Labrador retriever, popularly known as a lab, is a popular dog breed that is distinguished by its gentle nature and liveliness. Just like other dog breeds, labs require a highly digestible and balanced diet to keep them perfectly healthy and full of life. However, feeding a lab is quite demanding; hence, you need to understand your lab’s nutritional needs. In this article, we will look at some of the best dog foods for labs that you should consider and tips for buying them.
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How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Labs
With so many brands of Labrador food on the market, choosing the right brand can be daunting for most dog owners. Many people choose food for their pooches from well-known brands that are owned by large multinational corporations.
However, some big brands may not offer quality products since they are more concerned about the profit. Similarly, the cheapest lab food may not be the best option in terms of quality. The trick, therefore, is to focus on the ingredients more than the brand.
That said, you have to consider these factors when buying dog food for labs:
Ingredients
The ingredients are an important factor when choosing the best dog food for Labrador retrievers. While the ingredient list on the label may not entire reveal the quality of the ingredients or their origin, it will help you know what is contained in the food.
This makes it easier if you want to feed your dog specific sources of protein, fiber, or carbohydrates. The ingredient list also comes handy for owners whose dog has allergies or special dietary needs.
Nutritional Requirements
Another thing you have to keep in mind is the nutritional requirements of your lab, especially if he’s allergic to certain ingredients. Basically, nutrients like proteins, calcium, phosphorous, DHA, taurine, chondroitin, and glucosamine are deemed necessary for dogs of this breed.
10 of the Best Dog Foods for Labs
Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Dog Food
The Ideal Dog Food Brand for Labs
Formulated and manufactured by Blue Buffalo, this dog food is of high quality and is made of natural ingredients. While it is grain-free, it still provides everything that your lab needs. Therefore, you won’t have to deal with incidences of food allergies caused by the inclusion of grains.
The Blue Buffalo dry dog food is formulated with healthy carbohydrates like peas and sweet potatoes essential for energy. This high-protein grain-free formula provides the much-needed protein through duck meat.
It also contains LifeSource Bits which is a blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants processed at lower temperatures in order to preserve potency and prevent degradation. These nutrients are carefully selected by animal nutritionists and veterinarians.
Why We Like It:
- Contains high protein levels and low carbs
- Sweet potatoes and peas provide healthy carbohydrates
- A natural and grain-free formula
What We Don’t Like:
- Causes diarrhea for dogs with a sensitive stomach
Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Dog Food
Excellent Option for Hunting Labradors
When it comes to feeding your dog with high-quality dry foods, you can never go wrong with a popular brand like Taste of the Wild. This brand is highly rated as it provides your labs with excellent amounts of high protein as well as moderate calories and fat.
The main ingredient of this dog food is smoked salmon which provides the protein needed to maintain lean muscle mass. Additionally, it features premium fruits and vegetables that give antioxidants to help your dog live a healthy lifestyle. Meanwhile, the fatty acid helps maintain your dog’s skin and coat.
Your dog will also love the potato formula that delivers digestible energy to fuel his active lifestyle. It’s considered a good dog food for allergies due to its grain-free formula in which digestive issues and allergies related to grain won’t be a problem to your dog.
Why We Like It:
- Contains high protein and low carbohydrates content
- Grain-free formula
- Contains fresh fruit and vegetables
- Includes probiotics for healthy digestion
What We Don’t Like:
- Comes with a high crude protein content
Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food Large Breed
Designed for Labs with a Sensitive Stomach
If you are looking for a healthy and well-balanced diet for your lab with a sensitive stomach, then you might want to feed them with this Wellness CORE grain-free recipe. Made of high-quality natural ingredients, this dog food features a high-protein formulation. Apart from delivering a savory taste, the protein-rich food also gives your pooch a shiny coat and provides him with optimal energy.
The recipe contains glucosamine and chondroitin supplements which promote joint support with calcium and phosphorous for strong bones. In addition to its rich-protein content, this product contains fresh fruits, vegetables, and probiotics for healthy digestion and chelated minerals for balance.
