Vet has prescribed anallergenic diet

[MickiMoo]

Hi, our vet has prescribed an anallergenic diet for our 1 year old Labrador who we are having minor behavioural issues with and finding it difficult to find a diet to suit him.
He was on grain free canagan but wanted something in between cost wise, so tried royal canin and hills science plan, neither of which our Labrador would touch........also read about cardiac issues associated with grain free diet

Any advise for a diet, preferably kibble please

[Dottie]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I am not sure whether diet has a significant impact on behaviour although some additives found in poor quality foods might be problematic to some dogs. With this in mind it is good policy to buy the best quality product that is affordable. 

It would be helpful to use the Dog Food Directory filters because you can tick the box for no red ingredients. Always look for something that has a clear ingredient list and has a named meat source at the top. If you need help using the filters please ask and we will try to assist. There is a thread here  that might be helpful.

Canagan dry food review is here and it has 85% nutritional score. The usual advice is that if the food is suiting the dog there should be no reason to change. However, if you prefer not to use grain free food you can leave that box unticked in the filter section of the Dog Food Directory. Look for products that contain brown rice as it has better nutritional content. Some of the cold pressed foods are based on brown rice (usually about one third of the recipe) and might be worth looking at. We have a thread about these here.

Regarding the behaviour problems, you don’t say what they are or whether your Labrador is field or show type or whether you are a first time owner. I know a little about Labradors and they can be a handful at this age. Sometimes genetics play a part. What they need more than anything is training because it allows them to use their brain and energy. They also need clear boundaries. The more you put into this the better behaved the dog will be. If you haven’t already done so, consulting a behaviourist or attending a training club might be useful. Also, if you can find a Labrador forum on the Internet, the members might be able to advise.

[MickiMoo]

Thank you so much for your advise.
He is working stock and not our first Labrador. I think I'm being over sensitive to getting it right for him as he is a handful and I've worked and am working really hard to ensure he doesn't have the same problems that our last Labrador had.
He attends training sessions and I'm cautious that our vet prescribed a food that comes from royal canin that appears to be very low on the nutritional scale within this website and that's very worrying too.......
I suppose I'm doubting the veterinary advise because my gut doesn't feel happy with their suggestions as the 2 other food types they suggested he wouldn't touch,

[Dottie]

I understand that field type Labs can be a bit full on. Understandable because they were bred to work. Prescription diets can have their place in certain situations but I share your concern about the nutritional elements and long term use. They sometimes have lower protein and fat and dogs need these for good health and to sate their appetite.

A young, active, healthy dog needs good quality, digestible food. Dogs can digest animal protein better than protein from other sources.  Use the Directory to look for a dry food that is not grain free and has a decent level of protein/fat from animal sources, no red ingredients.

It sounds as if you have a lively Labrador that is going to need some time and effort before he calms down. Hopefully you will get there, particularly as you have already started training.

[Rebecca Forrest]

Not sure if this helps but , I have a have red setter who is active , every time I give him a diet with high carbohydrate he is very manic in his behaviour, may be this is something that you could explore. He also has a sensitive tummy so I have to be careful with what i feed him. He is now on Different dog and even though it is expensive he is doing very well on it. I have had Labradors in the past guide dog puppies and they can be very active. I hope that you can sort this out.