How Much Does a Labrador Eat?

Labrador retrievers originate from Newfoundland; they are ideal family dogs because of their friendly, loyal personality. Labradors are average in size, reaching 55 to 75 lbs. at maturity. The feeding of the Labrador is essential to maintain the dog in good health. The food as well as the feeding amount is different in puppies and in adult Labs. Labs shouldn't be fed more than they need, because this leads to obesity.

  1. Labrador Puppies

    • Labrador puppies need to develop, so they will eat a different type of food than adults, containing up to twice the energy content. During the first eight weeks, a puppy should be fed by its mother. If the puppy is orphaned, it should get an amount of milk replacer equal to one-quarter of the puppy's weight. Starting from week four, introduce some solid food, but mix it with a little water. Increase the amount of solid food gradually, so that at eight weeks, the puppy should eat only solid food. Feed your Lab puppy two or two and a half cups of food per day spread over two or three meals per day. The puppy should receive two meals a day after the age of three months. If the puppy gets canned food, it should get the equivalent volume of one or one and a half cups of food.

    Adult Labs

    • Adult labs should receive two or two and a half cups of dry food a day. If you feed your dog wet food, feed it one or one and a half cups of canned food. Feed your dog twice a day and avoid free-feeding it. Even if Labradors are great eaters and they will beg for food, don't feed it table scraps. If your dog is recovering from a disease or surgery, it will have increased nutritional requirements.

    Type of Food for Labradors

    • During the first eight weeks, puppies should receive dog milk or a replacer. The food for Labrador puppies should be rich in protein content (up to 30 percent), to allow them to develop properly. The adult food has a lower protein and caloric content. It's important that the food you buy for your Lab contains meat and not meat by-products.

    Gastric Dilatation and Torsion

    • Gastric dilatation and torsion is a condition that occurs in adult Labradors and other medium and large-sized dogs. The condition is a rapid expansion of the stomach caused by the fast ingestion of food. The swelling of the stomach results in difficulty to breathe and increased heart rate. The stomach torsion can be deadly and requires immediate surgical intervention. Prevent gastric dilatation and torsion by moistening the kibble food in water, meat broth or soup before you feed it to your dog. In this manner, the food expands in the food bowl, before it reaches the stomach. Don't take your dog for walk or exercise 30 minutes after each meal.