New dog, now what?

[angwill]

I know this might be controversial but I have had more than one breeder say the most important thing with food is that it says it is 100% complete and balanced on the bag. My vet who is 90 years old this year told me more than once that dogs have eaten puppy chow and table scraps since the beginning of time and lived long healthy lives. It has not been till recently that these high protien, meat first, products have been pushed and since then they are seeing a higher rate of bladder stones and other issues the animals coming in to the vets offices. To be honest I don't know what to believe but I do know that I always bought the expensive meat first dog food and at age 2 my one dog had a bladder full of stones and at age 8 my other dog had allergy issues so bad that the best food for allergies on the market could not help her and neither could raw or cooking from scratch.

 

[marie1203]

I know this might be controversial but I have had more than one breeder say the most important thing with food is that it says it is 100% complete and balanced on the bag. My vet who is 90 years old this year told me more than once that dogs have eaten puppy chow and table scraps since the beginning of time and lived long healthy lives. It has not been till recently that these high protien, meat first, products have been pushed and since then they are seeing a higher rate of bladder stones and other issues the animals coming in to the vets offices. To be honest I don't know what to believe but I do know that I always bought the expensive meat first dog food and at age 2 my one dog had a bladder full of stones and at age 8 my other dog had allergy issues so bad that the best food for allergies on the market could not help her and neither could raw or cooking from scratch.

Well many of the problems that we see in dogs now is because how poorly breed dogs have become these days. We have many dogs through the years and the life spam of dogs has increase, so while they might have lived healthy lives or we thought they did because we didn't know any better. Veterinary medicine has come a long way in the recent years. I can tell you from my experience food makes a huge difference, just like it does for humans. If you eat fast food everyday you are more likely to end up at the doctors office.

Since you said the dog is already 8 months old make sure you get him to the vet ASAP. You live in a state that has very high chances of having heart worm and lots of parasites. All the other advice here is great. Feed the dog twice daily and don't leave the food down (specially a puppy should eat 2 times a day). Socialize and start training right away since he is no longer a very young puppy.

Never get you tick and flea medicine from a supermarket or unreliable website (ebay). Grooming is very important for labs so make sure he is comfortable with brushing and cleaning his ears.

 

[okeydokey]

The words budget and dog really don't belong in the same sentence. LOL.

We feed Taste of the Wild. It is important to choose a food that does not have lots of fillers in it (corn). A meat source should be the first ingredient. The first three ingredients listed on the bag are the most important. The less filler in the food, the less poop to clean up too.

Your vet will recommend a heartworm/flea prevention. Some people use petmeds for these products, but our vet sells them at about the same price. Buy them in 6 or 12 month packets instead of month to month to save money long term.

Good luck. Pets can be a lot of work, but totally worth it.

 

[CoP Luv]

We feed Taste of the Wild. It is important to choose a food that does not have lots of fillers in it (corn). A meat source should be the first ingredient. The first three ingredients listed on the bag are the most important. The less filler in the food, the less poop to clean up too.

I did a lot of research on different types of food when we adopted our dog last year and we feed Taste of the Wild as well. There is SO MUCH awful stuff in a lot of the food brands that you can find in many stores. Yes, Taste of the Wild is more expensive, but in addition to the health benefits of better food, we also noticed that our dog also doesn't smell or have bad breath, which is something that I read occurs with dogs with better nutritional food.

 

[Marionnette]

I agree that there is no such thing as a "budget" dog and if you're going to approach pet ownership with that mindset, you should probably rethink your decision.

Dogs are expensive. They need shots and yearly vet exams. They need heartworm medicine and flea & tick applications. They need a proper diet to maintain their health and exercise to keep them in condition. They ingest the wrong things and they need surgery to remove the item. They develop an infection and you spend $$ on vet visits and antibiotics. If you take a vacation, you will need someone to sit with the dog or else you will need to board it.

Our rescue pup has cost us over $5000 this year alone because she developed an autoimmune disease that requires daily medication and blood work every 2 weeks. The skin biopsy alone was $1300. Then, a sebaceous cyst on her shoulder burst in May and she required surgery to close it. Another $800 spent to keep her well. Last month, she contracted a bacterial infection and between the vet visit with her dermatologist and the labs for the skin scrapings (to rule out mange), it cost me another $300. She will be due for her annual check up and routine shots next month.

The vets tell her that she is a lucky dog to have been adopted by people who are willing and able to take care of her needs. But we feel that this is the cost that we pay for her unconditional love and devotion to her family. She is not a designer dog and carries no pedigree. We don't even know what breeds are represented in her DNA. But she has turned out to be an expensive canine, regardless of her genetic origins.

 

[ShortStuff]

Thanks for all the information. The lab is actually 8 months old and we got him from an older lady who had to go into the hospital. He has been kept indoors, is very calm and does not chew on things. We are even having to teach him how to play fetch. I am concerned that he is underweight, so we will get him on a better dog food. We did not want to switch (on Purina) until he was comfortable with his surroundings.
What is the best dog food?