Why We Like It:
- Grain-free carbohydrates
- Protein-focused recipe
- Contains all natural ingredients
What We Don’t Like:
- Not ideal for dogs who are sensitive to chicken ingredients
- Its fiber content may be too high for some dogs
Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Adult Dry Dog Food
Perfect Nutritional Profile For Active Purebred Labrador Retrievers
Pet food giants Royal Canin have created an incredible breed specific dry dog food that could be perfect for your gorgeous Labrador. It’s created to serve the specific nutritional needs of purebred Labrador Retrievers who are aged over 15 months, helping them thrive alongside you day to day.
When it comes to specific health benefits of a Labrador suitable dog food, Royal Canin has a lot to offer your pooch. Right from bag to bowl the food is already benefiting your dog, with special donut shaped kibble pieces made to help your dog eat slowly, aiding the digestion process. The food also contains exact calorie and fat amounts, EPA, DGA and glucosamine for muscle and bone health, skin and coat nutrients.
Owners who truly want to support the nutritional needs of their Labrador retriever will love how detailed the food mix is, combined based on nearly 50 years of scientific research and observation from the brands testing processes. Given in addition to wet food, this dry mix is a great option to support retrievers who love to run, jump, swim and adventure.
Why We Like It:
- Absolutely packed full of Labrador Retriever specific nutrients
- Big kibble helps slow down dogs eating
- Contributes to a gorgeous soft and shiny coat
- Helps maintain healthy weight
What We Don’t Like:
- Contains potential allergens like gluten
- Kibble used for training may need cutting in half to prolong its use
Purina ONE SmartBlend True Instinct
Healthy Recipe with Real Salmon and Tuna
Show love to your canine friend by filling their bowl with the Purina ONE SmartBlend dry dog food. This particular dog food provides your Lab with the right amount of protein, fat, and calories with zero filler.
Apart from that, it is highly digestible and features a SmartBlend of ingredients with real salmon as its main ingredient. With a 30% protein content, you can expect it to provide the energy needed to sustain your dog’s active lifestyle and support his strong muscles.
If your pet enjoys daily adventure, you will appreciate the fact that this food is also formulated with glucosamine to sustain his healthy joints.
Why We Like It:
- Great taste
- Optimal blend of ingredients for an energy boost
- Complete and balanced nutrition
- Highly digestible
- Made with real salmon and tuna
What We Don’t Like:
- May cause dry and flaky skin on some dogs
ORIJEN Regional Red High-Protein Dry Dog Food
Natural Ingredients For A Nourishing, Varied Diet For Your Lovely Lab
If you’re looking for a natural and high-quality dry food for your labrador, you might want to consider this ORIJEN regional red food.
It’s packed full of healthy ingredients to boost help your pooch thrive, with a specific emphasis on the ingredients being of a high-quality, taken from (where possible) ethical and responsibly farmed friendly sources.
Owners will love the ingredients in Orijen, which are 85% high quality animal ingredients made up of; wild boar, ranch-raised beef, goat, grass-fed lamb, Yorkshire pork and wild-caught mackerel. To push the nutrient density of these products further, many are fresh, raw and whole, for a biologically appropriate diet. Even better, the remaining 15% is made of fruits and veggies, and absolutely no grains.
Owners who want the healthiest and most natural diet for their dog that isn’t 100% raw will love that this dry food has a focus on WholePrey ingredients (bone, cartilage, organs etc.) that come from high-quality sources. It’s a great compromise when it comes to pet food convenience vs health.
Why We Like It:
- 85% animal ingredients, 15% fruits and veggies
- Ethical and responsibly farmed ingredients where possible
- No grains
- Biologically appropriate mix
What We Don’t Like:
- Not suitable for dogs unable to tolerate high levels of protein
- Serving sizes are recommended for working dogs, which means less active dogs will need less
CANIDAE Grain Free PURE Dry Dog Food
The Perfect Option for Labs with Sensitivity Issues
A great way to feed your dog’s instincts is by filling his bowl with CANIDAE grain-free dog food. The CANIDAE PURE formula uses simple and healthy-weight recipe featuring just about 7-10 key ingredients that are easily identifiable and highly digestible. This means that it is less likely to trigger sensitivities or food allergies in your dog.
