Can anyone help me?
I really want a flattie but I have read they suffer from cancer a lot, this doesnt bother me because i would rather have 5 odd years of fun and laughter and loats of love from a flattie than 15 years with another breed- butI was wondering is thsi true? Does anyone know any specific facts or figures?
Anna Smith

There is a cancer problem in Flatcoats, also in several other breeds for that matter. There also seems some lines which tend to be rather shorter lived than some other lines. A friend's Flattie went on to be 17 years old!!!!! and I know of any number at around 13 years which is around the norm for Labradors as well. The Flatcoated Retriever Society health monitor has done a lot of work correlating the types and numbers of tumors and to me anyway, appears to be one of the best and hardest working breed societies in respect of the health of the breed.

Regards, John

well i have just lost two f/c in two weeks of each other,only 7 and 7 1/2 years old both in april 2003,and another two the same in 1995, with the same cancer.like you said i had 7 good years with them in and out of the ring,but it is hard when they go at a young age,the 3 dog that i bougth in were from different lines,i have not got a f/c pass 8,were others do go for a long time.happy with life.the semiar i went on the vet stated the avage age for f/c 8 1/2.and 50% of them in their life will get cancer benign or malignant.

As John says - it's not confined to flatcoats, but the Flatcoat Society are a pretty consciencious lot, and possibly have maybe done more work on it than other breeds. so shout more.

In my own mind, I'm convinced it's a susceptibility to something environmental, but don't ask me what. Maybe just some lines are more susceptible than others. If only we knew what caused it in humans as well........

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

i said this to andrew,that it must enirnomental,to loss 2 dog this year under 7 with two weeks with the same cancer,and the same in 1995,plus the little girl next door as cancer,about 20 years or more in the same house which is jointed to us a boy die of the same cancer which the little girl has,so that makes you think twice which i do but andrew dose think like me.

Hi Briedog

I've asked around and the following have all been linked, though not totally proven, with increased risks of cancer (some tenuously) in humans, so dogs would also be affected.
Electrical sub-stations
Overhead power cables
Underground high voltage cables
Communication Microwaves (not the ovens)
and controversialy, Mobile phone masts

Do you live near any of the above? Just a thought, as everything that's happened to you, can it really be just bad luck?

Regards liberty