Just going to suggest buying SMALL bags of a food you decide to try, as my daughters Golden Doodle hated most of the premium foods. She wouldn't eat them, period. We usually feed her chicken and rice, and supplement with some dog food. We have to mix it into her chicken extreemly well, to get her to even tolerate eating any dog food.

I think she just knows she is a princess. They even put a princess bandana on her last time she got groomed.

 

[ceecee]

My lab chewed the Nylabone and almost choked on it, so watch that. She did the same with rawhide so the vet told us to get shoulder bones?? I think it was. Just watch them until you know. Kongs have been the best buy for us.
Labs will eat just about everything. One of the labs at the Rescue ate a rope toy...swallowed it! One ate a sock and needed surgery to remove it, luckily both of ours weren't into non-food items. But they have both gotten into food left out. Loaves of bread, bunches of bananas, whole pies cooling on the counter, the list goes on.....they can get overweight very easily.

 

[v.t.]

OP here, sorry the pic is so big but this is my first picture post.

Thanks for all the replies, there is some very good advice in there. I know owning a dog is expensive and time consuming, why do you think I waited so long to get a dog. I was just thrilled we were able to find the type we wanted without having to go to a breeder. (That's where the budget dog came from.) We have an appt with the vet and are taking the new owner (DS 11) shopping to buy toys, collar, etc. soon. I will have the list with us so he can pick out the right kind, not the cute one. LOL

Thanks again!

 

[susieq76]

Welcome to the world of Labbie ownership! I have a 85lb yellow who is 3. One thing that you should know- labs are not like every other breed. Many go through what I like to call the "teens". Around 11 months both of my labs (this one and my chocolate who passed away last year at 14) went through a second puppy hood- chewing, ignoring us and being an all around brat. So be prepared! They do get over it and are THE BEST dogs ever.

Every dog is different, mine does not do well on Wellness, Blue Buffalo and many of the highly rated foods. I use Pro Plan by Purina (lamb formula) and it works well for us. The others gave him softserve poop! Yuk! We also like Costco brand food but there were so many recalls...

In Tx (like in NC) heartworm protection is a MUST. Your vet has to prescribe it. So is flea/tick prevention. Whatever you do, DO NOT get the cheaper versions of flea stuff like Hartz, Seargents ect. They cause major, major nerve issues so avoid at all costs. We use Advantix.

Good luck! And feel free to message me with any questions!

 

[MAH4546]

Don't feed commercialized dog foods - Iams, Purina, etc is garbage. Feed Taste of the Wild, that's arguably the best brand.

Also, most won't agree, but give the dog table scraps. Be wary of food that is legitimately dangerous for dogs - chocolate and cooked chicken bones come to mind - but let your dog eat table scraps. The dog food industry was a product of the post-war boom in the late 1940s and 1950s. Before then, dogs loved long and healthy lives eating nothing but leftovers from the dinner table.

My 50 lbs dog gets about a cup of food in the morning and a generous helping of table scraps in the evening, and I have zero qualms giving her a whole burger (plain with cheese) from McDonald's or Wendy's, that's her favorite treat.

Also, for the most part, Petsmart is a rip off. Everything at Petsmart is 20 to 50% cheaper on Amazon.

 

[hsmamato2]

You need to feed him twice a day. There is no such thing as a "budget" dog! They love to walk and play and that is all free!

ain't that the truth!
OP, please, don't leave your dogfood out all day,*labs have a tendency to overeat,and get fat*. (diff. breeds,diff. needs)Feed twice a day-and then put it away.( I can't believe all the pp's here who only feed once,poor doggies,how often do WE eat during the day?)
YOu will be surprised how much a 'budget' dog will cost you.... but it's a great thing to start with some money in your pocket,you're going to need it over time!
BTW to gauge if a dog is too thin, you should look down on them, and be able to feel their ribs quite clearly,with a narrowing toward the hips.
Dogs tend to develop fat under the ribs ,which is really bad for their hearts.
Pet insurance is usually a waste of money, but I encourage you to shop around at local vets until you find one with whom you're comfortable,also keep in mind that after the initial checkup,etc- petco has vaccine clinics for basic stuff to keep dogs safe from disease.

 

[LilyWDW]

I have had labs for about the last 15 years or so and they are one of my favorite breeds. One thing to know about them is to keep them VERY active physically, mentally, and socially. They seem to get bored easily and when they do... look out! I would suggest obedience school while they are still young and small. My old female (who passed not long ago at 13) also LOVED agility! She also would play fetch with full commands (Wait, Take it, Bring it, Give it). Labs are also very much "people" dogs. They enjoy their time with their human pack and dislike separation. They love to please and seem very in touch with their human's emotions.

For food, talk to your vet.

 

[ceecee]

He's very cute....what's his name???
Not all vets know about food, mine admits he learned limited nutrition in school. So research it yourself.
Most labbie owners love their dogs and a lot have several. I, myself suffer from Multiple Lab Syndrome. I have 2 and want a pup....they are sooooo cute for 4 months!!! My vet joked that the teen years for a lab lasts until 5 years. Mine at 9 is just starting to slow down, our 6 yr old is still acting like a pup!