sandgrubber

Not in qld and don't know any vets there. My impression is that you are likely to end up with scripts for Cartofen and maybe gabepentin, possibly steroids (injection?) . If your girl is heavy, weight loss, swimming recommended. (I have arthritis in my hip and had several arthritic / dyspaisic dogs to look after in my days running a boarding kennel). The peer reviewed literature isn't real positive about any of the supplements that get recommended, or about acupuncture.

One of my Labs is rat obsessed. She'll wait patiently for hours to catch and kill the occasional rat that gets into the pantry. (I leave doors open and rars do come in). I suspect rat drive is present in many (most?) breeds, but stronger in some individuals.

The vet didn't see anything major... apart from old age and excess weight. Partial collapse of larynx could be responsible for panting. Weight loss should help if that's the problem. Prescription: 20% less food, 50% more meticam. It turned cool again today (14 C and raining). Jarrah pants less when it's cold.

http://floridapolitics.com/archives/280365-dog-racing-ban-amendment-13?fbclid=IwAR160aymwnlqWzZ4TSsR2nLU85U_VguJ-6y0KkSkithxd61oYDjeScnXh4I One bit of USA election news that didn't get much press.

Jarrah is 14 and declining in many ways. I'm fighting with the big hard decision. Latest problem is that she pants heavily at night. Two related problems. One, I suspect it's a sign of pain. Two, it keeps me awake and makes me anxious. I've moved and don't have a trusted vet within 2000km. I have a vet appointment tomorrow with a vet I don't know (though I know the practice deals with a lot of rural people and isn't inclined to be sentimental) to make the awful decision. The rational brain says there's no point to doing a lot of tests and palleatives. My emotions want to keep her going. Seeking advice generally about how to interpret excessive panting, and how to make the awful decision.

https://www.prime7.com.au/news/4614-dogs-starved-to-death

I'd hesitate to make much of this in the case of Lab colors because 1. All closed registries are arbitrarily reduced gene pools. 2. Genetic exchange between chocolate Labs and yellow and black Labs is not highly, restricted... and for many breeds the total breed population is MUCH smaller than the population of chocolate Labs.

Yellow, please. A golden Labrador is a Labrador x Goldie. I agree, cream color has become more prevalent, but the true fox red has always been rare

I wouldn't look. Fox reds are rare, and anyone breeding for them is working from a very restricted gene pool. See recent posts on health in chocolate Labs. It's not that the color itself is bad, but breeders who specialize in a rare color are likely to overlook health and temperament factors to get the desired color. Also to inbreed. Fox red is MUCH less common than chocolate, and the problems that come with breeding for color are likely to be acute.

This may seem harsh, but all dog insurance is a bet that your dog needs considerably more vet care than average. In that case, you shouldn't be breeding. And if you can't finance an emergency cesarean or withstand possible loss of a litter or bitch, you still should not be breeding.

Can you provide any evidence of this? My first chocos was a surprise from a black x yellow mating. When I bred her, I preferred (not strongly, but there's such a wide selection of Labs at stud, even a weak preference can be followed without sacrifice) black carrying both yellow and chocos... rainbow litters are the best if you aren't concerned about color and expect puppy buyers to have color in mind. Show oriented people don't want dudleys, but most lab pups go to pet homes, and the only thing wrong with a dudleys is some idiotic words in the breed standard that disqualifies them in the ring.

How dogs could help eradicate malaria https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2018/10/29/how-dogs-could-help-eradicate-malaria/

I have 3 chocolate Labs, aged 14 (probably won't make 15), 9 (acts middle aged) and 5 (acts like a puppy). Grand dam, dam and pup. I don't dispute the findings, but it ain't necessarily so. The problem is poor breeding, not colour per se.

So why do so many breeders refuse to sell to people who may want to have a litter? That 1% could be a lot higher if breeders weren't so precious about who is fit to have a litter. And, BTW, modern evidence suggests that overly hygienic conditions result in weak immune systems... a litter in the house may contribute to kids being asthma free and less vulnerable to colds.

I'm not at all bothered that people have a preference for a relatively common color in a common breed. If there's too much to choose from, it's fine to use an arbitrary criteria to narrow the field. As for reading through the list of breeders, you can get a sense of what they emphasize in their descriptions. I worry if it's all about ribbons without much on health... and I look for specific mention of what they do to breed for health. It's good to find a breeder who can tell you about the health status of great grand sires and dams...if they are still alive, and if not, what they died of at what age, etc

Yes

You do need to be brave, no because of the dog, but because of laws and attitudes. No, make that 'stupid'. Getting a banned or restricted breed is NOT a good entrée into dog ownership.

I'd look into Bravecto.

She's a Labrador...chances are that she will like almost anything

Outbreak of antibiotics resistant disease tied to pet shop puppies (USA). Seems they have been using antibiotics routinely for prophylactic purposes. https://www.statnews.com/2018/09/20/antibiotics-resistant-bacteria-puppies-people/

I've found that confusing. First you click to choose, then you have to click on the + sign on the image to add it to your post.

I'd say rescue an adult. Staff types tend to be both cuddly and robust, and there are many in rescue. You do need to be cautious about dog aggression with any bull breed type...not always a problem, but common enough.

Forgot to mention: One common problem you may be able to fix. Check her toenails. Over long nails can make it hard and painful to walk...especially for oldies with other aches and pains. If too long, trim very gradually. As for blindness... generally not a huge problem for an inactive dog, and likely there's no good treatment.

Sounds more like an unplanned litter than a design. Similar outcomes are pretty common, though, with "oodles" when the pet shop failed to note that the poodle half was a standard poodle.

A vet, yes. Be prepared, though. If the old gentleman has tight finances, that must be made clear with the vet from the outset. Testing, xrays, etc. can run up a big bill very fast, and even the drugs for making the dog comfortable can come to $100/mo. It wouldn't surprise me if a strict diet, gradual introduction of exercise, and something for pain relief - with some vet supervision - would do a lot of good. If money is tight, I'd suggest proposing something like that and seeing what the vet says.