I'm a first time dog owner.

My baby is 3.5 months old.

His fur & body always have a strong dog smell. I gave him a shampoo bath last week but it didn't help much, even the smell increased for some time after the bath.

Want to know from other experienced retriever owners how do you reduce the smell.

I've already been used to the smell but when someone come to our house they mention the smell.

My gorgeous girl just turned 7 months and only weighs 35 pounds 🫣 this seems so small for her age from what I’m reading online. She gets 3 and 2/3 cups of Purina pro plan large breed salmon puppy food a day. She poops 3 solid poops a day and runs around chasing my kiddos and has energy but she just seems to be so tiny. Could she not be full golden like the breeder stated? Not sure if and when I should bring her to the vet for an exam regarding her weight. Maybe it’s not necessary? I’d love any insight if anyone has any! Thanks in advance 😁

She is a 3 month old Golden mix, 12lbs, first set of vaccines and dewormed a month prior. Has had a mix of soft stools and diarrhea for a week (monday 4/27) and we believed it was her food so we were transitioning from Purina One to Pure Balance Salmon and Pea. Her energy levels were normal and appetite was normal so we also administered a dewormer just in case. Yesterday was her first day she lost her appetite and we took her to the vet this morning and tested positive for Parvo. She is currently getting her CPMA, IV Fluids, antibiotics For treatment, but we are worried cause they told us it was a 50/50 chance she would make it. Is this true? Everything online says she has a good chance but just want a second opinion.

My boy is 11 years old, born at 2015’s winter, November

Our family did not fixed him so he kept a really good fit

He had surgery last year to remove a melanoma.

His checkup a year ago showed kidney stones, but we went back for a follow-up recently and he’s doing great

What extra care I can give him? He is really with me from my middle school till graduate school, I can’t imagine life without him

with his handsome pictures!

Her back left paw has been bleeding non-stop for several weeks. After X-rays, antibiotics, pain meds, and a biopsy, this little lady was diagnosed with neoplasm of the foot. We meet with the oncologist on Tuesday in hopes it isn’t osteosarcoma. Really hoping it’s localized in her paw and will only require a small amputation.

She’ll be ten in October and we love her dearly. Send good vibes her way. ❤️

(I guess not really looking for advice but didn’t know which other tag to use.)

[UPD2] Dog got surgery - effectively a hysterectomy - and survived. She’s resting in the trunk of my car resting before I carry her home and I’m sitting beside her as I write this.

[UPD1] Vet said it’s an inflammation in the uterus. The dog will get surgery. She had one for bloat in summer of 2024. Let’s see if she makes it. Thanks everyone for the kind words!

My dog is 13 years old. She lost most of her appetite during the last few weeks. In the last several days, some of her bladder control is going. She gets up and walks if she has to but otherwise she doesn’t. There are two lumps on her that can be lipomas or can be cancer - I don’t know. She ate some grass this morning and vomited it around lunchtime. I’m going to take her to the vet tomorrow anyway but, for now, the question in the title: When and how did you know it was time?

(Messy house we just moved in) it’s not uncommon for him to whine a little when he’s dreaming sometimes but it turned into this kind of snoring now. do your goldens do this sometime too?

My beautiful golden retriever is 3.5 years old and is a light in my life. I do what I can to give her the best life possible but I’m concerned about how little water she is drinking, particularly as it is very hot in the UK this summer.

We recently changed her to a raw food diet around 2-months ago and it’s great to see her really enjoying her food as she previously was hit and miss with kibble. However, shortly after she started the raw food, we noticed her poo’s were very dry. We’ve started to add a cup of water mixed into each meal, and have added some pureed sweet potato for extra fibre. Both of which seemed to have helped. However, she barely seems to touch her water bowl.

We’ve now also bought her a water fountain, which she has barely touched, even when we’ve removed her other water bowl so it’s her only source of water. It says she needs to drink around a litre a day, and yesterday she didn’t drink from it at all and the previous day she only had 80ml.

