Are my labs healthy?

Labradors are often a popular choice among dog owners with an active lifestyle; this breed is known for demanding plenty of activity, so they are often found outside running, playing Frisbee, and even swimming with their owners. They are also known for their sometimes ravenous appetites, which can lead to weight problems, especially in the later years. Injury or other diseases can also contribute to obesity due to lack of physical activity. Just as people battling obesity are prone to heart and respiratory problems, obese dogs are also at risk, so it is very important to learn how to combat obesity in older Labradors.

Healthy adult Labradors weigh between 55 and 75 pounds, with females weighing slightly less than males. Most healthy Labradors live 10 to 12 years, and in some cases, they can even live to 14 years. This breed usually reaches full maturity after about 3 years of age, so they will be especially active in these early years. Labradors are by nature one of the most active dog breeds, and as such, they have healthy appetites and require plenty of activity to balance their intake. They can become depressed when deprived of an outlet for their activity, so owners who are away from home for several hours throughout the day are recommended to get a dog run for their Labradors. Because of their activity levels, this breed is often predisposed to obesity, which is an essential point that any Lab owner should keep in consideration when choosing a dog.

Labradors are not picky eaters, which is one reason why it is not hard for them to become overweight. Owners who make a habit of feeding leftover table food to their Labs should keep this in mind; these dogs usually can and will eat whatever they are offered. If not carefully monitored, this can eventually make the dog overweight or even obese.

My lab loves to eat everything!

The older a Labrador is, the more important it becomes to monitor its weight. Labradors are a very active breed with healthy appetites, so they tend to be predisposed to obesity. Usually, if it occurs, it will happen later in life as the dog ages and becomes less active. To prevent or reverse obesity in a Labrador, especially in the later years, careful monitoring of food intake and exercise if and when possible are the best ways to ensure a dog’s health.

Another factor that can cause obesity in Labradors is injury or disease. As dogs age, they are prone to arthritis and other degenerative disorders, and when their activity levels drop off, they can easily become overweight if their intake is not monitored. These disorders can sometimes lead to obesity; to prevent a snowballing of health problems as the dog ages, it is crucial to have the dog scheduled for regular veterinary visits so the vet can recommend a proper diet according to the dog’s age, activity level, and health status.

If the Lab is injured and cannot burn off extra food intake with exercise, the best way to combat obesity is through proper diet. If the problem is severe, it will even require the owner to actually track calorie intake for the dog.

Labradors can be very active dogs

Labradors may be the most popular large dog breeds. Easy to care for, friendly and intelligent, Labradors offer years of companionship to their owners. One thing sometimes holds people back from selecting a Labrador as a family pet:  Grooming.  Luckily, grooming a Labrador can be easy, if you just know how.

First realize that a properly groomed Labrador is in no need of occasional trims or shaving. Caring for their coat will ensure it remains healthy. That being said, the nails of the Labrador will need to be occasionally trimmed. This should always be handled by a professional. Cutting a dog’s nail improperly can cause pain and lead to other health problems. It is always best to bring your Labrador to a professional groomer to have their nails clipped.

The biggest grooming chore will actually be controlling shedding. Depending on the breed, your Labrador may shed only once or twice a year or shed every day. While it is a common myth that labs don’t shed, they do and learning to control the shedding will help keep your home clean and your dog comfortable.

Grooming can be a positive experience for you and your dog.

1. Place the dog in a tub of warm water. The water should not be scalding hot, but should be as warm as you and the dog can handle. Use a sprayer or cup to completely wet the dog from head to tail.
2. Use your fingers or a rubberized grooming tool to begin to work the lab’s coat. This process is aimed at loosening dead hair and skin from the lab’s coat. Using a tool works well because it will allow you to work the entire length of the coat, including the root area.
3. Rinse the dog with lots and lots of warm water while continuing to massage the coat and skin before removing the dog from the bath.
4. Use a hairdryer set to warm (avoid the hot setting) to dry the coat. While blowing out the hair, use your fingers to work the coat, always working in the opposite direction from the hair growth. This step can be very messy, so if possible do it outside.

This process should be repeated once a week until you are sure the majority of the fur has been removed. Once you have removed the majority of the shed fur, you can simply maintain it. By using proper maintenance techniques, you can typically avoid having to bathe the dog again. Use a grooming tool once or twice a week to work the coat and remove shed fur. This regular brushing will also help to distribute the natural oils produced by the lab.

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Ear infections are easy to detect. It is a good idea to visit your vet the first time you suspect a problem. Your dog may continually attempt to scratch their ear, or shake their heads violently in an attempt to ease the discomfort an infection can cause. There may be a foul odor, wax build up or a brown or yellowish discharge coming from the ear. The normal pink coloration of the ear may look red and irritated. Any of these signs are good indications of infection, and if left untreated, an ear infection can cause serious damage.

Yeast infections, mites, allergies, excess moisture and foreign substances can all contribute to infections. Labs also love water, and when water seeps into their ears, it causes a breeding ground for germs. You should routinely check and clean your labs ears. Your vet can demonstrate the proper way to clean and maintain healthy ears, and suggest a good cleanser that is safe for your lab.

