This is a serious subject if your vet has prescribed:

Rimadyl

Metacam

Deramaxx

To name a few.

These drugs can have serious side effects to your dog’s liver or kidneys.

You must be sure and do full bloodwork prior to starting these drugs to be sure organs are functioning properly before administering these drugs.  And if organs are good you must monitor them once on the drug.

Ibuprofen is not safe for dogs, neither is Tylenol.

For pain relief Tramadol is a good choice (but it is not an anti-inflammatory)

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=12185

I had a great link on Tramadol from a vet tech but it has been removed from the internet (no idea why)

But here is good info on the product.  (you will also notice the vet tech link there but it will not come up – I have emailed to try and find out why)

http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/tramadol/

Lubrisyn is a good choice for joint/arthritic issues.

http://www.lubrisynca.com/about/faqs.aspx

If your dog needs pain relief please discuss the choices extensively with your vet.

Even if they recommend one of the NSAIDS mentioned above, please think twice and do your research first.

More info here:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=1350

Labradors are one breed prone to side effects of NSAIDS – especially Rimadyl:  Other breeds are as well so please be diligent in your research.

While this post is geared toward NSAIDS and the dangers there is more info here on natural pain relief.

http://www.heartypet.com/blog/?p=25

Patty

www.snowcolabradors.com

You put your dog out for a last potty break at night and they come back in stinking of skunk.

Ugggggg!!!!!

What to do?????  Tomato juice does not work from what I have heard.

The below method should do the trick (but you must be careful of the eyes – most get sprayed in the head first)

This was shared by a friend of mine and he says the method works.

http://dan.drydog.com/patsyann/skunk.html

Here is basically the same recipe that another friend used but please note the areas in BOLD as I do not see these mentioned in the above link.

1.In a plastic bucket using plastic utensils mix together 1 quart of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (This is available from any drugstore. Do not use any other strength even if you happen to have it around the house for some reason – the result may be a trip to the emergency room), 1/4 cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate for you science types which is not the same as baking powder) and 1- 2 teaspoons of liquid soap. Notes: Krebaum suggests “Softsoap” or “Ivory Liquid” because they are more inert. Grease-cutting brands such as “Dawn” and hair shampoo are less inert. For very large pets you may add one quart of tepid tap water to enable complete coverage. The reason for using plastic containers and utensils is because metals will encourage auto-decomposition of the peroxide.
2.Immediately apply it to the stinky pet (the solution will get weaker with time and you’ll definitely want it to be at full strength). Wash thoroughly, working solution deep into the fur. Leave solution on for about 5 minutes or until the odor is gone. Let your nose guide you. Some heavily oiled or “skunked” areas may require repeat washing. Note: skunks usually aim for the face, but try to keep the solution out of your pet’s eyes – it stings! If you have any cuts on your hands you should consider wearing latex gloves for the same reason.
3.Rinse your pet thoroughly with tepid tap water.
4.Pour any leftover solution down the drain with running water.

Please note what it says in the link I posted (don’t save left over solution)

“do not store in a sealed bottle–it will explode”

A lot of the smell can be on the dog’s collar so its important to remove the collar from the dog and treat it separately especially if your dog wears a nylon woven collar.

Patty

www.snowcolabradors.com

Our dogs can get into many things.  The garbage is one of the first things that comes to mind which could include grease from cooking.

Another is motor (car) grease/lube and this recipee works great to remove it from the coat.

2 tbsp baby powder

2 tbsp corn starch

mix well

Work it into the greasy area all the way down to the skin

Use a flea comb to pull out the concoction along with the grease

Repeat if necessary

Than dilute Dawn dishwashing liquid with water and work into a lather on the area and rinse well.

Blow dry the area and if baby powder/corn starch bits are still their work flea comb thru the area again.

I know I did an earlier blog on how often to bath a Labrador and since I have gotten a lot of emails lately on other aspects of grooming I thought this blog would be helpful.  Much of the info below will also pertain to other breeds.

Grooming The Labrador

•Labs have an undercoat and a top coat.  They shed twice a year or more.  Keeping up on grooming helps keep down on the hair in your house.

•The proper tools are a slicker brush, flea comb, shedding blade and groomer’s mitt.  (Please do not use a ferminator on a Labrador as it will damage the important undercoat – which protects them in hot or cold weather).

Bathing The Labrador

•Labs rarely need a bath with soap.  If they get muddy or have a swim in the ocean (salt water) just hose them off, shower off in your tub or let them take a dip in your pool.

