Labradors are part of many home setups. Their friendly nature makes them perfect for households with small children. They’re synonymous with fun as well as safety because their size makes them great guard dogs.
Thanks to their friendliness, you may find they lack aggression towards intruders. Energy however is in high supply and they’re very trainable. Children and dogs can therefore play with each other until everyone’s tired. This makes a Labrador an ideal companion.
All these unique features require an ideal meal plan. Dogs can’t optimally function in their strengths if they’re not given the correct nutrients. Browse through this review on five of the best dog foods for adult Labradors. You’ll quickly see which one is most appropriate for your four legged friend.
Buying guide
Let’s take a look at the unique features of a Labrador and match it to the nutrients your dog needs. You should look for these items on all dog food packs. Remember that puppies have different dietary needs than adult dogs. In this review we focus on the needs of fully grown Labradors.
General health
All dogs need quality food to function well. Quality of food is determined by the type of ingredients manufacturers use. The best brands use natural products which result in healthy, tasty food. These brands steer away from the following items, because they’re low in nutritional value and can have side effects such as itchy skin:
- Meat by products: Low nutritional value
- Grain and corn: Difficult to digest and can cause weight problems or allergic reactions
- Chemical preservatives: Can cause allergies to spike
- Artificial coloring and flavoring: Can cause allergic reactions and has no nutritional value
- Fillers: No nutritional value
Energy level
Your Labrador has a natural love for exercise. You need to take him out for exercise, but you also need to provide him with fuel for these play sessions. Without fuel your dog will be frustrated and listless. Fuel can be in the form of carbohydrates. Non-grain based carbohydrates (such as sweet potatoes and peas) are preferred because they don’t have the potential to trigger an allergic reaction.
An energetic lifestyle also calls for strong muscles and bones. You don’t want your dog to get injured simply because of bad muscle toning. Make sure it gets enough proteins and minerals (from natural sources).
Skin and coat
Labradors have a thick coat that easily sheds. Some food products combat this problem through the correct nutrients. If this is a problem in your home, adjusting your dog’s diet can fix it. Make sure you don’t feed your pet anything that can cause dry, itchy skin.
Intelligence
Labradors are easily trainable by nature. You can increase their brain activity and capacity by feeding them the correct food.
Now you know how food can enhance your pet’s life and your experience with your dog. Use these guidelines below to pick the right food for your dog.
Taste of the Wild, Canine Formula
Features
Taste of the Wild aims to give dogs a dietary experience that’s mostly possible in nature only. To achieve this, the manufacturer only uses natural products. This is ideal for health reasons, but it also ensures a tasty product. This means your Labrador’s mealtimes can be effortless. It will want to eat instead of being forced to eat (not that this is normally a problem with labs).
This product in Taste of the Wild’s range has quite a few features that benefit Labradors. Let’s discuss the most important ones.
Pros
- Your Labrador’s energetic lifestyle is provided for by the calorie content in these kibbles. The energy source is highly digestible. This means your dog won’t have any problem turning its food into fuel for your next exercise or play session.
- Real Salmon is used as a primary meat source. This is beneficial because:
- Real meat produces an inviting fragrance your dog will love.
- Salmon has high levels of Omega oils. This is excellent for:
- Your dog’s joints
- Your dog’s coat condition
- General health
- Natural micro organisms are beneficial to your dog’s digestive system.
Cons
- The Salmon ingredients cause a strong smell. You may need to feed this outside instead of inside your house.
- The high quality dog food comes at an expensive price.
Summary
This is an excellent source of minerals for your Labrador’s overall health. It will also enjoy the high energy levels it fuels. You’ll have a happy dog, as long as you can foot the bill.
Eukanuba Adult Dry Dog Food
Features
Eukanuba is a pro at offering dog owners breed and size specific products. The benefit of this range is that you’re able to find dog food which supplies your dog with nutrients that support its unique requirements. This item will help you manage your Labrador’s many strengths as well as combat some health concerns. How is this done?
Pros
- Chicken is a primary ingredient. It lends an inviting fragrance to the food and provides protein for healthy muscles.
- Your Labrador’s joints are well looked after thanks to glucosamine and chondroitin.
- Omega fatty acids will help your Labrador’s skin and coat improve in health & shine.
- Eukanuba products fight against tartar build up via kibble design and its ingredients. It has been proven to prevent build up by up to 46%.
- Eukanuba’s products are known to promote a healthy digestive system which is proven by a firm stool consistency.
- Kibbles are larger to accommodate your Labrador’s large mouth.
- The food contains no artificial preservatives, so you don’t have to worry about allergies.
Cons
- The food contains beet pulp. It can help with digestive issues, but some dogs do have negative reactions to it.
- It contains chicken by products which score very low in nutritional value.
- There are some grain products included. This may spark allergies in sensitive dogs.
