We've had Labs all the twenty-six years of our marriage, all of them pure-bred and registered. Dutch and Gummy Bear had no health issues until they were twelve years of age, and they lived to 13 and 15 years. Both were bred at the prior owner's home. Wilma Rudolph II and Aloysius Bear (Wishes) are brother and sister, he from the litter following Wilma. Both were born at a professional Labrador breeder's kennel. Both have had dysplasia from about two years of age. Neither is yet ten, but they limp, are stiff after laying about for just a bit. They get modest exercise three times a day with cloth Frisbees on the front lawn. Both are full of sebacious cycts, which have been check for cancer; both are cancer free so far as we can tell. They've been on Purina 1 food alternating between "mature dogs" and "weight management". FINALLY, the questions: What causes the cysts? Could it be over-breeding or familial closeness, or what? And, Wilma, no matter what food, nor how few cookies, has never-ending flatulence. Any thoughts are appreciated. thanx, JR
Re: Genetics and Flatulence Hi there and welcome to the forum! So sorry, I don't have any answers to your questions. Hopefully someone will have a little more knowledge than I on these sorts of things, I have never looked into genetics, etc so am in the dark on that one. Not sure about the flatulence, either. In my dogs they have only had it when they have eaten a food they were allergic to, so when I eliminated the food the problem went away. But if you have tried switching foods that might not be the issue, although if you don't do the switch properly (ie slow introduction of new food) it can cause stomach upsets too.
Re: Genetics and Flatulence Sorry, I can't help much. I changed my dog onto a new food and it really helped with flatulence I think it does depend partly on the goodness of the ingredients. Anyway, just wanted to say hi and welcome to the forum
Re: Genetics and Flatulence Hello there, and a very warm welcome to the forum, thanks so much for telling us about your dogs. My (somewhat limited) understanding is that sebacious cysts are caused by excess sebum - does your vet have any tips for prevention? Special grooming or shampoos or so on? Sorry to hear about the joint problems. You might find gentle walks, or hydrotherapy, is better than the stop/start action of frisbees though. Plus hydro helps stiffness (as does gentle walking before any sudden exercise, and also cool down walking - just as for humans). In term of flatulence - sorry, no help! I don't know....
Re: Genetics and Flatulence Welcome. Sorry cannot really help. Did you check the hip scores of the parents of your last two? I had 2 German Shorthaired Pointers who were not related and both had many lipomas (fatty cysts) and I always wondered if it was due to the food I fed, which was a good kibble, as that was the only thing in common. I agree with JulieT that running after cloth frisbees could be making the stiffness more of a problem, gentle walks and swimming would be better; if they like retrieving things, then hide the cloth frisbees in the garden or when you are out and let them hunt them out rather than running after them and twisting and turning.
Re: Genetics and Flatulence Joint issues are certainly a problem in Labs. Add that to the natural processes of aging, and you always end up with an old dog who is arthritic. About HD in your current pups, you say they come from a reputable breeder, but were their parents screened for HD and ED? If they were, and they were clear, there are unfortunately multiple genes that are involved in developing these conditions. So it may be bad luck. No input about the cysts, but if they are benign there is nothing to worry about. Flatulence, from my experience, has to do with food. Maybe the one they are currently on simply doesn't agree with them.
Re: Genetics and Flatulence Hi Raymaker, I've got a14 year old yellow lab. She was diagnosed with dysplasia in 2008 when she was 8. I took her to hydrotherapy twice a week for a few years and now we go just once a week. It has certainly helped with her mobility. People when they see her running can't believe she's 14. For an elder dog she shows no sign of arthritis. Just an idea, it's not cheap, but from what I understand from our hydrotherapist no dog is too old to start hydrotherapy. As for flatulence, meg developed it so I changed her food slowly. She now has food from fish4dogs. I ordered samples from a few companies and found that the one from fish4dogs suited her. No flatulence at all now. Good luck with everything.
Re: Genetics and Flatulence My lasts dog's flatulance could be described as an offensive weapon. I changed her to JWB Turkey and Rice kibble, problem solved. Husband, doing the shopping, decided to economise on dog food. Problem came back. New bag of JWB purchased, cheap stuff jettisoned.
Re: Genetics and Flatulence Thanks for all the help! I'll ask the Vet for a recommended food (and COOKIES!). And try to walk more. Good of you all to offer your experience. JR
Re: Genetics and Flatulence Hi there,welcome to the forum,great to have you here ;D I have Dexter,he's our first dog and he's 22 months old ,which makes me a bit inexperienced in some of the issues you are facing. Flatulence......my old friend ;D .Similar to a few of the other members comments ours has always been related to diet.Dexter has a very sensitive tummy,trialling different foods helped us to settle it down but we still have to be very careful ,unpleasant whiffs from him are always a sure indicator he has scoffed something on the 'banned 'list ( most things are on the 'banned' list : )
Re: Genetics and Flatulence Hi there! Welcome from me too - must have missed you earlier. We don't have smelly wind thankfully, just hilarious little squeaky releases, usually on sitting down (I am of course referring to Lilly our 4 year old black girl, not ourselves ;D ) Jac
