Feeding Your New Labrador
If you love your Labrador as much as I suspect, you will only want the best food for them.
Labradors are an active breed. They need their time at the dog park or out hunting with you. Daily exercise is key for avoiding obesity and joint problems.
However, you may wish to alter your food choices based on their activity level. If you are feeding a high-protein food but your dog doesn’t get much of a chance to exercises (such as in the wintertime), you may need to reduce their quantity amount to keep them from becoming overweight.
Too many dog foods have a large number of fillers in them. This not only means that your dog gets less usable calories, it also means that you need to feed them more in order to keep them nourished. The foods we review here are in an entirely different class. You will often need to greatly decrease the amount of food you put in their bowl because they are getting less corn and more meat. Each food will provide feeding guidelines based on weight.
You will find that I am a huge fan of feeding your dog as naturally as possible. Most of us do not have the time to dedicate to feeding our loved one a raw diet. However, there are several dog foods on the market that are nearly as good and are a great way to give your dog top-notch nutrition without sacrificing convenience from your busy lifestyle.
Our Top 3 Choices
Choice #1: Eukanuba Labrador Retriever Formula Dry Dog Food
Eukanuba Dry Dog food is specifically designed for labs. The formula contains antioxidants and the first ingredient is chicken, which is always a good sign.
This dry food is designed for overall nourishment and it is designed to help maintain and promote a healthy immune system, as well as improve oral health, support proper weight management and support healthy mobility.
Although Eukanuba Labrador food is formulated specifically for the breed, this food is also an ideal option for other large breed dogs such as Irish Water Spaniels and Retrievers including Flat and Curly-Coated, Golden and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.
Eukanuba reduces plaque through the use of 3D DentaDefense kibble bits that brush teeth while your dog is eating.
These bits are designed to also reduce tartar build up with micro-cleansing crystals that will help to keep your dog’s teeth healthy and happy. This food is a great addition to regular maintenance measures for ensuring optimal oral health.
Your dog’s joint health is also supported with Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate and their immune system is strengthened through antioxidants like Vitamin E. Eukanuba was designed to give your dog what he needs to perform at peak performance levels and helps to support healthy weight management.
Eukanuba provides a good flavor that is attractive to dogs and provides your pet with an option that improves digestive health. Fiber content is derived from beet pulp and combined with a probiotic that allows for better absorption of nutrients.
Consumers have reported reduced gas and constipation as well as a reduction in digestive issues.
Improvement in shininess of coat and less shedding are also common results, as is improvement in bad breath issues through reduced plaque and tartar buildup and overall cleaner teeth. Pet owners are also happy to discover that Eukanuba is gentle on their dog’s stomach and many pets experience better energy.
Many customers have reported that when they switched their lab from their previous food to the new Eukanuba dog food, it was an easy transition that the dogs handled well.
Many also report that their dogs, even dogs who had a reputation for being highly picky about their foods, seem to greatly prefer the flavor of the Eukanuba food over the brand that they were previously eating,
Overall consumers report that they are happy with the price and that it is reasonably priced compared to many other popular and commonly used brands.
Click Here to see pricing on Eukanuba
Choice #2: Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Dry Dog Food
Adult Formula
The Royal Canin Dry Dog Food Adult formula is designed for labs 15 months and older. This beneficial food option supports skin and coat health as well as maintaining and improving optimal joint function for mobility.
This blend is tailored and designed exclusively for Labrador Retrievers. Labradors tend to be prone to weight gain and the Special shape of Royal Canin kibble helps to ensure that the rate of food intake is reduced and regulated.
This, in turn, helps to promote healthy weight management which helps to reduce the stress that is put on the joints during everyday activity.
This formula is intended for pure breed Labrador Retrievers who are older than 15 months and weigh at least 30 lbs.
I know that Royal Canin gets hated on for their breed-specific foods. A lot of people just think it is a marketing ploy.
While I don’t doubt that it is excellent marketing, I do believe that this formula is excellent for labs.
Royal Canin really out-did themselves oto research health problems common to Labradors and formulate a food that would support those areas and help prevent problems later in life.
So you find that it has extra minerals to support healthy joint mobility. Vitamins to support eye health are included in order to help fight cataracts ( a common problem of older labs). And they use a high protein formula,m but keep the fat content low to prevent weight gain.
Lab owners absolutely adore this formula, and they make one specifically for Labrador puppies, too! (see below)
Along with at least an hour of activity every day, it is recommended that owners feed their lab an average of 4- 10 cups of Royal Canin Dry Dog Food per day. The specific amount needs of each dog will depend on current weight, activity levels, environment, and even physical disposition and temperament.
….Plus, it comes in a Puppy Formula!
Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Puppy Dry Dog Food is designed to be used with pups that are between the ages of 8 weeks to 15 months. It is formulated to provide healthy support for joint function which enhances and improves mobility.
