Happy New Year 2009

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Wishing everyone a very happy, healthy and safe New Year, from all of us here at All About Labradors and Labrador Retriever Pictures.

Thank you for all your questions, comments, photos and friendships. Take care of your wonderful Labrador Retrievers!

Fay

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FDA reports complaints of dogs experiencing illness from Chicken Jerky Treats

Preliminary Animal Health Notification

http://www.fda.gov/cvm/ComplaintsChicJerky.htm

FDA Continues To Receive Complaints about Chicken Jerky Products for Dogs and Cautions Consumers

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to caution consumers of a potential association between the development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats. FDA continues to receive complaints of dogs experiencing illness that their owners or veterinarians associate with consumption of chicken jerky products. The chicken jerky products are imported to the U.S. from China. FDA issued a cautionary warning to consumers in September 2007.

Australian news organizations report the University of Sydney is also investigating an association between illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky in Australia. At least one firm in Australia has recalled their chicken jerky product and the recall notification stated the chicken jerky product was manufactured in China.

FDA believes the continued trend of consumer complaints coupled with the information obtained from Australia warrants an additional reminder and animal health notification.

Chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be used occasionally and in small quantities. Owners of small dogs must be especially careful to limit the amount of these products.

FDA, in addition to several veterinary diagnostic laboratories in the U.S, is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA has conducted extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified any contaminant.

FDA is advising consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to watch their dogs closely for any or all of the following signs which may occur within hours to days of feeding the product: decreased appetite, although some may continue to consume the treats to the exclusion of other foods; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; and increased water consumption and/or increased urination. If the dog shows any of these signs, stop feeding the chicken jerky product. Owners should consult their veterinarian if signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died.

The FDA continues to actively investigate the problem. Many of the illnesses reported may be the result of causes other than eating chicken jerky. Veterinarians and consumers alike should report cases of animal illness associated with pet foods to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in their state.

From The Irrigator (Australian News):

"THE likely cause of some discomfort in dogs has been removed from the market, but owners are being advised to continue to exercise caution.

The Chinese-sourced KraMar Supa Naturals Chicken Breast Strips have been recalled after several cases of pet illness associated with the product.

Leeton veterinarian Brian Munro said two Leeton dogs have been treated for suspect cases of Fanconi syndrome-like symptoms in the past couple of weeks."

Continue reading: Dogs treated after pet food contamination by Emily Braham.

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10 Ways to Keep Your Pet Safe, Healthy and Happy

Our pets are like parts of our family. No matter what’s going on in our lives, they’re always affectionate and happy to see us. Since they can’t tell us what they need, it’s our job to ensure they have long, happy lives by taking the best possible care of them. These ten steps are a great start:

10. Choose nutritious food and measure it carefully to avoid overfeeding.

9. Maintain a consistent exercise schedule. Pet obesity can cause serious health problems and shorten their life spans.

8. Don’t feed your pet “people food” that could make him sick.

7. See your veterinarian regularly for preventive care, including dental work and physical exams. This way you can catch a problem before it turns into something serious.

6. Get all required vaccinations to prevent serious diseases (cat vaccinations are different from dog vaccinations).

5. Engage with your pet for mental stimulation. Play with toys and get outside whenever you can.

4. Keep your home safe. Keep toxic cleaners and cables out of reach, avoid plants that are poisonous to cats, and gate off the stairs if your pet’s still young.

3. Supervise your pet outdoors. He could get loose of your yard, get into pesticides in the garden, or catch something from a stray animal.

2. Watch for signs of illness. Look for changes in appetite, attitude, and energy.

1. Spay and neuter your pet. Spaying removes the ovaries and uterus, and neutering removes the testicles. These procedures eliminate the desire to wander in search of a partner and also prevent certain diseases.

I would like to thank Helen from My Hollywood Pets for sending in this helpful article.

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Real Labradors, Not Marley

Veterinarian Dr. Debbye Turner-Bell shares tips with Maggie Rodriguez about buying and caring for a real Labrador Retriever puppy like Marley from "Marley & Me."

Wait to you see the beautiful Labrador Retriever puppies in this video. Makes me want to go bring home a new one to add to our troops.

There is some good tips on buying and caring for Labrador Retrievers in this video. With the holiday season many people buy Labrador Retrievers for others as gifts. Then those who received the Labrador Retrievers have no idea how to care of the Labrador and how energetic they can be. They realize they can't take care of them or don't want the Labrador Retriever and they wind up in shelters or on the street.

Please realize that the Labrador is a high energetic dog and it does take some work.



Related Articles:

Understanding Labrador Retrievers - Does Your Dog Have an Oral Obsession?

Finding the right veterinarian for Your Labrador Retrievers

5 Dog Training Myths Ebook

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Free Dog Bonery Dog Treat Sample

Request a free dog treat sample from The Dog Bonery.

