Labrador Retrievers are more likely to develop arthritis, stiffness, obesity and ear infections compared with other breeds, vets have warned.
Research conducted by scientists at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) analysed health data on Labradors, comparing them to Cocker Spaniels, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Shih-tzus. The UK's favourite pup might make an excellent family-friendly companion, but they are sadly at a higher risk of 12 out of 35 problems.
The team compared the health of a random sample of 1,462 Labrador Retrievers with 20,786 non-Labrador Retrievers, discovering that other health issues include lameness, kennel cough and lipoma — a tumour of fat commonly seen in middle-aged to older animals.
"Labrador Retrievers are the most popular dog breed in the UK and are therefore commonly seen by veterinarians in practice," Camilla Pegram, epidemiologist at the RVC and author of the study, told Mail Online.
"As a result, disorders are often perceived to be more common in Labrador Retrievers than other dog breeds, when this might actually be due to their relative popularity. To account for this, we compared the risk in Labrador Retrievers to the risk in all other dogs for a range of common disorders, to reliably identify disorders to which they are predisposed or protected."
Take a look at the full list of common health issues in Labrador Retrievers:
- Arthritis (2.8 x risk compared with other breeds)
- Lipoma (2.5)
- Kennel cough (2.3)
- Laceration (2.2)
- Stiffness (2.1)
- Papilloma (1.7)
- Moist dermatitis (1.7)
- Obesity (1.6)
- Lameness (1.6)
- Post-operative wound (1.6)
- Ear infection (1.5)
- Diarrhoea (1.4)
Published in Scientific Reports, the study also offered owners guidance over what health issues to look out for — as well as when they should seek veterinary advice.
"This data enables us to continue to monitor and improve the breed's health and provide the many responsible breeders with the tools they need to do the same,' Bill Lambert, Health, welfare and breeder services executive at The Kennel Club, adds.
"There are estimated to be well over one million Labradors in the UK, and whilst it's important to remember that this study is just a small percentage of these dogs that have visited a vet, it remains a valuable addition to our Kennel Club breed-specific research base which protects Labrador health, both now and in the future."
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