This puppy formula also provides support for the skin and coat and encourages the healthy development of both. Royal Canin Labrador Retriever food features an exclusive kibble shape that is designed specifically with the Labrador retriever in mind.
The texture, size, shape, and formula are meant to match a Lab puppy’s well-known appetite. It helps to support and contribute to the growth and development of a healthy bone structure as well as helping to maintain a balanced and healthy weight gain.
All of this is achieved through well-tailored amounts of protein, phosphorus, calcium and energy supplements in each portion.
Royal Canin Puppy Food is designed to support the not yet fully developed digestive system of a young puppy and provides everything needed to help maintain a balanced flora level in the intestines.
It also contains an exclusive blend of antioxidants, including Lutein, Taurine, Vitamin C and Vitamin E, that is specially formulated to support your puppy’s still developing an immune system.
Click Here to get your Puppy some healthy Royal Canin Puppy Food!
Labrador Food #3: Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Dog Food
Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Dog Food, Large Breed Complete Health is designed for dogs of large and giant breeds that are at least one year of age or older and that weight 50 lbs or more once they reach maturity.
Wellness Complete meets the needs of these large breeds in several ways. It promotes the development of lean muscle with protein from four different animal protein sources while at the same time controlling a number of calories consumed to prevent obesity.
Many large breeds of dogs suffer from joint issues due to overburdened hips. Wellness Complete Large Breed Dry Dog Food utilizes their special WellFlex System which provides needed amounts of Glucosamine and Chondroitin to help support healthy joint function.
Wellness Complete for Large Breeds contains no wheat or meat by-products and is also formulated without preservatives or artificial flavors or colors.
Optimal quality is key and Wellness does not use GMOs, Corn or Soy in their Large Dog Breed formula. Wellness for Large Dogs provides your dog with a balanced panel of vegetables and fruits, protein, fiber, fat as well as necessary minerals and vitamins to support optimal health. Super nutrients include prebiotics and probiot
ics, omega fatty acids and antioxidants.
Consumers report improved coat health and that the use of this formula has transformed dull coats into shiny, sleek coats as well as promoting the growth of a healthy undercoat. It has also been reported that this formula helps to improve symptoms of allergies such as eye discharge, which is greatly reduced for many dogs.
Wellness Dog Foods have many different recipes and all are highly rated and loved by many pets and pet owners. Consumers report that even picky dogs enjoy the taste and will eat without prompting. Some reviewers report that even their cats love the taste and compete with their doggy pals for a bite of the tasty kibble.
The healthy formula has been known to improve stool and bowel functions. It also aids in the reduction in foul smell of gas and stool that many claims existed while on other dog foods.
Pet owners have found that Wellness food helps to reduce stomach troubles and has even helped some dogs to overcome issues with having accidents in the house.
Click Here For The Best Prices On Wellness Complete for your pet!
Labrador Kibble #4: Blue Buffalo Wilderness
Blue Buffalo is one of the absolutely best brands of dog food you can buy. And, when you compare it with all of the other high-end formulas, it is priced about perfectly.
What I like about Blue Buffalo for labs is that it is such a hypoallergenic formula. They don’t really market it as such, but when you go through the ingredients, you quickly pick up in the fact that it is grain free with no artificial preservatives or soy. Avoiding these common allergens are key for ensuring that your Labrador has a healthy coat and no gastrointestinal distress.
Secondly, I am a big fan of their salmon formula. Some labs tend to struggle with coat problems, and this formula helps circumvent that by providing a meal rich in essential fatty acids. Most lab owners find that their dogs’ coat has never looked better than when on Blue Buffalo.
This is probably the closest thing you can get to feeding them a raw diet without actually chopping the meat yourself.
Labrador Food #5: Taste Of The Wild Pacific Stream Formula
If you are wanting a supremely economical option that doesn’t detract any value from your lab’s diet, you need to take a good look at Taste Of The Wild. Read through the reviews on Amazon. It’s pretty impressive.
What I like about this formula is the all-natural ingredients. You get smoked salmon and fruits and veggies. What more could you need?
As with the Blue Buffalo formula, this one is grainless. However, they go a little heavier on the potatoes as “filler”. While this is nowhere nearly as egregious as Blue Buffalo, it does bump it down in my opinion.
That said, they really redeem themselves with the fermented food products. A lot of research has been done on the benefit of fermented food in both the human and canine diet. Fermented foods help create an optimally healthy gastrointestinal tract to cut down on gas and boost the immune system.
And, you’ll see that I am still recommending the salmon formula for the better skin and coat protection.
For the money, the Taste Of The Wild is the best value dog food you are likely ever going to find.
I hope you found this list of foods helpful. Best wishes and many years of happiness to you and your lab!
