Labrador Health

One of your top priorities should be ensuring that your Labrador stays healthy throughout his life.

Keeping your Labrador healthy

We have gathered lots of information to help you keep your Lab in tip-top condition.   In this section of the Labrador site you can find sections on:

• Vaccinations, Costs, and Insurance
  
• for inherited illnesses and diseases
• Neutering
• Diet and exercise
• Parasites
• Breeding
• Emotional well-being, happiness & bonding

You can find all our articles about Labrador health in our health category.  They are categorized by topic. The Labrador Behavior section contains articles on Fears and Phobias, as well as other behavioral problems.

What to do when your Labrador is sick

On this website, we receive many questions from people whose dogs are ill or injured. Our hearts break whenever we read about sick dogs. Typically, people ask about their dog's symptoms.

• Vomiting and tummy troubles
  
• Limping
• Hair loss / falling out
• Failure to grow/thrive
• Rashes

We can provide information about the different conditions Labradors may suffer from, but no matter how well qualified someone may be, it's impossible to diagnose health problems over the internet. In most cases, you should visit or contact your veterinarian.  When a very young puppy is sick, you should seek help immediately.

When to call the vet

A great deal of the puppy questions people ask us refer to puppies that need to be examined by a veterinarian. New puppy owners may not know when to call the veterinarian, however. Here is what you need to know about what is normal for an eight week old puppy, and what might suggest that you need to take your puppy to your local veterinarian.

Normal for puppies

Healthy puppies sleep deeply but are lively when awake. During the day, he pees often (e.g. every hour) and smells good.

Between waking up and going to bed, he eats hungrily and may have several bowel movements. It is rare for Labrador puppies to go more than four or five hours at night without a wee or a poop. Small puppies can become dehydrated very quickly after rehoming, so upset tummies are very common after rehoming.

Puppies bite very hard (it hurts) and growl fiercely while playing.  This is not aggression.

All the above is normal.   The following is not normal

Not normal for puppies

• If your puppy seems listless, won't eat, has persistent diarrhea, is sick more than once within 48 hours, or twice a week, please call your veterinarian.
• Call your veterinarian if your puppy swallows anything that you think may harm him, cries without any apparent reason, or behaves in an unusual way.
• If your puppy's breathing is noisy or laboured, call your veterinarian.You should contact your veterinarian if he drags one of his limbs, is unsteady on his feet, or seems to limp.  If your puppy has a discharge from any part of his body, contact your veterinarian.
• Your puppy may cut himself, fall, or just seem off color if you call your vet.
• If in doubt, call your vet!

Puppies under eight weeks old

Puppies under eight weeks old need to be with their siblings, and puppies under four weeks need special care. It is strongly recommended that you do not buy a puppy younger than eight weeks of age. You need to get advice from your vet or a very experienced dog breeder about how to feed underage puppies.

Additional information

The puppy sections, which are featured on the main puppy page, have a number of articles about puppy care. This link can be found at the top of every page on this site in the menu bar. We make every effort to respond to as many of your questions as possible, but we will always prioritise topics that are not addressed in the articles presently available on the website.

My veterinarian isn't assisting me.

People occasionally write in to express their dissatisfaction with their veterinarian's diagnosis or medication. Almost often, the best course of action is to return to your veterinarian and discuss your concerns with him, or to get a second opinion.

Returning to the veterinarian

While some veterinarians are exceptional with animals, they aren't always the best communicators with humans. If your veterinarian hasn't described his diagnosis (what's wrong with your dog), prognosis (what he expects will happen next), or recommended treatment clearly. Request that he explain it to you in detail. This information is yours to have! In layman's terms

It's fairly normal to walk out of a veterinarian's office or surgery with your dog and immediately think of a list of things you wish you had asked. It's perfectly natural. When we go to the doctor, we do the same thing.

Many folks do not take advantage of their veterinarian's telephone consultations. You are not required to visit your veterinarian's office to chat with him. If you have any queries or need something clarified, write them down and call him. If he isn't accessible, request that he call you back. Many veterinarians will perform this for free if you don't do it on a regular basis.

Getting a second opinion is a good idea.

Even specialists differ from time to time; after all, they are only humans. And we can't possibly get along with everyone we encounter. I believe it is critical that we have a positive relationship with our veterinarians and that we are aware of what is happening when they treat our pets.

There's nothing wrong with getting a second opinion if your vet isn't communicating well, you're concerned about the treatment he's given for your dog, or you just don't get along. It is, after all, the correct thing to do.

any individuals are unaware that it is also prohibited in the United Kingdom for anybody other than a certified veterinary surgeon to diagnose or even prescribe treatment for another's animal. This website's health information should be used in combination with veterinary advice.

We are always adding to our library. Please let us know if you have any additional topics you'd want us to explore. We'd be delighted to hear from you!