and coat health.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- Deboned chicken
- Chicken meal
- Peas
- Tapioca starch
- Menhaden fish meal
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
- Protein: 34% min.
- Fat: 15% min.
- Fiber: 6% max.
- Moisture: 10% max.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
- Real chicken as the first ingredient
- Grain-free dog food
- Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids
- Better bone and teeth health
- Essential vitamins and minerals for improved immune health
- Contains no poultry by-product meals, soy, corn, wheat, artificial flavors, or preservatives
CONS
- Chicken can be an irritant in some dogs
2. Purina Pro Plan with Probiotics Adult Dry Dog Food
Purina Pro Plan Shredded Blend is another high-protein dog food product I would like to recommend for a flat-coated retriever. To fulfill the nutritional needs of a flat-coated retriever, the breed needs a high-protein diet. This food product by Purina Pro Plan contains quality protein from chicken.
Being real chicken as the main ingredient, it will fulfill the protein needs of your canine. It consists of 26% protein and 16% fat. Vitamin A and healthy fatty acids (like omega-6) would ensure better skin and coat quality. The kibble is designed in such a way your pup won’t leave it uneaten.
Although the food contains chicken as the first ingredient (a high-quality protein source), it also contains poultry by-product meals.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- Chicken
- Rice
- Whole grain wheat
- Poultry by-product meal
- Soybean meal
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
- Protein: 26% min.
- Fat: 16% min.
- Fiber: 3% max.
- Moisture: 12% max.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
- Chicken & rice formula
- Real chicken as the first ingredient
- Hard kibble combined with tender
- Vitamin A and Omega-6 fatty acids
- Live probiotics for better digestive and immune health
CONS
- Contains by-product meal
3. Taste of The Wild Dry Dog Food With Roasted Bison and Roasted Venison
This is another grain-free dog food you may consider for your flat-coated retriever. It has real meat as the first ingredient. It has pasture-raised roasted bison and pasture-raised roasted venison. Higher protein content from real meat will give your canine lean muscles. It’s important to feed food that is easy to digest. This food product by Taste of the Wild has proprietary K9 Strain Probiotics. It would ensure a healthy immune system and digestive system.
It has sufficient omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids to support your canine’s skin and coat health.
This dry dog food is grain-free and does not contain wheat, soy, etc. ingredients. However, it does contain pea protein and potato protein. These protein sources are considered to be low-quality.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- Water buffalo
- Lamb meal
- Chicken meal
- Sweet potatoes
- Peas
- Potatoes
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
- Protein: 32% min.
- Fat: 18% min.
- Fiber: 4% max.
- Moisture: 10% max.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
- Real meat as the main ingredient
- Rich with antioxidants and probiotics
- Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids
- Contains no soy, corn, wheat, artificial flavors, or preservatives
CONS
- Pea protein and potato protein are low-quality protein sources
4. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Dinner Patties
Stella & Chewy’s Raw dinner patties is another dog food with chicken as the main ingredient. The main contents are chicken with ground bone, chicken liver, and chicken gizzard. This is a natural food product and it is minimally processed. It is made with single-source animal protein. It is made with limited ingredients and has no grains.
The food is a great source of protein, with 48% protein. It will help your flat-coated retriever build lean muscle and maintain an active lifestyle. The majority of the food portion has meat, organs, and bones. And does not contain low-quality protein sources or fillers.
These raw dinner patties have omega fatty acids to improve the skin and coat health of your pup.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- Chicken with ground bone
- Chicken liver
- Chicken gizzard
- Pumpkin seed
- Organic fruits and vegetables
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
- Protein: 48% min.
- Fat: 28% min.
- Fiber: 5% max.
- Moisture: 5% max.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
- Chicken is the main ingredient
- Contains organic fruits and vegetables
- High in protein
- Made with farm-raised and cage-free chicken
CONS
- Quite expensive
5. Rachael Ray Nutrish Dry Dog Food
Rachael Ray Nutrish’s dry dog food recipe is made with chicken and veggies, with chicken being the first ingredient. Its farm-raised chicken would provide high-quality protein. Your dog would build lean muscles with this food. Besides the real chicken, some other ingredients are brown rice and peas. These ingredients are low in fat but high in fiber. These are added for a better digestive system.
The dog food also contains omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. These healthy fats would promote better skin and coat health of your canine. It is made with quality protein sources and does not contain low-quality protein sources like by-product meals and fillers.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- Chicken
- Chicken meal
- Soybean meal
- Grain sorghum
- Dried peas
- Chicken fat
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
- Protein: 25% min.
- Fat: 14% min.
- Fiber: 4% max.
- Moisture: 10% max.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
- Real chicken and veggies recipe
- Farm-raised chicken as the main ingredient
- Natural probiotics for better digestion
- No by-product meals, artificial flavors, or preservatives
CONS
- Contains soybean meal, whole ground corn, and corn gluten meal. Many dogs are allergic to these ingredients.
6. Zignature Dry Dog Food
The food products I have mentioned above are chicken-based. If your dog is allergic to chicken foods, consider feeding Zignature’s dry dog food. It is a trout & salmon meal formula.
Soy, corn, wheat, and chicken are some food contents dogs are often allergic to. This food product is free from these ingredients. With trout and salmon being the first ingredient, your canine will get 31% of protein. With many food products, low-quality protein is the big problem.
Talking about Zignature dry dog food, it does not contain any by-product meals or fillers. And it’s made only with single-source proteins. High-quality protein content would help with lean & strong muscles. The alfalfa meal in the food consists of a lot of fiber. This will improve the digestive health of your pup.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- Trout
- Salmon meal
- Chickpeas
- Peas
- Dehydrated alfalfa meal
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
- Protein: 31% min.
