Gobble Gobble Grain-Free Gibble

Every dog has a different sweet spot - this has to do with things like age, genetics, lifestyle, digestibility and quality of their food, and any health issues. There are formulas that we and your vet use to estimate where to start, taking these things into consideration. After that, the ultimate answer comes from this question: Is your dog maintaining a healthy, lean body weight? If the answer is YES, you are feeding the perfect amount! If the answer is NO (they are getting a little too skinny or too chubby), then we need to make some gradual adjustments.

For most adults, splitting their daily recommended kibble amount into two meals is perfect.

We want to wait until skeletal growth is nearly or completely finished before making this transition -- for most labradors, around 15 months is a good age to transition. Since every individual can grow a little differently, 15 months is also a great time to check in with your vet to get a direct opinion on your dog's growth trajectory.

All dogs can get all dog diseases. That said, labradors generally have phenomenal appetites and are known to be prone to becoming overweight or obese. This is the most common disease you need to be aware of, and it can not only shorten their lifespan but also make other diseases worse. Labradors are also one of the most frequently studied dogs in research, so there are a long list of issues that have been studied in this breed (as opposed to other breeds where we have less information). Some conditions that labradors are predisposed to (based on research studies) include but are not limited to: allergies (which usually manifest as skin issues), some heart conditions, chronic hepatitis, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, cranial cruciate ligament rupture, elbow and hip dysplasia, some muscle disorders, epilepsy, some kinds of cancer, juvenile onset cataracts, entropion, ectopic ureters, laryngeal paralysis, and low B12 levels

...aaaand swimming related conditions :) like ""attraction to water"" (no joke, there was a study about this -- it's hereditary in labs & they were shown to be more attracted to water than to humans or other dogs) and limber tail (sprained tail from swimming or wagging too much)

It is important for dogs to chew their kibble before swallowing -- this aids in proper digestion of their food, helps avoid tummy upset, decreases choking and bloat risks, etc. Making it harder to just inhale food is a good start -- this can mean using a slow bowl, scattering their kibble on the kitchen floor (if you don't mind slobber), splitting their dinner into 2-4 smaller mini-dinners, etc.

For the most part, labradors have bottomless stomachs and will rally to beg or eat, even after consuming a full meal. So don't take their word for it. The ultimate answer for a healthy adult dog at their ideal weight will be in answering this question: "Is my dog maintaining a stable weight?" If the answer is YES, you are totally feeding enough. If this is the case but your lab is still begging intensely, it could be due to a number of things like not feeling full (this is a volume issue rather than a calorie issue) or some health issues which mean that a quick vet check up isn't a bad idea. If they are losing weight, food might be the issue but other things could also be going on (we and you/your vet should talk about it) and if they are gaining weight, ditto.

There's not good evidence to say that this is beneficial to a healthy adult dog. But, if your dog has neck or back pain, it can be more comfortable to eat from an elevated bowl (they don't have to bend their neck as much).

Regarding the risk for gastric dilitation volvulus (GDV; stomach torsion) -- to our knowledge there are only two studies on this question with elevated bowls, and their findings conflict a bit with regards to different heights of feeding and whether the risks increase or decrease. However, in both studies, feeding from a raised feeder did not reduce the risk of stomach torsion relative to feeding from the floor. The safest option in the absence of further evidence is to advise that owners of otherwise healthy ‘at risk’ dogs feed from a feeder on the floor. This may not reduce the risk of GDV, but there is no evidence to suggest that it will increase the risk.