Best Dog Food Brands for a Labrador
Both dry dog food and wet dog food is popular. Some dog owners like to feed their dog wet canned food, while others prefer dry kibble only. It's also true that some dog owners don't like these processed foods, especially for Labrador retrievers, but the truth is that many premium dog foods now contain all-important nutrients required by most dog breeds, including labs. The dog food market is highly regulated now, but it still takes some time and effort to find the best dog food for labs.
Here is all about the dog food and reviews to help you select the best dog food for your Labrador retriever.
The Best Dog Food for Labs: Our Top Picks
Royal Canin Breed Specific Puppy Food for Labrador Retrievers
BEST for Puppy
Rated by: Amber
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Formula
BEST overall
Rated by: Amber
Diamond Naturals Adult Beef and Rice Formula
Best for Adult Labs
Rated by: Amber
Table of Contents
1. Royal Canin Breed Specific Puppy Food for Labrador Retrievers
Quick Summary
Rated by: Amber
To give your Labrador puppy the right nutrition to grow, you can always put your money on Royal Canin. The company is known for producing large breed specific dog food and it's a great choice for pure large breed Lab puppy because it contains specific nutrients facilitating their growth.
In terms of nutrition, you won't find any issue at all. In fact, it's a great food choice because it contains antioxidants and plenty of vitamin E, which will help your Labs immune system and prevent overall health related issues. It's also good for your puppy's growing bones structure because it provides them with calcium and phosphorous. Its balanced energy content will ensure your Lab puppy maintains an ideal weight.
Not only does it provide your Labrador puppy with a good dose of protein, but it also provides them with prebiotics to keep their digestive system functioning well. The kibble shape is also quite good for this best dog food – it's doughnut-shaped kibble so your lab puppy can pick it easily and chew too. Puppies can easily break it down, which promotes digestion.
Overall, it's a nutritious dog food option for your young Labrador retrievers, but keep in mind that it's going to cost more than many other similar dog foods on the market.
Nevertheless, your dog gets balanced nutrition from this best dry food, and that too according to his breed, so it may be alright to shell that much of money.
PROS
CONS
2. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Formula
Quick Summary
Rated by: Amber
When your goal is to provide your energetic Labrador retrievers with enough protein, you should put your money on Taste of the Wild dog food, which is all about dogs food and nutrition. With its impressive formula, you can be sure of providing your dog with the best nutrition. It's high in protein and fat content, so your Labrador puppies will grow into perfect adult dogs.
Something that makes Taste of the Wild one of the best dry food option is the fact that it contains various meats, such as Lamb, Bison, Venison, Chicken, and more. At the same time, it contains peas, lentils, and chickpeas, which serve as a great source of carbs and fiber. Where fiber promotes digestion, carbs provide your Labrador with fuel to stay energized throughout the day. It also contains oils, which add fatty acids to the mix and promote overall health of your dog.
Overall, Taste of the Wild is all about dog food and a suitable choice for your Labradors because of its impressive ingredients and absence of grains. But, it's important to mention that some dog owners believe that it contains excessive carbs proportion. It shouldn’t be a huge issue though, depending on your dog's unique needs.
PROS
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3. Diamond Naturals Adult Beef and Rice Formula
Quick Summary
Rated by: Amber
If your dog likes the taste of beef, you may want to put your money on this dog food. This best dry dog food contains a good amount of protein coming from beef. It means you can go for it if your dog is sensitive to corn or can't eat a chicken meal.
In term s of nutrients, it won't disappoint you. Not only does it contain a lot of protein, but it also provides your dog with fatty acids, antioxidants, and carbs. It doesn't contain corns, fillers, and meat by-products. It contains natural ingredients and comes at a reasonably low price. It contains 17% fat and 28% protein that come from cracked pearl barley, beef meal, rice bran, ground white rice, fish meal, chicken fat, blueberries, carrots, and egg product. It also provides your dog with vitamin B12, B6 and D. Selenium and vitamin E provide your dog with antioxidant nutrition.
