Silver Labs Health Issues

Silver labradors have health issues that are not unique or peculiar to them alone. They are affected by the same health issues that affect other color labradors. They are still some of the most popular pets around the world. Your pet deserves all the love and care that you can give it.

This means taking care of your pet’s health as well. Know your dog and also how you can keep it in good health. Labradors are born retrievers and hunters this means that they eat a lot of things and some of what they retrieve is not meant to be in their mouths and this can cause serious health repercussions.

Retinal dysplasia

This is a disease that affects the eye of an animal. It can be caused by a lack of vitamin A, canine herpesvirus, radiation of the eye in newborns or genetic defect amongst other causes. In dogs, it is mostly caused by genes. Ther are four forms of retinal dysplasia and these are focal, multifocal, geographical or accompanied by retinal detachment.

These all present differently. Geographic retinal dysplasia comes across as an irregular shaped area in the central retina. Focal and multifocal dysplasia come across as streaks and dots in the central retina. Whilst retinal detachment happens when there is complete retinal dysplasia or if it is accompanied by blindness.

In addition to retinal dysplasia, cataracts or glaucoma can also occur.

Cataracts

A cataract is a blurriness in the dog’s eye that can cause the dog’s vision to be blurry. It is an opacity in the lens of the dog’s eye. The extent to which the eye is affected depends on the size of the cataract. If they go unchecked, they can end up in blindness. Cataracts can be caused by aging or injury to the eye amongst other reasons. Some cataracts are also the result of diseases the puppy may be born with.

If your dog’s eyes seem cloudy, then chances are that it may have cataracts. If a cataract goes unchecked, it may slip away from what’s holding it in place and then going to settle in a place that can cause glaucoma and permanent blindness. If your dog has diabetes then it is at high risk of having a cataract. Pay attention to our dog to avoid such extreme cases that rob the dog of its sight.

Progressive retina dysplasia

This group of diseases can ultimately lead to blindness if it is not treated. It is characterized by the bilateral degeneration of the retina. It is inherited and there is no treatment. It starts with the initial loss of the photoreceptor cell function and then the cones get affected.

One of the first signs of this dysplasia in dogs is night blindness. Progressive retina dysplasia has variations. These are dysplastic disease, and degenerative. With dysplastic disease, the cells develop abnormally, whereas with degenerative, the cells develop normally but over time.

Hip dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is a common but painful skeletal condition that forms in dogs of all sizes. As your dog grows and develops, its bones need to grow at the same rate. The hip operates as a ball and socket. When these two do not grow properly into each other, there is laxity on the joint. This is then followed by degenerative joint disease. Overtime. The dog may lose total function of the joint.a

This disease has often been associated with larger breed dogs. But in fact, it can affect dogs of all sizes. Your dog’s quality of life can be greatly diminished by hip dysplasia.

This condition is caused by different factors, the first culprit being genetics. Your dog could have inherited it.

It can also be caused by aggressive growth and certain types of exercise. Improper diet and weight can also bring this disorder to the surface and so it is important to keep a close eye on your dog. If your dog is overweight, it can also put a lot of stress and strain on the joints. As such, you may think your dog is healthy because it is gaining weight, it is important to know how much weight is a good weight.

You can tell if your dog has hip dysplasia if there is a noticeable enlargement of the shoulder muscles, swaying gait, pain, and stiffness or less activity among others.

Elbow dysplasia

Dysplasia in general simply means abnormal development. Elbow dysplasia refers to the abnormal development of the elbow. The elbow is a pretty complicated joint and it requires the perfect fit of three different parts and when they do not fit in together, this can cause the concentration of forces on the elbow joint.

The abnormalities that will form in the joint, can affect the growth of cartilage which is what forms the surface of the joint. This can lead to further osteoarthritic processes. It is the most common form of forelimb lameness. It is caused by genetic factors and in some cases obesity when the dog is still a puppy.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is not a good sight in pets or people. Epilepsy is when there are random uncontrolled electrical bursts in your dog’s brain. This looks like a twitch or uncontrollable shaking and can go up to several minutes. Epilepsy in dogs can be caused by anything from eating poison to brain cancer.

Don’t ignore symptoms in your dog if you notice any of them. If your dog is collapsing, jerking or stiffening, or showing any signs of twitching muscles, drooling excessively, tongue chewing, or foaming at the mouth, make sure to get your pet to the vet. Some dogs fall to the side and paddle with their legs. You may also notice your dog drifting off and looking very confused.

How to minimise the Health Issues

You can minimize any health issues by ensuring your pet has good nutrition. The way your dog eats can help keep him or her healthy. Make sure that portion sizes are appropriate for your dog’s age. This will help keep the dog’s weight in check and avoid obesity and any other related illnesses. Also, make it a habit to get regular check-ups. Remember that your pet is a member of your family. Love him or her and take the necessary health precautions.