Labs (the dogs, not fish!)

[Kiovo]

Does anyone here have labs as their dog?  We are currently fostering one from the SPCA: Operation Sava a Life, and we really want to keep him but he sheds like crazy. I'm having to sweep everynight and it still seems there's a lot left.  We brush him everyday to get the loose hairs off also.  Is this a season thing, everyday thing...???  And if this is an everyday thing, any advice on what we can do about all the hair everywhere?!   :?

[dblondfemme]

Re: Labs (the dogs, not fish!)

David - tiapan knows better than me about this...but the fur (furminator or something like that) thing from petsmart gets a ton of extra hair/undercoat off a pet.

[justdoit]

Re: Labs (the dogs, not fish!)

labs do shed all the time.   ours does anyway / alot.   we just body clip her and she thinks she looks cute!

[jeebus]

Re: Labs (the dogs, not fish!)

Hey, Olson said that the Furminator works pretty good. The downside he added though, is that its about fifty bucks.

[Kiovo]

Re: Labs (the dogs, not fish!)

$50.00 is worth it!  What is that thing we have then?  I though that was the furminator?  Can you shave a lab?

[jeebus]

Re: Labs (the dogs, not fish!)

Whatever it is - it sucks. I'm all for the upgrade. I don't know about shaving him. Perhaps with a guard on, but that just means the shed hairs will be shorter and more of a nuisance to clean.

[justdoit]

Re: Labs (the dogs, not fish!)

we clip ours w/ a #10 blade and it's easy to wipe or vaccuum on or off the pooch.    
she is always looking to get wet and the short coat makes it bearable as Labs don't dry all that quick.   something about essence of wet dog      just works for us.

[Nickintex]

Re: Labs (the dogs, not fish!)

Labs are known for shedding. Its quite normal. Try using either the misnamed shed-ender or a shedding blade to remove some that loose undercoat outdoors, and you will have less shed hair indoors. If your dog would let you vacuum him with the upholstery attachment, that would help get some at loose fur off also. I have 2 cats that let me vacuum them and it helps.

[happytiffany]

Re: Labs (the dogs, not fish!)

Hi.  I'm relatively new to this site but had a suggestion about your lab.  I have a lab/chow mix named Happy from the SPCA and he sheds like crazy.  My husband has a chronic illness...lupus and scleroderma... and very bad lungs...needs lung transplant but can't because he is otherwise too sick.  The hair bothered him so much that we were to the point of considering finding Happy a new home  Since we do not have children, our furbabies and fish are our children so it was a really difficult situation.

My hubby takes a lot of supplements and one of them is Omega 3 fatty acid which helps his skin stay loose instead of really tight like other people with his illness.  At one point, he couldn't really eat because everytime he tried to open his mouth, his skin would tear because it was so tight.

Anyway, I thought to try it on Happy because we had given him the same stuff but from the vet for his skin problems when he was a baby.  I started giving Happy one tablet a day which is 1000 mg and the shedding has REALLY improved.  The stuff at the vets' office is really expensive so I just give him what my hubby takes which we buy at Sam's Club for about $9 for like 300 pills.  I also give it to my new Cocker, Mia, and she doesn't hardly shed.  My previous cocker who passed away at 17 years old shed like crazy as well.

Just a thought.  It's a really inexpensive way to treat shedding and has other really good benefits as well.  It makes their fur so soft.  Before they took this regularly, their fur made my hubby itch and break out in hives because my hubby's skin is uber-sensitive.  Also, studies have shown that it can actually reverse kidney damage in humans which is apparently a huge finding.  It's also good for heart and cholesterol.  I guess that's why my vet is always pleasantly surprised at my furbabies' lab results!

Hope this helps.

Amy

[jeebus]

Re: Labs (the dogs, not fish!)

Thanks Amy for the advice! We got a furminator and its worked pretty well, but I think we might try this as well.