February 27, 2007
How Long Do Labrador Retrievers Live - Human and Dog Years?
This bit of information on Labradors is too often neglected when prospective owners fall in love with a puppy. We all love them - wriggly little bundles of energy. It’s difficult to imagine them ever slowing down and getting old. They do, though, and those who look for information on Labradors should ask, “How long do Labrador Retrievers live in human and dog years?”
Most North American and European dogs live, on average, about 12.8 human years, but some breeds live longer than others. In general, the life expectancy of larger dogs is less than that of smaller dogs. The bodies of larger dogs work harder, and tend to “wear out” earlier than those of smaller dogs. For example, while big, strong-looking bulldogs average only 6.7 human years, frail-looking miniature poodles average 14.8 human years.
Back to the Lab
But you want information on Labradors, not bulldogs and poodles. Your question was, “How long do Labrador Retrievers live in human and dog years?”
Labrador Retrievers average 12.6 human years.
That is not a given, of course. We cannot guarantee that YOUR Lab will live 12.6 years. To give trustworthy information on Labradors, we must also consider how your dog is treated. The life expectancy of any one dog must take into account the daily and occasional stressors encountered by that particular dog. It must consider physical stressors of cold, heat, obesity, exercise, lack of exercise, etc. It must also consider psychological stresses that come as a result of the treatment your Lab receives.
Most reliable information on Labradors points out that the dog’s length of life is further determined by what it eats, and what kind of care it receives.
Converting Human Years to Dog Years
Once we know your dog’s life expectancy in human years, we must convert it to dog years to realize how old that really is.
Many people believe that each human year equals 7 Labrador years. That is not accurate information on Labradors, however, since Labs reach adulthood within the first couple of years after birth, and a human baby requires 18 years to attain the same maturity.
One canine expert worked out a formula that is more accurate, although no one can judge the matter perfectly.
The Formula
That formula counts 10.5 dog years per human year for the first 2 years. After that, it figures about 4 dog years per human year.
Working that into our information on Labradors, you get these figures:
HUMAN YEARS DOG YEARS
1…………….10.5
2…………… 21
3…………… 25
4…………… 29
5…………… 33
6…………… 37
7…………… 41
8…………… 45
9…………… 49
10…………. 53
11…………. 57
12…………. 61
12.6………. 63.4Labrador Retrievers average 63.4 dog years.
Live Long and Prosper
One final bit of information on Labradors: These dogs are bred to be workers, so they require regular exercise if they are to live long. Plan on giving your Lab 3 walks each day, or let him out into a protected yard to romp 3 times a day. Do not allow your Lab to remain inactive and become overweight.
Overweight dogs tend to die at an earlier age than trim, fit dogs.
Filed under 01-Labrador Overview by Administrator
Comments on How Long Do Labrador Retrievers Live - Human and Dog Years? »
I found your information quite useful, yet I am still dealing with a tremendous amount of guilt after euthanizing our dog at 14 and a half years old due to lack of eating, drinking and trouble getting around. He dropped in weight to 53.4 pounds. He was our first lab and we did not want him to suffer. For future reference would leaving an older lab to die naturally be better? Please help.
our dog Loon - a primarily black lab mix - died today …probably of bloat, though he had been wretching and had tumors all over his body for some years. he was 11ish…had lots of exercise until his hind end started to get stiff and he started limping severely after exercise…he was jumping and begging for food last night…and shortly thereafter was blowing up, miserable and died this am. he was fed a “healthy organic” food last night before he exhibited symptoms of bloat…but had (for the last decade) been ok on basically any food and didn’t require any adjustment to any new food…quite a shock to us and serious bummer to lose the best dog we ever had.
You *absolutely* did the right thing, especially as your dog was no longer enjoying a good quality of life. It is amazing and commendable that your dog lived to such a great old age — it means you took wonderful care of him throughout his time with you and then had the courage to step up and see him through to the end. Don’t blame yourself — we are all faced with these tough decisions and I truly believe that we will be reunited with our beloved pets again someday… They in the most glorious state of their best health and happiness and us without any of our aches and pains … what a joy it will be!!! Meanwhile cherish your memories AND get another dog — it’s the best compliment to the dog who gave you such happiness and besides, you are exactly the kind of person who should be a pet owner
Take good care.
