What should Labradors eat to gain weight?
0 Jul 26,2025
Newborn stage:
Labrador dogs require different feeding methods at different stages. When they are just born, they eat breast milk, and the mother dog takes care of the puppies. The owner does not have to worry too much and only needs to help. After weaning, the Labrador will rely on the owner's care to grow healthily. Labrador puppies are weaned about 6 weeks after they are born, and can eat regular food from now on, but within 1-6 months of birth, they should be fed 3-4 times a day. From weaning to around the third month, feeding times should be set at 7 a.m., 12 noon, 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., 4 times a day. From the 5th to 8th month of life, puppies can be fed three times in the morning, noon, and evening. The amount of food given to puppies during this period is approximately one-third to half of that of adult dogs.
Weaning for two to three months:
In the months from 2-3 months after weaning to within 3 months, the puppy’s food composition will determine its lifelong eating habits. If you plan to continue to feed special dog food in the future, you must adapt it to the taste of special dog food during this period of time. If you plan to raise them with family meals in the future, the food should be mainly animal protein and feed more high-calorie foods. When puppies are 2-3 months old, the meat should be cut into fine pieces before feeding them because their teeth and lower jaw are not yet fully developed. Milk, butter, cheese, etc. are also suitable. But don’t give them hard bones, etc. yet. The period from 6 months to 1 year old after birth is approximately equivalent to a human teenager, so a Labrador can develop into a young dog equivalent to an 18-year-old in one year. This period is the period when Labrador's growth is most vigorous. The calories it consumes are about twice the growth rate, so it can be fed more animal protein foods.
After 8 years old:
Labrador retrievers begin to age from the age of 7 to 8 years old. First of all, good food must be provided, which should not only be of good quality, rich in protein and fat, but also easy to chew and digest. The food should be soft or semi-liquid, with less crude fiber and other feed that is difficult to digest. Older Labrador dogs generally have poor appetite and reduced digestion due to a loss of sense of smell. Therefore, they should be fed more meals and less, and provide sufficient drinking water. Older Labrador dogs have reduced immunity and are afraid of both cold and heat. Therefore, they must do a good job in keeping warm and preventing heatstroke. You should pay more attention to observing the dog's behavior at ordinary times, and diagnose and treat any abnormalities in time. The temperament of older Labrador dogs will also change. They are no longer as lively and active as before. They like to lie quietly, exercise less, sleep more, and get tired easily. Therefore, when taking elderly dogs for activities, attention should be paid to preventing fatigue. In addition, the coordination of muscles and joints and the control coordination of nerves in older dogsThe regulating function is far inferior to that of prime-age dogs, and the bones have become fragile. Therefore, older dogs cannot be allowed to do complex and difficult movements to prevent muscle strains and fractures.
Taboo foods:
Eggs, chocolate, grapes, butter, onions, almonds, milk, potatoes, ginger, raw beans, spices, mushrooms, corn, nuts, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes cannot be given to dogs.
Dog food flavor selection:
When purchasing, be sure to pay attention to the ingredient ratio in the dog food ingredient list. If a certain type of dog food is labeled "chicken-flavored dog food" but chicken is not listed first in the ingredient ratio, then it is Proves that this dog food is not high in chicken content. Therefore, when choosing dog food, you must pay attention to the ingredients in the first two digits of the dog food, and choose dog food with different flavors accordingly.
Ways to express your love for dogs:
(1) Touch your dog’s head. Basically, most dogs will understand that you like it and care for it.
(2) Stroke or gently scratch your dog’s chest. Male dogs like to pamper them more than female dogs!
(3) Gently scratch your dog’s chin with your fingers.
(4) Gently scratch your dog’s ears and heels.
(5) Gently tap your dog’s back or lightly scratch its back.
(6) For dogs with tails, comb the tail and gently scratch the tail.
(7) Use your left and right hands to place your hands on your back and stomach for a while, it will feel comfortable.
Fix the dog’s gluttony:
Many Labradors are notoriously gluttonous and will eat anything if not prevented, and are extremely adept at getting food fed to them by benevolent people. Labrador owners must carefully control food intake to avoid obesity and related health problems. Labradors grow very quickly as puppies, so it is recommended to add more calcium to their diet to supplement the calcium needed for their body growth. Before they are six months old, they should be fed 3-4 times a day; puppies from six months to 12 months can be fed twice a day, and adult dogs after 12 months can be fed once a day.