It has real meat or fish as its main ingredient which acts as a source of protein to give your lab the energy he needs to get through the day. Additionally, this grain-free diet features sweet potatoes as the main source of carbohydrate and is supplemented with grain-free options like lentils and peas or garbanzo beans.
Lastly, it is complete and nutritionally balanced. It contains fiber, probiotics for healthy digestion, Omega 6 & 3 for beautiful skin, and antioxidants for a healthy immune system.
Why We Like It:
- Made with limited ingredients
- Great for sensitive dogs
- Grain-free formula
- Real meat or fish as the first ingredient
What We Don’t Like:
- High calorie content
Rachael Ray Nutrish PEAK
Nutrient-Filled Dry Food Option
This one is a nutrient-filled dog food that is designed to satisfy the instinctual cravings of your lab. The number one ingredient for this recipe is farm-raised beef, chicken, or turkey. This gives it a 30% high-quality protein content while containing zero gain, fillers, or gluten.
The high-quality source of protein is combined with wholesome ingredients like veggies, minerals, and essential vitamins to make the diet complete and nutritionally balanced.
Why We Like It:
- Easily digestible carbohydrates
- Natural ingredients
- Comes with 30% quality protein content
What We Don’t Like:
- Quite expensive for some dog owners
“I and love and you” Naked Essentials Dry Dog Food
Full To The Brim With Delicious, Healthy Food To Boost Your Labradors Vitality
The packaging of this I and love and you dry dog food is undoubtedly cute, but luckily, it’s not just style over substance. Instead, the food inside is incredibly healthy, formed to help your labrador thrive with a considered and appropriate nutritionally balanced kibble.
Owners will love the lack of nasties in this kibble mix. No product meals, wheat, corn, soy, rice, preservatives, colorings or flavorings. What is in the mix, is 30% protein, probiotics and probiotics, omega 3 and 6, lentils, chickpeas, sweet potatoes and lots of added vitamins and minerals.
Another great feature of the kibble is its size. The pieces are small and easy to munch regardless of your pooches size so labradors and smaller or larger labrador mixes will all have an easy time consuming the product.
Why We Like It:
- Absolutely no nasties & grain free
- Meat is the number 1 ingredient
- Kibble size appropriate for any dog size
- Added probiotics and probiotics
What We Don’t Like:
- May be a higher price than some budgets allow
- May require some dogs time to get used to the mixture
Eukanuba Breed Specific Adult Labrador Retriever Dog Food
Excellent Food with High-Quality Protein Content
If you are looking for the best dog food for senior labs, Eukanuba dog food should be on your list. It is a top-rated dog food due to its high-quality animal-based protein that is essential for building lean muscle mass in dogs.
Also, it contains calcium so that it supports strong bones. A unique feature of this product is the 3D Dentadefense system which helps reduce tartar buildup in just 28 days.
Why We Like It:
- Features a special 3D Dentadefense system
- High-quality protein
- Comes with calcium for stronger bones
What We Don’t Like:
- May contain beet pup which might be dangerous
FAQs
Q: Are there dog foods for Labs who have a sensitive stomach?
A: If your dog has a sensitive stomach, it’s important to look for foods that are hypoallergenic. Allergy-friendly foods that are free from allergens like soy and gluten will not affect your dog’s stomach.
Q: When should I begin feeding my Lab puppy with adult food?
A: Typically, it is recommended to stick to puppy food for 12 months. However, since labs may not have achieved full growth at 12 months, you should feed your dog with puppy food for labs for up to 12 months then change to adult food once his growth declines.
Final Thoughts
The Labrador retriever is a popular breed that is loved by many for a lot of good reasons. Hence, if you own a lab, you have to make sure that you choose a product that is made of quality natural ingredients such as lean proteins, digestible carbohydrates, probiotics, glucosamine, and many more.