I found it very difficult to let my Patoe go but his days were too painful. I found comfort in a letter my father wrote for me
If Patoe could have asked me to let you know how he feels, I am sure
this is what he would like to convey to you for your years of care for him.
I hope this will help ease the pain of what must be done.
DON’T GRIEVE FOR ME.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
For you have given to me the very best life a dog could ever have.
When I was brought from warm B.C. to cold Alberta those many years ago,
I did not know what
to expect, just being a young pup.
What a life I have lived.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
For you have showered me with years of love, more than I could know
possibly existed
You excepted me into your home, and promptly started to spoil me.
I tried to return all that love by being the best friend I could be.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
Remember instead, the wonderful evening walks you took me on.
Every night had new and exciting smells for me to enjoy.
Each day brought new and different sounds for me to wonder about.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
Think instead of the hours we spent trying to learn to talk to each other.
How I would try to make sounds that a human could understand.
How I would go to the cupboard and try to explain to you that I would
like a cookie.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
Now that I have reached that stage in life that we both knew would
someday come,
the stage where my days are filled with pain and hurting.
Think back to my younger years, and all we enjoyed with each other.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
Remember how you showed me love, so much that I could not contain myself
when
company came and my tail would go like a propeller, trying to express to
them what
you had given to me. How I could not wait till they came into the house
so I could greet them.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
Think back to the early morning walks we had, each with so many
different sounds and smells
than the night before. I enjoyed them so much that I would not want to
go back home.
And the times that Socks came with us were filled with excitement as we
explored together.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
Your teaching me love, not aggression, is why I could swim out in a lake
to get a stick, only to have a sissy dog
come and take it when I got close to shore. That is how I could show
affection to animals and humans who did not deserve it. I have so much
to thank you for.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
Remember the fun and excitement we had when on paws, hands and knees we
searched the house for mice,
and when we found one, how my non-aggressive nature showed up, oh the
thrill of the hunt. I don’t know what I would have done, had I actually
caught one.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
The overwhelming enjoyment of going camping, with all its smells,
sounds, and good food and so much to
explore is something so many dogs never get to do.Some times I got so
tired with all the fun of chasing squirrels and such,
that I would have to have a after supper nap, just to get enough energy
to be able to go to sleep for the night.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
If I had to come up with any regrets, the one I would pick, would be,
not able to turn back time to being a pup again,
knowing what I know now and enjoying all these years over with you.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
As my life now is filled with so much hurt and pain and poor eyesight
and will not ever be again what it was,
I can not enjoy my days knowing how you worry about me.
I do not want to be a burden on you and hold you to a life of worry
about me. I know it is time to go now while I can still leave
knowing and remembering that I have had the best life I could ever have,
thanks to you.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
It is time to let me go, and I know it will be very hard for you to do,
but I also know you will be able to do what is best for me, no matter
how much it hurts you.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
But instead try to help Socks accept my not being here, as I am sure he
will miss our companionship much more than he will let on.
Save your strength for yourself, as I cannot be there to try and comfort
you.
Don’t grieve for me, Cindy,
SAY GOODBY
AND LET ME GO.
I had to put my dear Moosie to sleep last Thursday. We were inseperable for 11 years. We live at Lake Powell, Az and twice a day we would go for hikes in the desert. She loved chasing rabbits and digging for chipmunks then afterwords she always went for a swim. Year round, even when it was sleeting and the water temp was 35 degrees F. She is the love of my life and now that she is gone, I don’t know how I can go on, there doesn’t seem to be a reason anymore. I hurt so much. Helen
My wife and I just last night put our Lab down and he was 17. He was my baby boy and my best friend I got him when I was 15 years old and I will truly miss him. Rest in peace Bandit..
Helen, I lost “Juneau” 3 days after “Moosie”. Your hurt and pain is shared by so many. To tell you the truth, I cried more tears and wept more for 4 paws than I ever believed imaginable. I filmed dogs. Maybe I will never pick my camera up again, but I know Juneau would want me to do so. I know your pain and how bad it hurts. I hope you are with someone.
It helps. Juneau’s food is still here. My truck is parked outside. He was there for over 13 years. Your not alone.