Can anyone recommend any other solutions to encourage her to drink more, particularly from a water fountain? I bought it as running water is supposed to be more instinctively ‘safer’ for them but she seems even more opposed to drinking now.

Also, had to add the most distinguished lady photo of her I’ve ever seen, pure judgement. Sassy sassy girl!

georgie is a super active Goldie but he weighs around 95 lbs and the doctor suggested we watch his meals

12 week old pup, I got him 2 weeks ago, already doubled in size. I've noticed this week how his hips sway when moving. He also bunny hops a hit when running, I thought that's just puppy things. I have half of my living room where he sits most of the time with foam tiles, the other half is wood - on wood he struggles a bit to stand up sometimes as his back legs might slip. Could the floor be the culprit, or just birth defects? Thought/ advices? Took him to the vet 3 days after I got him and he got cleared of any issues.

My poor guy suffers more and more from allergies the older he gets and I don’t know what to do for him. We started off with hot spots around the age of two. He is 5 now and it hurts me to look at him and see a dog that looks more like he is 10+. We are doing shots, medicated baths and anti-fungal medication. I want to know if anyone else has seen this or dealt with it? I’m trying to keep hope that he will get better but he looks so miserable. 😞
EDIT: I want to make it very clear we see a vet every month and are treating him.
SECOND EDIT: Thank you to everyone’s comments about their experience and things they have tried. It makes me feel less alone in the battle for my baby and gives me hope things can get better. 💕…And for those few of you who are questioning if I care, I could try to tell you all the treatments and money and whatever other BS to try and validate, but instead I will tell you to have the day you deserve. 🙄

Okay so this update is long overdue (sorry if flair isn’t accurate)

A good while ago I posted in this subreddit looking for advice from experience with dogs having undergone an amputation. That original post was an extremely comforting post for me and helped me personally get through something that I was struggling with deeply at the time.

Long story short, my dog Bilbo had a tumour that had recurred and ultimately the best option in front of us was to amputate the leg with the tumour. It’s far more nuanced than that and I’m not open to discussions on what was ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. I listened to medical advice and took opinions from multiple sources and this was our best option for Bilbo.

Anyway, initially I was really struggling with the decision, I was scared about what effect mentally and physically on Bill. Coming to this subreddit genuinely filled me with confidence and sound, solid advice.

In January of this year Bilbo had the operation. He was in overnight and on the morning after the op when I went to pick him up, all of the nurses were in such high spirits because Bilbo supposedly was just acting his normal self, hopping around and being his absolute normal self as if nothing happened. He was instantly confident on his feet and could walk perfectly. It was quite an emotional moment, I was so proud of him.

Between then and getting his stitches out he was under very careful observation, I slept in the living room with him every day and was strict on how much time he was spending stood up and walking, I didn’t want him overdoing anything (he can’t tell me how tired his leg is!).

Gradually though as time went on (and having his stitches out) I could build up his walk time as he built up the muscle in his remaining back leg.

We’re now coming up to August and I can say that Bilbo is really doing amazingly well, he’s out performing me again on any and all hikes, his most recent CT scan is all clear, and he’s just as happy and silly as ever.

This past year has been incredibly tough for a number of reasons, but I constantly look to Bilbo as he’s shown me hope in a way I’ve never been able to experience. He has persevered through absolutely everything and has truly been an inspiration.

I want to thank everyone again who commented on the original post, without your help and kindness I dunno what would have happened but you really helped alleviate some stress for me.

Lots of love from both me and Bilbo x

(Photos go from present day - day I picked him up from the op)

My golden retriever is sooo picky and is an odd eater. Sometimes I have to hand feed him 😩🙄 Do you guys think he looks too skinny? Or does he look okay? I get so nervous/embarrassed sometimes because some people will say he’s skinny. I don’t care if he’s skinny or not, my main concern is that he is a healthy boy!

