Labrador Retriever Dog Breed

Dog Food Allergies: Don't Blame That Itching on Fleas

As a devoted dog owner, you're probably on the lookout for even the smallest sign that your pet's life is not as comfortable as you can possibly make it.

So when doggie starts scratching at his belly or biting at his back, you may immediately take him or her to the vet for a flea dip. You'll also and use flea bombs all over the house in and attempt to have a flea-free environment for doggie's return.

But what if you've done all of that, and within fifteen minutes of returning home, the scratching and biting resume?

If your dog shows signs of allergies, but you are quite certain it is not from inhalants in the environment, fleas in his coat or other health problems, your dog could suffer from food allergies.

If, for example, your dog has been eating one particular food or a favorite treat for several months or even years, he or she might have developed an allergy to one of the ingredients in that food.

Your dog can go for months or even years eating the same food with no problem.

However, over time his or her immune system will be accumulating enough antibodies to finally result in an allergic reaction.

If your dog has a bad reaction to a food the first time he or she eats it, this is a food intolerance caused by a toxin in the food (and there are, unfortunately, more of them than you'd like to think) but it's not an allergic reaction.

While it's natural to think that if your dog has a food allergy, he or she will exhibit indigestion like nausea or diarrhea, almost all canine food allergies cause severely itching skin, and dogs with food allergies very often chew incessantly at their legs and paws.

If your dog has intestinal distress after a meal, you are almost certainly looking at food intolerance and not an allergy.

The difficulty in diagnosing food allergies in dogs is that most dogs who are allergic will suffer from more than one allergy at a time.

So even if you were to attempt to diagnose your dog's food allergy by changing his or her diet, and your dog began experiencing the itching skin of a flea allergy, you might mistakenly think the change of diet was ineffective in treating the food allergy.

Finding the Source of the Allergy

The only way to determine the change in diet has been effective is to eliminate all other possible causes for your dog's symptoms, and put your pet on what is known as an "elimination trial " diet.

You will feed your dog a diet which consists of a single protein and a single carbohydrate which you have never fed before, and water, for between two and three months.

Because a food allergy takes months or years to develop, your dog will not be allergic to the new foods and should not become allergic to them in that amount of time.

Your vet may either recommend a commercial food which will suit the purposes of your elimination trial diet, or may suggest that you prepare your dog's food at home.

While your dog is on the elimination diet, you'll have to be disciplined enough to avoid feeding treats or table scraps, and take away the chew toys.

If there are other dogs around, keep your pet away from their droppings. Some dogs will nibble on other dogs' waste, and even that will be enough to invalidate your elimination trial diet.

If your dog's symptoms are seriously improved after two or three months on the elimination trial diet, you'll know that a food allergy was causing them.

If they haven't improved, or have worsened, you'll have to look elsewhere for their cause, but you can let your pet return to the old way of eating

One precaution: if you decide to make your dog's elimination trial diet yourself, it won't be fortified with the essential vitamins, trace minerals, and fatty acids necessary to maintain your pet's health.

So you'll have to get supplements and add them to the food before feeding your pet.

Nothing is as unpleasant to you, a loving dog wonder as watching your cherished companion suffer needlessly.

If your dog is constantly biting and itching, and you are reasonable certain that fleas are not responsible, talk to your vet about what you can do to determine if a food allergy is the culprit!

Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling
"Complete Guide to Your Dog's Nutrition"

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Special Free Dog Food Report.

Feeding A Labrador Retriever

Feeding a labrador retriever comes down to three questions: what, when, and where.

What to feed your dog is probably the most significant decision you can make on his behalf.

A good diet is vital to a dog's health and lifespan just as it is for a human. However, they have very different nutritional needs than you and me.

A dog needs a diet that is high in protein with some carbohydrate, fat, vitamins and minerals. Select nutritionally complete dog food products and you will have no difficulty supplying these needs.

It is best to give your dog a mix of semi-moist and/or canned dog food and dry food. N

ever use canned as the only dog food. It does not give the dog's teeth enough exercise, contains undigestible additives and has a high water content that means you are not getting much for your money and will lead to frequent urination.

This can make a puppy difficult to house train. Canned food should only be a small part of the diet, around 25%.

It is better to buy canned food that is specifically formulated for the age and type of dog.

Semi-moist food does not have the high water content and it can be much better value for your money but again your dog's diet should not consist only of this.

Dry food is also required for the sake of your dog's digestion, teeth and gums.

