what dog food for my labby?

Question

Hi, Im getting a labrador puppy and i was wondering what type of food i should feed him through his life (puppy, middle age, adult).

Answer 1

OMG!! PLEASE NO CHEAP FOOD!! and dont starve them to keep them thin. nutro is awesome as someone pointed out. less waste, glossy coats, good glucosamine and conjointants for healthy bones and joints!! i learned the hard way about cheap food with big dogs. eagle pack foods are great too. cheap foods are just fillers no nutrients. stay away from science diet too. do find out what the breeder has them on and slowly switch if you need to. please, for the dogs sake, get nutro or something. its expensive, about 30 dollars for a 40 lb bag. but they dont eat as much as fast because they absorb more and waste less. nutro has different food for different life stages. pet co i know carrys it and nutro has a great guarantee if you have any problems. which you wont!! their lamb and rice is great

Answer 2

pedegree is crap. anything you can get at a grocery store is crap. Get your dog food from a pet supply store. It costs more but is well worth it. Yes you can get crap like pedegree, iams, eukanuba and such at a pet store too but dont buy it. The staff can let you know what is grocery and what isnt. I have a lab cross and i feed him Nutro. He has the glossiest coat i have ever seen. people comment all the time. His teeth are good. He doesnt get the shits. Dogs use more of the food so the create less waste (less poo to clean up).

Feed puppy formulas untill he is a year of age. He needs the extra fat and protien in the puupy stuff to grow. After a year switch to Adult formula. My favorite is Nutro Dental. Senior foods depend on the dog. It has less protien to deal with reduced energy. You will have to decide when to make that switch in the future.

Royal Canin also makes breed specific formulas. If he is all lab and not a cross they may have a food for that breeds specific needs.

They should be fed primarily hard food(kibble) soft food is nothing but treats and will rot their teeth.

good luck!

p.s. DO NOT feed the cheapest brand at walmart. that is Ol Roy. It will be all over your house because it tends to explode out of them.

I agree with feeding the same food as the breeder for a while. gradually make the chage by feeding half and half then increse the new food untill the old food is gone. this will prevent stomach upset.

Puppies nees to be fed 4-6 times a day because they have small stomaches. Use the guide on the sid eof the bag, remember it is only a guide, adjust to your puppies needs.

Answer 3

I'm so sorry to hear that. My dog, Irish setter, also had a kidney failure, so I know how you feel. My dog got this really bad renal infection that damaged his kidneys pretty bad when he was 9. But he made it back, vet had him on iv fluids for 5 days, two bags a day. He was very weak at first, but he gradually got better. We knew his kidneys were in bad shape since then, so he was on a very strickt diet : Purina Veterinary Diet Renal, white chicken meat, carrot, rise. If they have a renal failiure it's important not to ingest a lot of proteins ( which is very hard ) But I was very stubborn and he got used to the new food ( and he was a very picky dog ). Unfortunatelly, about a year ago he got very sick. He's kidneys shut down completely, the vet tries everything but once that happens there's nothing you can do. He got so sick that I decided to put him to sleep. That was the hardest decision I had to make. He was suffering that last night and I couldn't let him suffer any more just because I didn't wanna say goodbye. I think it's better if the vet comes to your home, because your dog won't be so scared. But don't give up just yet! Tell your vet to do everything he can. And you gotta try you best too. And don't give her any more regular food, she needs special now. But if she's not eating on her own, try to feed her with syringe, cause she needs her strength. Just don't give up before you really have to. My dog lived two more happy and great years after his kidneys started to shut down. When they are seriously sick every day you spend with them is a gift, but not if they're suffering. And you'll see if your dog is ready to go. And your vet will tell you. It'll be hard, but you'll have to let her go at some point. And it's better if she goes peacefully. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your dog! Good luck!

Answer 4

I used top feed me dogs Ole' Roy because it was cheap and they loved it. I decided to try Nutro because they sell it where I work. It takes much less to fill my dogs up now and they have a lot less waste afterwards. This is because Nutro has no by-products in it just things dogs need. And my dogs love it. I will NEVER feed Ole' Roy again.
I also recommend feeding the puppy what he is getting at the breeders for a while and when you decide to switch slowly mix in the new food, gradully letting it take over. This will help the puppy not have an upset stomach.

Answer 5

Depends on which country your in as to what dog food you have there.
I live in Australia.
I feed my dog Eukanuba, you buy this at the vet.
It is one of if not the best, studies show most breeders use Eukanuba with their show animals, so we can sing its praises.
Talk to your vet for the best advice, or a good pet shop. Do not but supermarket brands, and stay away from foods full of colours and preservatives. Read ingredients or labels.

Answer 6

buy one 40lbs bag of puppy food,( the kind the breeder is feeding him),, when it is gone, switch to adult food,,, i think TIMBERWOLF ORGANICs is very good food,,, remember to keep your pup on the thin side, as labs are very very prone to hip dysplasia... hopefully you are getting from a reputable breeder.. if so you can ask them all sorts of questions and they will be very happy to help you along the way... don't forget spay/neuter when about 6 months old good luck and enjoy

Answer 7

Buy the cheapest food at Walmart, and give him lots of love...he won't know the difference, and feed him table scraps...and let him chew bones...don't be misled by the so-called experts...a combination of dry food and canned food is what we feed our cats....Nutrimax is also a good brand and not too pricey.

Brock
Vancouver, Canada

Answer 8

I heard that Pedigree is pretty good.