Information from The Dog Bonery - "Initially we just wanted to make some homemade treats for our yellow Lab, Casey. Once we saw Casey's reaction to these treats, we knew we were on to something.

The Dog Bonery treats are handmade and produced in small batches. The variation in color, shape and size is characteristic of baked goods made from scratch. This is what makes the Dog Bonery treats special and is how you know you are not getting a mass produced dog cookie.

The ingredients are wholesome. Just read the back label on our package or scroll through the product images on our website. The ingredient list contain items you have heard of, like wheat flour, carrots, corn meal, nutmeg, etc. All of our ingredients are purchased in small quantities to maintain freshness. In order to make a high quality dog treat, we need to have quality ingredients right from the start."

Visit The Dog Bonery to learn more about their products, ingredients and to request a free Dog Bonery Dog Treat sample.

It looks like the service the USA and Canada.

All About Labradors is not affiliated with The Dog Bonery.

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Labrador Retriever Dry Coat Shampoo

Subject: Labrador Retriever Dry Coat Shampoo

From: A. White (USA)

Labrador Retriever Name: N/A

Reader's E-mail - A. White writes:

Hi. I have a lab mix who has a very dry coat. Just wondering what kind of shampoos are good for their skin.

All About Labradors Answer:

Hello A White,

The information given here is to help you learn more about your Labrador Retriever and not to replace your veterinarian's advice. Disclaimer

Thank you for writing and visiting All About Labradors. I hope you find it helpful to you and your Labrador Retriever.

My apologies on the long delay as I am over two months behind on e-mails. I receive many e-mails asking for help and it's almost impossible to answer them all (but I'm trying).

A dry coat says a lot about your pet's health. Not getting enough of the right types of fatty acids to maintain a healthy coat, poor quality diet, any internal illness, bathing frequently, using harsh shampoos, frequent swims in chlorinated pools, are just some of the contributing factors that can be causing your Labradors dry coat.

Do you notice any other conditions with your Labrador Retriever other than the dry coat? Ex: runny eyes, nose, scratching, shedding, smells even after baths, change in skin color, open sores, etc.

A good shampoo I recommend and use is Hylyt shampoo, a soap free hypoallergenic shampoo containing emollients, protein, moisturizing factors and essential fatty acids.

Here are some other things that may help:

For the dry, itching skin: A occasional cool bath can be very soothing, especially if you use an oatmeal shampoo (helps relieve dry irritated skin) or add a little colloidal oatmeal (like Aveeno) to the water.

Supplementation with essential fatty acids

As for washing, I only wash my Labrador Retrievers when they smell, which isn't much. I don't believe they need to be bathed unless they are actually dirty and smelly. Sometimes I wash mine once a month, usually though its much longer than that.

Just remember that washing your Labrador too frequently eliminates too much of the natural oils and can dry out the skin. When you do wash, make sure you rinse shampoo out thoroughly. Sometimes I don't even use shampoo, just water.

Lastly, I received an e-mail from a reader about a dry skin shampoo that he makes at home (from February of 2006) that you can see here:

Labrador Dry Skin Shampoo - readers email

I hope this will be of some help to you and your Labrador Retriever. If you don't understand anything, please let me know.

Take care of yourself and your Labrador Retriever,

Fay

Related Post:

Black Labrador Retriever - Losing hair and Dry Skin - part I

Labrador Retriever - Skin problems - Hair Color Change

Food and our Labrador Retrievers

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Understanding Labrador Retrievers - Does Your Dog Have an Oral Obsession?

Labrador Retriever dogs were raised to be great hunting dogs with the power, stamina, and motivation to chase down fallen game and swim as far needed to bring back the prey to its hunter.

These dogs have a natural drive to retrieve. With the highest focus and determination, Labs are serious about their retrieving jobs. Even though most of these dogs are in door pets and do not hunt, they are just as driven when chasing a ball or running after a stick.

Labradors were made and developed to use the power of their jaws just like a stern hand. During almost every waking moment they feel the need to place something in their mouths, and without the presence of an animal, they will grab a hold of anything they possible can. This is extraordinary for people who love playing fetch with their dog but it's not so good for those dog owners that hate when their dogs are always placing items in its mouth.

Labs Have An Oral obsession

Several families run out and buy a puppy without doing an ounce of research as to what type of dog they are getting involved in and how it will act based on its genetics. Trust me, I know. A relative of mine went out and got a Labrador Retriever simply because her neighbor had one. She didn’t realize that this type of dog needs extra special care. She had her hands full with caring for her new dog. Labrador Retrievers are know to have an oral obsession because due to hundreds of years of breeding specifically for grabbing fallen birds into their mouths when hunting. This behavior most definitely carries over into their every day lives.

An educated Lab owner recognizes that any object within their dog's reach is considered fair game and they would never dream of yelling at the dog for such behavior. Uneducated Lab owners consider this behavior useless and will yell or even hit the animal in an attempt to get the dog to stop putting stuff in its mouth.