The presence of K9 strain probiotics means your Labrador won't have to deal with digestive issues. However, you need to bear in mind that it is not a grain-free formula, so it may not work for your dog with gluten or wheat sensitivities.
The kibble size is small and quite suitable for a 10-pound dog as well. The price tag is not high and that makes it a popular choice among dog owners. So, if your dog is okay eating grains, you can surely go for this particular dog food.
PROS
CONS
FAQ - A Buyer's Guide
What is the Best Dog Food Recommended by Vets?
With so many brands now offering dog foods, finding the best dog food for labs seems simple. It's not actually – and that's mainly because so many options are enough to confuse you. Moreover, even vets explain that you should choose dog foods considering the needs and requirements of your dog.
You need to understand that though meat is a dog's favorite diet it's not the only food option suitable for them. They can also derive important nutrients from vegetables, fruits, and even grains. Many dog owners are under the impression that non-meat foods are only fillers, but again, it's not the case because dogs can get minerals, vitamins, and fiber from them.
Dogs can get nutritional diseases, but they're quite rare in developed countries because they're fed high quality, balanced diets. However, dogs can develop nutritional problems when they're fed imbalanced homemade diets. It doesn't mean that food that you prepare at home is not good for dogs, but you have to be careful about including the right ingredients to make sure it has a balanced nutritional profile.
What you should avoid is a homemade diet made using a single food item. For instance, it's not a good idea to give your dog meat only – and it's also not right to stick to a hamburger and rice diet only, as it can cause calcium deficiency and other health problems, such as hyperparathyroidism. Similarly, it's not a good idea to opt for raw, freshwater fish because it may contain thiamine antagonists, which increases risk of thiamine deficiency in dogs and cats. Vitamin A toxicity may be the result when you feed liver to your dog.
Now that you know what you should avoid feeding your dog, you may be wondering exactly what is the best dog food for labs. There are a number of things to bear in mind in order to find the best Labrador dog food. For instance, you will first have to decide if you really need to go for a big-name brand. It's natural to think that dog foods from top brands, such as Wellness Core or Purnia is the right thing to do, but that's not always the case. Wellness Core is a great choice, but even if you pay the price to buy Wellness Core dog food, it may or may not work for your dog. The reason is that it all comes down to the ingredients your dog currently needs to grow in a healthy way. Therefore, you don't always need to be concerned about big-name brands but pay more attention to finding the right food with right ingredients. That's when you should learn to read the label.
Many dog owners think it's easy to read the label on a dogs food bag, but it's not the case, as you need to conduct some research to know exactly what different ingredients mean. Not many people would know what "Powdered cellulose" or even "digest of beef" even means. Therefore, you should use the internet to get to know more about the most common ingredients dog foods usually contain. When your goal is to find the best dog food for Labradors, you should opt for a food with fewer ingredients. Having lots of ingredients with no information about most of them is never a good idea. The idea is to avoid low-quality fillers to make sure you give your dog the best food with maximum nutrition.
Speaking of nutrition, you need to understand that large breed dogs will have higher nutritional needs, and the same is true for Labradors. But, an important thing to understand is that your Labrador is going to require the same percentage of fat, protein, and carbs as adult dogs, such as Great Dane or Chihuahua. They should be getting protein from good sources, such as fish, chicken, and lamb. It's especially important for Labradors because they're a high-energy large breed.
What you should understand is that even if you've bought the best vet-recommended food, you need to know how to much to give your dog. Feeding him well is important, but over-feeding is going to create a lot of problems because Labradors can put on weight quickly. It's important to make some adjustments quickly if you notice your Labrador retriever gaining weight. If you don't want to control the portion sizes, you may at least make arrangements to help him get more exercise.
What Should I Feed My Labrador Retriever?