If you read labels and take advice from your veterinarian or breeder it should be easy to work out a good ratio of dry to semi-moist or canned food.

When to feed your dog will depend on its age. Young puppies, like babies, need frequent small meals, four or five a day.

After four months old you can reduce to three meals a day at around the same times that you would feed the family.

At nine months change to morning and evening only, and when the dog is a year old you can start giving him just one large meal a day, usually in the evening, plus some kibble in the morning.

Many labradors will eat as much as they are given so be careful not to over-feed your dog.

How many calories he requires will depend on age and level of activity. Requirements can vary widely in two dogs of the same age, if one is much more active. So you may need to experiment a little.

A correctly-fed dog will be well-toned with a shiny coat and some flesh over the ribs and hips but not plump.

Set aside a place for feeding your dog and keep to it. Dogs like to enjoy their food alone and in peace.

Having people around will make them anxious that their food may be snatched away and they are likely to eat too fast and digest it poorly.

This results in the food being vomited up and eaten again, which is not pleasant to watch but normal for the dog.

So feeding a labrador retriever is best done in a quiet corner of the house, not right next to your dining table at family mealtimes.

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Hip Dysplasia In Labrador Retrievers

Hip dysplasia in labrador retrievers is common enough to be a recognized hazard with this breed.

It is not known whether it is genetic or environmental. Most people believe that the puppy was born with it.

Breeders usually have their breeding dogs checked by orthopedic veterinarians but the problem still occurs so some breeders claim that it is caused by a puppy that is too heavy for its legs being over-exercised or under-exercised.

Hip dysplasia is a malformation in which the ball at the top of the thigh bone does not fit correctly into the socket of the joint on the hip bone.

Whether or not it is genetic, it does not usually cause problems until the puppy grows. If it is severe an older puppy may develop problems.

In a less severe case it will only become apparent in the adult dog or may not cause any pain until old age when arthritis tends to develop.

Symptoms of dysplasia center around patterns of movement or posture. These include:

- limping

- using both hind legs together like a rabbit when running

- always sitting or lying with legs straight out instead of close in to the body

- swaying back end when walking caused by loose hip joints

- not jumping up at you, not jumping onto furniture, and not getting into the kind of rough play that you would expect of a young dog.

Your dog can have some of these symptoms and not have hip dysplasia, but any sign of pain when walking, running or jumping should be checked by a veterinarian, who will take x-rays.

If dysplasia is found, you will probably be referred to a pet orthopedic surgeon and there will be various options.

If surgical treatment is needed, it can either be performed very early as a preventive measure, or postponed until the dog is older.

Some dogs will suffer a little as puppies but then seem to grow out of it and have no problems until old age.

However, if your dog is in pain or is not willing to exercise, surgery will probably be recommended.

Surgical treatment can involve grafts onto the hip socket, repositioning the socket, cutting away the ball at the top of the thigh, or total hip replacement.

The options depend on your individual dog and its age.

Remember that the important thing is whether your dog is in pain. Even if the x-rays show quite severe dysplasia, your dog may be able to manage it without symptoms or restrictions.

Some people avoid surgery for their dysplastic dogs by giving nutritional supplements similar to those taken by human arthritis patients.

Planned exercise programs, acupuncture and chiropractic treatment can also help. It is important to make sure that the dog does not become overweight, which will worsen the condition.

Hip dysplasia in labrador retrievers requires careful management if surgery is to be avoided.


Canine Hip Dysphasia Answered Here

How To Remove Ticks From A Labrador Retriever

It is certain that you will have to know how to remove ticks from a labrador retriever if you own one.

Any dog that spends much time outdoors is certain to get some in its lifetime and you cannot keep a big dog like a lab indoors all summer.

You can get tick prevention products including sprays and these can help, but most dogs will still pick up the occasional tick.

Ticks are less common than fleas and less irritating for owners but they can be more dangerous.

In some countries they can carry disease including Lyme's disease which can be very serious in both animals and humans.

There are many species of tick and these vary in different parts of the world.

Ticks are not stupid - they spend the summer hanging out in all the places that dogs love to go!

They cannot jump or fly but they will crawl up trees and bushes and drop on the dog as he investigates around the trunk.

You are most likely to find them in places where there are a lot of animals, for example in areas grazed by deer, cattle or sheep, or where many other dogs are walked.

They are not so likely to frequent your backyard, although it is possible.

You can check for ticks when you bring your dog home, since they will often walk around on the dog for a while before picking their target spot.