•Over bathing with shampoos (even those you get from your vet) can strip the oils from the Lab coat.  This oil is there to help them repel water while swimming, especially in cold water, and is important for the health of your Lab.

•During hot weather be sure to dry off your Lab after swimming or bathing to avoid hot spots.

Ear Cleaning

•Labs have a floppy ear and swim a lot so they can be subject to ear infections.  Weekly cleaning with a product from your vet or pet supply store is important.

•Hold ear flap up above the dog’s head.

•Fill the ear canal with the cleaner and then externally massage the ear canal (just behind the jaw bone) to loosen up debris.

•Wipe out the cleaner with cotton balls or pads until the cotton comes out clean.

•If there is an odor or discharge that cleaning does not get rid of you need to see your vet for possible infection (untreated infections over time can cause a dog to go deaf).

Teeth Cleaning

•Even with teeth cleaning toys from the pet store our pets still don’t get the intense chewing activity that their ancestors got in the wild so we need to clean their teeth.

•Toothbrushes and toothpaste designed for dogs are available at pet stores and should be used once a week (never use human toothpaste).

Nail Trimming

•A dogs nails constantly grow just like a humans and require routine trimming.

•If nails are not kept short, they can deform the feet and spread the toes, causing pain.

•There is a “quick” (blood vessel and nerve) down the center of the nail that will bleed if cut so you need a vet or groomer to show you the proper way to trim your Labs nails using a canine nail clipper or a dremel.

•As the nail grows so does the quick so the more you keep up on trimming the shorter the quick and better chance of not cutting it.

•If a quick is cut it can bleed profusely.  You need to have Kwik Stop (available at your local pet store or vet) on hand (or baking soda or flour) to immediately put on the nail to stop the bleeding.

Pic of dremel use:  (it is important to get the dog used to the sound of the dremel and to be aware that prolonged contact with the nail can build heat and burn.  Give and release when making contact with the dremel/nail to prevent heat build up.

All the pics in this blogs were shared by friends of mine and their wonderful Labs.  Thanks guys

Patty

www.snowcolabradors.com

Canine diabetes is not as uncommon as most people think.

I have no experience with it but know many people that do so decided to do some research and do this blog to help others that find themselves with a pet with diabetes.

Taken from:  http://www.vetinfo.com/canine-diabetes-diagnosis.html

“Canine diabetes is a condition where the dog’s pancreas does not produce sufficient amounts of insulin to effectively process the foods the dog eats. Because the food isn’t processed appropriately, it is unable to pass into the cells where it can be utilized, causing an excess of sugars to be passed into the bloodstream.

Common symptoms of diabetes are extreme thirst, increased urination, ravenous hunger and weight loss. As the disease progresses, almost every system in the dog’s body can be impacted. If you suspect your dog may have diabetes, it is important to get him to a veterinarian for testing, diagnosis and the beginning of treatment.”

For diagnosis and treatment please see the same site, but first and foremost please see your vet:

http://www.vetinfo.com/canine-diabetes-diagnosis.html

There is also a great amount of info from this next site:

http://www.petdiabetes.com/

I also have info to share from one of my friends/pup buyers who had a dog in the past with diabetes and what he learned to do for his baby:

“We went crazy trying to find a type of insulin that would work well for Molly when she was first diagnosed. The vet had us try several different types, and I was amazed because I always thought insulin was all the same. The prices and types run all over the map. We finally found that Humulin N insulin worked best for Molly, but we were paying nearly $60 a vial and she would go through a vial in less than two weeks, so it was costing us almost $150 a month just for the insulin, not counting the test strips, the needles and the vet visits. We finally found a semi synthetic form of Humulin N that Walmart Pharmacy sells called Novolin N which actually worked best for Molly and was available for about $30 a vial! For anyone who has a diabetic dog and is having difficulty affording the insulin, that could be a god send. No-one should have to see their dog suffer with diabetes because they cannot afford the cost of the medication and vet care. That is why I think it is so important for people to know that there are effective (and probably better) alternatives to using a vet to do all the testing, prescribing and often selling the insulin at often very high rates. By the way, Humulin N has been around for quite a while, and is available at pharmacies without a vets prescription, so once the dog is properly diagnosed by a vet and the diabetes is under control, a pet owner can maintain effective control with just maintenance visits to the vet for any of the normal visits each year.”

My friend also learned to test his Molly’s levels at home rather than always going to the vet.  This is not for everyone but I am waiting to hear from him on how he did this and I will update.

I hope this info will help people and there beloved pets.

As always, I am not a vet and not giving diagnosis or treatment here.  Just offering info in the hopes it will help someone.

Patty

www.snowcolabradors.com