oldest labradors? anyone else with oldies? question...

NeverSayNever

NeverSayNever

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my dear black lab was 14 in March. He was a competing agility dog most of his life and we have always made sure he is slim and fit. He had 3 strokes last year, which left him with weaker backlegs, partial sight and hearing. However, although at times he wobbles a bit, he still happily roams about our large garden and if he catches sight of me (better if i move/wave) he trots over wagging his tail. His movement is still pretty free for his age and when out with the other dogs he even has a canter about and a play with them, but the rough and tumble from 5 collies is often too much as he tends to fall over. We dont walk him as such anymore, he puffs and coughs very easily, but as i said, he is happy out in the garden. He got quite disorientated after the strokes and didnt settle easily so we got him a large fabric dome cage that he can in and out of as he pleases. He seems to feel secure in there as he spends most of the day sleeping in it now, and has settled again. He is also still VERY keen for his food. The problem we have, is that he doesnt travel well anymore. He cant get into the car and once we lift him in he shakes as he seems to feel unbalanced. We often go away to stay with family and take all the dogs with us but its getting harder and harder - last few times he has travelled at my feet and we have taken the domecage with us for him to sleep in at the other end. I know he is a really good age for a lab... but he is my first oldie, and im worried. how will know if its time, he seems so good most days but i dread finding him not in a good way if he has another stroke. What sort of age have other people's labs lived til? thanks
 
Barney was nearly 16 when he went - he had gone downhill very gradually over about 6 months.
 
He really was :) He slowed up hugely and his eyesight went, but he was still happy pottering about. He was never incontinent although he did stop being able to tell when he needed to go much in advance of actually going, so he would sometimes not quite make it to the back garden.:rolleyes: We also had to lift him in and out of the car, but once in he was ok, we just made sure to have lots of stops for him.

Eventually he had a series of mini-fits, and we decided it just wasn't fair and let him go:(
 
I lost my whippet x greyhound at 18 jsut recently, you will know when it's time, and the sparkle has gone from his eye and alot of thigs jsut become to much of a struggle, being a lab, he may never give up the want for food though:rolleyes::D he sounds like he is still toddling by nicely and you are making life comfortable for him, you could try a car ramp for him.
 
Not a lab (Cayla started it!!!) but we called the vet to our 14 yr old GSD the day I looked out and saw her struggling to get to her feet. She just looked...tired and fed up. We had discussed it at length years before as my mum had kept a previous female for about two years too long.

This female had broken a leg in puppyhood and had it pinned, she lived a fun-filled, active life, always on the go, never stopped moving, so did not think it was fair to keep her a day longer if there was going to be any additional stress or strain on her old bones, we owed it to her after everything she'd given us.

Like Cayla says, you can see it in their eyes.
Hope there is life in your old chap yet :)
 
Our xbreed (think he's got some lab in him) is 15 now. he's got heart failure now so has slowed down, but is quite happy pottering around the house, barking at the door. We do have to keep an eye on his quality of life though.
 
mine turned 13 last month. She's still in pretty good nick - hearing is going a bit (she can't pinpoint where sounds come from very well) and arthritis in her back legs after strenuous exercise, like swimming. She still loves her walks though! :) She's had epilepsy since she was about 4, but that doesn't bother her much - just the occasional 5 minute fit. I wish she could live forever :cool: :(

ETA few gratutitous pics from this year!

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Crikey this is really close to home. My old lab x pointer is 13, he is at the vets this weekend after losing a lot of blood from a tiny hole in his gum, he has had every test under the sun, and everything is within normal range, but with protien slightly high.
He bled a few times on Friday pm, so he stayed in Friday night = no blood :rollseyes: and is staying til Monday for some R&R , he is quite bright and chirpy, he is very deaf and a bit blind (I walk him wearing hi-viz). But he still he the spark in his eyes and was rolling around in the straw on Friday noon. I think there is a fine line between doing enough and doing too much, and at the moment I *hope* I am getting it right.
Vet is testing him for a rare haemaphilia called Von Willebrand. You might know it wouldn't be a common form of something with him!
 
i think my mums lab got to 14 and went downhill very fast over 2 days. It started one morning when she wouldn't eat ,then later that day her back legs went while she was havig a wee. The next day she couldn't get out of her basket so i took her to the vets and let her go.