You will have the option to feed your dog wet as well as dry dog food. If you talk about the best food for Labrador, you'll be better off giving him dry dog food. Dry kibbles are going to be a much better option as compared to wet foods for Labrador retrievers.
Labradors are a playful large breed and they can be quite messy. Going for dry dog food is therefore a better choice because it won't create any mess, which is usually the case when you give your Labs wet food. Similarly, you have to be very careful about how much food to give to your Labrador because he can put on weight so quickly that you often need to change the portion sizes, and that's when it's easier to manage with dry kibbles. Another good reason to try dry dog food is that it helps keep your dog's teeth clean. And of course, dry dog foods are likely to offer a better value for money.
However, it's important to understand that every dog is different, and sometimes, it's not a good idea to put your dog on an all-dry diet. That's when a mix of wet and dry foods would work better. Your Labrador won't mind it, but just make sure you don't end up overfeeding him. But, you should also understand that you should not give anything to your dog that you think might cause an allergic reaction. Sometimes, you get to know of it only after your dog eats that food and develops an upset stomach. It's necessary to go through the process of trial and error to find which food will work for your Labrador and which will cause issues. If something creates digestive problems, just be sure to steer clear of that food option.
Similarly, a particularly active Labrador would require a high-protein diet, and you can get it from a variety of options, such as the following:
- Kibble: You can give your Labrador dry kibbles and he's going to love it. It's economical and probably the most widely used dog food for Labs. It's extremely easy to administer and is suitable for Lab puppies as well. These foods come with low moisture content and can be found in the form of biscuits (mixers), pellets (kibble), and flaked cereals.
- Canned Foods: You can opt for canned foods if your dog likes wet foods. The moisture content in these foods is on the higher side, but keep in mind that you have to cook it on the right temperature and it can be quite expensive too.
- Semi-Moist Dog Food: You may choose to go with semi-moist Labrador dog food, but know that they're quite low in nutrition, so they're not a great choice for your Labrador puppy. You can find it in the shape of pork chops, burgers, and other meaty foods.
- Raw Food: Your Labrador retriever would also like raw food, which could be raw meat with bones. You can also find commercially produced raw products, such as freeze-dried or frozen foods. Again, they're going to be quite expensive.
- Homemade Foods: If you know a bit about your dog's nutritional needs, you can consider making dog food at home. Just keep in mind that you need to learn how to prepare it in the right way to ensure it contains all the nutrition, but it can be quite time consuming, and expensive as well.
Understand that finding the right type of dog food is essential for the healthy and growth of your Labrador, and the abovementioned options will work quite well. Just bear in mind that it's not always the right thing to feed your dog certain human foods. For instance, you may want to stay away from feeding your dog grapes and raisings because they contain substances likely to be toxic to dogs. Chocolate is also not a good idea because it contains Theobromine as well as caffeine, which can be dangerous for dogs, as they metabolize Theobromine slowly and develop problems, such as diarrhea and vomiting.
Similarly, it's a good idea to say no to macadamia nuts because they can cause depression, weakness, ataxia, vomiting, hyperthermia, muscle tremors, and tachycardia in dogs. Thiosulfate found in onions and garlic makes them unhealthy for dogs because they can cause oxidative damage and lead to anemia. Guatemalan avocados should also be avoided because of a substance called persin, which can cause problems like pulmonary edema and dyspnea.
While you may be thinking that chicken is the best food choice for your Labrador, know that chicken skin should be avoided because it can cause pancreatitis in dogs. Moreover, you may want to avoid feeding your dog raw meats because there's a high risk of pathogen contamination.
The Best Dog Food for Labs to Buy
Giving your Labrador retriever the kind of food he likes is important, but it's essential to ensure that he's getting the important nutrients as well. Thankfully, many dog food companies are now available to help you pick the best food. While you can try many, Taste of the Wild Prairie Formula is probably the best dog food. It may not be that affordable, but it's surely the best dog food when it comes to proper nutrition. Give it a shot!
About the Author Steven
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