Although you can purchase medication from your vet or pet store, you can also make your own cleanser using a few common ingredients. This formula is from “Woodhaven Labs”, and the “We Love our Labs” website.

Purple Power Ear Solution

16 oz. bottle of Isopropyl alcohol

4 tablespoons Boric Acid Powder

16 drops Gentian Violet Solution

Just combine all ingredients in the alcohol bottle and shake well.

At the first sign of an infection:

Treat 2X daily for the first 2 weeks, then treat 1X daily for the next 1-2 weeks, and as a preventative use once a month. Just fill your dog’s ear with the solution and gently massage the medicine in the ear. Use cotton balls to clean out any dirt, or discharge from the inner ear. Make sure that the cotton ball doesn’t go any further than the part of the ear canal that you can see. Fill ear with this solution a second time without massaging it in. This solution will stain your carpet, so make sure to use it in a tiled bathroom or outside to minimize any damage. You may also need a helping hand with this task. This is probably not going to be very comfortable for your pet who may already have some pain and discomfort due to the infection.

Remember if you have any questions, or your lab does not seem to be improving, call you veterinarian. The health and well-being of your dog may depend on it.

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Children safe with labradors

Many people have a moral and emotional struggle when they have a Labrador and find that they are expecting to have a baby. This moral and emotional struggle generally arises from wondering if it is safe to have a Labrador around small children. There are many different views on this topic, though it is important to consider the facts, your lifestyle, and the temperament of your Labrador before deciding whether or not your dog and child will be good playmates.

The fear of having a Labrador around small children is that due to the general largeness and hyperactivity of a Labrador, it could be dangerous to put a Labrador and small children together. This argument is valid in many instances. Labradors want constant interaction and do not understand that children are delicate and must be treated with great care. Labradors seek the approval from the people that care for them and try to show affection. A Labrador can generally show affection to an adult without any problems, but if a Labrador were to try to jump on a child to say hello, the child could be seriously injured. Furthermore, children tend to pull the tail and ears of dogs. Though a Labrador generally has a steady temperament, having its ears and tail tugged at could make it anxious and ready to jump or run away.

However, many people have had Labradors and children live together for many years without any problems. The key to ensuring a safe environment for a Labrador and a child is ensuring that they are not left alone together. This is not generally because you are unsure of what the dog will do to the child, but because you are unsure of whether or not the child will antagonize the dog and make it agitated. Whether or not this would be a legitimate concern for you and your Labrador and children would vary based upon the temperament of your dog and your children. Only you will know if your dog and your children have temperaments that will allow them to be safe together. If you have any doubts, then sadly, they are probably not safe together unsupervised.

If you have determined that you would not trust your Labrador around small children unsupervised, you may wish to enlist the help of a skilled dog trainer to work with your Labrador in accepting the small children in the home and being more tolerant of the behavior of children. Some of the wonderful characteristics about Labradors is that they are incredibly intelligent and very much wanting to please their owners. Obedience training can work wonders for any Labrador. In fact, you will find that after your Labrador undergoes obedience training, not only will your children enjoy being around your dog more, but you will, too. A trained Labrador is a happy Labrador because it knows where its place is in the family and what is expected of it. It knows how to please you and gets great joy out of doing so. This makes your Labrador a much safer dog for small children to be around because you know that the dog will listen immediately to your commands.

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DYNAMICS OF LABRADOR FUR

Labrador Retrievers are classified as being in the “moderate” shedding category, and tend to completely replace their coat (also called “blowing the coat”) two times per year. This is triggered by the seasonal change in temperature, and may involve more or less shedding depending on the climate. There are two distinct layers to your Labrador’s fur, each with its own purpose. The outer layer is coarse, oily, and is what gives Labrador Retrievers their resistance to moisture. The inner layer is thick, soft, and insulates your Labrador from environmental temperature variants.

IMPORTANCE OF GROOMING

Grooming your Labrador Retriever can be extremely beneficial to keeping your dog healthy. When your dog begins to grow new fur, the old hair strand is then pushed out to make room for the new hair bud. This is what causes shedding. However, without constant grooming, the shed fur strands can become caught in a Labrador’s coat, trapping dead skin and excess oils close to the skin. This can cause odor, bacterial infection, and some serious skin conditions. This is why it is extremely important to groom your Labrador Retriever on a regular basis.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I GROOM?

When your Labrador Retriever is going through the twice yearly “blowing the coat” (i.e. extreme shedding) it is recommended to groom your Labrador at least every other day. This can be done with a light brushing of the fur to remove shed fur and promote new hair growth. Use a soft brush, since frequent grooming with a coarse brush can cause irritation on your Labrador’s skin. For all other times of the year, it is strongly recommended to groom your Labrador Retriever about 2-3 times per week, depending on how heavily they are shedding. Again, shedding depends heavily on climate, as well as your dog’s nutrition. A healthy dog will stay in the moderate shedding category, as heavy hair loss can be a sign of malnutrition.

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