As a ex-photographer and photo-journalist, I would like to do something in his memory and all others. Reply gets E-mail.
our lab is 16+ and looks great. She does show signs of her age, like a gray chin and a stiff back but she is thin, and will take walks with us and even goes jogging two miles at a time. Oh, and we have noticed that she is not seeing or hearing us as well as she used to. We love her very much and are hoping to have another couple of years with her.
We had our beautiful Lab, “Sadie” for 13 and a half years. She was the love of our life. After getting a rabies vaccine she became so sick that we had to put her to sleep. This was on May 27, 2008. We still grieve for her everyday. Don’t let older dogs get vaccinated! She was healthy and active before this shot. We cry several times a day. We will never forget her. She was our faithful and loving family member. We look forward to seeing her again-All dogs go to Heaven!
Our lab mix is 15 years old and still loves to eat and bark and always is walking around. Sometimes I have to tell him to go lay down. Once in a while he can’t hold it until he goes outside but I don’t yell at him. He seems very happy. We also have a 2 1/2 year old golden retriever, and they love each other. It seems like he might live for a couple more years.
My fourth Lee – yup, all four of my Labs have had the same name – is still with me at 13.5 years but he’s definitely showing his age. I found this page on a search for Lab life expectancy. I know the end is coming, whenever is too soon. Must confess I teared up reading the postings above, knowing that great loss is hurtling toward me. I’ve been there three times already in 38 years. My respect and kind regards to all of you for the value you place on these relationships. For me, heaven isn’t an afterlife, but rather a nice walk with a companionable Lab. Good luck and wet noses to all!
Hi, Last wednesday I had to put my 13 year old black lab mix down due to old age problems. I still feel like I did the wrong thing. I still see her out the corner of my eye running up the hallway and I look and she is not there. when I go out in the yard I catch myself looking up ever so often to see if she is still in the yard even though I know she is not there. She used to sleep in the bed with us till she could not get up there any more. We used to go hunting every year for Grouse she loved being in the woods with me. Followed me every where. Even laid out side the shower till I got out. My feel like I lost my shadow and I wont her back. I know everyone says it was for the best but I really thought she would get better. I will find another lab but no other dog will ever be able to replace her. DLNIII
Tonight, we had to put down our family dog, which we got as a 6 week old puppy 13 years ago. Even though my two brothers and I have moved out, Jordan is still considered “our dog.” The last few months he began losing control of his bladder and bowels on a regular basis and it became worse towards the end. It was happening very regularly and finally he could not make it up the stairs from going outside anymore. A few times my dad had to carry him upstairs. Tonight it happened again. He had accidents and once cleaned and taken out, he could not come back up. It was time. It was 13.5 years old. He was a great dog and very patient and kind to my brothers and I and now to our children. We will always remember Jordan.. He loved to run and was very playful. He loved the basketball, ie. that is where his name came from… after Michael Jordan… cute, eh? He loved the snow and would stick his face in it and have little white on his black fur of his nose. Adorable. We love you and will miss you forever Jordan. Rest in peace and watch over us!
Hi
I have a yellow lab named Sandy. He is eleven this year and in good health except he snores a lot. I had a friend who had a lab that he believed to be twenty two to twenty six years old. The loss of such a wonderful loyal companion was extremely difficult for their family so my heart goes out to all who have lost a part of their family as well.
I think the life span of a male lab has a lot to do with three very important factors. Labs have two medical weaknesses that many owners are unaware of. One is the complete joint development of their hips as the body is formed. A young lab not only needs food with good supplements but he needs to not be neutered until just prior to his seventh year. This allows the natural hormones to enable calcium to actually build the hip cradle to maximum strength. The second weakness for labs is prostate cancer. To minimize this disease our study showed that from five to seven years delay on laser neutering has given most genetically favorable male labs a longer more comfortable life span.
Sandy drinks bottled water, takes vitamins, eats half of my cereal in the morning with soy milk and has half of my chicken soup for lunch. He also eats Beneful healthy diet food and a milkbone each day after we do our obedience training walk and then free time.
Thank goodness I am retired. A healthy lab requires a lot of attention and exercise. Well they need a toy to carry around or you will never find your shoes and socks. Each one of these wonderful members of our families has a unique personality. Sandy goes from the house clown to a serious grandchild protector, to a foot warmer as he lays across my feet on a cold winter night. I must leave for now saying there will always be a lab in my life.
always………..Ed
Hi,I came across your article tonight and have a question. I put my Lab/mix down last week. She (Molly) was 11 years old and was healthy until 3 weeks ago. She would only walk a short distance before stopping to rest.She stop eating her dry food.