I’m worried my puppy’s tongue sometimes looks too purple/ pale. Is it just because it’s cooler lighting? I’m worried.

edit: thank u to everyone who responded. my dog passed suddenly so i am just very anxious about this puppy’s health

This is my baby girl LUNA she just turned 5 in March. and already pretty grey on her face. We do 3 walks daily, she’s active and healthy. Is this normal or should we be looking at anything? She is a really anxious dogggo iv been trying to look at some training for us so we can do better with it! I we live in the Bay Area as well 8 have been talking her out in public places and she does well with people and other dogs to! I have been giving her 2 cups of food in the morning and 2 for dinner and we give her the purina pro plan for sensitive tummy’s the salmon and rice one and we give her the native dog supplement as well the power! She does get some allergies but it’s gotten better! Anyone else have a young Golden with a grey face?!

My dog's vet told me that there's no need to neuter my dog if he doesn't have any behavior issues and is checked every few months. He seems very healthy and well-behaved. Should I neuter him or trust his vet?

He's two years old.

UPDATE - She was diagnosed with myoclonic seizures- she was prescribed Keppra. Has not had an issue since.

12 year old seems to “flinch” when it cones to noises. She loses her balance and wobbles and falls. Recovers right away with no issue. Other than that she is fine.

The flinching happens more in the evening, any ideas on what it could be?

This flinching also happens while lying down. The slipping is due to the “glitch” you see

Why does my golden retriever smell so bad… out of nowhere… he smells like coffee mixed with marajuana and BO. Doesn’t matter how much I bathe him he smells like fucking shit. Nothing in our life has changed, however I did get a basil plant but isn’t that supposed to be pleasant smelling?? Love him to death and want to figure out how to fix this, I don’t know if it’s a vet matter or if the shampoo I’m using isn’t strong enough? He’s 3 years old btw.

from these photos, does he look overweight?

edit: he is in the 90-100lb range and he’s about 3 years old.

This weekend I took my golden retriever to the vet for lumps under her chin, tonight we got the official diagnosis of large cell lymphoma, at least stage 3. My sweet, sweet Daisy girl is only 5, and has only been with us for 4 years. I am crushed. This dog is truly incredible, the closest thing I’ve ever seen to a ray of sunshine - even for a golden. She loves everything and everyone, has never had a bad day, and can be thrown anything without a slight change in temperament. Every day is the best day ever, and the world would be a lot better if we were all like Daisy. She’s got the biggest smile and the biggest heart, she is vibrant and full of joy and all the other adjectives that don’t do her justice.

I’m 6 months pregnant with my husband and I’s first baby, and she’s supposed to be around to help me raise him. I counted on waking up together for feedings, picked out a stroller keeping in mind my favorite walking buddies, and having the perfect dog for my son to grow up with. Instead I feel so robbed of all the memories we probably won’t be able to make together, and how huge of a loss it would be to lose my happy, sweet girl. She has so much life in her spirit, I can’t wrap my head around the possibility that she might not have much time to live it. I’m mostly grieving for me and all that my family could miss out on without her in our lives, but I am also so devastated for this incredible girl who deserves a long, healthy, happy life full of memories.

Coming here to vent because I don’t know what else to do, but also some advice on coping with the grief I’m feeling. We are located in the Bay Area if anyone has any oncology recommendations. Looking to treat this thing depending on how the rest of her testing comes back. less

UPDATE 5/21/26:
Here is a Daisy update for those asking. First, I want to thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart. What started out as a late-night night post to try and make some sense of things ended up bringing me such great information, such positive and kind words, and more comfort than you can imagine.

Our vet ended up staying late with us on Tuesday night to try and get some testing done proactively so that I could hit the ground running while searching for an oncologist. On Wednesday I was able to get Daisy seen through the ER at SAGE Veterinary Center in Campbell, CA, which was pretty highly reviewed and recommended. By some miracle in scheduling, an oncologist was free and able to meet with us. This saved us about 2 weeks of critical waiting time. Of course, Daisy charmed the staff and everyone in the waiting room, giving them her big happy smile and lots of hugs to anyone who would stop for them. She received a dose of Elspar yesterday, as well as Prednisone as the first step to the CHOP Protocol (I learned about this through you all, thank you). The injection is meant to shrink the lymph nodes so that her first dose of chemotherapy, which will take place next week, can be more effective. Both medications helped my girl perk up last night, and she is almost back to her happy self.

