When you’re the pet parent of an energetic Labrador retriever, you want to make sure you’re meeting their nutrition requirements. Choosing the best dry dog food for Labs is an absolute must. Dry dog food is my personal choice for most dogs. Wet food costs more, and you have to feed more of it to ensure that your dog gets all the calories and nutrition he needs. Dry dog food is also better for a dog’s teeth. Even when dogs swallow their food whole, the dry food still serves to scrub the teeth somewhat.
Today, I’ll be talking about that ingredients to look for in the best dry dog food for Labs. I recently wrote a post on what to look for in food for Lab puppies, so I figure I’ll keep the theme going and talk about the ingredients to look for in a dry food for adult Labs.
What is the Best Dry Dog Food for Labs?
When looking for a dry food for your Lab, it pays to remember the specific needs that a Lab has. From there, you can look for ingredients that help support those needs. As always, be sure to talk with your vet about picking a food to ensure that all your bases are covered.
Reduced Calorie
As always, a food with reduced calories is at the top of the list. As odd as it might seem in a dog with such huge amounts of energy, Labs are actually prone to getting tubby. As a larger dog, the Lab is prone to joint issues as he makes his way through life. Keeping him lean will help lessen the strain on his joints, and feeding him a reduced calorie food will help you keep him at his ideal weight.
In addition to joint issues, all obese dogs are at greater risk of developing diabetes and cancer, and since elderly Labs can be cancer machines to begin with, it’s important on all fronts to ensure that your Lab NEVER gets fat.
Omega Fatty Acids
Omega fatty acids are another important ingredient in dry dog food for your Lab. In addition to joint issues, labs can have skin problems as well. Omega fatty acids take care of all of that. These fatty acids have been shown to improve joint health, as well as provide excellent skin and coat nourishment. In addition, omega fatty acids help increase the efficacy of antioxidants and reduce whole body inflammation.
Look for a food made with fish as a main protein source or with added omega fatty acids to ensure your lab gets these health benefits.
Antioxidants
Look for a dry dog food made with berries or with an added antioxidant matrix. An antioxidant matrix is just a fancy term companies use to show you that they put in extra antioxidants like vitamin E and selenium. Antioxidants have been shown to promote overall cellular health and help reduce the risk of cancer. When you combine them with a food that also contains omega fatty acids, you have a food that already addresses several of the main concerns associated with the health of Labs.
Glucosamine
These days, you can find glucosamine added to some dog foods. If you can get this, that’s a plus, since Labs are prone to joint issues. Anecdotal evidence has shown that glucosamine helps to promote cartilage retention and growth as well as promoting the production of joint fluid. Although critics say that there is no hard scientific evidence that glucosamine does anything at all, I have seen many elderly doss show vast improvement when prescribed a glucosamine supplement by the vet.
Dry Dog Food for Labs – A Few Ingredients Make a Difference
If you’re looking for a dry dog food for your Lab, begin the journey by speaking with your vet. He or she will be able to offer you years of experience in finding the food that’s right for your dog. And remember, although all of the ingredients listed above will greatly benefit your Lab, your vet should always be the final say in the dry dog food your pick and any other decisions you make regarding your dog’s health.
Do you have an opinion on the best dry dog food for Labs? Share in the comments!
