Best Puppy Food for Labs - LIFE WITH DOGS

Please follow and like us:

Best Puppy Food for Labs

Welcoming your new furry family member into the household is an incredibly exciting feeling. His loose wrinkly skin and his playfulness is quite simply a cuteness overload. Like everything that we love all we want is for his life to be filled with health and happiness. So how can we achieve this for this large breed puppy right from the very start? It all begins with pet food. Without it, no living thing can survive, and when it comes to dogs, diet can affect everything from their fur to their health. With that in mind, we have come up with a post dedicated to all new Labrador owners, as we take a look at the best puppy food for labs.

Why It Is Important to Give Puppy Food to Your Puppy

So, first off, it’s important to remember that puppy food and adult dog foods are different, as too is breed-specific dog food. Most puppy foods contain extra minerals, calories, and vitamins than adult dog food as it is essential for their growth. If these higher calorie puppy foods are given to an adult dog, it could result in them becoming overweight and, unlike us, they can’t spend their evenings at the gym if they’ve been overindulging recently. Potential obesity is just one consequence, continued consumption of puppy food for an adult Labrador could also lead to muscle and bone dysfunctions. If we look at it in reverse, adult dog food that is given to a puppy could result in the pup being malnourished as well as suffering from a range of growth disorders. Therefore, to keep things simple puppy food is for pups and adult dog food is for, yes, you guessed it, adult dogs.

Why Are There So Many Different Dog Foods Available?

Unlike us humans, dogs aren’t able to read the packaging and decide for themselves the right foods to buy, which means that it’s up to us to decide for them. However, while on the hunt for puppy food, you will likely be met with a lot of different brands containing all sorts of varying nutrients, can be incredibly daunting. Not only that but there’s kibble, dry food, wet food (canned), raw food, and other high-quality dog food types (and some not so good ones) flooding the market. We’ve already established that Labrador pups need puppy food (or puppy formula), so why does it matter which puppy food they have? As you can imagine the nutritional needs of a Labrador puppy will be completely different from that of a dachshund. Once Labrador puppies are fully grown, they are much larger than a dachshund, whereas a dachshund puppy doesn’t get much bigger in its adult form and so you would think the dog’s diet is similar.

The Benefits of Labrador-Specific Dog Food
All types of dog breeds are susceptible to different health concerns as they get older. For this breed, it generally comes down to canine hip dysplasia and joint problems. Therefore, what you feed your puppy can affect him as an adult. Now that you have a super cute Labrador pup the last thing you want to worry about is potential health concerns in his future, but by giving them specialized puppy food and later adult food. Instead, you can help avoid these issues before they are even a problem. Just some of the benefits of Labrador-specific puppy food include,

Suitably balanced nutrition

Calorie-rich for healthy growth

Prevention of musculoskeletal diseases

Promotes strong teeth

Of course, there are many other benefits to feeding you Labrador puppy specialized food, but they will mostly depend on the type of brand that you opt for.

Wet Food or Dry Food?

Another difficult decision for dog owners is whether or not to get wet food or dry food. The initial thought could be that wet food is more enjoyable for the pup; however, it might not be the best option for this breed. Many experts recommend dry food for lab puppies as it is usually better balanced and complete than wet food. There is generally a strong amount of necessary nutrients in dry food which will benefit your pup as they grow. The majority of veterinarians also say that dry food is much better for the dog’s teeth as the slightly rough texture causes a form of natural cleaning as opposed to the stickiness of wet food. In terms of cost, you usually get a lot more for your money with dry food than with wet food so not only is it kind to your Labrador, it’s also gentle on the pocket.

Reviews of the Best Puppy Food for Labs
Now that we’ve compiled a large chunk of information to help you understand why specialized food is important for your Labrador puppy, it’s time to disclose some of the best puppy foods on the market.

Wellness CORE Grain-Free Original
This nutrient-rich puppy food is perfect for dog breeds like Labradors. Since puppies in general, but particularly Labradors are extremely energetic, the Wellness Core Grain-Free Original dog food contains a high source of protein. With a mix of vegetables, essential nutrients, and fruit this brand will do wonders for your pup.

Packed with vitamins A, C, E, D, and B12

Contains rosemary and green tea extract as well as Lactobacillus Acidophilus which prevents infections

Is high in protein

Consists of iron, zinc, and calcium

Vegetable-rich, spinach, carrots, potatoes, and broccoli

Grain-free

Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Puppy Dry Dog Food
Since it implies in the name that this dog food is specialized for Labrador puppies, it makes sense that this brand has covered all the main areas. The Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Puppy Food has included just the right amount of protein for a boisterous pup, and it goes hand in hand with a balanced level of fat.

DHA, EPA, and omega-3 due to the fish oil content which promotes strong bones and eyes.

Contains both Glucosamine and Chondroitin for joint health

31% protein

12% fat—in the middle of the recommended amount for lab puppies

Formulated with the assistance of breeders

K9 Natural Beef Feast Grain-Free Puppy Food
Of course, a product from K9 was going to be on our list somewhere, but full disclosure the K9 Natural Beef Feast Grain-Free Puppy Food comes at a much higher price than some of the others. However, the price definitely reflects the quality. Sourced from New Zealand, we have grass-fed beef along with a bucket load of whole foods, fruits, and vegetables.

Grain-free

Includes hoki oil, a source for DHA resulting in optimal eye and brain development

Results in lean muscle mass

Contains mussel, flaxseed, and kelp

Labrador pups are of a large breed, and so the food that they eat is very important. With so many options available, we understand that choosing the right dog food for puppies (or specifically Labrador puppy food) can be extremely confusing, which is why we put together this article. Regular consultations with a veterinarian are recommended for puppies and if, for whatever reason, there is an issue with the pup’s food, they will be able to advise you what to feed him instead.

Source link

Please follow and like us:
0
was last modified: April 14th, 2019 by Grier Holliday

Set your main menu in Appearance > Menus

Best Puppy Food for Labs – LIFE WITH DOGS

Video