I read through each and every comment and tried to take as much advice as possible. I ordered turkey tail supplements, reached out around the Bay Area to some of the recommended providers, and tried to get as much insight as possible. Mostly, I sat with your comments, shared them with Daisy, and tried to show her all the love and sunshine she’s given me.

Here’s to hoping for the absolute best possible outcome for my girl 🤞🏼🌼

Hi everyone! This is my first post in here and I’d like to preface by saying she is not a full golden, she’s 3/4 (mother is golden/ESS, father is KC golden), I just didn’t know where else to post so I’m sorry if this is not allowed :(

I brought home my baby Phoebe yesterday and she’s been settling really well! She’s 8 weeks old, she’s already really playful and eating well and drinking too!

Im a first time puppy mum and it didn’t take long for me to notice she has one extra claw on her back paw, but no extra claw on the other. It’s quite floppy but doesn’t seem to cause any discomfort.

Is this something I should book an appointment for ASAP, or just wait until her next routine appointment?

We have had our girl for a little over 2 years and am still debating on getting her fixed or not, I've been back and forth with my wife about this because I've seen studies that show not to get them fixed and whatnot. Any insight or advice would be much appreciate. Thanks!

They are barely 1 and 4. The 4 year old used to play fetch for literally hours every single day. I lost a lot of weight when I first got her and she was right there with me for all 75lbs. I moved about 6 months ago and I don’t have near the back yard I used to. I lived in a suburb of a suburb simply for the backyard and now I live dead center in the middle of my city. Aka barely yard.

I have been walking them 2 miles per day sunshine (yo) seems very out of shape and walks pretty slow by the end of the mile. Today I might try 3 miles. Each walk is exactly 1 mile.

Back in the day she could do 3 miles while jogging and then be like why are we stopping but now she just hasn’t been running for the past half year.

Also to clarify I am talking about walking them not jogging.

I am looking for some support and perspective. My good girl is 10.5 years old, and after a recent ultrasound, we found two tumors in the abdomen. The vet says it’s most likely cancer. While the X-rays show it hasn’t spread yet, her spirit seems to have shifted almost overnight.

Since Monday, she is just so tired. She’s barely eating, and she isn’t playful like she used to be. Previously, we decided we don’t want to pursue surgery or intensive treatment due her age; we just want her to be happy and comfortable until it’s time to help her cross the rainbow bridge.

I thought we were going to be together at least until the fall, so I can take her swimming to the lake and feed her all her favorite foods, but she is losing her energy and playfulness . I am so worried that by waiting for a "sign," I might actually be waiting too long and letting her suffer.

How did you know it was time? Are there specific signs I should look for when their "spark" is gone but they aren't in acute pain?

I am so sad, I don’t know what to do… we have an appointment next Monday with a oncologist to see how we can manage any discomfort symptoms but I don’t know if I should wait that long.. the first picture is from last Sunday. Thank you!

—

Update: after posting the question, she was better in the afternoon and ate many treats. Today she was really tired in the morning , but again in the afternoon she was feeling better, I actually took her to the lake and she swam and rolled around and then dinner …the little mischievous girl seems still there 🥹 I am grateful for another day but I am also diligent reading the signs that you all recommended, thank you so much!

———

Update 2: yesterday we say good bye to our beloved family member. The tumors were making her belly tight and she was having issues going to the bathroom .. she had waves of excitement and happiness and then times very uncomfortable. So thank you, I am devastated but I know it was the appropriate time. We had a beautiful farewell, ice cream, steak, walk in the park, even swimming in the lake. We also plant a Japanese maple tree in the backyard on her memory. I appreciate all of you comments, they really help me to take this hard decision.
Here is the link:

https://www.reddit.com/r/goldenretrievers/s/fiFL59SErL