Considering your pet’s diet as part of overall Labrador health means that you should take a look at food and treat options based on your dog’s health, age, build and any health conditions or lifestyle changes like giving birth to a little of puppies. Choosing healthy dog food or treat options can include looking at organic or all-natural choices for your Labrador health benefits. An all-natural food will also include higher quality ingredients that are beneficial to your Labrador. As your dog ages, Labrador health needs change. A Labrador puppy needs different nutrients than an older dog. Often older dogs can become overweight due sedentary behavior. Weight management or arthritis formula foods also help to contribute to improved Labrador health especially in older dogs.

Just as a quality and age or situation-appropriate food helps improve Labrador health, exercises and activities for your Lab are another crucial lifetime element of overall Labrador health. Puppies have a need for more exercise for growth and energy management while middle-aged Labradors still need to maintain a healthy weight as they age. Older Labradors benefit from daily exercise or play to help combat the effects of arthritis on their joints.

Another aspect of http://www.clublabrador.com/labrador-health/ to consider is their mental health. A happy and well-adjusted home with loving pet owners goes a long way towards the positive health of your Labrador and his life span. Making sure that your home is comfortable and accommodating for your Labrador is another aspect of Labrador health that you can improve with bedding, an exterior play area and easy access to food. By monitoring your Labrador for illnesses, diseases and by committing to annual maintenance and the provision of a loving home for your Labrador; you can help to preserve your pet’s health and overall longevity and quality of life. Including your Labrador in your life while maintaining their health can reap a greater quality of life for your family as well.

Detection of a skin disease or disorder can be done fairly quickly and easily. If your pet is scratching or itching in a concentrated area, examine that area closely. Check for dryness or red and puffy inflammation. Look for skin flakes around the area, too.

Skin disorders and diseases can manifest on your Labrador for many reasons. Skin parasites and insects are a common cause of skin disorders in Labrador health because of their love of the outdoors. External allergies or irritants can cause a short-term reaction to an unknown environmental factor. Your Labrador may have a food allergy or may lack a vital nutrient in it’s diet. All of these can cause uncomfortable skin problems and hair loss for your dog.

Fleas, mites and other skin parasites can cause a few different types of skin disorders. Alopecia presents itself with hair loss on the sides of the legs in the back and the front. Lick granuloma can cause hair loss anywhere on your Labrador’s body and is caused by the excessive licking of itchy or painful sores. Dandruff and dermatitis are also caused by skin parasites.

If there are no parasites detected on your Labrador, see if your pet has allergies. Keep in mind that it may not be environmental allergies but a food allergy. Many dogs are allergic to milk, whey, pork, beef, eggs and/or soy and even non-natural products like food coloring and certain preservatives.

Your Labrador’s immune system may also be the cause of a skin issue. Hormonal imbalances can cause hair loss similar to a parasitic infestation. The difference is that you will usually see the early detection signs of a hormonal imbalance on your pet’s nose, ears and face instead of the legs and hind quarters.

Skin conditions in Labrador health are mostly curable. Once you have detected the disease or disorder, your veterinarian should be consulted. Medications and antiseptic washes can be prescribed to cure the skin problem. Be sure to follow the advice of your vet for the most beneficial road to regaining your Labrador health.

Labradors and families have a long history of being very compatible. Because of the Labrador’s need-to-please nature, almost every action made by your pet is a way to show you and your family their love and gratitude. This makes it very easy to include your Labrador in family fun without having to provide any extra training or too much effort.

A few ways Labrador Retrievers and families can get out and get some exercise while spending quality time together involve short car trips or small walks together. Getting out to a park or recreational facility that allows pets usually only takes a few short minutes in a vehicle or on foot.  If you’ve leash trained your Labrador, this can be very helpful as they won’t try to pull or lead you faster than you and your family intend to go.  If not, this can be a great opportunity to incorporate family time with a little training!

Active games are the best route to follow when spending quality time with your loved ones. Labradors and families can play games like Frisbee, fetch, keep-away and tag. Going for hikes or bike-riding are also great ways to integrate family fun with Labrador-friendly

activities. Since Labradors are also well-known for their love of water, any swimming or walks near streams or creeks are great things to do. Just be sure that it doesn’t get too deep and there aren’t any dangerous currents involved.