I thought her hips were giving her problems but the vet.checked her over and that wasn’t the problem.He checked her mouth and noticed it was very pale.The vet.then noticed her to be bloated and drew blood out of her stomach with a needle.We made the decision to put her down.It was one of the saddest days of my life.
Did your dog go through anything like this?
Wayne
Nova Scotia
Canada
I have a sweet old black lab he must be 16-19 years old. We took the old stray in 9 years ago when we found him starving just skin and bones the vet told us he was 7-9 years old then. Unfortunately he is starting to get cranky and starting to growl at my two children and at me and my husband…well sometimes. I have to make the decision to put him down before something happens. I want to remember him as a the fool and happy guy we rescued so long ago. I just find it soo hard to say goodbye.
Wow,
I never heard of a lab living so long! You are so blessed! My Caleb is believe it or not the exact same phrase! He is truly my baby boy and I am so worried about him. He is 12 and can no longer climb steps. He gets exhausted easy on short walks.
My god please tell me what you fed you dog and how was his condition at age 12? Sorry if I sound desperate but watching him do certain things breaks my heart.
That is fantastic that you had your baby boy for so long!
Chad
Hi Lab Lovers! My “puppy” is 12 yrs. old. I have noticed she has been panting, groaning, and gagging. I have also caught her eating her poop outside. I am sick to think she may be coming to the end of her life. I am also afraid she is in pain. My heart goes out to all who have loved and lost their web-footed friends.
my yellow lab Maverick picked me out of the litter over 13 years ago. We lost my husband this year in a tragic accident and Mav seems to know something is wrong as he follows me from room to room at home. Thankfully he is in good health and will be able to help me cope with our loss. i can’t imagine the moment he leaves me to be with his master as he is the best dog i have ever known. sunny
just more than a pet my lab was my life. nothing ment more to me than her.I will miss her god please help me with the hurt for it feels like my heart has been ripped from my chest. 15 years with her went by to fast.rest in peace tinza for I will see you again soon.
My lab mix is 13.5 years old. He’s been with me since he was 8 weeks old and I love him to pieces. I don’t know what to do. He nipped at (and left teeth marks) on my 16 month old son’s hand today. He was lying at my side and my son walked by us. My son did nothing to provoke him at all. My dad says that it is time to say good-bye. I can’t bear to lose him, yet I can’t let my 2 young children get hurt either. I believe that dogs are part of the family and not disposable. When it’s just him and I in a room by ourselves, he’s fine. I’ve tried separating him from the kids, but it just doesn’t work. He’s been to the vet. There is nothing physically wrong with him. He may have doggie dementia though. I tried pain pills in case he is in pain and that is what is causing his grouchiness. They don’t seem to help. I’m at my wits end. I’m going to call a behavioralist tomorrow. I know he’s old, but I can’t give up on him (or should I)? My husband doesn’t know what to say. He knows the dog means the world to me. However, my kid’s safety has to come first. I’m so confused.
This is interesting to see, especaily the dogs mentioned who are 15, 16 and 17! Our purebred registered chocolate Lab Raughy (we bred her mother ourselves, so we were there when she was born) is still alive at almost 15. I found this page because I am trying to get some kind of idea about how long we will have her…all the other puppies in our litter died, the last one about 8 months ago. She’s having some heart trouble (lungs have some fluid), is quite deaf and blind, but still raiding the garbage. I guess she could be around for quite some time!
On 5/13/2008, my family had to put down our Black Lab, Sara, that was 11 days shy of her 14th birthday. We brought her home for the first time when I was 13. She was a fixture in the house as my 2 brothers and I grew up, and was there for every get-together, holiday gathering, or crazy party one of us through. My career took me away from home, so I wasn’t able to be there for the end, but my family all agreed it was the right time. On her last morning, my family found her unable or unwilling to move a muscle. She just laid on her side as my family did their best to encourage her to show some life. When she wouldn’t touch her breakfast, they all knew that she had reached her limit. I strongly believe that she choose when she was ready to move on, and communicated that to my family that morning. She lived a full life and in a way filled in as the sister we never had. We were incredibly fortunate to have her as a part of our family, and she will be forever missed.
