Most people love corn, as it is inexpensive and replete with necessary nutrients. The owners of Golden Retrievers are also no exception; they like to feed corn to their Goldies. That being said, it is essential to know whether it is problematic to feed corn to Golden Retrievers. Are there any risks in this regard?

Briefly explaining, you can feed corn to your Golden Retrievers but under specific circumstances. In this article, we are going to check out the whole aspects of this matter.

Is Corn Safe For Golden Retrievers?

Yes, Golden Retrievers can safely eat corn. However, you should be careful to feed corn to them in small quantities. While corn has no specific toxic effects on dogs, you should not rush into adding it to your Golden Retriever’s diet. In general, it is suggested that you do not feed too much corn to your dog suddenly.

The best approach is to add a small amount of corn to your Golden Retriever’s food and see how it goes. Although it is highly scarce, some dogs may show allergies to corn, being unable to tolerate it well.

If it is the first time your dog is eating corn, go easy on it and watch for any abnormalities. If any specific abnormalities emerge, you have to quickly stop giving corn to your Golden Retriever and contact your vet as soon as possible.

The Benefits of Corn For Golden Retrievers

Corn is overflowing with advantages for both humans and dogs. Below, we are going to review some of the most important benefits of corn for Golden Retrievers:

• Easily Digestible: corn is digested easily and quickly, hence giving your dog energy and fullness immediately.
• Antioxidant: corn is replete with antioxidants, which can prevent cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
• Protein and Amino Acids: other than good carbs, corn can provide your Golden Retriever with a healthy dose of protein and amino acids. Protein strengthens your dog’s muscles, and amino acids help it keep a healthy coat.
• Beta-Carotene: corn is abundant in beta-carotene, which is full of vitamin A — a key element that helps maintain healthy bones and teeth, enhances vision, and empowers the immune system.
• Linoleic Acid: corn also contains linoleic acid which maintains your dog’s skin healthy and strong, and enhances its fur growth.
• Fibre: fibre helps dogs’ digestive system work properly and increases satiety after eating food.

Does My Golden Retriever Like Corn?

It is not that all Golden Retrievers like to eat corn. Your specific Golden Retriever may or may not like corn. Every Golden Retriever can have its specific food preferences and maybe corn does not exist among those preferences. To find it out, you need to speak with your vet before adding corn or any other food to your Goldie’s food schedule.

How Often Can My Golden Retriever Eat Corn?

There is no specific rule stating how often you are allowed to feed corn to your Golden Retriever. If your dog likes it, you can give it a recommended amount of corn almost every day. However, it is suggested that you change your dog’s treat regularly as frequently eating corn is a boring food schedule. Various treats help the dog benefit from different vitamins and minerals.

Therefore, it is essential to create a balanced diet for your pet. One certain fact about Golden Retrievers is that they love eating. Then, feel free to add healthy treats including apples, carrots, bananas, and bones from fish or meat to your Golden Retriever’s diet.

What About Puppies?

It is better not to feed corn to your Golden Retriever puppies. They have a delicate digestive system and may suffer from digestive problems and even malnutrition if not fed with proper, high-quality foods. Then, it is highly suggested that you feed corn to your Golden Retriever puppies only if your vet approves it.

Golden Retriever puppies usually grow so fast. That is why they might develop health-related issues later in life if they do not consume the vital nutrients they need in their initial life years. Since the first few months are highly critical, you should try to get a specialized puppy diet for your Golden Retriever puppy.

The Best Serving Size

The best amount of corn your Golden Retriever can eat depends on your pet’s physical characteristics including its weight, age, and health situation. Before choosing the right serving size for your pet, it is suggested that you consult with your vet.

If corn is not a regular part of your dog’s diet, then you should try to gradually add it to its diet to avoid upsetting its stomach. There is a 10 per cent rule in this regard that states that no treatment should be over 10 per cent of the total diet volume.

Is There Any Danger?

If fed in moderate volumes, corn usually makes no problem for Golden Retrievers. However, certain amounts of corn may generate issues under certain circumstances. For example, it is better to cut off corn entirely from a Golden Retriever’s diet if it is suffering from allergies.

Although allergy to corn is scarce in dogs, some reports prove the issue. Therefore, if you see your dog suffering from chronic skin irritation or itching, corn might be the underlying reason. It is again suggested that you talk to your vet to see if your pet is allergic to some foods.

Also, it is important not to feed corn to your Golden Retriever excessively. The high amount of corn can be difficult to digest for dogs compared to other foods. As a result, feeding your pet too much corn may lead to indigestion and stomach pain.

The next danger is corn cobs. Be informed that you should never give corn cobs to your Golden Retrievers, as they might lead to choking problems. We will discuss it in more detail below. What’s more, processed corn is also harmful to any breed of dog as it is overflowing with sugar and possibly salt. Both sugar and salt are harmful to the dog’s digestive system and their teeth if eaten excessively.

Symptoms of Eating Too Much Corn in Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers are normally full of energy. They are usually excited to run around constantly, especially if they have just eaten food. That being said, you may notice some symptoms if your Golden Retriever has eaten too much corn:

• Upset Stomach: eating too much corn can lead to an upset and uncomfortable stomach, which may cause vomiting, general lethargy, and loss of appetite.
• Diarrhea: although diarrhea can be a consequence of dehydration or liver disease, eating too much corn can also lead to diarrhea. If you think your dog’s diarrhoea is a result of eating too much corn, take it to your vet right away.
• Bloating And Gas: your dog may experience bloating and gas if it consumes too much corn. Gas can exert much pressure on the dog’s various organs including the heart and liver. The ultimate symptoms, in this case, may include flatulence, restlessness, and stomach gurgling.
• Allergies: allergies resulting from eating corn excessively can lead to swelling of the dog’s face and lips, hives and rashes, as well as excessive itching.

What About Corn Cobs, Corn Kernels, And Popcorns?

Now, let us see if Golden Retrievers can eat these three popular forms of corn:

Corn Cobs

Golden Retrievers should never eat corn cobs. They might look like perfect toys for Goldies, but the truth is that they are highly dangerous for your pet. Your dogs are unable to eat the entire cob and even if they could, their intestines could not digest it well.

Even if you supervise their chewing sessions cautiously, your Golden Retrievers are still prone to swallowing small pieces of corn cobs. This is where the issue may emerge. If Golden Retrievers swallow a small piece of corn cob, it may cause blockage in their intestines, leading to peritonitis (abdominal infection) and ultimately death.

Corn Kernels

Golden Retrievers are allowed to eat corn kernels. Although corn kernels are too small to make the risk of choking or getting stuck in your dog’s throat, it is still recommended that you watch them closely when they eat corn kernels.

Try to feed corn to your Golden Retrievers in plain forms, without the addition of salt, butter, mayonnaise, or any other fatty additives. A few corn kernels are a perfect reward for your dog’s good behaviour.

Popcorns

Briefly speaking, Golden Retrievers can eat popcorn. Still, you need to know certain things in this regard. Popcorn is corn kernels that are heated until they pop. Although unpopped kernels are deluged with fibre, protein, vitamins, and some other valuable material, popped corn is most of the time flavoured with salt and other unhealthy additives for dogs.

Small quantities of popcorn make no problem for Golden Retrievers. Also, do not forget that the popcorn you feed to your pet should not be salted or sweetened. Meanwhile, even small amounts of popcorn can be hazardous for smaller dogs because of the possible choking problems.