If you’re looking for an evening at home, you can always involve the entire family in bathing or grooming your Labrador. Whether in the back yard or in the bathtub, everyone can take turns hosing them down, scrubbing them up and toweling them off. This is a great way for Labradors and families to form a bond of trust between each other, too!

Since Labradors are such great family pets, it’s easy to incorporate them into the quality time you spend with your loved ones. It doesn’t take extra money or too much extra effort to include your pet in your family fun!

Labradors are known for their love of water. If you live near a pond, lake or stream, you can take your dog with you when you go for a swim. Be sure to stay out of any deep areas so that your pet can rest when it needs to. Swimming is a much more difficult task for dogs than it is for humans so watch for signs of exhaustion.

Active Labradors love the outdoor lifestyle. If you enjoy camping, cycling or hiking, your dog would greatly enjoy being right beside you as you go about your day. Not only will it keep you in shape, but it will help keep your Labrador from packing on pounds as well!

There are several toys you can use to play with your active Labrador outside. They are not all expensive or complicated, either. In fact, the best toys for your pet are usually the ones you may already have in your garage! Tennis balls are excellent tools for a good game of fetch. Frisbees are fantastic for teaching your Labrador to jump and land properly and the process of retrieving while burning all that excess energy they have. You’d be surprised at how much fun you can have with just an old stick from your backyard, too! Labradors love chasing, catching and retrieving things with their owners.

While playing with your active Labrador, there are some precautions that you must adhere to. For instance, always bring water with you. Playtime can be an exhausting experience for both you and your pet. Pack up enough water that the both of you can stay hydrated. Also, make sure to watch out for traffic -automobile and human. If you’re hiking or cycling, make sure your Labrador isn’t bounding into the way of any other people on the trails. If you’re in a more urban setting, stay away from the streets and parking lots to avoid a potentially devastating accident.

By following a few simple rules and taking the time to get creative, you and your Labrador can have a great time burning off some energy while having fun playing!

The ACL is commonly torn when your Labrador twists on one of its hind legs, putting too much tension on the ligament and causing it to rupture. This often occurs if your Labrador slips on a slick surface, makes a quick turn while running or is hit by an automobile.

Obesity is another common issue in Labrador health and can also put too much weight on the knee. Overweight Labradors tend to have more instances of ruptured cruciate ligaments than dogs with ideal weight numbers. It appears that in most Labradors with this problem, the ACL slowly degenerates and becomes weaker until it tears without any sudden injury.

If your Labrador ruptured their cruciate ligament, they will appear much less lively. They will usually hold the foot of the affected leg a few inches off the ground. Some may start to use the leg again, but the pain will return and your Labrador will repeat the symptoms. Labradors with a degenerating ACL may show the same signs of pain and there may be some swelling on or near the joint.

Diagnosis of a torn ACL is made through observing abnormal movement of the joint. If your Labrador is in a lot of pain or very nervous, the muscles near the knee may be so tense that they prevent the abnormal movement from occurring, causing your veterinarian trouble diagnosing. If your vet suspects a ruptured cruciate ligament in your Labrador but can not feel the bones moving, your pet may be sedated to relax the muscles and then re-examined.

If the ACL is completely torn, Labradors are generally treated with surgery. After the surgery, your Labrador should be strictly confined up to eight weeks to ensure Labrador health. After about ten days, most Labradors will start putting minimal weight on the injured leg. It is extremely important to be careful with your pet to prevent the surgical correction from tearing. The veterinarian’s instructions regarding the recovery period should be followed exactly.

More than likely, your Labrador will recover fully and be ready to romp and play within a few months. They will pain-free and enjoying life again!

Heartworms are very dangerous parasites that are spread by mosquitoes. The female mosquito bites the dog where the hair/coat is thinnest (however, having long hair does not prevent a dog from getting heartworms) and deposits infectious larvae into your dog’s bloodstream. They move to the arteries of the lungs and to the heart and adjacent vessels where they grow for six months and start reproducing. This puts a great pressure on your Labradors internal organs causing difficulty breathing. Sadly, a dog without treatment can die from a heartworm infestation.

Prevention is the key when it comes to heartworms and Labrador health.  Because heartworm disease is preventable, Labrador owners should talk to their veterinarian about how to best protect their pets from this dangerous and potentially fatal disease. Heartworm prevention is easy, safe and not too expensive.