I have a Black Lab Riley, he is 14yrs old. I got Riley when I was 19 Mom Dad my sister and I fell inlove with him. We took him to obedience school (twice actually he was stubborn and more interested in playing with the other dogs than learning to heal) My Mom who never wanted another dog loved riley the most I think. She would call him Nans little boy and she would take him for a drive and get him ice cream cones, which he loved so much.Riley loved to cross country ski Dad took him skiing a couple times a week and he loved it cause when they came home from skiing Mom would have a cooked meal for them both. (we live in Newfoundland lots of home cooked meals) When I was 27 my Mom passed away suddenly. She was on holidays with Dad and Riley was with them. Only Dad and Riley came home. My sister was pregnant at the time. It was very difficult for our family we even took riley to the funeral home, It would be hard for him to understand that Mom would not be giving him ice cream cones anymore.
After that Riley became very upset he would knock over his bowl for more food and wean ( we think Mom fed him more than we knew about).
In the next year I met the love of my life Clarence, He moved in with me at my Dads house, Riley became Clarences buddy and thats what we would call him Buddddeeyy.
Dad met someone special and eventually it was Dad, Diane, Clarence and myself. Riley continued his skiing and hiking career. He now has 6 nieces and 2 nephews who all live away and love comming home to visit him. He has had a great life. Last year Clarence and I moved out and Riley has started to go down hill, hes alot of work for Dad and Diane he still seems happy but he whines sometimes and it is getting increasingly difficult for him to get up, you have to help him to stand by picking him up from behind after he has been lying down for a while. Over night he has been messing around as it is difficult for him to get up on his own. (Once you get him up he can go fine ) and the hard wood floors don’t help.
Dad has called me and said that he only has a few weeks left and we may have to put him down. When do you know its the right time to do this, I know hes alot of work but he still seems very happy. How do you make this decision? And when do you know its the right time. Thanks for reading this and letting me rant. If anyone has any advice or expierenced a similar situation I would be happy to hear it.
THANKS LABS ARE THE BEST!!
NATASHA MARSHALL
Our baby girl just turned 11 and had to have surgery to repair both knees for torn ACL’s. She is home recovering and our hopes is to see her return to herself in 8-10weeks. This web site lifted my spirits to read some of your comments and to know that she will be with us possibly for many years to come! God bless all of you in your losses, I can’t imagine the pain.
I lost my lab last night. He too had just had his vaccines. (more than just rabies) I was told he had cancer Saturday and he was gone Sunday night. Healthy before the vaccines one month earlier. HE WAS 6 1/2 YEARS YOUNG !! Ask before vaccinating any age dog. I write this through teary eyes as I have lost my best friend.
Our Bailey Boy is 12.5 years. He has been a good friend and companion to us. We are happy that he is still with us but we keep him comfortable with pain and arthritis medications. When those no longer help we will be faced with having to let him go, but I hope that will be some time from now. When Bailey started being arthritic we began treating both him and our younger lab with joint supplements. I think we would have lost Bailey many years ago if we were not vigilant about those supplements. He is an old guy now but when we look at him all we see is our puppy. Our dogs are a huge pain in the behind but we could not imagine life without them. Best wishes to you all!
I have an 11 1/2 year old choc lab who just had a “cantaloupe” sized cancerous tumor removed. She also has lesions on her kidney, liver, and spleen. The vet said nothing more can be done for her. My husband and I are heartbroken - she just saw a different vet 2 months ago and he didn’t find anything. Does this often happen? Can a tumor grow so fast that nothing can be detected in time? Also, does anyone know the percentage of labs that live beyond the proverbial “10-12 years? I feel like I have left my best friend down and should have found this cancer in time. She has been doing fine before this found tumor - she was actually at the vet’s to get a bordatella booster when he found the tumor. The only thing wrong with her was her shortness of breath which I attributed to old age - she was able to run, jump, eat well and play. I now know that her shortness of breath was from the huge tumor crowding out her lungs. Does anyone have a similar story? I am devestated as I write this.
Our Coby is going to be 13 in January. He’s starting to have some issues with his hind legs w/ arthritis. We’re keeping him comfortable with medication but he often struggles to go up or even down the stairs. He’s still so full of life…but my mother noticed that one of his eyes is tearing up?? Is he in Pain?? I know the road ahead doesn’t get any easier but when is the right time to put him down?? I just don’t want to make that tough decision too soon…but I really don’t want him to suffer at all! Thank You!
