A Labrador Can Have Zits?

Yes, believe it or not, labradors can develop them just as a person can. Canine acne can pop up on your dog’s face, chin, or lower lip. It appears like small black spots that, if not washed regularly, may turn into crusty patches that cake and bleed.

Your dog won’t worry about acne preventing him from getting a date, but he may be bothered if the acne builds up. He may try to scratch it off with his toenails, causing the area to bleed and possibly turn raw. Dogs with oily skin are more susceptible to getting acne than their drier-skinned counterparts, and a dog’s food bowl may be part of the problem. Here are a few dog acne prevention tips:

1. Keep your Labrador’s chin clean and free of the unsightly blemishes by washing it with a soft cloth and warm water once or twice a day. If the area has begun to bleed, wash it with some hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball to fight infection.

2. A way to help your Labrador from developing zits or to keep a current case of it from getting worse is to avoid plastic food bowls. Plastic bowls retain oils that add to your dog’s acne problem, as his chin rubs against the bowl when he’s busy snarfing down dinner. Replace those oil-ridden plastic bowls with aluminum, glass, or lead-free pottery and china bowls.

3. Wash you dog’s food bowls daily with a mild dish detergent to remove oily deposits.

Tver Region

Kommersant - Heather and juniper grow on the hills and uplands; rowan bushes with moss and lingonberries, on the dry plains; and Labrador animals like moose, roe deer, and wild boar and fur-bearing animals, such as bears, wolves, lynx, foxes, raccoon dogs
Source: www.kommersant.com

Short Trips: A tour is a good way to try the city’s vast array of suds
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Our favorite was the recently opened Lucky Labrador Beer Hall in the city’s northwest quadrant. It’s housed in a big, airy warehouse with a rough concrete floor. There is an outside seating area where patrons can bide time with their dogs. At
Source: seattlepi.nwsource.com

Taking the dog to the slopes
Chicago Tribune - This year, our ski vacation went to the dogs — or, more accurately, to a Jack Russell terrier named Quimby. The cute We were all impressed with the nursery school-like ambience of Mario’s Playhouse, named for one of the owners’ two Labrador
Source: www.chicagotribune.com

Jackie Loohauis: Animal Magnetism
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Exercise dogs daily, ideally 3 walks of 20 minutes or more each day to exercise joints (yours, too). 2. Find ways to This 8-year-old Labrador Retriever is as active, enthusiastic and happy as any dog with full eyesight. But Cy will even be
Source: www.jsonline.com

A Condition Known As Incontinence & What It Means To Your Labrador Dog

What happens when your Labrador loses the ability to control his bowel movements? What do you do when you realize that your well-trained life companion who has been potty trained for years all of a sudden starts urinating and defecating all over the house? Well instead of punishing your dog and making matters worse, you may want to look into the fact that he may have a condition known as incontinence.

Incontinence is the inability to control urination and/or defecation. The same term is also used to describe the reduced control that is sometimes apparent in geriatric animals. The condition can be very upsetting to owners, as it warrants constant vigil to avoid cleanups. Many owners believe that the affected animal is either uncomfortable or in poor health. Some owners are repulsed and unable to cope with this type of problem.

Incontinent dogs should be carefully examined by a veterinarian to determine whether the problem is due to old age (lack of sphincter control) or a condition that can be treated. Urinary incontinence could be caused by conditions of the bladder and urethra. A relatively common cause in older spayed female labradors is reduced estrogen levels. This type of condition may respond well to hormone treatments.

Fecal incontinence has been associated with damaged anal sphincter muscles, which perhaps can be surgically repaired, or injuries to the lumbar or pelvic area, with results from a nerve damage. Nerve disorders usually are difficult to treat. Where loose stools associated with improper feeding are a part of the problem, dietary adjustments may be helpful.

The saddest situation is one in which the dog owner, unaware of possible corrective measures, believes that incontinence cannot be cured and automatically warrants euthanasia. Even if the problem cannot be handled medically, some minor adjustments may make the incontinent dog easier to live with, and thus prevent the injustice of sending a faithful companion to his death.

Take this example: An 11 year old, spayed, female labrador dog is healthy in all other respects, but had had urinary and fecal incontinence for about 1 1/2 months. There are several things that a veterinarian might do for the dog. With a diet change and medical treatment, the incontinence could be reduced to the point where the diapers and bloomers were working acceptably. Other affected dogs have responded well to paper training or installation of a pet door.

