What food is better to feed a Labrador?

Many dog ​​owners prefer dry food for their pets over natural food. This is due not only to the fact that ready meals save time, but also to its balanced composition. This, of course, is about quality products. For a Labrador, indeed, such food can be the optimal diet, but for this you need to make a choice.

Dry Industrial Labrador Feed Separated into 4 main groups:

• traditional food for puppies, young and adult animals;
• medical compositions for health problems;
• feed for pregnant and lactating dogs;
• products for the elderly.

This is important for animal health for several reasons:

• dry croquettes contain prebiotics that normalize digestion and pet stool;
• the food includes unsaturated fatty acids, which improve the condition of the skin and coat;
• the shape of the granules is designed so that the puppy will gnaw them for a long time, while not swallowing air;
• the food is completely balanced, contains everything necessary for the full development of the dog, the good condition of its internal organs and skeleton.

It is worth saying that for young and adult labradors only premium high-quality products of well-known manufacturers are suitable, which usually includes:

• dehydrated meat (chicken, beef, lamb);
• vegetable and animal fats;
• fish oil (omega 3,6 fatty acids);
• cartilage hydralizate;
• vegetable fiber;
• cereal plants, cereals, including rice;
• plant extracts as a source of gluten;
• glucosamine in the form of a hydrolyzate from crustacean shells;
• minerals, macro- and microelements, among which iron, manganese, iodine, selenium;
• cholecalciferol and retinol (vitamins D3, A).

Labrador food may be acceptable for brands such as Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Adult, Advance Labrador Adult, ACANA or Hill »s.

When choosing food for your pet, you need to pay attention to the composition of the feed, the presence of useful ingredients, a high content of protein and minerals.

The list of the best manufacturers of dry food, based on feedback from the owners, includes several.

• Royal Canin for Labradors - This is a line of feeds for animals of different ages, as well as for sterilized individuals with sensitive digestion, dogs with urolithiasis. Advantages of the brand - the presence in the composition of substances that protect the joints and bones of the pet, a varied menu and accessibility. Cons - the presence of antioxidants that can cause allergies and digestive problems.

• Hill's - This is a series of medicinal feeds appreciated by veterinarians. The composition is enriched with a whole complex of vitamins, it always contains natural dehydrated meat, fatty amino acids, sodium and phosphorus, cereals. However, along with this, there is corn and wheat, which are capable of provoking allergic reactions.

• Super Premium Food Nutra mix - This is a completely natural food in the absence of any undesirable additives, including preservatives and food coloring. Advantages - low calorie content, fast and easy digestibility. Among the disadvantages is the content of corn, wheat and gluten, which can negatively affect the digestion of the Labrador with its increased sensitivity.

• Exclusive products from the manufacturer ACANA. Fodders are of high quality, high protein content, prophylactic effect in various diseases of dogs. The only drawback is the high cost, but it is justified.

To make a choice in favor of one or another food, it is necessary to build on the characteristics of the breed of the animal and other factors. The main criteria:

• compliance with the age of the dog;
• taste preferences of the pet;
• suitable cost and availability;
• lack of contraindications.

In case of excess weight and even obesity due to the tendency to overeat, the pet needs therapeutic and preventive foods that prevent the appearance of excess body weight, and therapeutic nutrition. Among these products:

• Opti Life (12.5 kg) Degistion Adult Maxi & Medium, Advance Maxi Light Adul - diet food;
• Hil's Prescription Diet Canine Metabolic (+ mobility with Chicken dry) to improve metabolic processes;
• for weight control - Ontario Weight Control Large Turkey & Potatoes;
• for the prevention of excess weight and with a predisposition to allergies - hypoallergenic Royal Canin Maxi Light Weight Care.

Foods that help to avoid disorders of the gastrointestinal tract - Happy Dog Diet (for treatment), Bosch Soft Maxi (for sensitive animals), Barking Heads Tender loving Care (diet food). In order to prevent joint diseases at the Labrador, veterinarians recommend products that include components such as chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate. Feed is relevant in this case. Hil's Prescription Diet J / D Canine Mobility dry, Royal Canin Maxi Joint Care.

Labrador retriever puppies must be fed up to a year in accordance with a certain regime and in a strictly established dosage.

To avoid errors, you must adhere to the instructions. How much food an animal needs is indicated on the feed packaging:

• on average, a labrador eats no more than 350 g per day for 1-2 months
• in three months - 400 g;
• at 5 months, all servings per day are 450-500 g (puppies are not fed at night).

Diet:

• at the age of 1-2 months, dogs are fed 5-6 times a day;
• at 3 months - 4 times, and between feedings should be at least 3 hours, so that the food has time to digest;
• at 4 months, the dog has 3 meals;
• at 6 months, the pet begins to accustom to a two-time schedule, it is important that the last feeding took place 2-3 hours before bedtime.

They do this only with a high mobility of the teenager and his large size, gradually increasing the dosage by 70–100 g. If the pet does not differ in activity, in the future the dog can be given food only 1 time per day. This does not apply to sterilized animals, for which food becomes almost the meaning of life.

Labrador’s mother can feed babies up to 4 months old, and the best menu for them is mother’s milk, which has all the components they need to develop correctly and form a strong immune system. But usually puppies are selected as pets in about 2 months, and then the responsibility for the health of the "child" lies with the owner.

When a puppy grows up, it must be provided with complementary foods. Usually fed:

• calcined cottage cheese;
• natural yogurt without extraneous additives
• finely chopped boiled poultry (turkey, chicken, mainly breast);
• such a food product as bifidocum, which can stimulate the population of the microenvironment of the intestines of the animal with beneficial bacteria.

If the owner decided to make dry food the main food for the dog, then the baby can be given ready-made food in granules little by little. At first, they are soaked in sour-milk drinks or yogurt, adding special pressed cottage cheese and vegetable oil (olives or flax) to the dish.

You can start feeding already after the Labrador turns a month and 1 week old. The dog needs to be given food at the same hours. If the baby hasn’t eaten everything, then he’s not hungry, and the bowl can be removed after 15–20 minutes. It is important that fresh water is always within reach.

Officially, a labrador is considered an adult from the age of 3, because until that time he continues to grow, his head, chest become more massive, proportions of the dog's body and his psyche are formed. However, veterinarians recommend transferring puppies to fully adult food at 10–18 months.

Feed the dog twice a day: early in the morning at 7-8 hours and in the evening (from 19 to 20 hours).Depending on body weight and health, the pet needs to be given from 400 to 500 g of dry croquettes per day. At the same time, lactating and pregnant animals require an increased, and for the elderly - a reduced portion.

In the next video, you will get acquainted with the menu of a Labrador puppy aged 2-4 months.