My friends lab/alsation cross got to 14.5yrs old
 
aww spudlet, he is handsome. I always think the blacks look older somehow... they go greyer and mine seems to keep shedding and shedding and no matter how much i brush him he looks a bit moth eaten at times:o We have decided to take him on hols with us soon to the west coast and plan to carry him down the tricky rough path to the beach and then let him have a play about once he's down there...:)
 
Thank you - I miss him:(

Fur used to come off him by the handful, there were always huge clumps blowing about the place like tumbleweed no matter how often you swept up! Think it is an old Lab thing:D
 
Old Pilot dog is 15 1/2 now. He had a series of strokes at 13 and I thought he was a goner. He hung on in there and he's still toddling around yet. He's pretty shoogly though and walkies dont go very far or last very long but he's still happy so thats all that matters.

(oh, and I'm Skippy btw;))

Here he is with Eric (who is about 14 - its like the old folks home here!)
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Your description of your Lab is basicially what mines like. His eyesight is going and he only spots someone if they move or wave. His hearings limited and has slowed down. He still enjoys a run about and is still free moving, if thats the correct phrasing, although spends a lot more time sleeping and sunbathing that he did before this summer.
A few years ago he wouldn't even consider lying down if you were outside with him, and just pester you to play with him for hours but the other day, I opened the gate (which is quite noisy), shouted him, and walked over to him and he never looked up, stayed asleep. He is only 12 but its a big change for me as he is such a fit and active dog who I never saw sleep for about 9 years, now he sometimes slumbles oves after standing still for too long and couldn't do some of the walks we used to.


Gone a bit off track.. I knew a Labrador that was 19 years old before he passed away and only started to really deteriorate (SP?) in the last 2 months or so. I've told Scubs he's got to last that long too! :D


Should I add a picture?! :D

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He lives outside so still has alot of his winter coat so looks abit bigger than he actually is.


I haven't reread this post, I'm too tired so I appologise if its long/full of mistakes :)

Torchy - so sorry to hear about Pilot, xx
 
Sorry to hear about pilot :(

We had our old lab Rosie pts last friday, she was 15 this year and she had just had enough, sparkle had gone from her eyes and she just wasn't as bright anymore, it was so so awful but for the best :(
 
Sorry to hear about Pilot. :( It's the hard part of having dogs (or any animal)

Melba is 15 and still going strong. Never underestimate the difference being slim most of their life makes! The ONLY older labs I know are ones that have worked fairly hard most of their life and have been kept slim.

Melba's totally deaf and has been for a couple of years. Eye sights still ok.

She has, very unusually, almost no arthritic of her legs but she does have quite arthritis in her lower back - the joints themselves aren't particularly painful but it has caused stenosus of the spinal canal and made her back end weak and wobbly.

Have you had your lad at the vets recently? There is a huge amount they can do to help older dogs. Painkillers will make a huge difference to any arthritis and if he's huffing and puffing it would be worth getting his heart and lungs checked - melba started that a while ago and it turned out she had a mild chest infection. After some antibiotics she started to tear up and down the house again :rolleyes:

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Sorry to hear about Pilot :( xxx

My first JRT (Ben) died age 21. He was definately that age, as my parents had got him for me for my fourth birthday and I remember dad bringing him home in his overall pocket. In the end he couldn't walk, so was PTS at home.

My dad's last ESS (Sam) was 18 when he died. He turned blind at 16, but just quietly slipped away in his sleep one night.
 
My old lab was 14, and we knew it was time when he struggled to get up and down (back legs) and didn't always make it outside in time for the loo - he was such a good obedient dog, and he looked so ashamed and 'down' when he messed up that we knew it was time - we didn't want him to go through the distress of the loo stuff, and the panicing if he couldn't get up.
 
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