Epileptic lab

[BabyElephant]

We met Poppy's favourite male friends again this morning, one is a golden retriever, the other a black lab - they are both stunning and both love to play nicely with Poppy - they are real gentlemen . Their owner was telling me what happened to the lab a couple of weeks ago - he had a fit, thankfully while they were home. Apparently he stopped breathing, and was convulsing etc so they rushed him to the vets. He'd stopped doing this by the time they go there but he didn't appear to know where he was.

They had to leave him at the vets and were told that they could take him home at 6pm if it hadn't happened again. Well they got him home and two hours later he had another one. To cut a long story short he has been diagnosed as epileptic and needs daily medication. His owner also has to carry around some medication and a syringe to administer it if it happens again.

Looking back there were earlier signs that he may have had this but his owners didn't know what to look for so it got to this stage before he was diagnosed.

I was wondering if anybody knew if epilepsy is common in labs? Does it affect their life expectancy etc?

[sheplovr]

Hey Baby it can happen in any breed, not just labs or any special breed. Genetics play an important part in our breeding programs is why I got to Germany for my dogs and Gerti My German friend that is coming again this year, cannot wait to see her, she knows alot about this stuff and researches it way back in the lines before I buy one. I am importing a female from her next litter and she will research that entire pedigree both side entirely for anything, not saying something might happen but it makes it most unlikely. American bred dogs are become fastly on the unhealthy side, do not know if this is in UK but here it is slowly becomeing so bad I will not take a dog freee. Sorry hope u are talking about here than UK. as Videx in UK is a terrifice breeder of Shepherds otherwise I am lost on other breeds and lines of them. sorry Baby.

[rottiebaby]

I don't no about Labs but a friend of ours had a boxer with it.

[SalemsMom]

Jack Russels, Scottys,collies, probably in all breeds, just like people, if its in a background, it can come out. With medicine, it can be controlled.

[Savage Destiny]

I've seen all sorts of breeds with epilepsy, including Labs. I think it just happens randomly.

Whether it shortens their life just depends on the severity. I've known dogs with epilepsy who lived to be 14, others whose seizures got so bad they had to be put down at 2.

[doglady]

I have read on a dog epilepsy site of various breeds that have seizures. So it's not just pegged at a certain breed. Also that it can show up at any age.