Labrador Puppy Nutrition

With many choices out on the market, deciding what to feed your new Labrador puppy might not be easy. Along with synchronizing your Labrador's food to its life stages, such as puppy or adult, there are more facts to base your food choice on. Labradors have special requirements for nutrition. They are very active and have a specific chemical makeup.

  1. Feeding after Weaning

    • If your Labrador puppy has already begun eating solid food, keep feeding your puppy that same food. If a switch in food is needed, introduce the new food slowly by mixing it with the old food until the switch is complete.
      Puppies need to eat more frequently than adult dogs. Feed your Labrador puppy dry food to help develop teeth and gums. In addition, dry food helps fight plaque. From one to six months of age, feed your puppy three times throughout the day. From six to twelve months, feed your puppy twice a day. For dogs one year of age and older, one meal a day is sufficient.
      An adult Lab may eat 1.5 to 2 lbs. of food a day. For a puppy, feed it enough to keep hunger satisfied but not enough to make the puppy sick. Follow the food label directions for how much to feed.

    Nutrients

    • Puppies are at an accelerated growth stage and need more nutrients than an adult dog. The amount of minerals, protein, fat, carbohydrates and water-soluble and water fat-soluble vitamins are the ingredients required for energy and muscle growth. These nutrients also provide nourishment and help to transport oxygen through the bloodstream.

    Non-digestible Foods

    • Non-digestible foods include carrots, asparagus, green peppers and other raw vegetables, as well as peanut shells and other fillers. These food should be avoided, as they are non-digestible and block nutrients from being absorbed.

    Reading the labels

    • Eggs, meat or fish should be the first or second ingredients on the label. According to Tripp Wood, Labrador breeder and owner of labpups.com, economy dog food usually provides more filler and less protein rich ingredients. Fillers are cheap products that are mixed in with nutrient-filled foods to decrease the overall cost of the food and should be avoided.
      If corn is the first ingredient listed, move on. Corn is a filler food. Lamb is another ingredient to avoid. It has a scent that is not desirable to Labs. These foods have additives such as flavors and sugars to mask the scent. Avoid any sort of fillers, such as peanut shells. They are non-digestible
      Chicken meal or beet pulp are two good ingredients. Chicken is also good for treats.

    Water

    • Water is essential for any puppy to survive. Healthy puppies are able to regulate their water intake as long as a fresh supply is always available to them.