You can also check out Eukanuba’s breed specific formula for Adult Labradors below:
EUKANUBA Breed Specific Adult Labrador Retriever Dog Food 30 Pounds
Summary
Eukanuba is an excellent option for your Labrador’s daily diet. The food promotes health in many areas of dogs’ bodies, so you’re sure to experience a happy, energetic dog. Make sure your dog can handle the grains before you commit to this product.
Holistic Select Natural Dry Dog Food
Features
Holistic Select dog food keeps your dog healthy by making sure only safe ingredients are used during manufacturing. This list of ingredients includes natural products and many nutrients. Your Labrador will love the tasty food and you’ll love how healthy your dog is after eating this for a while.
This product is specifically for large adult dogs, so you can feed it to your Labrador as soon as it exits its puppy years. Dogs’ digestive system are quite sensitive. Prevent adverse reactions by introducing a new brand slowly and mixing it with its other food first.
To make the transition easy and safe, you should consider using Holistic Select puppy products as well. Its system will already be used to some of the recipes this brand uses. What is special about Holistic Select?
Pros
- Your dog can only absorb nutrients if its digestive system is in a healthy condition. Holistic Select products keep your dog’s digestive system healthy through the following food ingredients:
- Pre and probiotics
- Natural fibers
- Digestive enzymes
- Real lamb is used. This provides:
- Protein for your dog’s muscle build
- Amazing taste your dog will love
- The brand allows none of the dangerous ingredients such as meat by products or artificial coloring.
- The brand is manufactured in the USA so it adheres to rules which make the food safe for consumption.
Cons
- A few controversial items are on Holistic Select’s ingredient list. They could be used as fillers though they won’t have a negative impact on your Labrador, unless it’s very sensitive to allergens:
- Beet pulp
- Tomato pomace
Summary
This is an excellent brand for your dog’s food cupboard. You can be sure of nutritious intake and its price is in line with many other dog food brands on the market.
Nutro Natural Choice Weight Management Dry Dog Food
Features
Nutro creates an all round fantastic product with this item. It contains features and ingredients that benefits a variety of your Labrador’s most important needs. Thanks to the natural meat used, it’s also tasty, so your dog will be ecstatic at meal times. Take note that this range has items for various size dogs. You need to obtain a product for large breeds, otherwise your Labrador won’t benefit as much.
The focus of this item is to assist with weight management. Any dog can quickly become overweight. This can happen because of:
- Lack of exercise
- Wrong type of food
- Health problems such as Cushing’s disease
You can treat or prevent this phenomena via a weight management diet such as Nutro’s products. Let’s discuss what else your Labrador will gain by eating this.
Pros
- Real lamb is used which creates a tasty kibble that dogs love. Lamb is also an excellent source of protein. This is essential to a Labrador’s diet to keep its muscular system healthy.
- Your Labrador’s joints will benefit from glucosamine and chondroitin. These nutrients assist in cartilage formation so your dog’s joints will stay intact well into its senior years.
- A Labrador’s coat will become shiny thanks to:
- Omega fatty acids
- Zinc
- B vitamins
- Labradors have an enormous appetite. The fibres contained in Nutro’s products will adequately fill up your dog’s stomach. This combats obesity by minimizing your dog’s food intake.
- The design of the kibble will help your dog fight off the buildup of tartar on its teeth.
Cons
- The food contains brown rice. Dogs that are very sensitive to grains may have allergic reactions to it.
- Some dogs’ digestive systems struggle to digest a lot of fibre. You need to keep an eye on your dog and stop feeding this food when you notice discomfort.
Summary
Nutro offers you the ideal option if your Labrador struggles with weight problems. Make sure the food benefits all his other bodily systems as well before you commit to this food for the long term.
Pet Botanics Training Reward Dog Treats
Features
This item can be a perfect supplement to your dog’s usual diet as well as any training exercises you go through with your dog.
Pet Botanics offers your dog a high level of nutrients. The manufacturer has a unique approach to your pet’s health which can increase your Labrador’s level of health remarkably. Consider whether it’s an affordable option to add this to its regular pet food before you start using it.
Pros
- These treats contain real beef and bacon. This makes for an excellent taste and fragrance dogs love. If your dog doesn’t want to eat its dry dog food, this can be used as enticement by mixing it in among kibbles.
- Pet Botanics draws from nature to look after your Labrador’s digestive system. The company’s BotaniFits is an ingredient containing many plant extracts. These all help your dog’s digestive tract to function optimally. This is essential for dogs to benefit from the many nutrients in their food. If their digestive system can’t extract nutrients, the dogs can’t benefit from quality dog food.
Cons
- These are designed only to act as a supplement to training your dog, not a replacement for meals.
Summary
Pet Botanics offers you an excellent training treat that not only entices your dog, but provides nutritional benefits.
Conclusion
Your Labrador will love the taste in Taste of the Wild’s products and you’ll love how healthy your pet becomes after regular consumption. Take a chance on a pricey product, because it’s worth your dog’s health in the long run.
Our list of the best dog foods for your adult labrador should give you plenty of options to choose from. Make sure you, your wallet and your dog are equally happy with the dog food you end up choosing!