- Fat: 14% min.
- Fiber: 4% max.
- Moisture: 10% max.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
- Trout & salmon recipe
- Low-glycemic carbs
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Improved digestive system
- No chicken. If your canine is allergic to chicken, you can feed this food
- Contains no corn, wheat, soy, or by-products
CONS
- The actual amount of sodium chloride (salt) added is disclosed.
7. Primal Pet Foods Canine Freeze Dried Duck Formula
This is another best grain-free food for dogs with allergies. In case your canine is allergic to foods with chicken, salmon, or grains, this freeze-dried duck formula may work.
With protein being 33% in this food product, feeding this food will provide lean muscles to your canine. The food is free from grains and other fillers like corn, wheat, & soy. This dry dog food is made with duck raised without antibiotics or added hormones. The food contains organic fruits and vegetables to replace grains and ingredients like soy, wheat, corn, etc. It contains organic apples, broccoli, blueberries, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, etc.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- Duck
- Duck necks
- Duck wings
- Organic kale
- Duck heart
- Duck gizzards
- Organic fruits & vegetables
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
- Protein: 33% min.
- Fat: 22% min.
- Fiber: 4% max.
- Moisture: 7% max.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
- Duck formula
- Made with duck raised without antibiotics or added hormones
- Naturally derived vitamins and minerals
- Salmon oil for omega 3 fatty acids
- Contains no corn, grain, gluten, wheat, and soy
CONS
- Expensive
8. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food For Puppy
Are you finding the best food for a flat-coated retriever puppy? If yes, you can consider this one. To ensure better health, you must feed high-quality food to your puppy.
Hill’s Science Diet dry puppy food has chicken as the first ingredient and contains no chicken by-product meals. Besides this, it has many other healthy ingredients that will support the overall health of your canine. For example, it contains fish oil. Fish oil provides DHA and promotes brain & eye health.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- Chicken meal
- Whole grain wheat
- Cracked pearled barley
- Whole grain sorghum
- Whole grain corn
- Chicken fat
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
- Protein: 25% min.
- Fat: 15% min.
- Fiber: 3% max.
- Moisture: 10% max.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
- Chicken meal and barley recipe
- Eye and brain development
- Made with natural ingredients
- Better immune system
- No chicken by-products
CONS
- Wheat and corn are inexpensive fillers used in the food
9. Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Puppy Dry Dog Food
This can be a good choice if you are finding a grain-free food option for your puppy. The main protein sources of this puppy food are chicken and salmon. These ingredients would provide high-quality protein to your pup and will help him/her build strong muscles.
Apart from that, it also consists of healthy fats like omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. These healthy fats would improve the skin and coat health of your puppy. It does not contain soy, wheat, preservatives, artificial colors, or fillers. Instead, sweet potatoes, peas, etc. are some ingredients included in this grain-free puppy food.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- Deboned chicken
- Chicken meal
- Sweet potatoes
- Potatoes
- Turkey meal
- Peas
- Chicken fat
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
- Protein: 30% min.
- Fat: 14% min.
- Fiber: 3.5% max.
- Moisture: 11% max.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
- Chicken and salmon recipe
- Real deboned chicken as the first ingredient
- Omega fatty acids for better skin and coat health
- High protein proportion would build strong muscles
CONS
- Potato protein, pea protein, and sodium selenite are controversial items in this puppy food
What To Consider When Buying Food For A Flat-Coated Retriever?
Among so many options available, it can be quite confusing to select the right food product. Here are certain factors you need to consider when buying food for your flat-coated retriever:
High-quality protein
According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, adult dogs require at least 18% protein in their diets, while puppies require at least 22%. To keep a flat-coated healthy, it’s imperative to feed high-protein food. And it’s not just about feeding food with high protein. You need to make sure it has high-quality protein. Try avoiding food products with inexpensive and low-quality protein ingredients like by-products.
Fats
Make sure your selected food product has enough fat proportion. Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are healthy fats. These fats would improve your canine’s skin and coat health.
Avoid by-products and fillers
The manufacturer may have mentioned high protein proportion from the food, but what if that protein comes from low-quality sources like by-product meals and fillers? By-products are the parts that remained after taking out parts for human consumption. You don’t want to feed low-quality food to your canine, right? Thus, make sure the selected food product does not contain any by-product meals or fillers.
Is your dog allergic?
The chances are your canine might have a sensitive stomach and be allergic to certain food items. It could be a chicken meal, lamb, beef, eggs, dairy products, soy, or wheat in the food. In this situation, you can consider food with salmon or duck as the main ingredient. Here, I have already mentioned two best dog food for flat coated retrievers with allergies. Talking to the vet before including any food product in your pup’s meal is advisable.
How Much Should I Feed My Flat-Coated Retriever?
Food requirements of a flat-coated retriever differ based on the life stage. A growing puppy requires more meals per day as compared to an adult dog.
To a flat-coated retriever dog, you should be feeding 3.5 to 4.5 cups of high-quality protein dry dog food in a day.
- Puppies between 8 and 12 weeks need 4 meals a day.
- Puppies between 3 to 6 months of age need 3 meals a day.
- Puppies between 6 months to 1 year of age need 2 meals a day.
- After the completion of 1 year, you can feed your flat-coated once a day. Note that, if your flat-coated is very active and performs excess physical activities throughout the day, then you may have to increase to two feedings a day.
Final Thoughts
Flat-coated is one of the retriever breeds. This breed isn’t as popular as labrador and Golden Retriever, but the temperaments of this breed are very similar. The flat-coated retriever breed was developed as a dual-purpose retriever both on land and water. To keep a Flat-Coated happy and healthy throughout the day, you must feed high-protein, high-quality food.
Also Check: How Long Do Flat-Coated Retrievers Live?
