Labrador Retriever care calendar

Year-round routine

What a Labrador Retriever needs on a repeating cadence, whatever the month.

• GroomingBrush coatWeekly, daily during the moult

  A rubber curry or slicker for most of the year. During the spring and autumn moult an undercoat rake used daily for two to three weeks removes far more than a month of weekly brushing does.

• GroomingBathEvery 6-8 weeks, or after swimming in anything stagnant

  Over-bathing strips the coat oils that make it water-resistant. Rinse with plain water after ordinary swims and save shampoo for when the dog is actually dirty.

• GroomingEar check and dryWeekly, and after every swim

  Dry the canal with a cotton pad — never a cotton bud down the ear. A yeasty smell or head shaking means it is already an infection, not a cleaning problem.

• GroomingNail trimEvery 3-4 weeks

  Take small amounts often; the quick recedes as the nail shortens.

• ParasitesHeartworm preventiveMonthly, year-round

  The American Heartworm Society recommends year-round prevention rather than a seasonal course, because a missed shoulder month is how most infections get in. Give it on the same date each month.

• ParasitesFlea and tick preventiveMonthly, year-round

  Peak exposure runs spring through late autumn, but fleas overwinter indoors and ticks stay active above about 4 °C, so most vets now advise dosing through the winter as well.

• DentalBrush teethDaily, or at minimum three times a week

  Only pet toothpaste — xylitol and fluoride in human paste are not safe to swallow. Plaque mineralises into tartar in two to three days, which is why twice a week is the floor rather than the target.

• DentalCheck gums and back teethMonthly

  Lift the lip and look at the upper carnassials and the gum line. Red margins, a brown band, or breath that changed recently are the signs worth a call.

• DentalProfessional dental assessmentAt the annual exam

  Your vet grades tartar and gingivitis at the yearly visit and advises when a scale under anaesthetic is due. Most dogs need one somewhere between years three and five.

• WellnessAnnual wellness examYearly

  Book it in the same month each year so it does not drift. Twice yearly from about age seven, when changes move faster than a twelve-month gap can catch.

• WellnessCore vaccinations reviewedYearly review, boosters on your vet's schedule

  Rabies interval is set by local law; distemper/parvo combinations are commonly three-yearly after the initial series. Lifestyle vaccines — leptospirosis, Lyme, kennel cough — depend on where you walk and whether you board.

• WellnessWeigh and body-condition scoreMonthly at home

  You should feel the ribs easily under a thin layer, and see a waist from above. Weight creeping up is the single most common thing an owner can fix without a prescription.

• WellnessNail length checkEvery 2 weeks

  If you hear the nails on a hard floor they are long. Overlong nails change how the foot loads and, over years, how the joints above it are loaded too.

• WellnessJoint check — watch for stiffness after restMonthly from age 5

  Trouble rising after a nap, a bunny-hopping gait, or reluctance on stairs are earlier signals than limping. Raise them at the annual exam rather than waiting for a limp.

Month by month

The dates that move. Shedding, parasite season and the annual checks worth booking in a particular month.