My Hershey is 12 years and 5 months old. He is the best dog in the world. I am really going to miss him. HE is in his last days. HE lays around and is loosing weight. The vet says it is old age. I am trying to prepare myself for the day when he is no longer with me. I have also noticed the bloating in his belly and his urine is darker in color. He may be in renal failure as I write this. It’s Christmas Eve and all of te vets are closed but I will take him in on the 26th and deal with the diagnosis at that time. For now, Hershey and I will have the best Christmas ever.
Just checking this site out as today I went to the movie “Marley and me” For those of you who read the book- you will need at least as many kleenex’s for the movie. My Pup “Sherman” (100 lb. Black lab) is only 5 1/5 but has already shown some pain in his hip after a long run. The Doc took xrays and says he has sloppy joints. If anybody has any ideas I sure would be glad to hear from you. This guy is my first lab and the best dog I have ever had. PS if you haven’t read Mearl’s door it is also another great book.
Our beautiful black lab Mateo was chosen as a pup to be a Seeing Eye dog for the blind and he graduated from Guide Dogs for the Blind in northern California. My husband lost his vision due to diabetes as a result of Agent Orange from Vietnam. The disease took his vision and for 13 years he and Mateo have been inseparable. When my husband was first at the school Roy was asked what kind of dog he wanted, he simply told them “A smart one”.
Mateo, being a gorgeous black Labrador retriever always peaked questions from strangers wherever they went. And, whenever people would ask my husband and I how we met, we always say that Mateo “retrieved” me. Which is true. As we talked tonight, Roy said that Mateo was a single man’s dream. I understood just what that meant.
Over the years, Mateo and Roy had many adventures. They flew to Puerto Rico, Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and an additional 23 flights together to different Blinded Veterans Association conventions as well as personal trips like the two cruises Mateo went with us on. First when we celebrated Roy receiving a pancreas and kidney transplant (he was on dialysis 3 days a week for five years at the Houston VA. The surgery Roy had eliminated his diabetes and he is still cured 5 years later) The next cruise was on our honeymoon and again Mateo remained the center of attention everywhere we went. The only place guide dogs are not allowed to go is an intensive care unit of a hospital. Although I did sneak Mateo in to the hospital room to see Roy as they both had separation anxiety. It was a glorious sight to see.
After Roy’s surgery, he was left with one new perfectly functioning kidney and a new pancreas. Mateo got sick later that year. X-rays and ultrasounds showed he had a kidney infection but more interesting was that Mateo had been born with only one kidney.
Tonight as we are talking about Mateo, he is curled up on his favorite rug in the final stages of renal failure. We have accepted that we must have him put down tomorrow. His quality of life, his dignity and pride are no longer things he has. We have talked about this for a number of years and we knew that when the time came, Mateo would let us know. And now, we are there.
There are many stories to be told about Mateo. The one that we will tell again and again as we laugh together knowing that we have been blessed far beyond our own imagination with such an amazing creature as Mateo to love us so unconditionally. When Mateo was about three, he and Roy lived in a luxury condo on Clear Lake near the bay. One summer, Roy and Mateo frequented the pool nearly every day. One particular day, Roy decided to go alone with his cane and left Mateo in the condo. A few days later, Roy could not locate his swimming trunks. For days he looked and looked, finally buying a new pair. The next day, exactly at 1:00 pm Roy and Mateo took their daily walk across the road to the field where Mateo would smell everything and finally “take care of business”. That is the term Mateo learned in school. Well, since Roy has slight vision in his right eye, he was able to look at Mateo to see what was taking so long. There, little by little came the remains of Roy’s swim trunks. Roy tells the story that he looked at Mateo and Mateo looked back at him, embarrassed and completely busted. Roy told him in a matter of fact kind of way “You ate them, you get them out”. Mateo had taken the ultimate revenge from Roy leaving him in the house that day as Roy went to the pool without him. He figured if those swim trunks were gone, it wouldn’t happen again. So he ate them, whole.
We will always love, adore and sadly miss our wonderful Mateo. He touched thousands of lives as Roy volunteered at the VA for the BVA (Blinded Veterans of America) for over 12 years. We have been blessed. And, we will meet up again old friend a little further down the road.
