My gorgeous 5 year old, neutered boy (yellow lab) sometimes works himself into such a state that when we come back from a long weekend of meeting people or Walk, he kind of collapses. I don’t think it’s a seizure, as he doesn’t shake, and he seems to recover after about 5 mins and is never unconscious. I have had panic attacks where my hands seize up, and that seems to be the closest thing I can pin on it- He’s hyperventilating so hard he cant get enough oxygen to his muscles and his paws clamp up and spasm. He has to lie down, and groans a bit and then is fine. He had a check up a week ago and the vet said he had a strong heart and it might be blood sugar related, but just wondered if anyone else has ever experienced similar?
Could your boy have Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC)? Many breeders will perform a genetic test to rule it out of any potential litters, but less thoroughly tested litters may be affected. http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/exercise-induced-collapse-labrador-retrievers
Ah that’s handy, thank you- we have read about this but were worried it was something more sinister. He doesn’t drag his legs around tho, just goes wobbly and consciously faints. I feel awful because there meant to be a high energy breed, but we have to be aware of pushing him too far! Do you think there’s any cure? X
If it is EIC (and you should have him checked for this, it's a very simple test) then there is no cure. It is something that has to be managed for the rest of his life. I think it's @Granca who has a dog with EIC? If it is this, it's a serious condition, so you have to work within his limitations in order not to trigger it. Did you mention it to your vet at your visit?
Thanks so much, we will have him tested. I’d love some advice about how he can still play and run about without this happening! We didn’t mention to the vet, apart from his collapse, as we didn’t know at the time, and he said he seemed heathy otherwise..x
It's really important that you tell your vet everything so they can do tests and have a full picture. It can be a very serious problem if not managed carefully. You will need to do shorter walks, especially if he is running around a lot or if it's warmer weather. Do you do any training with him that involves him using his brain such as hiding treats (small ones) over the house or in the garden? Or by using kongs or treat balls / toys? They do get more tired by doing this games as it uses their brains.
Yes, it's Wispa who probably has EIC. In the past she has collapsed in the garden when she has played too vigorously. She throws herself into playing fetch, becoming very excited and running as fast as she can in her eagerness to fetch the toys and bring them back for another turn. She doesn't know when to stop, so we have to think for her and limit the number of 'fetches'. On one occasion she collapsed on a walk when my sons had taken a frisby to throw for the dogs while we were walking. Fortunately there was a large muddy puddle we could put her in to cool her down. Walks are now just walks (although she does run about too!), with no 'play' element to cause over-excitement. Wispa's hind legs go wobbly when she has over-exerted herself - she can almost lose the use of them completely. She pants heavily, drinks water and has to lie down on a cold surface for about half an hour to recover. Needless to say, it's distressing to see and we are very careful to avoid over-excitement and can normally manage to avoid the situation. It's especially important to keep her calm during hot weather and to avoid walking her at all during the hottest part of the day. I have kept the vet informed, particularly when I recently discovered that her littermate brother had had similar symptoms since the breeder had moved to the coast and had exercised him on the beach. The breeder had him tested and he was found to be affected (the gene has been passed down through the sire). I had already told the breeder that I suspected that Wispa had EIC and another forum member had kindly done some research for me, tracing the gene to Wispa's father. I thought I had done my homework before buying Wispa, as the breeder had all the correct papers for hip and eye scores, but I didn't then know about EIC. The vet has checked her thoroughly, although she's not been tested for EIC, and her heart and lung function is fine. I wouldn't change Wispa for the world, though! As Naya has said, brain games are good. Wispa enjoyed running around the garden looking for her toys when I've hidden them - I just have to ensure that I point her in the right direction if she doesn't immediately pick up the scent trail so that she doesn't dash around for too long. She also enjoyed playing tug-of-war with Tuppence (they're at it now!). Tuppence, although the more 'needy' of the two, is far more measured in her approach to play and paces herself, even though she rushes straight to the toy box when any of my family arrive, rather than staying and greeting them as Wispa does. We just have to think for Wispa and control her exuberance! Do discuss it with your vet and, if possible, video any episode of collapse so that your vet can see the symptoms. That's easier said than done because videoing is the last thing on your mind when the dog is distressed, but it can help with deciding whether testing is necessary. Let me know how you get on.
Has this been going on for 5 years? OR is it just recently? Is it hot where you are? Dogs do get heat exhaustion and heat stroke and the symptoms can be similar to what you describe. Another idea, is he being a weekend warrior? It sounds like an extreme reaction but if he does little during the week then a lot on the weekend that might be a problem. I've never heard of anything more than sore muscles from over doing it as a weekend warrior but it's something to think about or it might be a contributing factor.