They like warm areas where the skin is thinner, for example the groin and around the ears, but they may bite anywhere.

They are black and very small until they bite, so it can be hard to see them on the dark coats of most labrador retrievers.

A tick will gnaw its way into the dog's skin to suck blood.

The head is always buried in the skin, it is important to remove the tick carefully so that the head does not break off and remain there to cause a possible infection or abcess.

Take tweezers and grasp it as close to the dog's skin as you can. Then gently pull upward.

Do not twist the tick as that is more likely to tear its body. You can use tick dip or alcohol to disable it first if you like, but that should not be necessary.

Never try to burn the tick with a match, cigarette lighter etc.

This will not help you to remove it and you may cause burns to the dog's skin.

It is normal for a thick red mark to remain on the dog's skin for several days after removal but if the area becomes infected or if your dog seems at all sick, consult your veterinarian for antibiotics or other treatment.

You can also consult your veterinarian if you need more help with how to remove ticks from a labrador retriever.


Dog Fleas, Ticks And Parasites Explained By Clicking Here!

Labrador Retriever Care: Paws

One aspect of labrador retriever care that needs regular attention is the feet and paws.

Like most large dogs your lab will want to be outdoors a lot of the time and at any opportunity the dog will be into thick brush and bushes where he can pick up thorns, cuts, burrs or small stones in the pad of his paw.

So the pads need checking after most long walks. It is important to in still this as a daily routine when the dog is young, otherwise you will have difficulty when there are any foot problems because the adult dog will not like having his paws inspected if he is not used to it.

You can probably easily remove most foreign objects from the pad and paw using sterilized tweezers.

Clean the area with a mild antiseptic afterwards, and if there is a cut or abrasion, limit him to shorter walks until it has healed so that he does not pick up an infection.

If a thorn or other small irritant remains unnoticed in the paw, it may become infected and painful.

If you see that the dog is limping, this could be the cause. Look also for cuts.

If there is no sign of a cut and no swelling or redness but the limp continues, you should check with your veterinarian as your dog may have injured a bone or tendon in the foot.

Pain and sudden limping while you are out walking may be caused by an insect bite or sting.

In this case take the dog home and apply ice to minimize swelling. The pain will soon pass but if the dog stepped on the insect he may not be able to use that foot normally for a few days.

When treating stings, watch for any breathing difficulties as this can be the first sign of an allergic reaction.

You will not normally need to trim your dog's nails if he is active and getting plenty of runs.

Hard and rough ground will keep them short. However if the nails grow too long they can affect the way the dog walks, causing possible problems in the joints.

So when dogs are less active due to old age or health problems they may need to have their nails cut occasionally.

You can buy dog nail clippers online or at a pet shop or grooming parlor.

There are different sizes for different sized dogs and you will want a medium or large size.

Having his nails trimmed is painless for the dog just as it is for us, if it is done correctly.

However you do need to get it right so it is a good idea to have the veterinarian or parlour show you how to do it the first time.

If you cut the nails too short there may be bleeding.

Apply pressure with a cotton swab for a couple minutes to stop the bleeding and then treat with a mild antiseptic.

If you live in a colder area you should take care in winter because the dog's paws can be damaged by the chemicals used to melt snow on the side walks and roads.

If this is allowed to remain it can cause acid burns to the dog's pads. He may try to lick it off in response to the pain and of course this makes the situation worse as he gets it on his mouth and possibly into his digestive system.

So wash his paws thoroughly with warm water as soon as you reach home.

Then apply petroleum jelly to soothe and protect the paws.

If these chemicals are a regular problem in your area you can buy a protective cream that you can apply before you take the dog out.

Giving regular attention to his paws as part of your labrador retriever care routine will keep your dog's feet healthy and prevent most common problems.

Labrador Retriever Coat

A labrador retriever coat is not generally difficult to care for.

A labrador has short thick hair that is easy to groom by daily brushing or with a hound glove.

The oils in the coat keep it naturally free of most dirt as well as keeping water from reaching the skin.

Labrador retriever shedding is not excessive, although they do lose their undercoat once or twice a year.

You will not need to trim the coat either. Show dogs are occasionally trimmed but this is just to tidy them up for the judges.

To maintain a healthy level of oils in the coat it is best not to bath your labrador retriever too often.

Of course occasionally he will need it, after a long roll in the mud or worse, or simply because over time the oils in the hair can become rancid which gives him a strong doggy smell.

