Of course, these large dogs actually require best dog food for labs. They’re not at the hard-to-take-care-of end of the scale, but with some forethought, you can help make sure that your labrador grows up into a well-muscled dog with a beautiful coat.
As a puppy, they should be fed four times per day, as one or two large feedings can cause the runs and no one wants to deal with that.
For those dogs which spend most of their day in the home, however, it’s best to calculate the resting energy requirements, or RER, for your dog.
The equation for RER is relatively simple:
Weight in Kg * 30 + 70 = RER in Calories
Each dog’s metabolism will vary a bit, the most important thing is to make sure that your dog doesn’t put on too much body fat to avoid making any future problems worse.
Puppies will require roughly four times their RER in order to ensure adequate growth. This is also true of working dogs, while a moderately active lab will require around twice their RER.
Contents
Choose the best dog food for a labrador using our comparison table with key features of best dry dog food for labs and supplements for health.
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We’ve done the footwork for you and found foods which meet the required nutrient variety for any age or class of labrador. Let’s dive right in and you’ll see which are the best doggone food for your beloved pet.
The 23% protein might seem a little bit low, but it helps to keep the obesity off your dog as they age. It comes in at a relatively low 302 calories per cup of food, so you won’t have to worry about your dog getting overweight. It also has 5% fiber, which is just a bit above the recommended minimum.
The big factors here though are the additives: Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are great for joint health, and the food also has added glucosamine and chondroitin which can help reduce the need to supplement as time goes on.
It’s a bit expensive, and the calcium is under the recommended amount for an adult dog, but with a proper dog multivitamin you may be able to forgo other supplements.
This was our favorite choice for adult labrador retrievers. The low calories and good profile are awesome, but the big draw is the addition of joint-protecting nutrients which can help to keep your dog healthy well into old age.
It’s not particularly nutrient dense, coming in at 293 calories per cup. The unique, donut-shaped kibble helps to keep your dog from gorging themselves as well, which is an extra layer of thought which few manufacturers seem to think of.
All of the nutritional content is aimed towards keeping your dog healthy and happy, allowing them to grow up with strong eyes, a nice coat, and well muscled.
As far as puppy chows go, it’s hard to beat something which is made specifically for the breed. Royal Canin delivers with this puppy food. It’s the one of the best dog food brands for labs, well known in all world.
If you’re looking for the best puppy food for labs, then you’ll be pleased with Royal Canin’s offering. It’s nutritionally balanced and the extra bits of thought put into it can make all the difference in the end.
Coming in at 22% protein and 10% fat, it’s a good idea for those older dogs whose metabolisms are starting to slow down. It also contains additional glucosamine and chondroitin for joint protection, which is even more essential for senior labs than their younger counterparts.
The fiber content sits at 7%, which adds even more for older dogs who may be having trouble with their aging bowels.
The only real issue is that it does contain rice. Some dogs can’t handle any sorts of grains at all, but rice is probably the best of the lot for those who are forced to utilize grains. It’s not a big knockdown of a disadvantage either since labs seem to only rarely suffer from food allergies.
If you can get your head around the rice and the high price, then you’ll be doggone pleased with Blue Buffalo’s large breed option for senior dogs. вцPick it up for your dog, and watch your older dog thrive once more. It’s the best dog food for older labs on the market in my opinion, and it worth buying.
That’s where the 32% protein, grain-free formula of Blue Wilderness comes in handy. In addition to that, it contains additional taurine and EPA to help ensure eye health and joint protecting substances like glucosamine to help your active dog’s joints.
It’s too dense for resting dogs, coming in at 420 calories per cup, but if you’re taking your lab in the field or training them for dog athletics then this is exactly the best dog food for hunting labs, for example.
It’s also grain-free, making it a standout option among the many options out there. It’s simply the best for not just labs but pretty much any large working dog.
If your labrador is more than a pet, but instead a hunting companion or an athlete in their own right then this is a best dog food for lab retriever in your case. It’s rather expensive and too calorie dense for your average lab, but it shines for those dogs who need it.
Our personal favorite for labs was this option from Purina. Coming in at 23% protein and 13% fat it’s not quite as ideal as many of the others we looked at, but it’s definitely enough to keep your dog healthy once they’re an adult.
It also has 4% fiber, which is pretty much the way to go until your dog gets into their senior years. It does lack some of the glucosamine and other nutrients which make keep dogs healthy into their later years.
All of this comes in at a cost about half that of our other favorites.
If you’re on a tight budget but still want to feed your lab a quality food, this one from Purina is the way to get.
When it comes to labs, a few supplements can help to keep their joint and eye ailments away. Admittedly, not much can be done if your dog suffers from one of the rarer ailments, but if you start them on vitamins and supplements as puppies they’re much more likely to be able to avoid these issues.
The MSM contained within also acts as an anti-inflammatory, which helps to relieve any pain which is already occurring. If you wanted to help your lab with joint problem more, You can buy him dog steps for car to make his life easier.
Joint supplements are pretty much a must for labradors, and this high-strength formula is perfect and contains extra additives to help maintain health and kill pain even if your dog is already ailing.
Ocu-GLO has released this multivitamin which contains the essential nutrients required for your dog’s health, with a special emphasis on their eyes. Even foods formulated for labs often don’t contain the right ingredients to ensure eye health, and those that do often don’t have them in the right amounts.
Fortunately, this supplement contains 25 balanced nutrients specifically designed to keep your dog’s eyes healthy and also contains many of the nutrients which aren’t present in appreciable quantities in dog foods or even other multivitamins.
If you’re worried about your dog’s eyes as they age, this is a fantastic supplement to pick up. Get it now and start adding it to your dog’s diet for the best effects.
This is a once a day chew and you can buy a whole years supply for a minimal cost. Most dogs readily accept the liver flavored, chewable vitamins and they supply all of the vital nutrients that your food might be missing.
Snap these up and supply them to your dog and you’ll be amazed with the results. Multivitamins are pretty much essential for skin and coat health, and this one really does cover most of the basics although you may still want to add other supplements. For your lovely lab You can buy wooden dog crates to supply him not only with multivitamin.
For overall health, these multivitamins are a great way to ensure that you’re able to cover all of the bases which your food might be missing.
The biggest differentiation is between English and American labradors. While quite similar physically, they tend to be a bit different when it comes to their behavior.
As a general rule, English labs tend to be quite a bit calmer and more easily trained. The main physical difference is that they tend to have shorter legs and a blockier head than their American counterparts.
Today the breed is separated into the original black color, the yellow variety, and the chocolate brown variety.
The common ancestral breed of labrador retrievers was known as the St. John’s Water Dog. These dogs came from relatively humble beginnings, being a breed which was bred entirely for one purpose: fowling.
This incredible versatility has long made them a favored working dog among hunters, although most labradors these days are house pets.
The intelligence and work ethic the breed is known for is used for far more than hunting, however. They are one of the most commonly used guide dogs in the world and are frequently used as assistance dogs for those with disabilities.
Truly it’s not hard to see why they’re one of the most commonly kept breeds around. Their intelligence and loyalty truly makes them a breed apart.
No need to hesitate, no matter the age of your lab or their current health conditions, the right food and supplements can greatly improve their quality of life and keep your friend healthy for years to come.
Images credits: Amazon.com & photo stocks