There are a variety of options available to Labrador owners for preventing heartworm infection. These include daily and monthly tablets or chewables, a monthly topical liquid and a six-month preventative injection. Each of these methods are extremely effective when administered properly on a timely schedule.  These medications interrupt heartworm development before adult worms reach the lungs and cause disease.  Please remember: It is your responsibility to faithfully maintain the prevention program you have selected in consultation with your veterinarian. You must keep on the ball with all prescribed medications for your pet to insure the best possible Labrador health.

If you are worried that your Labrador may have contracted heartworm disease, there are a few ways to make a definite diagnosis. Heartworm infection in obviously healthy Labradors is usually detected with blood tests for a heartworm substance called an antigen or microfilariae. Although neither test is positive until about seven months after infection has occurred, your Labrador will still have a chance of survival.

While treatment for heartworm disease in Labradors is possible, it is a complicated and expensive process and takes weeks for infected animals to recover. Preventative measures as prescribed by your veterinarian is the easiest and most definitive way to keep a good track on Labrador health.

Your Labrador is already referred to as a “den animal”. Because all dogs are ancestors of wolves, they share that same instinct to make a home for themselves and keep to it. If you notice your Labrador choosing the same spot to sit or opting for the same old pillow instead of the new bed, it’s proof positive of the instinct to keep a den.

A crate can serve as a great “den” for your Labrador. Leaving the door open when not in use and keeping it free of waste or clutter is a great way to make it an inviting home. Keeping the crate in a quiet, dimly lit area of your home is also a good idea. If your Labrador will be in their crate for more than a couple of hours, be sure to put water and food in with them in case they get hungry or thirsty.

If you’re going to use a crate for Labrador training, you should never use it for disciplinary purposes. Labrador training can be tricky and you don’t want to confuse your pet. If you’ve just disciplined them for something by sending them to their crate with an angry tone of voice, they will think they’re in trouble when it’s time to go back in to the crate for bed. Keep training and discipline separate to avoid unnecessary anxiety and confusion for your pet.

Some Labradors may not need a crate, though. If your pet has absolutely no issues roaming free wherever you may be, then crate training may not be necessary. If your dog has been through extensive Labrador training already, there’s not need to add this to the list. Crate training is mainly for pets who get bored and misbehave while their humans aren’t around.

Crate training is a good supplemental subject for Labrador training. Once you’ve got the basics down, it’s very easy to teach your pet to consider the crate their own little home.

Jessie looks worn in this picture, 24 hours after TPLO surgery. Looking at her eyes, she may be a little shnockered from the drugs. She walked to the car, toe tapping, and slept most of the way home.

I don’t like using cones for my Labrador Retrievers, but the Dr.’s wife made it pretty clear we should. Horror stories of staples, and trips to the emergency room pretty much confirmed it.

After all these years, no one has invented anything better than the dreaded “Cone”! If you have any comments on this please add. We are always looking for new ways of handling old problems.

Thanks again for all the well wishes, especially from her local dog park pack!

We are getting ready for recovery mode!

Please post comments with any tips you might have.
Jessie is a 2 1/2 year old Yellow Labrador Retriever. She was never a crate trained puppy, and can be a handful, like most Labrador Retrievers.

Jessie & Sam...The House Labradors

Before I even had time to write the article about how Jessie tore her CCL, and how we picked the surgeon, or how scared we were when it happened, I could go on and on, the journey is starting. A quick recap….

The Players

Jessie (female Labrador Retriever), is one the two house labs. Sam (also a female Labrador Retriever), is the older sister, at 4 1/2. Jessie comes in at 2 1/2 years old (human years).

The Dog Park

Just like I do every weekend, I took the the two to the dog park; they chase balls, while I walk and chat with the PDPM Group (yes we have T-Shirts).

Just Like That…

30 to 45 min. after we were there, she tore it. How she did it? I don’t know! I heard somebody yell that Jessie was limping, and the next thing I knew I was trying to carry a 76 1/2 pound dog, out of the park, in 90° heat! I didn’t make it very far. She limped on three legs back to the car (I think she felt sorry for her old man).

Emergency Animal Clinic

Labrador Health (the price tag):  $479 later, the vet said she tore her CCL, and referred us to a surgeon for a consult, but was certain she needed TPLO Surgery.

TPLO Consultation

Two consultations later, not including the one on the phone (who diagnosed her without looking at her) and here we are.

Thanks for everyone’s kind thoughts!

I will post updates later…