But often after a muddy walk you can just wash the legs and paws.

If you have a yellow labrador you may notice more frequent discolouration from grass stains or other dirt, and you may be able to sponge this off without bathing him.

Chocolate, black and silver labrador retrievers do not show the dirt so much.

When you bath your dog use a very mild soap such as you can get from the veterinarian or a dog groomer.

Do not use anything designed for humans as this will dry his coat far too much. Work the water into the skin through the dense hairs.

Be sure to dry him very well afterwards. Remember that with the soap and your washing, the water has reached the skin which it does not do when he goes for a swim.

With his skin wet he cannot just shake himself dry, and he may catch a chill if left that way.

As with all dogs, the labrador retriever coat is an indication of the dog's general health.

If you notice any change in the appearance of his coat, such as it becoming dull, look carefully at the skin for signs of parasites, skin disorders or other irritations.

Sometimes dogs develop skin problems because of allergic reactions to additives in their food.

If this seems minor you could try changing to additive-free dog food.

If the irritation is more serious or the dog is constantly scratching or biting his coat and skin, take him to the veterinarian, as this could have many different causes.

Another sign of possible problems is loss of hair in excess of the normal shedding.

If you see patches of hair loss this could be caused by a hormonal imbalance or an infection such as mange.

Again, consult your veterinarian in this aspect of Labrador retriever coat care.

A dog is an instinctively aggressive creature. In the wild, aggression came in very handy:

dogs needed aggression to hunt, to defend themselves from other creatures, and to defend resources such as food, a place to sleep, and a mate.

Dog Aggression Cured! The Best Dog Traing Guide Is Here

Selective breeding over the centuries has minimized and refined this trait significantly, but there's just no getting around it:

Dogs are physically capable of inflicting serious harm (just look at those teeth!) because that's how they've survived and evolved.

And Mother Nature is pretty wily - it's hard to counteract the power of instinct! But that doesn't mean that we, as dog lovers and owners, are entirely helpless when it comes to handling our dogs.

There's a lot that we can do to prevent aggression from rearing its ugly head in the first place - and even if prevention hasn't been possible (for whatever reason), there are still steps that we can take to recognize and deal with it efficiently. -

Different aggression types - There are several different types of canine aggression.

The two most common ones are: -
1) Aggression towards strangers -
2) Aggression towards family members

You may be wondering why we're bothering categorizing this stuff: after all, aggression is aggression, and we want to turf it out NOW, not waste time with the details - right?

Well %u2026 not quite. These two different types of aggression stem from very different causes, and require different types of treatment. -

Aggression towards strangers - What is it?

It's pretty easy to tell when a dog's nervy around strange people. He's jumpy and on the alert: either he can't sit still and is constantly fidgeting, leaping at the smallest sound, and pacing around barking and whining;

or he's veerrrry still indeed, sitting rock-steady in one place, staring hard at the object of his suspicions (a visitor, the mailman, someone approaching him on the street while he's tied up outside a store.)

Why does it happen? There's one major reason why a dog doesn't like strange people: he's never had the chance to get used to them.

Remember, your dog relies 100% on you to broaden his horizons for him:

without being taken on lots of outings to see the world and realize for himself, through consistent and positive experiences, that the unknown doesn't necessarily equal bad news for him, how can he realistically be expected to relax in an unfamiliar situation?

What can I do about it?

Dog Aggression Cured!

The process of accustoming your dog to the world and all the strange people (and animals) that it contains is called socialization.

This is an incredibly important aspect of your dog's upbringing: in fact, it's pretty hard to overemphasize just how important it is.

Socializing your dog means exposing him from a young age (generally speaking, as soon as he's had his vaccinations) to a wide variety of new experiences, new people, and new animals.

How does socialization prevent stranger aggression?
When you socialize your dog, you're getting him to

learn through experience that new sights and sounds are fun, not scary.

It's not enough to expose an adult dog to a crowd of unfamiliar people and tell him to "Settle down, Roxy, it's OK" - he has to learn that it's OK for himself.

And he needs to do it from puppyhood for the lesson to sink in. The more types of people and animals he meets (babies, toddlers, teenagers, old people, men, women, people wearing uniforms, people wearing motorcycle helmets, people carrying umbrellas, etc) in a fun and relaxed context, the more at ease and happy - and safe around strangers - he'll be in general.

How can I socialize my dog so that he doesn't develop a fear of strangers?

