Our two boys Barney & Jack are now 11 weeks. They have been developing a few bald/thin patches with some dry skin, .barney more so than Jack, and he has been scratching. Some of the scabs are from rough and tumble sessions, but a lot aren't. We showed it to the vet who said it was quite normal in puppies. (They have both been treated with Advocate and there are no signs of mites or fleas) We have been using some aloe vera anti itch wipes and today we got some Oatmeal shampoo to soothe dry and itchy skin, and we gave them both a bath. After the initial surprise of being in the bath, they loved it, we massaged the shampoo in and it had to be left on for 3 mins, so we kept massaging and they looked like they were in heaven! Fingers crossed no scratching since. The breeder we got them from had them on Wagg puppy food, which we weren't overly happy about as we've read bad reviews about it, and also wondered if this could be responsible for the itchy skin/thinning fur. Today we visited a local pet supplier who manufacture their own pet food which we have had recommended to us, and we have got some high quality hypoallergenic puppy food, which has less cereal and more chicken than the Wagg. It also has glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM and omega 6&3. We will gradually swap them onto this over the next week or two. Hopefully their skin will improve now :-\ Anyway, back to my original question, as they loved the bath so much, we wondered how often is ok to bath them? We rarely did this with our other two as they weren't too keen and rarely needed it, but we would wash them down if they got particularly dirty. Thanks, Lou
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? Good question. I rarely bathed my Labs unless they were really smelly from the pond or too much mud rolling. I would say maybe two or three times a year if that. I do brush them a LOT! I am trying to do it every other day because of all of the hair. It seems that my older black lab is shedding a lot more than the 6 month chocolate puppy, but that could change soon. Being a water dog, Labs have a natural oil in their skin and fur and I think over bathing would strip that and lead to dry and itchy skin problems. biorus
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? We only bath Holly if she really needs it. Most mud seems to dry and brush out of a Lab's coat. Her regular swims seem to help as well.
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? Charlie only gets a "proper" bath if he has rolled in something horrible. He gets a lots of rinses after hydro though, and swims quite a lot, and often needs the mud rinsed off his paws and tummy.
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? Whisky is now 12 weeks old and once a week we give him a "shower" outside using his own watering can. He enjoys getting all soapy and all the additional attention. We would not give him a bath as that is our domain!
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? I don't bath Tatze at all - just a hose down outside if she gets muddy
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? Sam isnt bathed, mainly because he detests it, but also because I dont think frequent bathing is necessary .I guess we are lucky to have a beach nearby and lovely clean rivers , ours swim most days
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? I bath Cassie twice a year. This is my personal choice. All the labs I've had over the years have an undercoat, which they loose twice a year. I've found when it's nearly all gone a shower removes the excess. I've been really lucky as all my dogs loved water. Cuper my 12 week old pup is no exception. I have had him in the shower with me. ( Walk in shower door left open so privacy none.) I was at vet run puppy playgroup on Tuesday and one of the wee cocker spaniel owners asked about shampoing, ( she thought the pup smelled , first dog.) She was advised she didn't need to bath dogs and certainly not waste money on " dog " shampoo. They recommend a mild shampoo or baby shampoo.
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? i just take him for a groom about twice a year, he gets a good shower there
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? Harley has 3 baths/showers since we've had her - one a few days after we got her, once after being very very muddy at about 5 months old and lastly about 7 weeks ago as she had been in really smelly water :
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? iI they are still on Advocate it will reduce the efficacy if you bath them. Maybe the bath they have had and the new food will solve the itchy skin. My dog had thinning skin and small bald patches on his legs and tummy, Advocate cured it.
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? Charlie is 3 1/2 is a Lab x Pointer and he has never had a bath and he absolutely does not smell, a quick dip in the river and good grooming is all he needs. Hattie is clipped every 3-4 months as she is a Labradoodle. I think over bathing strips the natural oils from the coat. x
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? I have never bathed my labradors. Hose pipe if very muddy. : I read bathing can remove the natural oils from the coat which is what gives the coat it's waterproofing. ???
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? We bathe Obi if he's really doggie smelling, or if he gets itchy (he has seasonal allergies). We bathe him with Malaseb, which is an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial dog shampoo. If he is having a very itchy period the shampoo does help. So, for some dogs, medicated shampoo is worthwhile. Otherwise, if he wasn't an itchy dog, I'd just go for a nice smelling baby shampoo. In the summer we do it outside with the hose and in the cooler months in the bath with the hand held shower rose. Probably gets bathed half a doz times a year.
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? Thanks for the replies guys we are planning on taking them to a lovely lake we discovered last year, managed to take our old girl Lizzie for a last paddle in .march, it seemed to give her a new lease of life while we were there, she was v immobile and we thought we might have to carry her to the water but she trotted down, a true water baby from being a pup! We will keep an eye on the itchy dry skin, but other than that stick to once/twice yearly baths if necessary Lou
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? Penny gets bathed about once a month or so, maybe more often if she's particularly dirty or itchy, or we've been in the sea as I know I don't like how salt water makes my hair feel after so I think she must feel the same.
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? Riley is three and I think I've used shampoo on him about twice.......other than that it's a wipe down or if he's filthy the hosepipe (which he hates : )
Re: First bath! How often should you bath a lab? I only get the hose and shampoo out very occasionally as a daily brush and regular dips in the river is usually enough. However, Buddy's recent escapade in the cow field did result in two washes and his teeth brushing to get rid of the cow pat smell! yuck!