All of our love to you Mateo,
Daddy, Mommy and Chris
No I don’t think so beacause when you let and older
Lab die naturally it seems like your only Leting your
Dog live . You have to think about them and not your self In my opinion it was the right thing to do because you put them out of there misurie. So don’t feel bad I
Had to do It to and it is never An easy thing. But I hope that this help you.l
My wonderful chocolate Lab, Thai…is in his last days. I am sick to my stomach as I read the above, and all I can do is cry. He stopped eating on Christmas Eve, and he had been steadily losing weight for the past month or so even though he was still eating. His urine is terribly dark with some blood mixed in; and I am sure he’s in renal failure. Christmas Day he had some sort of a seizure, and he has been unable to stand since yesterday. When I attempt to move him, he loses control of his bladder and just urinates on himself. He will be 13 on January 24th, and I have had him since he was 8 wks old. He has been such a good, faithful companion and I know I have to put him down, but my children are begging me not to “kill” him. It is so incredibly sad.
I have a chocolate lab and her name is Maybell, she has made our lives better and she came right after my cocker died and she has been the love of our lives, she is 7 years old now and she has gray around her mouth, she is a inside outside dog, she loves boat rides and swimming in the pool and lake. I do understand the loss of moosie. and all the other losses, and I am sorry. But you could pick yourself up and love again and save one from a pound or shelter, there are many labs and mixes that need love and a home.Please consider shareing your hearts again with another new friend.Maybell was a rescue and my cocker was too. I will always have a new friend when I loose an old friend. That does not mean I will ever forget any of them. I loved each and all of them.
My chocolate lab Hershey that I wrote about in the above piece on Christmas Eve is now in Heaven. He was 12 1/2 and we had him since he was a puppy. As I wrote earlier he was really weak on Christmas Eve. Well, I spent two hours sitting beside him and giving him Gatorade through a medicine dropper. I also gave him his Medicam whish seems to be a wonder drug for older dogs. The Medicam is a pain medication that can really improve the life of your older dog. I researched it on Petmeds.com and was really impressed by how many people said it made a huge difference in the life of their dog.
Back to the story, on Christmas morning Hershey was much better. He sat on his pillow and watched us all open gifts. He got a large dog bone that he seemed to really enjoy. It was warm and sunny that day so he spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in the sun on our back porch. He still was not eating but he did not seem to be in pain either. The next day I knew he had to go get checked out at the vet so we took him in the middle of the morning. Our vet was immediately concerned that his gums were very white and he was so weak. Hershey still wanted to please us and kept wagging his tail and pretending to be happy. Our vets said labs are notorius for trying to cover up any signs of pain around their owners. The vet asked us to leave Hershey for an hour so they could run a series of tests. When we returned the news was terrible. Hershey had only 4% of his red blood cells and was very anemic. His kidneys were functioning at 12%. Our vet did not know how Hershey was even walking. A chest x-ray revealed a large abdominal mass that was about the size of a small watermellon. It was sucking up every red blood cell Hershey had and growing at a very rapid rate. The vet said that his spleen could burst at any moment which would present serious pain and problems. We had no options but to put him to sleep. Hershey was very calm and seemed to know that we were doing something to help him out. It was a very humbling experience to see your best friend slip away. We miss him so much. He really was an all out excellent dog and companion. To others who are considering when their dog is to that point my thoughts are with you. It has been a difficult week but Hershey had such a wonderful Christmas Day that I hold onto that memory.
On Saturday, January 3rd, I put my beloved 13 y.o. yellow lab, Lucky, to sleep. Lucky fell on New Years Eve and tore the ligaments in her hind leg. The vets convinced my husband that due to her age and bad hips, surgery was not the best option. Lucky loved to hunt and go for walks. But I know this past summer she could only handle about 2 blocks before she got tired. She also has numerous fatty tumors all over her body. Her leg swelled up and the vet suggested that possibly the tumor on her leg “might be cancerous” I wanted her to see a Orthopedic Vet but my husdand refused saying she was too old. I have so much guilt for putting my best and loyal friend to sleep before her time. I wish I had demanded the opinion of the Ortho Vet. I miss her so much and have so much guilt for not exploring all my options. I want to believe that the vet was right, but I will never now know.