Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Help with my Labrador

My best buddy is a Chocolate Lab who will be 12 years old next month.

He has developed a breathing issue called Laryngeal Paralysis which the vet says is common to Labs. The abductor muscles of the larynx do not work properly and the fix for it is surgery called Laryngeal Tieback. This will allow better breathing, but they can no longer swim because they could easily drown and they can choke to death on their food.

It can be controlled somewhat by limiting his exercise and using sedatives I'm told.

Poor guy also has arthritis pretty bad.


My request for help questions are; Have any of you dealt with this issue and if so what do you recommend?

Also,
what is the average life expectancy of Labrador Retrievers?

No experience with laryngeal tieback.

Plenty of experience with older labs. Twelve to thirteen years old is what I would call an average age for labs. I lost my chocolate a couple of months ago to cancer, he was not quite 12. He had arthritis, not terrible but bad enough. He had a tumor removed six months before and the likelihood of a good outcome the second time was remote. He had been far too good of a dog to put him through that with little chance of recovery.

I lost his Mom about a year and half before. She was over fourteen and just basically died of old age.

Miss them both.

My chocolate lived 15 years. 100% outside dog, never any visits to the vet. Not routine vax
Cheap ass dog food and greasy table scraps.

You are going to have to make a very difficult decision in the near future. One of the most emotional and difficult decisions you will ever make. The reason I no longer have dogs. My wife has some cats. I don’t get attached to cats. Best of luck dealing with what’s ahead.

Your dog is getting older. 12 would probably the low end of "average" lifespan for Lab types in my experience. Take care of him the best you can. If he can no longer go swimming, so be it.

Not sure about that condition, but our older whippet has something going on with his throat and the wife got him a stand for his food bowl. Also wets his kibble for a half hour before feeding him. Seems to have helped.

Interesting thing, he's getting this stuff for his arthritis, along with Dasuquin and Ester-C and his swallowing has gotten better. Can even eat a whole Milk Bone without choking some like he used to.

https://www.adequancanine.com/

What Mike said, I've had labs my whole life with a shorthair or 2 and a couple of wirehairs(65+ lbs size)...I always felt that 10-11 years was what I was hoping for going in...usually got to 12 or 13...but "quality of life" issues and my respect for the relationship I had with each of my canine partners, usually pushed me to putting them down... when the ignobilty of epilepsy, loss of vision, or bowel or bladder incontinence, had so eroded the simple joys of a walk on the ranch, a swim in the tank, or even a game of fetch...always put down by my loving hand, and sent on to hunt with the family members that have also passed. The price of owning a good dog, is a broken heart in the end!

12 is up there, it’s up to you if you want to prolong his limited life activities for just a few more years.

A lab that can’t swim, with arthritis and pain isn’t a happy lab.

Sorry to hear

There is no good answer. It will always be painful to nearly unbearable. Been through it too many times. What's right for me might not be right for everyone. Sometimes your canine pal will let you know. I'm told that Heaven is getting all your dogs back. I hope that is true and that some horses are included as well.

My deepest sympathy.

Oh Lort, I hope my horses aren’t in Heaven.

Uhhhh, Jesus, hand me a .45

Sad to hear of this.. guess I agree with Mark Lee ( 45_100 ). I have avoided having a dog ( Lab or Golden Retriever ) because I can't handle when their life span is over . Gotta admit to having more use for a lab or Golden Retriever, than I do most people ya run into in today's world.

Best of luck as you move forward. Instead of sadness, thank God for the Goodness you've enjoyed with your lab over its life span. Corny, but yeah... ALL Dog go to heaven.

Thanks for the caring replys guys!

I've had to make this type of decisions before, but it doesn't get any easier.

Had to put a male english chocolate down at 13 yrs 3 mos a few years ago.......he couldnt stand and stopped eating......his kid sister just turned 10 and slowing down considerably.....i limit her excercise.

Not looking forward at all to what is coming.......

My lab Teddy made it to 12 years 10 months 15 days.
The last couple months were for me not him. I’ll never do that again.!

Sig line! Been there too many times over the last 60 years. On our last two dogs now.

Your dog, your call, as always.

My last lab at 12 1/2 came down sick- 36 hours later he died from ruptured lesions on his liver. That was the kindest for both of us over all my dogs.

Our 4 year old Dachshund hurt his back. Ain't no one's business what that cost to maybe get another 10-12 years out of him (or maybe not) and he will never be 100% again.

Take it day by day
We lost Sarge the German Shepherd last month. Had him 8 plus years, no idea of how old he really was as he was an adult when he was adopted.
Zofia the Beagle was 13 on March 16th, she’s in really good shape and still enjoying life.
Loretta the Mountain Cur is 3 1/2 years old.

I just went through it. I had to put my yellow lab down on the 16th. He was 13 years 6 months. He had too many problems to go on.

He was a jumper and runner. By the time he was 8, he had torn both Achilles tendons, so his back legs were screwed up to begin with. Then he got arthritis in his front legs.

He's been getting slower through the years and last Fall he got "Old Dog Syndrome" or vestibular disease where they get like vertigo. That passed as time went on, but he showed dizziness at times. His legs didn't work as it was, now this.

This past Winter he began the coughing and hacking from Laryngeal Paralysis. We were told that it is related to neurological issues. It got worse over the past 4 months. He was too weak and frail to do any kind of surgery on him, so that was out. The biggest problem is that they can aspirate their food and water which will cause a pneumonia. They x-rayed to look at the throat and lungs and he was put on a couple of antibiotics.

When they x-rayed him, they noticed a couple of small rocks in his stomach that weren't there two weeks earlier. As if he didn't have enough problems as it was. What the hell is he eating rocks for? They were only about 1/4" or 3/8" and they induced vomit and he got rid of one of them with a bunch of blood. He was hardly eating.

While all of that is going on, last Winter he developed a tumor on his side. Biopsy showed cancer. After the X-rays, we took him back for an ultra sound to look at the throat, lungs, and the cancer. He was full of cancer.

Our vet referred us to a group that does home euthanization. On 4/16/24 it was a beautiful day, about 80*, and a nice day to lay in the grass and take a nap.

My general attitude when it comes to this is that if he can't walk or won't eat, or both, that it's time. It's a tough decision that only you can make. We were contemplating this day for over a year. When it's time, hopefully you'll know it and not wait too long. I waited too long on my last dog, but we almost went too long on this one as well. It's one of the hardest things you'll have to go through. I wish you well, good luck.

Quality of life at that age. Plus getting cut at that age is no guarantee and a tough recovery

Let him enjoy life with you

For a 12 yr old Lab, no, I wouldn't do any kind of surgery that requires him to be sedated. There's a good chance he won't come out of it and even if he does he probably won't ever be his normal self again. Much like an 85 yr old human that undergoes serious surgery.
For a Lab, every day past 12 is a gift anyway.

Blessings to all of you.

You all have helped more than you will ever know!

Thank you.