New Labrador Puppy

Directions and Cautions

Do not take your pup to Petsmart, or any other high traffic area.

This will expose him to Parvovirus. Even though he has had a shot, he may still be susceptible to this virus. If you purchase toys from these places, bleach the soles of your shoes and your hands when exiting the store, before reaching your car. (This is where  Parvovirus rides). Also bleach the pet supplies in a 15% chlorine solution for 15 minutes. Remember, very few pups live after contracting Parvovirus.

Do not take him to the veterinarian unless it is an extreme emergency.

Getting your puppy a check up is unnecessary and dangerous to his health. Wait until the next shot is due, and call ahead to confirm that there are no active Parvo cases in the vet’s office. A much safer alternative is to give the vaccine yourself. Call me back, and I will help you.

Do not feed ANY other food, snack, raw hide, pig’s ears, ect.

Your pup will not have the enzymes to digest such material, and will have diarrhea.  EVEN ONE MILK BONE WILL CAUSE DIGESTIVE UPSET AND LOOSE STOOLS.  Plant material, pine bark, leaves, ect. will also cause loose stools. There may even be blood in the stool. Especially bad are the snacks from “dog bakeries”. Feed ONLY the JaxMax formulas, as he has had the digestive enzymes passed on from his mother to handle the high quality ingredients.

Not Eating or Stopped Eating

Your puppy will most likely not eat much for the first few days after coming to your home. This is normal, and will not hurt him. Do not encourage him to eat or offer him different foods!! If your pup or adult Lab quits eating, it is not the food – he most likely is just not hungry, or has an upset stomach. Tempting him to eat by “spicing up the meal” will make him sick! Give him time. He will let you know when he is hungry.

NUTRITION IS CRITICAL

We have spent just over a million dollars in the last four years researching canine nutrition, and developing the world’s only Labrador food and snacks. Nutrition is critical to the health of your dog. Even a short period of consuming a different brand of food or snacks (even a well known brand recommended by your vet) can cause O.C.D. and/or hip dysplasia. Keep him on the JaxMax Labrador formulas. There is not an ingredient in this food to cause allergies.

THERE IS NO OTHER FOOD EVEN CLOSE TO JAXMAX ANYWHERE.

Ordering is easy, go to www.JaxMax.com. Delivery options include: Local delivery, FedEx and AutoMax (Automatic delivery on a scheduled time you specify.)

Supplements

Give him 125 mg. Natural Vitamin C in pill form daily, starting at 16 weeks of age. Do not use drug store or GNC brands. These are not adequate. Go to www.Quixtar.com and search for Bio C Plus. This is the only product we have found that has all necessary molecular structures for the body. (Human as well as canine). If you have problems ordering this, call me, and I will order it for you.

Bloody stools are not a tremendous cause for alarm.

There are a number of causes, and most are benign. Labs have garbage mouths and baby stomachs. If the bloody or loose stool persists, call me.

Feed your pup as much JaxMax as he can eat in a fifteen minute setting, twice daily.

Do not be alarmed if he walks away after eating only a small amount, or even none. He has never known sugar (a big unlisted ingredient in nearly every commercial dog food and snack) and will not be as driven to consume as you might expect. The food is also highly digestible. (The highest digestibility in the world). He will not need much. You can expect him to eat about 1 to 1 ½ measured cups twice daily. Even as an adult, consumption will be close to this. (They will eat more during cold weather).

The JaxMax Snacks are formulated to go hand in hand with the food. While I do not recommend training with treats, they do make a great gift when the puppy is not expecting it. They also help fill in the munchies between meals, and are extremely nutritious. You could literally feed him a bowl of JaxMax Snacks, and he would get as much nutrition from this as the food. (Snacks not designed to fit with the food will cause nutritional blockage, and hair loss).

Loneliness is the biggest problem with Labradors.

If you are going to be gone during the day, leave him in an area where he can get some exercise, such as in a kitchen that is baby gated off. DO NOT LEAVE HIM IN A CRATE. I know many books recommend this, but it is not an acceptable form of containment. To ward off loneliness, leave a T.V. or radio playing (Classical music is their favorite). The best solution is to have two Labradors. That way, they will never experience loneliness, and you will never experience guilty feelings for being gone.

Remember, we are here for the life of this dog. Please call me with any questions, concerns, or comments. 704-392-6140 or 704-975-2598

Flea and Tick Control

 Use K-9 Advantix (not to be confused with Advantage). This is a topical product, dosed by weight. Apply the liquid to the skin, over the backbone and above the shoulder blades. Although this is a monthly product, it should be used only when necessary. Keep in mind that when you place a collar on your puppy, he will scratch at the neck area for a couple of weeks. This is not caused by fleas, and is a simple neck irritation. Another acceptable product is called Frontline, also a topical liquid, though it will not control mosquito bites as well as K-9 Advantix.

Heartworm  Control

Heartworms are transmitted through the bite of a mosquito. You should use heartworm preventative from the first sighting of a mosquito in the spring, and 30 days after seeing the last mosquito of the fall. You should start this preventative by the time your puppy reaches 14 weeks of age.

    The best products are once a month chewable, such as Heartguard or Ivomec. These products contain Ivomectin, which kills the heartworms while they are still in a larval stage. Once the heartworms mature, these products have minimal impact on the parasites, and heart disease is very possible. Make sure to use the heartworm preventative consistently. These products are available from a veterinarian, or through internet sites such as Petmed Express.

    Do not use any injectible products, such as six month or one year shots for heartworms!

Bathing

Use a human shampoo with a conditioner, such as Pert. Stay away from pet and baby shampoos, as they are never as good. No matter what shampoo you use, make sure to rinse well! If not, itching will occur.