Labrador Retriever health: what owners should know

Labradors are known to be predisposed to hip and elbow dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), exercise-induced collapse (EIC), centronuclear myopathy and weight-related joint problems. Responsible breeders X-ray hips and elbows through schemes such as the BVA/KC or OFA programs and DNA-test for PRA, EIC and CNM. Ask to see the certificates for both parents before you put down a deposit.

Keeping your Lab lean is the single most useful habit. A 14-year study of Labrador littermates found that dogs fed 25 percent less than their siblings lived a median of about 1.8 years longer and developed arthritis later. Contact a vet promptly for persistent lameness, sudden weakness or wobbling after hard exercise, or a swollen belly with unproductive retching, which is an emergency.