Puppies must get all the nutrients they need to grow big and strong. Labrador puppies will grow into big dogs, so they need to be fed the right food to grow in a healthy, prosperous way. So, what are the best foods for a 1-month-old labrador puppy?
The best food for most 1-month-old labrador puppies is the Purina Pro Plan Dry Food. It supports muscle growth and brain development and contains no added sugars or artificial flavors. Puppies can enjoy this nutritious food until they’re 18 months old.
However, this puppy food may not be the best choice for every labrador puppy. It might not be suitable if:
- Your puppy is picky about flavors. In this case, you should feed it Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food (available on Amazon.com) instead because it comes in multiple flavors.
- You want to feed your puppy natural food. Nutro Natural Choice Dry Dog Food (available on Amazon.com) would be a better choice.
- You want puppy food that’s made specifically for a labrador. Royal Canin Labrador Dry Dog Food (available on Amazon.com) would be better because it’s made with labrador puppies in mind.
- Your puppy wants wet food instead of dry food. You should feed it Blue Buffalo Wet Puppy Food (available on Amazon.com) instead.
The rest of this article will discuss what you should look for in puppy food for a labrador, and I will compare each one to decide which one is best for your puppy.
Before Buying Puppy Food
Before you buy puppy food for your labrador, there are a few things to consider:
- Do you want to feed your puppy organic food?
- Do you want food that’s specifically for a labrador or any large breed?
- Do you want different flavors for your puppy?
Now, I’ll take a look at each of these factors below.
Organic Food or Not?
Dog Food | Natural or Not? | Rating |
Purina Pro Plan Dry Food | Yes | 9/10 |
Hill’s Science Dry Dog Food | Yes | 9/10 |
Nutro Natural Dog Food | Yes | 9/10 |
Royal Canin Labrador Food | Yes | 9/10 |
Blue Buffalo Wet Dog Food | Yes | 7/10 |
Best organic puppy food: They are all equally good when it comes to organic ingredients, but the Blue Buffalo wet food has a higher fat content, hence the slightly lower rating.
Thankfully, all the puppy food products in this article contain natural ingredients! They all have real meats and other ingredients with no artificial colors or flavors.
But what exactly does “organic dog food” mean? Dog food is organic if it has been derived directly from the source. It can undergo processing and still be considered organic, but it cannot contain any chemicals or added preservatives.
Do You Want Food Specifically for a Labrador?
Dog Food | Made for Labradors? | Rating |
Purina Pro Plan Dry Food | No (made for any large breed) | 8/10 |
Hill’s Science Dry Dog Food | No (made for any large breed) | 8/10 |
Nutro Natural Dog Food | No (made for any large breed) | 8/10 |
Royal Canin Labrador Food | Yes | 9/10 |
Blue Buffalo Wet Dog Food | No | 5/10 |
Best Food Specifically for a Labrador Puppy: Royal Canin Labrador Food
The Royal Canin food is the only dog food in this article explicitly made for labradors, so if that’s what you’re looking for, it’s a good option.
But is it really necessary to buy breed-specific dog food?
Generally, purchasing breed-specific dog food is redundant. It won’t do your puppy any harm, but it’s simply not necessary. Once you’re feeding your dog the nutrients it needs, it doesn’t matter what breed the food is aimed at.
Most dog and puppy foods aimed at large breeds will be enough for your labrador because all large-sized dogs have the same nutritional needs, no matter what breed they are.
However, some people prefer to buy breed-specific dog food, and that’s fine. Feeding a puppy breed-specific dog food gives some people reassurance that they’re giving their puppy precisely what it needs; if that’s the case, there’s no problem with feeding your puppy that type of food.
Do You Want Different Flavors for Your Puppy?
Dog Food | How Many Flavor Options? | Rating |
Purina Pro Plan Dry Food | Two. Beef, chicken & rice | 9/10 |
Hill’s Science Dry Dog Food | Three. Chicken, chicken meal & oats, lamb meal & brown rice | 9/10 |
Nutro Natural Dog Food | Two. Chicken, lamb | 7/10 |
Royal Canin Labrador Food | One. Chicken | 5/10 |
Blue Buffalo Wet Dog Food | One. Chicken | 5/10 |
Best Dog Food for Different Flavors: Hill’s Science Dog Food and Purina Pro Plan Dry Food
It’s no secret that dogs can often be human-like when it comes to taste preferences! Some dogs don’t enjoy certain flavors, so it’s good to have options just in case.
The Purina dog food has a beef and chicken option, which are the only two options you need, so it’s a perfect choice. Additionally, Hill’s Science dog food comes in all the flavors you’d need, but there are two chicken flavors, which seems slightly redundant.
There are many reasons why your puppy might be a picky eater, but one of the first things you should do is change up the flavor. You may realize they prefer chicken flavor over lamb, for example.
However, if you decide to switch your puppy’s diet, it’s essential to let your puppy adjust to the new diet gradually.
Best Overall: Purina Pro Plan Dry Food
The Purina Pro Plan dry food (available on Amazon.com) is the best for most labrador puppies. It has natural ingredients, comes in two different flavors, and is perfect for large breeds.
Even though it’s not made explicitly for labradors, it’s an excellent choice for large breeds, so your puppy is guaranteed to have all the growth and progress it needs from this puppy food.
The main ingredients include real chicken, whole grains, and rice. The food also contains live probiotics and is high in protein, so it’s the ultimate puppy food overall.
Verdict: If you’re looking for general dog food for large breeds that’s natural and contains all the nutrients your puppy needs, you should choose this one.
Best Natural Food: Nutro Natural Choice Dry Dog Food
This Nutro dog food (available on Amazon.com) is perfect if your primary concern is natural, organic puppy food. This food contains 100% real chicken and doesn’t contain any by-products. It’s made exclusively for large breeds.
Verdict: You should buy this puppy food to give your puppy natural food that doesn’t contain any by-products.
Best for Picky Eaters: Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food
The Hill’s Science dog food (available on Amazon.com) comes in all the flavors your puppy needs, so you can match the taste to its preference. The ingredients are all-natural, with lots of whole grains mixed in to help your puppy grow.
Conclusion: If you want various flavor choices because your puppy is a picky eater, Hill’s Science Dry food is a great, natural choice.
Best If You’re Looking for Labrador-Specific Food: Royal Canin Labrador Dry Dog Food
Like the others, the Royal Canin dog food (available on Amazon.com) is also packed with natural ingredients and full of nutrients. Since it’s marketed towards labradors explicitly, some people might prefer to go with this one.
Although it’s unnecessary to choose breed-specific food, it does not harm either!
Verdict: If you want puppy food made for labradors exclusively, this is one of your best options.
Best If Your Puppy Prefers Wet Food: Blue Buffalo Wet Puppy Food
Blue Buffalo wet food (available on Amazon.com) is a perfect, nutritional food for dogs who prefer moist food. However, keep in mind that this dog food is made for all breed sizes, so it’s not as specialized as the others on this list.
Verdict: This puppy food is excellent if your puppy prefers nutritious and organic wet food.
Key Takeaways
After comparing the different puppy foods in this article, I find the Purina Pro Plan Dry Food to be most appropriate for most puppies. It has all the ingredients your labrador puppy needs to grow and comes in two primary flavors.
You should check out Purina Pro Plan Dry Food on Amazon now.