Labrador Retriever Dogs Blog

Chocolate. Who can resist it?

Your dogs health depends on it! (resisting, that is). We humans get to indulge because most of us know when to stop. But your dog won't quit after just a few. Give her a chance and she'll down the whole box of Godivas in one gulp. So on Valentine's Day, you're actually being kind to your best buddy if you eat all the chocolates yourself!

**Why is chocolate harmful to a dogs health?**

Chocolate, as you know, is made with cocoa beans. And cocoa beans contain methylxanthine alkaloids in the form of theobromine and caffeinea, which are toxic to dogs. Chocolate can also contain high amounts of fat which can put your dogs health in jeopardy as well.

**How Much is Too Much?**

Though it's certain that dogs and chocolate don't mix, different dogs react differently to the methylxanthines. And reactions can vary according to the age, size and overall health of the dog. The smaller the dog the smaller the dose needed to produce an effect.
And of course, if your dog's health is already weakened by other medical conditions, he's more susceptible. The same holds for older dogs..
Theobromine is present in differing amounts in different kinds of chocolate:

· White chocolate 1mg/oz

· Hot chocolate 12 mg /oz

· Milk chocolate 44-66 mg/oz

· Semi-sweet chocolate 260 mg/oz

· Dark chocolate 450 mg/oz (wow!)

· Baking/bitter chocolate or cocoa powder varies as much as 150-600 mg/oz.

**How much chocolate can a dog eat and survive?**

That depends in part on her weight.

Under 200 mg theobromine per kg body weight (91mg per lb) has not been observed to be fatal. A potentially lethal dose in a 16 pound. dog is only one pound of milk chocolate. Only two ounces of baking chocolate can cause serious problems in a 10-pound dog. People stop eating chocolate before getting to toxic levels, but dogs don't!

Read the rest of this entry »

It never ceases to amaze me how fired up people can get over something like dog food. I have never really gotten into the debate or weighed in on it. Our breeder was feeding Cooper one type of dog food and we didn't care for it so we researched a few others, talked to our vet and to the pet food store owner and went with another. We haven't looked back since.

That doesn't mean however that the food we use is good for all dogs. It might disagree with your labrador retriever. Much like food disagree from person to person. Allergies to be more specific. But that doesn't mean one is better that the other. It just means one is more agreeable.

Pet food to me is something like looking for insurance quotes or paying your taxes. It's something importan that you are going to be doing for a long time. So research it out and talk to the professionals and see how your dog does with the food you have chosen. Just because somebody tells you one type of pet food is better than another doesn't make it true.

Choosing the right dog food for your pet is never an easy decision. Just this week a person I know switched the food they were or are buying for her dogs and it didn't turn out so hot. The dogs reacted very badly to the new food. When you are shopping for a new food you might be tempted to treat it like shopping for cheap diet pills. This is something that you should not do. Do your research on dog foods. Read reviews and talk to your vet about the benefits and drawbacks of different dog food brands. Talk other pet owners that you know and see what they are feeding their dogs. Remember though that pets are like humans and because one dog does well on a food it doesn't mean that yours will. Dogs can get food allergies much like we do.

What dog food do you use? Picking a brand that is good for your dog and affordable for you is no easy task. There are as many different foods on the market as there are diet pills like Leptorexin.

If you are thinking about switching foods or not sure about the food you are using then there are a few things to consider. Go online and read some reviews of different foods. There are tons of reviews online about dog foods. Go to chat forums like the Labrador retriever forums and get the advice of other dog owners. Get the advice of your vet or pet food store owner. Both should be fairly straight with you.

If you are shopping for anything you are probably going to be doing some reading first and looking around for the best deal you can find. It doesn't matter if you are buying meds like Phentermine, shopping for electronics or doing your grocery shopping. You should be doing the same for your dog food.

The reason why I blog about this is because we just got back from our local pet food store with our free bag of Canidae. Our pet place offers a free bag for every 10 that we buy. It works out to a pretty good deal and their price is comparable with everybody else. So why not safe a little when stocking up on your dog food.

Many people have written and asked what the right dog food is for their dog or what is the best dog food for a healthy nutritious lifestyle. It is an age old debate that can spark many different answers and opinions. Some will tell you that brand a is the best and others will say that brand b is the best. It's not like your dog is taking diet supplements, you have to feed them so finding the best dog food is a choice you don't want to take lightly.

Dogs are a lot like humans and have different allergies and reactions to different kinds of foods and ingredients in them. Just because Brand A is good for one dog does not mean it's the best for another. Your dog may not handle grain or corn as well as another. Hot spots could be a sign that your dog needs a change in diet.

The best dog food for your dog is the one that they do the best on. If your dog is healthy and you are happy with their coat then why change for the sake of going to what you think is a better brand.

A friend who hadn't been over in awhile and hadn't seen Cooper commented on how fat he was getting. To us he looked just the same but then again we see him everyday and we just fluffed the comment off and didn't think too much of it. It just so happens that we had to go to the vet the next week and sure enough our vet was surprised about how much weight he had gained. It's easy for a labrador retriever to gain weight, as you know they can eat like it's the end of the world and they can as they get older get lazy or become more inactive.

As you are probably not going to give your dog Tonalin or other diet pills to keep their weight in check here are some steps we took to make sure Cooper remained healthy. One, make sure your dog gets daily activity and exercise. Not so much that they are pushing themselves past their limits but enough. What I mean by this is make sure they get a least one good walk a day, even when you are lazy make sure you take them out at least once. Even if they get a walk make sure they get some other exercise or playtime during the day like playing fetch or even a swim. They have to remain active daily. Secondly, watch what you are feeding them and how much you are feeding them. Pay attention to the servings on your dog food bag and be careful what treats you are feeding them. They love peanut butter but just like us too much are not good. Supplement their treats or snacks with things like apples, carrots or bananas. Finally, you are paying your vet good money every year. Set it up with them so you can bring your labrador retriever in and have them weighed every few months and keep a log. Our vet doesn't charge, we just bring him in and weight him and track it. If there's a huge weight gain or lose then you can discuss it with them.You want your labrador retriever to live as long and as healthy as possible so give them a hand.

There are always questions when dealing with senior labrador retrievers regarding the use of pet supplements. Many people turn to them when their labrador is facing problems with hip dysplasia or sore joints. Here is some information I have gathered from the chatboard to help make the right decision for supplements.

Always look for a supplement that lists how much of each ingredient your dog is getting. The most thing to keep in mind when looking for supplements is to do your homework. Know what you're giving your dog and how much of it. Many times they do not mention what exact dose of each ingredient you are getting. Discuss all of your choices with your vet to ensure correct dosage and appropriateness for your dog. You will have to consider your dogs weight when picking out a dose and your vet can help you with this. You vet may also be able to reccomend a good product to use. Also make sure to research the ingredients being used and what country they are coming from if you can. We need not be reminded of the dog food recall and past toy problem from China.

From time to time the topic pops up about whether or not feeding your dog carrots is good or not. My dog loves carrots and we use them for training purposes as well as rewards for good behaviour. You are actually do your dog a favour by adding vegetables into their diet. Dogs are omnivores, they can and should eat fruits and veggies. Of course like everything else in moderation and by mixing it up a little. Carrots are good for their teeth but at the same time contain sugar so please feed in moderation.

If you are wondering what fruit and vegetables to avoid please have a look at this thread Dangerous Foods and Plants to Dogs.