There is a very fine line between letting your Lab express its inner retrieving needs, and allowing it to destroy anything within the house it can nibble on. This is where specific training and obedience lessons come into play. These dogs are born to chew so you must take provisions for their tendency to chew by using a crate and dog proofing your home.

Regular supervision and developing daily playtime sessions with your Lab is a necessity for both you and your dog to be healthy. Unfortunately, many people bite off way more than they are able to chew when getting a Labrador Retriever. Many dog owners fail to realize that labs need a lot of love and care. If you decide to not to participate in the proper upbringing and training that a Lab requires, you will become very frustrated and unhappy while your dog becomes bored and violent. So, before getting that cuddly Labrador Retriever, you need to consider whether or not you are capable of handling all that it takes to care for one.

Written by Kelly Marshall from Oh My Dog Supplies - to visit the largest provider of dog car seat covers online, go to Oh My Dog Supplies Dog Car Seat Covers

Related Articles:

My Chocolate Labrador Retriever is Biting - part I

Stop my eight week old Labrador from nipping - part I

Labrador Retriever – Training your puppy to stop biting and nipping

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Bio Spot and Nylabone Coupons

Here are a couple of coupons to help save you a few dollars on products for your Labrador Retriever. A big thank you to Patti for e-mailing me the links to these offer.

Bio Spot® - $5.00 instant savings on any one (1) Bio Spot® Flea and Tick product. This coupon is good only in the USA and expires on December 31, 2009.

Nylabone® - Save $2.00 on any Nylabone product. Redeemable only in the USA. Valid 08/01/08 - 12/31/09.

Hope this is of help to some of you.

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Zeb The Labrador Retriever Conquers Hill's PetFit Challenge

Zeb The Labrador Retriever, Conquers Hill's PetFit™ Challenge With Support From Dedicated Pet Owner And Veterinary Team - Vide



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Training your Labrador Retriever to Sit

Stand in front of your Labrador Retriever.

Hold a treat in front of your Labrador Retriever's nose, just out of his or her reach, so it knows you have food in your hand.

Slowly move your hand with the treat up over your Labrador's head , your Labrador's rear should automatically begin to lower toward the ground.

As your Labrador Retriever adopts the sit position, say your Labrador's name, and give the command "Sit", firmly. Praise your Labrador Retriever abundantly and give your pet a treat when it obeys the command.

If your Labrador Retriever doesn't sit when the treat is held over its head, take the treat out of its reach, putting the treat in your pocket. You will then try again, reinforcing the sit action by gently pushing down on its rear end. As soon as your Labrador Retriever sits, praise and give the treat.

Release your Labrador Retriever from the sit position with the "free" or "release" command and repeat your training.

You want to make sure you keep your training sessions short and entertaining. Two to three sessions of five to ten minutes should be effective.

When your Labrador Retriever fully understands the sit command, gradually scale back the using of treats. Use treats every other training session and then every third time. Keep training until your Labrador Retriever is sitting with no reinforcement other than praise.

I also attached a video that will be helpful with your training.



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Food allergy and my Chocolate Labrador Retriever

Subject: Food allergy and my Chocolate Labrador Retriever

From: Shelley (Canada)

Labrador Retriever Name: Colt

I received an e-mail from Shelly letting me know about skin problems with her chocolate Labrador Retriever. Shelly went on to explain about food allergies and what she found to help alleviate the problem.

Reader's E-mail - Shelly Writes:

I have a 1 year old Labrador Retriever who started to have skin problems, we were taking him to the vet every month because his fur would fall out and he would dig.

After a while we decided to try different things and we found out that it was a food allergy. I think that he was allergic to chicken and wheat so we are feeding him a new food that is oven baked and has fish in it, no chicken. His skin has never looked better and his fur looks amazing. I am so glad that we found something to help our dog. He is part of our family and I only want him to have a happy healthy life, and he loves this food.

All About Labradors Reply:

Hello Shelly,

Thank you for visiting All About Labradors and for your e-mail. I'm glad you found out the possible cause of his problem. I would like to post your letter to the blog, but would also like to ask you a couple of questions.

What kind of food are your feeding him?

Are you using any other supplements with the food?

What is your Labrador Retriever's name?

What color is your Labrador?

Looking forward to your reply.

Fay

Reader's E-mail - Shelly's Response:

We are feeding our chocolate Labrador Retriever, Colt, Oven Baked Tradition and that is all he gets nothing else. That way if his skin starts to get bad we know what it is. He loves this food,and he never liked any other dry kibble before.

Thanks,
Shelley

Related Articles:

Chocolate Labrador Retriever with Bald Spots on Head - part I

Black Labrador Retriever always has Skin Problems - part I

Food and our Labrador Retrievers

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