Nothing can be more important than getting off on the right foot with the health of your puppy.  As a responsible new puppy owner, you need to know the issues that are pertinent to the Labrador Retriever breed.  Health conditions can be inherited or acquired … in either case, you, your breeder, and your veterinarian can work together to assure optimal health for your puppy.

Inherited conditions

Inherited Conditions are determined through the genetic makeup of the parents.  Responsible breeders use only sound breeding stock to lessen the occurrence of hereditary defects.  The following conditions are those considered to have a hereditary aspect.

·          Dysplasia and Osteochontritis Desicans ("OCD")  Dysplasia is a crippling orthopedic condition affecting hip and/or elbow joints. It is believed to be influenced by heredity as well as nutritional and environmental (acquired) factors. OCD is a crippling orthopedic disorder that affects the cartilage in a growing puppy’s joints. OCD and related conditions have not been proven at this time to be hereditary, although there seems to be some predisposition for OCD in certain breeds and bloodlines. Therefore, both the breeder and the owner assume significant responsibility for the orthopedic health of the puppy. Excessive nutrition, over-supplementation, and over- or under- feeding your puppy can have a negative impact of the dog’s structure as it grows.

As a caring owner, you must monitor your puppy to make sure it receives proper food (see the Feeding section) and exercise.  With respect to exercise, do not allow jumping on and off of furniture or stairs. Also, keep your puppy off slippery or damp flooring. Your puppy will benefit from regular walks. Avoid strenuous exercise and do not jog your dog until it is at least 18 to 24 months old.

·          Eye Problems  Eye problems can be hereditary, congenital, or acquired conditions resulting from a virus or accident. Some eye diseases have little or no effect on the dog’s vision while others can cause blindness.

The most common eye disorders that affect the Labrador Retriever are: retinal folds, juvenile cataracts and progressive retinal dysplasia.  The parents of your puppy should have had eye examinations performed by a veterinarian ophthalmologist and been certified as free of these hereditary eye disorders.  Retinal folds and juvenile cataracts typically have a negligible impact on vision.  Progressive retinal atrophy is a disorder that results in blindness, typically in older dogs.

A new genetic test has just been finalized by OptiGen (www.optigen.com) for progressive retinal atrophy.  Progressive retinal atrophy is a recessive genetic problem – therefore, both the sire and dam must have a carrier or affected status in order to produce a puppy that is affected by the disorder.  The Sire and/or Dam of your puppy should have had their genetic status established through OptiGen to assure that your puppy cannot be affected by this blinding eye disease.

·          Seizures   Seizures can be induced by epilepsy or other causes including trauma, poisoning and infections. Most cases are controllable with medication. No test is available to determine whether a dog that has had seizures, has hereditary epilepsy, or if the dog is a carrier of the disease. Therefore, no certification is available.

·          Incorrect Bites and Missing Teeth   Incorrect bites include undershot, overshot or wry-mouthed malocclusion. Most incorrect bites cause little or no problem for the dog.  Do not play "tug of war" with your young puppy as there is a possibility of damaging their teeth or jaw alignment.

Occasionally, when puppy teeth have been shed, the selected adult teeth will not present.  Sometimes, the teeth are present but do not erupt.  In other cases, the teeth simply are not present.  Missing teeth typically do not present any functional problem for the puppy.

Acquired conditions

Many acquired conditions are preventable by careful management of your puppy’s health.  A good relationship with your veterinarian is your best tool for prevention.

·          Vaccinations    There are many variation for the puppy vaccination schedule.  Maternal antibodies provide protection from disease while the puppies are quite young and nursing.  As the puppies are weaned, their antibody protection begins to erode.  Puppy vaccinations are given in a series over a period of time to ensure that protection is continuous.   I vaccinate my puppies at 6, 9, 12 and 16 weeks.  Your veterinarian will suggest a schedule for follow up vaccinations through the puppy stage and then will institute an periodic booster program.

·          External parasites    Fleas and ticks can have a significant effect on your puppy's health.  Discuss flea and tick control with your veterinarian and routinely examine your puppy for evidence of fleas and ticks.

·          Internal parasites   Puppies may acquire internal parasites from their mother or from the environment.  Parasites can be detected through a fecal examination.  Your veterinarian will probably suggest a fecal examination on your first visit and at routine health checkups.

·          Heartworms    The heartworm is the most serious of the common internal parasites.  A dog that is bitten by a mosquito infected with the heartworm microfilaria will develop six to twelve inch worms that will take up residence in the dog's heart.  Heartworm prevention can be provided in a daily or monthly medication form.  Discuss heartworm prevention and routine screening with your veterinarian.

·          Spaying and neutering    Spaying and neutering is a good way to ensure that your pet lives a long and healthy life.   Females spayed at a young age have almost no risk of developing uterine infection and mammary tumors and neutered dogs have no chance of developing testicular cancer.   Your veterinarian will provide information and recommendations regarding spaying or neutering your puppy.

·          Grooming    Weekly grooming is an effective way to monitor and preserve your puppy's overall health.  The condition of the coat, skin, ears and eyes will tell you a lot about your pet's ongoing health.   Weekly grooming should include ear care, teeth care, coat care and nail care.

More about ears, nails and teeth

·          One of the most common health problems for the Labrador Retriever is ear infection.  The Labrador has a dropped ear.  The ear canal is covered and can serve as a host for bacterial and yeast infections.  Ear infections can be painful and irritating to your puppy.  The best way to prevent ear infections is to routinely clean the ear.  Ear cleaning is simple and takes just a few minutes about once a week.  Simply squirt a small amount of ear cleaning solution into the ear, squish it around by massaging the external ear, then wipe the excess solution out using a paper towel and your finger.  The size of your finger will preclude putting pressure too far down the ear canal.  If you notice a brown and smelly discharge in your puppy’s ear, try cleaning daily for about a week.  If the discharge does not clear, it is time to consult your veterinarian for additional support.

·          Routine nail trimming should begin immediately when you get your puppy home.  Frequently play with and finger your puppy’s feet to get it accustomed to having them touched.  Using the nail trimmer that you prefer, begin trimming your puppy’s nail once a week.  This may be an unpleasant experience at first for your puppy, but consistent trimming will help your puppy become used to having this part of the grooming routine performed.  Gently, but firmly restrain your puppy and grasp one paw at a time.  Trim the tips of each nail on each paw.  It is possible to nick a blood vessel while trimming.  This can be managed quite easily.  Keep a blood clotting agent (like a styptic pencil or “Quick Stop” – a pet product for this purpose) available and use it.  Apply pressure to the tip of the nail for a minute or two.  The bleeding should stop and you can continue the task.  Don’t make a big deal out of a nick – you’ll convince your puppy that it is a big deal!  Starting right from the beginning, you must establish that this is a procedure to which you puppy must submit.  At the beginning, it may be helpful to have one person restrain the puppy and another do the trimming.  Failure to keep your puppy’s nails trimmed may adversely affect its paws by making them splay which will impair their comfort in walking and running.  Just do it!

·          You should monitor the condition of your puppy's teeth throughout its life.  As a puppy, it will shed its puppy teeth.  Watch this process to ensure that your puppy is not retaining puppy teeth and be sure that the adult teeth are erupting appropriately.  Consult with your veterinarian if you have any concerns or questions.  By feeding kibble, you will have begun the process of teeth maintenance.  You may routinely brush your puppy's teeth and/or provide for some or chewing or other teeth maintenance products to help to keep your dog's teeth free of plaque build-up.