[aj55]

Hi there,

I have had my dog for 3+ weeks now. I think something is wrong, as he is not himself today. My dog will put everything in his mouth and I mean anything. Today I took him out to play fetch and all he did was eat grass. I guess it is OK for them to eat grass as it helps them digest. He is know rubbing his bum along the tile floor. Is that an indicator of something? We haven't fed him anything other than his iams lamb/rice and Milkbone cookies. I wish these guys could talk once in awhile so we would know what is going on with them. I have let him out but all he is doing is eating twigs, branches, leaves EVERYTHING. On leash I can control what he puts in, but when I take him on trails its nearly impossible. Also, do dogs get colds or the flu? He went swimming yesterday for about an hour and was wondering if that might have something to do with it. TIA

[labman]

Most Lab puppies will eat anything. Most of the stuff they find outside won't hurt. Toadstools may not be good. Sticks usually don't hurt, but lumber is more likely splinter and injure the dog. Rocks and bottle caps can cause problems too.

The bun rubbing may be worms. In an older dog, I would say anal glands. Try to match some of the over the counter dewormers to anything you see in his stool or other symptoms. If that doesn't work, the vet has stuff that will.

Dogs don't get all the same viruses we do, but have their own. Watch him, and if it hangs on, again, the vet.

Stick with what you are feeding him. 3 common mistakes are jumping around to different chows, messing up the carefully formulated, complete, and balanced diet most chows provide with other stuff, and feeding too much. Even puppies should have a waist.

[aj55]

Thanks labman, actually I gave him a pill yesterday for worms and I have to give him 1 more in 2 weeks. It came from the vet. He has really calmed down in the 3 weeks that we have got him. He usually sleeps in the evening when we are on the couch watching TV. I know that is ideally what we want but are wondering if it is too soon, he is only 6 months old. I will keep an eye on him. As for the food, we are feeding him 2.5 cups in total. He seems to be fine in the weight dept, I think he might be too skinny. Also, how much is too much exercise for my 6 month old friend. He gets 1 cup in the morning and then gets a walk on concrete for approx 15 min. and then we play fetch for another 15 min. In the afternoon/evening after he eats 1.5 cups and then I take him on a hike where he is off leash all dirt that lasts approx 1 hr. He also swims for about 30 min during the hike. Is that too much for his joints to handle? TIA

[labman]

Big thing to watch is impact. Limit jumping the best you can. If I realized he was that old, I would have mentioned switching him over to adult chow. It will slow growth and give sturdy joints more time to develop. On the walks, if he seems to slow down, it may be time to quit.

Here is a picture of some good, lean Labs. The yellow ones are older, an 11 year old and her mother. A couple of the blacks ones are less than a year old.

[aj55]

We are feeding him adult chow, and looking at the picture I feel better. He is looking pretty "lean" as you put it. I'm sure its just nerves for a new dog owner. This site is great. Keep it up. Thanks, Arif

[aj55]

Is it normal for my pup not to drink a whole lot of water? He drinks "MAYBE" a bowl of water a day. When we take him for hikes he does go swimming and I'm sure he drinks it then, but will not usaully go to his bowl at home. A couple sips after he eats and when we get back from a walk, but not much else. Any advice would be great.

[labman]

I think most Labs spill more than that. Maybe with what goes on the floor, they are drinking near as much as it seems. I would say not drinking enough water is a rare to nonexistent problem. I wouldn't do anything unless there are other signs of problems.

[aj55]

Here are some pics of TIKO.