The 4 Best Puppy Food for Labradors (Pros, Cons, and Pictures)

Labrador retrievers are a well-known breed of dog for being sweet, friendly to people, and loving. Though these dogs have adorable faces and personalities, they also require specific care to maintain their health. One important aspect of caring for a Labrador is making sure that they eat healthy food.

In this blog post, we will be discussing the four best puppy food brands for Labs – what makes them different from one another as well as what not to feed your pup!

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Best Foods for Lab Puppies

#1 – Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Labrador Retriever Puppy Food

The Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Puppy Food is a unique kibble that is custom produced for each pup. However, the shape, size, and texture of the kibble are suitable and adapted to Labrador puppies. This puppy food adds to the development of the Labs bone structure while promoting healthy weight gain. It provides a good amount of calcium, protein, energy, and phosphorus. Lab puppies need extra help with digesting certain nutrients since their systems are not optimally developed as yet. This Labrador retriever puppy mix is designed to help aid digestive functions and support intestinal balance and harmony. Most puppy owners consider this to be the best dog food for Labrador puppy because it contains a range of vitamins such as vitamin C, E, Taurine, and Lutein which all act as a natural defense against disease and sickness.

It is suitable for Lab puppies aged as young as 2 months to around 1,3 years old. Some Lab puppies tend to vacuum up their food at mealtimes. According to various customers, the Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Puppy Food has helped to curb this habit and also aid with digestion. Lab owners who currently feed this dog food to their puppies admit that it gives them shiny coats and clear eyes, which basically tells you that the puppy food is filled with comprehensive nutrition for your lab puppy.

The recommended daily servings for your Lab puppy are included on the back of the packaging and it is just a guide. However, you should use it to make sure that you are giving your Lab puppy portions that are appropriate for his body weight. It also tells you how many times a day he should be fed for his age and body weight.

As much as this product is healthy and full of nutrition, you should bear in mind that every puppy is different and if yours doesn’t take to the Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Puppy Food, then there are other types of puppy food out there that he could prefer.

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#2 – Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Puppy Food, Chicken, Salmon & Oatmeal

The Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Puppy food is made from natural ingredients and designed to provide everything that your growing Lab needs. Some of the benefits of feeding your lab these puppy foods are bone and teeth strength, energy and vitality, brain development, healthy muscle growth, and optimal nutrition absorption. Aside from these amazing benefits, it has a great taste that puppies love.

According to reviews from Lab puppy owners that have bought this puppy food, they feel it is a better quality puppy food than most other brands out there since it contains actual ingredients instead of filler. One of the first signs that any puppy or dog food has too much filler is very frequent and more stools from your puppy. The consistency of stools may even be loose or runny and this is how you will know that the filler is simply passing through your puppy’s system. You will also need to change his diet immediately.

This product is your puppy’s balanced and complete daily diet. You do not need to feed him anything else other than water if he is on this puppy food. It contains more than enough minerals to promote the proper development of bones. The natural DHA sources support, healthy brain functioning and growth. His increased levels of protein aid muscle growth.

The Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Puppy Food contains deboned chicken, salmon, and oatmeal with DHA for healthy eye and brain development. It does not contain any fillers such as corn, wheat, artificial flavors, soy, preservatives, and colors. It is also made in the USA and backed by its wellness guarantee.

If you are wondering if this could be the best puppy food for Labs, after introducing it to your puppy, watch out for these signs. After a month or two, you should notice healthy skin and coat, improved digestive health, energy, immunity, and healthy teeth, gums, and eyes.

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#3 – Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Dog Food

The Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Dry Dog Food is a combination of natural ingredients as well as minerals, vitamins, and amino acids. It also supports controlled joint and bone development, while having clinically proven antioxidant benefits. The product contains no artificial, colors, preservatives, or flavorings. The manufacturers of this product are so confident in this Lab puppy dog food that they back it up with a satisfaction guarantee or your money back.

This dog food is developed and intended for use by large breed dogs. You cannot feed it to dogs that are pregnant and nursing because of its lower calcium and energy density content. The product also doesn’t have an overly pungent smell, like other puppy and dog food, and the bite-sized pieces are just right for puppies.

Feeding your puppy this dog food will give him a healthy and shiny-looking coat. According to some reviews, this product can help dogs that experience excess shedding of hair. The shiny coats are just one benefit of feeding your puppy the Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Dry Dog Food, because you may also notice that his teeth are cleaner and his breathe smells a whole lot better.

According to many reviews, this dog food has proven to be effective in preventing diarrhea in puppies with a sensitive stomach. Stools are also significantly more consistent and solid. This chicken meal and oats recipe are delicious and all the instructions needed to feed it to your dog are available with the product.

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#4 – Pedigree Complete Nutrition Puppy Dog Food

The PEDIGREE Complete Nutrition Puppy Dry Dog Food is made to help your puppy keep up with the other, older dogs. It contains DHA for strong and healthy bones and teeth and healthy brain development. Your dog will love the chicken and vegetable flavor.

It is also crunchy, which is another reason why dogs love it. If your puppy finds the chunks a little too hard, you can drizzle some water over it to make it more manageable in texture for your puppy.