Socializing your dog is pretty easy to do - it's more of a general effort than a specific training regimen. First of all, you should take him to puppy preschool.

This is a generic term for a series of easy group-training classes for puppies (often performed at the vet clinic, which has the additional benefit of teaching your dog positive associations with the vet!).

In a puppy preschool class, about ten or so puppy owners get together with a qualified trainer (often there'll be at least two trainers present - the more there are, the better, since it means you get more one-on-one time with a professional) and start teaching their puppies the basic obedience commands: sit, stay, and so on.

Even though the obedience work is very helpful and is a great way to start your puppy on the road to being a trustworthy adult dog, really the best part of puppy preschool is the play sessions:

several times throughout the class, the puppies are encouraged to run around off-leash and play amongst themselves.

This is an ideal environment for them to learn good social skills:

there's a whole bunch of unfamiliar dogs present (which teaches them how to interact with strange dogs),

there's a whole bunch of unfamiliar people present (which teaches them that new faces are nothing to be afraid of), and the environment is safe and controlled (there's at least one certified trainer present to make sure that things don't get out of hand).

Socialization doesn't just stop with puppy preschool, though.

It's an ongoing effort throughout the life of your puppy and dog: he needs to be taken to a whole bunch of new places and environments.

Remember not to overwhelm him: start off slow, and build up his tolerance gradually. -

Aggression towards family members - There are two common reasons why a dog is aggressive towards members of his own human family: -

He's trying to defend something he thinks of as his from a perceived threat (you).

This is known as resource guarding, and though it may sound innocuous, there's actually a lot more going on here than your dog simply trying to keep his kibble to himself. -

He's not comfortable with the treatment/handling he's getting from you or other members of the family. What's resource guarding? Resource guarding is pretty common among dogs.

The term refers to overly-possessive behavior on behalf of your dog: for instance, snarling at you if you approach him when he's eating, or giving you "the eye" (a flinty-eyed, direct stare) if you reach your hand out to take a toy away from him.

All dogs can be possessive from time to time - it's in their natures.

Sometimes they're possessive over things with no conceivable value: inedible trash, balled up pieces of paper or tissue, old socks.

More frequently, however, resource-guarding becomes an issue over items with a very real and understandable value: food and toys.

Why does it happen? It all boils down to the issue of dominance.

Let me take a moment to explain this concept: dogs are pack animals.

This means that they're used to a very structured environment: in a dog-pack, each individual animal is ranked in a hierarchy of position and power (or "dominance") in relation to every other animal.

Each animal is aware of the rank of every other animal, which means he knows specifically how to act in any given situation (whether to back down, whether to push the issue, whether to muscle in or not on somebody else's turf, etc etc).

To your dog, the family environment is no different to the dog-pack environment.

Your dog has ranked each member of the family, and has his own perception of where he ranks in that environment as well.

This is where it gets interesting: if your dog perceives himself as higher up on the social totem-pole than other family members, he's going to get cheeky.

If he's really got an overinflated sense of his own importance, he'll start to act aggressively. Why? Because dominance and aggression are the exclusive rights of a superior-ranked animal.

No underdog would ever show aggression or act dominantly to a higher-ranked animal (the consequences would be dire, and he knows it!)
Resource guarding is a classic example of dominant behavior: only a higher-ranked dog (a "dominant" dog) would act aggressively in defence of resources.

To put it plainly: if it was clear to your dog that he is not, in fact, the leader of the family, he'd never even dream of trying to prevent you from taking his food or toys - because a lower-ranking dog (him) will always go along with what the higher-ranking dogs (you and your family) say.

So what can I do about it?

The best treatment for dominant, aggressive behavior is consistent, frequent obedience work, which will underline your authority over your dog.

Just two fifteen-minute sessions a day will make it perfectly clear to your dog that you're the boss, and that it pays to do what you say.

You can make this fact clear to him by rewarding him (with treats and lavish praise) for obeying a command, and isolating him (putting him in "time-out", either outside the house or in a room by himself) for misbehaviour. -

If you're not entirely confident doing this yourself, you may wish to consider enlisting the assistance of a qualified dog-trainer. -

Brush up on your understanding of canine psychology and communication, so that you understand what he's trying to say - this will help you to nip any dominant behaviors in the bud, and to communicate your own authority more effectively -

Train regularly: keep obedience sessions short and productive (no more than fifteen minutes - maybe two or three of these per day).
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b>Why doesn't my dog like to be handled?
All dogs have different handling thresholds. So