How to feed a Labrador

Representatives of the Labrador breed are excellent companion dogs that can accompany their owners everywhere, nurse children, eat from one table. They are not picky about food and can eat the same as the owners. But is it good for the pets themselves? An animal of this size and exterior needs proper nutrition, saturated with important elements - vitamins , minerals, and the balance of all components must also be observed. The question remains open: "How to feed the Labrador?"

Features of feeding Labradors by age

If the acquired puppy is accustomed to dry food, and the owners do not want to change anything, then the task is greatly simplified. There are certain brands of feed, it remains only to find out the brand familiar to the puppy and get the necessary recommendations.

Before making a diet, you need to understand how many times a day to feed a Labrador. Recommendations talk about two meals a day. If the owner prefers feeding the Labrador with natural products, then it is worth taking the advice of knowledgeable and experienced people. And in this case, the breeder will help out, who will provide detailed information about the peculiarities of feeding puppies of this breed. Puppies get stress from separation from relatives, as well as a change of scenery, do not aggravate the situation with an upset stomach.

To maintain normal health, the dog needs a dosed amount of protein, lipid and carbohydrate substances, mineral components, as well as water. The need for animals is different, it varies depending on age, its physiological characteristics, season, climate.

Puppies and dogs carrying offspring need more food, the main component of which should be the building material - protein.

In addition, one should not allow an overabundance of useful substances, since excesses do not always leave the body, being deposited in organs and subcutaneous layers.

What you need to exclude from the diet of a Labrador

To keep the pet healthy and cheerful, the following should be avoided when feeding:

• hot food, as well as cold;
• the dog’s menu should not contain smoked meats, spicy, fatty, sweet and salty dishes;
• it is not necessary to replace the feed with bones, since they have low digestibility, in addition, they can provoke constipation , perforation (through damage) of the intestinal walls, inversion of the intestines; tubular bones are the most dangerous;
• The following products are also banned - pasta, legumes, potatoes, pastries made from wheat flour;
• Labradors, as in principle other dog breeds, should not know what sausages are - sausages and sausages adversely affect the dog’s liver condition, which can lead to the death of the animal;
• there is no need to treat the puppy with sweets, since sweets disrupt the digestion processes, destroy tooth enamel, and disrupt the function of the lacrimal glands;
• negatively affects the state of the stomach and pancreas by eating fatty meats - pork and lamb;
• Labrador food should not be spicy, nor should sauces be added to it.

Owners should ensure that the dog’s food is always fresh. Leftovers should not be in a bowl for a long time, they must be cleaned in a refrigerator or thrown away.

It is worth giving preference to such methods of cooking products, during which the maximum of useful substances is preserved.

Which food is better, raw or boiled?

The question of how to feed a Labrador - raw or boiled foods, is very controversial. On the one hand, raw foods contain a greater amount of useful elements, but still more preference is given to boiled food.

Proper heat treatment allows you to destroy pathogens that are often found in foods, as well as worm eggs. Plant fiber becomes softer during cooking and is better absorbed by the digestive system of the animal. If you apply gentle methods, such as steaming, you can save vitamins as much as possible.

Meat can be given raw, but pre-freeze it.

In some cases, veterinarians recommend the use of raw foods, but this is only in certain circumstances and following the advice of specialists.

Labrador meat

The dog is by nature a predatory animal, and the Labrador also has a decent size, requiring a large amount of food for energy. Therefore, meat in the diet of representatives of this breed should be in the first place.

The menu of a Labrador pet can include beef, horsemeat, chicken, turkey, rabbit, and various offal. If they talked about raw meat, the safest is horse meat, since it is very rarely affected by brucellosis.

Feeding a dog does not require the most expensive meat, for the animal it is much more useful sinewy pieces - brisket, flank and more.

If the pet prefers raw meat, then you can satisfy its taste, but first you need to keep it in the freezer for several days, before serving it can be rinsed with boiling water. The main thing is that the meat was free of fat. You can alternate, give meat raw for a couple of days, and boiled for two or three days. Give the dog a product cut into pieces.

As for offal, it is recommended to betray them to long-term heat treatment.

Separately, it must be said about the scar (stomach), which contains large amounts of digestible protein, useful for the digestive system of the dog. It is recommended to give the pet raw and without preliminary cleanings.

Most experts do not recommend including bones in the Labrador’s diet; you can supplement the dog’s menu with soft cartilage, but only as an additional treat.

Labrador approved products

Among the acceptable products are the following:

A fish. Being a healthy food containing a large amount of animal protein, phosphorus and iodine, fish must be present in the diet of Labrador. Because of the bony, it is worth abandoning river fish in favor of low-fat marine. Pollock, hake, cod and others are perfect. A dog can be offered a product only after heat treatment and without bones.

Croup. Carbohydrates included in cereals will give meat products more nutrition. Dogs are recommended to give buckwheat, rice, oatmeal. But barley, semolina and millet is better to exclude from the animal’s menu. You can add crackers from gray and rye flour to porridge, as well as vegetable oil - sunflower, olive, and linseed.

Milk products. Labrador puppy can be fed home-made calcined cottage cheese by adding calcium chloride to boiling milk. Milk is good for puppies, but it can weaken adult pets. Sour-milk products are good at any age of the Labrador - kefir, bifivit, yogurt, yogurt - positively affect the digestive tract. Cheese is also recommended to be given to a pet; it can be grated in already cooked dishes.

The eggs. They will not be superfluous in the dog’s diet. Raw yolks can be added to dairy foods and cereals. From raw protein, there will be no use, since the body of the animal does not absorb it. It is better to finely chop hard-boiled eggs, and use raw ones for omelet. If enough meat is allocated for a dog, then two eggs in seven days is enough for her.

Vegetables and fruits in the diet of a Labrador

Among vegetables and fruits, a raw dog is recommended to give carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, and beets. It is most convenient to finely chop or grate before serving, you can season with vegetable oil or sour cream.

Main dishes can be enriched with finely chopped fresh herbs - dill, celery, parsley, lettuce, onions and garlic.

Porridge with pumpkin is an excellent dish for a pet, in addition, pumpkin has a prophylactic for helminths.

If the dog loves fruits - this is excellent, they can be given in small quantities in any form. The only exception is grapes, it is forbidden to give it to dogs, as it can cause fermentation in the intestines.

The dog needs salt in very small quantities, so you can not salt the food at all, or add it just a little bit.

As for drinking, his animal needs a lot, especially if the dog’s food consists of dry types of food. It is necessary to provide the pet with constant fresh drinking water. If it meets sanitary standards, then you can give it raw.

Labrador is a sleek dog with rounded sides and this is not an indicator of fattening. The pet must be active and eat well.