Aside from being able to curb stomach and digestive system problems, this dog food is increasingly popular because of its ideal pricing. While sold at between $25 – $27 in stores, it is sold for around $20 online, which makes it a more economical choice for Lab puppy owners.

The PEDIGREE Complete Nutrition Puppy Dry Dog Food contains all the nutrition that your Lab puppy needs, so all you need to give him to complement his diet is water. Other than that, all vitamins, minerals, and nutrients are provided within this dry dog food.

It has been said to help many puppies get their immune and digestive systems back again. Puppies that are prone to diarrhea can eat this puppy food and regain a better consistency of stools and also enjoy an increasingly better immune system.

Signs that your puppy is benefiting from this puppy food will be evident if you see a healthy and shiny-looking coat, clean teeth, strengthened immune system, and overall better health. You will also notice that his stools are firmer and less frequent, which means more of the nutrients that are needed for your growing Lab are staying instead as opposed to coming out.

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Helping Your Puppy Adjust

Before deciding to put your lab puppy on any specific puppy food, speak to the breeder and find out what puppy food he currently is on. Taking your lab puppy to his new home is stressful enough for him, without him having to deal with a brand new diet. Try to keep your puppy on this same puppy food, for a couple of weeks, even if you don’t prefer it, just until he is settled into his new home. Thereafter, you can gradually switch him over to his new diet.

These few weeks together will also allow you to observe whether he has any food allergies or if he has any preferences as well. You can use this information, coupled with facts about your Labradors breed to decide on what type of lab puppy food would be best for him. Below are a few Labrador puppy food recommendation reviews that you can use to help make your decision.

How Much To Feed A Lab Puppy?

Lab puppies should eat 3 to 4 times per day while they are growing and 2 times a day once they are fully grown. Feed them based on their current weight using these guidelines: 8 to 12 weeks old (10-20 lbs in weight) feed 2-4 cups split over 4 meals; 12 to 18 weeks old (20 – 30 lbs in weight) feed 3-4.5 cups split over 3 meals; from 18 to 24 weeks old (30 – 40 lbs in weight) feed 4.5 – 5.5 cups split over 3 meals; then from 24 to 32 weeks old (40 – 55 lbs) continue feeding them 4 cups of food spread over 2 meals a day.

Watch their weight at the end like a hawk. You don’t want them getting too fat too quickly as it could impair their health later. Their final feeding at full weight will be achieved when they are 1.5 years old:

• 50 lb lab = 2.5 – 3 cups a day split over 2 meals
• 60 lb lab = 3-3.5 cups a day split over 2 meals
• 70 lb lab = 3.25 – 3.75 cups a day split over 2 meals

Lab Puppy Feeding Chart

Lab Age	Average Weight	Total Cups of Food Per Day	Number of Meals Per Day
8 to 12 Weeks Old	10-20 lbs in weight	2-4 cups	split over 4 meals
12 to 18 Weeks Old	20 – 30 lbs in weight	3-4.5 cups	split over 3 meals
18 to 24 Weeks Old	30 – 40 lbs in weight	4.5 – 5.5 cups	split over 3 meals
24 to 32 Weeks Old	40 – 55 lbs	4 cups	split over 2 meals

How Much Should My Adult Lab Weigh?

Your lab’s ideal healthy weight will be determined by their appearance and confirmed with your vet. These numbers are based on an 18-year study from Purina that found these ideal weights helped dogs live an average of 1.8 extra years. An ideal weight dog will have minimal fat on its ribs and you can easily feel them.

Visible ribs will be present on the lower half of the rib cage (visible ribs near the spine means your dog is too thin).

You should be able to easily see their waist from above with a defined abdominal tuck from the side. The abdominal tuck.

Bottom Line – What is the Best Puppy Food for Labs

There are various types of dog and puppy foods out there. You can choose to feed your dog dry dog food, canned dog food, or natural food. It all depends on your discretion as a puppy owner and also your dog’s needs.

Like humans, dogs are all different. So what works for one puppy might not work for another and what tastes good to one puppy may not taste good to another. Luckily, there are enough choices on the market for you to chop and change your dog food until you find the right one.

It is also vitally important that you research the breed of your puppy and gives him dog food accordingly. Each breed has its own unique genetic makeup and some breeds are pre-disposed to certain diseases and medical conditions.

So if you know that your Lab has more body fat than muscle and is prone to obesity, you will invest in puppy food that is low in fats and carbs but high in calcium and fiber. This ensures that your puppy’s diet is complete, balanced, and nutritious enough to keep him happy and healthy.

It also comes down to what your puppy likes. While most puppies will eat anything that is put in front of them, some of them develop a preference for certain textures and flavors and they will eat nothing else. If they do eat any other flavor or texture, it will be very reluctantly.

You are also welcome to feed your puppy treats, to reward him for finishing a meal. Bear in mind that you should choose healthy treats such as carrots and apples, instead of cookies and highly processed treats. Since your puppy is a carnivore, you will only need to treat him to a small piece of fruit now and again. All other nutrients needed for him to grow and thrive should come from the best puppy food for labs that he is currently on.

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