The Most Common Health Issues with Labrador Retrievers

There are many daily blogs by Labrador Retriever
owners whose pets are affected by a variety of
health issues. Of these issues, two are the most
prominent. Those would be musculoskeletal issues
such as hip dysplasia, ACL injuries, arthritis,
etc, and, skin problems often considered as
"allergies".

Musculoskeletal Health

Labrador Retrievers are very popular. Their
personality can range from a goofy side-kick to
a very stoic companion. Many service and therapy
dogs are from this breed. As their name implies,
this breed was born to fetch. Ask any tennis
ball, and they will tell you. Labs are right at
home around the water or the field, making them
very popular with hunters.

From the description above, you can tell this is
a physically active breed. All of this activity
can cause wear and tear on the joints. Also,
popular breeds like this tend to be over-bred,
often by less than reputable breeders looking to
cash in on their popularity. This scenario has
led to some genetic pre-dispositions, like hip
dysplasia. When you couple all of this physical
activity with potential for genetic defects, you
have a recipe for joint/mobility problems.

How Natural Pet Supplements can help your
Labrador Retriever with joint related issues

In recent years more and more people are looking
for natural solutions for their pets' mobility
problems. There are several all-natural products
on the market, including Antioxidant Treats
and/or Sprouted Granules, that offer the answers
that pet owners are looking for. Obviously, no
nutritional supplement is not going to reshape a
dysplastic hip, or re-attach a torn ACL, or undo
the ravages of arthritis; but there is a
scientific reason these products have helped
pets with these conditions.

The 'Live Food Enzymes' contained in these
products provide resources to the body for the
production of Antioxidant Enzymes. These
enzymes; i.e. Superoxide Dismutase, Catalase,
and Glutithione Peroxidase, are the natural
agents involved in cleansing toxins from every
cell in the body. As the cells are less
encumbered by toxic build-up, they are more
efficient at performing their tasks. This in
turn affects recovery time after injury, the
processes of inflammation, restoring of synovial
fluid (joint lubricant), and in greater release
of energy. As a result, many dogs not only
resume a normal range of motion, but also show
greater activity.

"Allergy" troubles

Labrador Retrievers are not the only breed to
have troubles in this area, but many are
afflicted all the same. Symptoms of itching,
biting, scratching, chewing, hair loss, odor,
blackening skin, elephant skin, weeping sores,
chewing paws, ear infections, eye infections,
UTI's or more can all be a part of this issue.
Vets often address these problems by
administering antibiotics and steroids to help
calm the surface symptoms. Even though this
approach often works in the short term, as soon
as these medications wear off, the symptoms will
often return with a vengeance.

Did you ever wonder why? Could it be that these
issues are not caused by allergies at all? Did
you ever consider that the Antibiotics, though
killing off bad bacteria on the surface were at
the same time killing off friendly bacteria in
the GI tract? Did you ever consider that the
steroid's deadening of the immune system,
lowering inflammation, also lowers the body's
ability to fight infection?

What has been described above is the perfect
scenario for a Systemic Yeast Infection. What is
that, exactly? It is a condition brought about by
the diminishing of the good, friendly bacteria
found in the GI tract allowing for the expansion
of fungal yeast (already present), creating an
imbalance. As the yeast expands and grows, it
puts out toxic by-products that leach into the
bloodstream and are carried to the extremities
to be filtered out at the surface.

You might be asking how your dog got this way to
start with. There are many contributing factors,
including the folowwing:

1. Pet foods and snacks. Many of your big name
brands are loaded with preservatives, additives
and artificial colorings. These all have a
negative impact on the friendly bacterial flora.
At the same time, these foods are grain-based
instead of meat based. Since yeast loves starch,
this is a recipe for disaster.

2. Over vaccination. We are led to believe that
vaccines are good for us, and that they are
protecting us from harm, but often that is not
the case. When we hear of a young dog with this
problem, we can almost always trace the origins
to the time of vaccination. This is not to say
that a dog should not ever receive vaccines, but
certainly not a 3-in-1 or a 5-in-1 shot. This can
cause tremendous insult to the immune system,
creating massive die-off of good bacteria.

3. Flea treatments and heartworm medications.
Even though these products are usually effective
against these critters, they are a poison, and
can even contribute to neurological issues. We
suggest finding natural alternatives where
possible.

4. Chlorinated water. They put chlorine in the
water to kill bacteria. We recommend filtered
water for your pet.

5. Antibiotics. This goes without saying. There
are many instances where antibiotics are
necessary. If so, it is paramount that you
supplement with a probiotic to help lessen the
damage to good bacteria.

If your dog does have an SYI, what can you do to
reverse it? That is a good question, and
thankfully there is an answer. It involves a
comprehensive approach designed to kill off the
overgrowth of yeast, support the body for
healing, repair and detoxification, and rebuild
the good bacteria. The rest is a matter of time.
This is NOT a quick-fix. It can take some months
to get things turned around, but you can take
comfort in knowing that you are getting to the
ROOT of the problem, not just patching things
up. For more information on these and other
issues pertaining to Labrador Retrievers, please
search for Antioxidant Treats and/or Sprouted
Granules. You will find that these all-natural
products are quite helpful.


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Article submitted by Tim Delaney, a multiple
dog-owner who is an animal advocate. References
include Nzymes, which can be found at
http://www.nzymes.com/Ref/Nzymes_healthy_skin_program.htm
and Nzymes EU, which can be found at
http://www.nzymes.eu.com


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