Thank you, Pippa et al, for writing the article about keeping your elderly lab fit and slim, and not just focusing on puppies or younger dogs. You see so many fat and panting old labs hobbling around, it's very sad - especially when you then hear from the owners that the dog is only nine or ten years old! And it's very true that it is sometimes hard to spot signs of pain or illness - I just thought my old Billy was really slowing down and going off his food, but a trip to the vet then showed he had an infected tooth. Once that was removed, he went back to his happy energetic self, and went on to the ripe old age of sixteen!!!!! I know it's partly genetic, but as you so rightly say, with a bit of care and some careful management of exercise and diet, combined with regular trips to the vets and check ups, you really can prolong your dog's life - and make it so much more comfortable for him/her.
Re: Elderly labradors Thanks from me too, although Lady is just 3 and in her prime at the moment. You mentioned supplements for joints. When Lady's ED was first diagnosed the vet suggested green lipped mussel. It seems to work because her limp disappeared in the 6 weeks or so leading up to her operation. The specialist who operated on her elbows also said it seemed to get very good results on joints and they also recommended using it, or glucosamine and chondroitin.
Re: Elderly labradors I don't know about elderly Labrador's being over weight, the last time I went to the Vet she commented how lovely it was to see a dog of Hattie's age, a mere 5 1/2 years bang on weight, fit as a flea, exercised well and in such good condition. She said she sees so many over weight dogs both very young as well as old in her surgery. Helen
Re: Elderly labradors On a lighter note - you know what they say: 'If your dog is overweight - you're not getting enough exercise!!!' Fat unhealthy dogs = fat unhealthy owners... David, I am not convinced about the whole glucomsamine/chondroitin/green lipped mussel thing myself. I have been taking them for years, and my arthritis is getting so bad that I am facing a hip replacement this summer... at the ripe of age of 53.
Re: Elderly labradors Well no. I've been taking it too and it doesn't seem to make much difference. The vet said give the adult dose which in human terms would be about 4 x the recommended dose. Don't knowif that's a factor. It does seem to work on Lady though, but there again it could be she was just in a non-limp phase which is a characteristic of the disease. Anyway with her new upgraded front suspension she should be ok now. ;D
Re: Elderly labradors It's not just elderly labs, I saw a beautiful boy in town at the weekend, his owners said he was four, poor boy waddled and it's not exactly warm but he was panting like a traction engine. With regards to supplements Juno had arthritis from an old injury and was on cod liver oil for her skin but it made a huge difference to her mobility too and likewise with her herbs in the winter when her grass allergy was dormant and she didn't take the herbs she stiffened up again so we formulated a winter mix. She was G+C too but I didn't really see much difference - however I have a smashed up ankle and I take hi-strength g+c with hyaluronic acid and when I ran out it began to seize - but it's ligament not bone (yet).
Re: Elderly labradors It is an awful shame to see so many overweight dogs . We used to worry that Sam was too slim , he weighs 7 stones but its all bone and muscle, but our Vet said no, he was tall and to keep him on the slim side . I met a lady at the beach a week or so ago with what I thought was an elderly Lab, waddling along taking its time , it turned out to be just six years old :
Re: Elderly labradors Quite a few of the Labs near me are grossly overweight too. Lady is very small for a Lab and her target weight should be around 27kg, but quite a few Lab owners have expressed shock when I've said she needs to lose a bit in the past. She's spot on 27kg now and looks good in my eyes. I can see how it would be easy to end up with a fat one though.
