Dunc. Is about 5mo. Now & we are starting to find teeth around the house. My question is relating to teething. Could his recent about of whining be related to his teeth loss?

I was talking to a women at the part and said her Burmese did the same thing & turned out to be an issue with his knees. Dunc has great energy isn't showing any signs of trouble walking or running.

Hopefully you can ease my concerns & it's just his teeth.

No, it does not hurt to shed baby teeth. At 5 months, whining would more than likely to be attributed to hormones! He's a teenager and ready to be neutered unless you plan on breeding.
One more thing, hopefully you are feeding him a large breed formula! Growing pains could be a cause for whining in the big guys.

It is unlike Labs to whine without good cause. As long as you are able to give him plenty of attention, you should be concerned about the whining.

As for large breed puppy chow, it is still too rich for a growing Lab. I think I have already suggested switching to adult chow at 4 months and keeping him lean.

Hello? Purina, Iams, Eukanuba, Hill's are all wrong as well as most veterinarians in saying all breeds should eat puppy chow for 1 year??

YES, YES, YES!

Suppose you knew a breeder that bred hundreds of dogs a year, mostly Labs, Shepherds, and Goldens. They provided all the medical care for most of them the first year. At the end of it, they did a complete physical including hip X-rays on all of them. They then spent $35,000 training them before giving them away. They have a large data base of breeding records. Dogs with any physical or temperamental problems are unfit for the program and are a waste. Their well equipped clinic and vet staff are available for serious problems as long as the dog is working. When the dog is no longer able to work, it is replaced at again the $35,000 plus a large emotional upheaval for the person depending on the dog. They have experimented with different diets and exchanged data with other such breeders. Don't you think that what ever they are feeding is healthy and safe? How objective are the companies selling puppy chow at a premium over adult chow? Is your dog's health, their top priority?

I have been raising puppies since 1991 for a large dog guide school that does exactly that. What do they feed? They instruct us to feed Pro Plan chicken and rice puppy chow until 4 months and then switch to adult Pro Plan chicken and rice. The group I meet with monthly for training includes people that have raised puppies for 6 different service dog schools. None of them still have their puppies on puppy chow until a year.

Does your vet's office have back issues of JAVMA? See Kealy, et al. "Effects of limited food consumption on the incidence of hip dysplasia in growing dogs." JAVMA, v201, n6 Sept. 15 1992. When I first started suggesting the early switch to adult chow on the net in 2000, many people disagreed. Now I am finding more and more people that have gotten the word.

The vet I use locally is a nationally known joint specialist. People bring him their dogs from all over the country. He is even more radical, saying adult chow from as soon as you get the puppy.

Much of the American animal food industry is focused on ''get big fast''. They are very good at that, and we eat better for less for it. The service dog schools have to wait for the dogs mental development before they can start serious training. Slower growth is no problem. Poor joints that shorten a dogs active life are. Pet owners wanting a dog with a long, active life would do well to follow the practice of the service dog schools.

We feed the little guy, well not so little he's 45lbs, Purina One large bread adult. When we got him it was suggested by both our breeder & vet to switch over from puppy to adult. W/ the puppy chow they said he would grow to fast for proper joint development.

We give him plenty of attention & when he whines it's only until we lay down with him. That's why I thought it was about the teeth.

Are there any signs we should look for to help identify hip/knee problems?

Since I mysteriously cannot reply directly on your post, Breeders mean well but they are by no means experts at anything. Experience breeds opinions only. I would only listen to those with DVM behind their name. And yes, I worked with Dallas Vet Surgical in Texas with the top ortho, bone, and joint specialists in the nation. Feel free to check them out.
For the record, all you are voicing is about are working dogs. This person is speaking of a companion animal so quit tripping.
Everyone here needs to find a veterinarian they are compatible with and follow his/her advice. I haven't seen anyone that is a sole expert here, including myself-those who are would be signing with credentials following their name in capital letters.
Now, Dunc dad, call your vet and make an appointment or at least talk to them over the phone-that's free and you will get the correct and professional advice you need for a healthy Duncan.

I am glad your breeder and vet both have given you good advice on the early switch to adult chow. As I said, it is becoming more and more recognized. Unfortunately the best nutrition can only reduce genetic tendencies. Few pets are bred with the care service dogs are. That results in more of all sorts of problems. Quite often there are joint problems in a younger dog that will only show up later except on X-rays. One thing I can say is that there are some things that will be outgrown such as pano. So check with the vet.

Unless ease of cleaning up the stools is a big issue, no reason not to stick with the Purina 1 large breed. I have never fed it, but people I trust say their dogs do fine on it. Surely it is as good or better than their lowest grade, which I do know is fine.

Thanks to the both of you. Though most advice is helpful & correct it is very rarely universally agreed upon. Have a good one & until next time Duncan appreciates your helpful words.