New dog is the bomb for YPD

Yale Daily News - Eli, a two-year-old black Labrador, is technically referred to as the “Explosive Ordinance Detection Canine.” But behind the Eli hails from Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an organization which trains guide dogs, but his personality was not suited for
Source: www.yaledailynews.com

Local Doberman has a shot at being nation’s top dog
Examiner - Whereas some dogs such as golden and Labrador retrievers are self-motivated, Kerr said Dobermans “are real dogs” that “have to be motivated.” “She would just lay on the couch all day if she had anything to do with it,” Kerr said, referring to Gemma.
Source: examiner.gmnews.com

Carolina Canines Celebrates Placement of 25th Service Dog
WECT - Reuben, the black labrador, is just wrapping up his first week with his new owner Jamie. The service dogs help their human counterparts with everyday tasks at home and in the community. “This is the moment that it’s all about. You bring them home and
Source: www.wect.com

Diesel and his handler work as a team to solve arson cases
San Bernardino County Sun - He’s a Goldadore — a golden retriever- Labrador mix. “We’re a team,” Koster said. “He’s my partner during investigations. He In 1993, State Farm Insurance began offering scholarships for training arson dogs and their handlers. Training is done
Source: www.sbsun.com

Lovable LABRADORS Couple has dogged mission at Deep Run Farm

Free Lance-Star - That’s true whether they are sitting amid a litter of squirming puppies, guiding a group of energetic Labrador retrievers on a walk, or turning a Fauquier County cattle farm into one of the top training, breeding and canine health-care facilities in Find Out More

Times-Leader - Family raised, first shots, docked, declaw, LABRADOR RETRIEVER Black Female puppies Ready NOW! - 12/05/2006 12:51 PM GMT Black Lab puppies- Vet checked, shots and dewormed. Parents are pure labs and on premices. Loving AKC Registered Find Out More

A 14-Pint Checklist For Newborn Labrador Puppies

When your newborn Labradorpuppies arrive, you can quickly assess their health by utilizing the following physical checklist:

1. Head and neck: check mobility, rooting reflex and position at rest and during movement.

2. Skull: check size, shape and the fontanelle.

3. Ears: check size and position.

4. Eyes, eyelids: check for neonatal ophthalmia. Eyelids may open early: observe carefully for signs of inadequate tear (duct) production.

5. Nose: check nostrils’ shape; presence of fluids (clear discharge, milk, mucus, blood, pus).

6. Mouth: check for cleft palate (puppies usually cannot nurse effectively and milk exudes from the nostrils and mouth, and the puppy cries plaintively).

7. Skin: check for wounds caused by an overexcited dam; hydration, gently pinching the skin directly behind the occiput; the coat and weight for indications of a premature birth; paws for bedding irritation or deformity.

8. Legs and joints: check for deformity, soft tissue and joint swelling indicative of injury; freedom of mobility range.

9. Tail: check for deformity, length and mobility.

10. Spine: check for deformity, body length appropriate to breed; watch for range of motion.

11. Abdomen: check the skin color, which should be pinkish. Pallor can be indicative of internal trauma or hemorrhaging; check umbilicus for signs of infection (swelling or discharge).

12. Chest: listen carefully for breathing difficulties; check nursing ability, muscle tone and activity level.

13. Rectum: check for redness, swelling, diarrhea (which could be signs of infection, overeating or environmental sensitivity). Observe the dam for signs of excessive attention.

14. Genitalia: check appearance and position; watch for inflammation from excessive maternal attention or inappropriate sibling nursing.

Dog’s vigil at body

News and Star - was found in the fells near Keswick yesterday - his pet labrador dog keeping vigil where he lay. The discovery of the body of Graham Harper, who was in the Lake District on holiday with his wife, brought to an end one of the most intensive rescue Find Out More

Christian Science Monitor - If you want to own a Labrador or Husky, two popular breeds in China, you run the risk of your prized pet being detained as an Whichever dog is the most popular, that’s what people will go for,” says Zhang Luping, who runs a private animal rescue Find Out More

The Origin Of The Lab

There are many theories as to the origin of the breed known today as the Labrador Retriever. One point on which all historians seem to agree is that the Labrador originally came from Newfoundland. They were known by several names like the St. John’s Water Dog, the Little Newfoundlander and the Black Water Dog, before officially being dubbed the Labrador Retriever.
Some believe that the Labrador was developed by the fishermen off the coast of Newfoundland and that he was the result of an attempt to scale down the Newfoundland dog. In other words, they wanted to produce a somewhat smaller dog because the Newfoundlands were a bit cumbersome.
The dog had to be a good retriever. He also had to have good bone and strong limbs to pull heavy loads. He needed a dense coat thick enough to withstand the cold water, but one that would not ball up with ice. He had to be eager to please, able to swim great distances and happy to live on a diet of fish and whatever else could be scrounged up. The Labrador became that dog.

Hearth To Hearth 

Lions And Tigers And Schnoodles? Oh My! Who let the dogs out? Into the world of designer canines, that is. Is a mutt by any other name the same?
Source: www.capecodchronicle.com

Macon woman waits to see if grandson’s puppy clears parvo quarantine 

Holly Wilder, a retired nurse, was disappointed when she learned the puppy she is adopting was confined in a 14-day quarantine after an outbreak of a highly resistant intestinal virus among dogs at the Macon Animal Shelter.
Source: www.macon.com

Confusion reigns when guide dogs get together 
THE VILLAGES The chaos was as organized as it can be when seven large puppies are assembled in a single room. Its psycho dogs time, said Jody Peterson of Fruitland Park.
Source: www.thevillagesdailysun.com

Dogs help cause by strutting their stuff 
The doggie fashion show will help raise money for Pet Pal Rescue. CLEARWATER - Dogs on a catwalk? That’s what you’ll find today at a fashion show featuring costumed canines strutting their stuff for a worthy cause.
Source: www.sptimes.com