I have a 11 year old choclate lab who is still as nutty as afruit cake still runs around and seems in good health apart from his arthritis in the back legs. Over the last 2 years the muscles in his head have gone and now has a hollow on the left hand side his mouth is now getting affected and when he drinks most of it goes on the floor He goes to the vets once a month for a check up and his medicine he is on metacam he has reduced reflexes on the left side of his body also my vet thinks he has a slow growing tumour in his head causing all this symptoms but without a mri scan is not sure as no vet near us has one of these its difficult to know has any one with a lab had any of these symptoms.apart from this he still acts like a puppy bouncing around although sometimes he is a little slower and when he goes to sleep at night I can call him and he does not wake up he seems to go into a really deep sleep.

I do not know of any vet that has an MRI, they cost more than even the busiest vet practice could afford.  A while ago when I consulted a veterinary neurologist (in Surrey) about a dog I had, she recommended an MRI.  One evening a week one of the hospitals in the area rented out their MRI equipment for vet use.

Have you just dealt with your general vet, or, have you been referred on to a specialist?  This would be a neurologist if your vet believes a brain tumour is behind your lab's symptoms. 

If you trust your vet, as hard as it might be, I would leave things as they are now, apart from a referral to a specialist.  If it is a brain tumour, it means expensive and risky surgery, if it is even possible.  

Slowing down and deeper sleeps are signs that your dog is an OAP in the canine world, they are not necessarily connected to anything but living a long, happy life.

Stacey

thats what my vet told me it would be to costly and as he is ok in hiself I would rather leave him alone the vet agreed on this as well. Its just a shame to gradually see him go down hill but 11 years old I am told is still a good age for a lab he has got confused a few times when I have called him as well looking for me but that has only happened twice his appetite is good and his weight is ideal as that has had to be controlled for his back legs he still acts like a little puppy at times and as long as he is ok in himself I will just let him carry on untill the time comes when the vet thinks he will start to have fits then I will have to think then what is thekindest for him he really is a loveable dog and really funny but age gets to us all in the end I will keep you posted

i know how your feeling, 12 years ago i lost my 9 year old lab, she had a tumor on her scull, it didnt affect her for about a year, the vets said we could try chemo, but i had heard that it was very unpleasent to see a dog after having this, the vet also agreed, so i said no i would look after till it wasnt fair anymore,she lived another year and was great, but in the end the swelling affected her eye sight, she was such a lovely dog, and i couldnt understand why this had happened to her, isaid i am never going through this again, now i have 2 more.

I would leave things as they are as if he seems ok in himself and is still a dotty chocolate Lab then leave well alone. You may find the not being able to wake him up when he is a sleep is slight deafness as both my oldie chocolates could sleep through a racket without being disturbed, but not in the case of any food wrapper sounds of course r the fridge being opened :D

I do hope he stays healthly and happy for along time to come :)

Lucy