Hi - I wonder if anyone could give me any help or advice with my lab. I have a 17mth old lab bitch who I have owned since she was 8 weeks old. She has been completly healthy and normal up until 3 weeks after she was spayed - we were out on one of our favourite walks in the woods when she came stumbling towards me, as if she was drunk and was panting very heavily. I sat her down and stayed with her, luckily for me a fellow walker (who was a vet student) came along and she had a look at her for me and could find nothing wrong with her. My bitch showed no sign of pain, but was just completely exhausted. Within 10 minutes she was back on her feet as if nothing had happened. I contacted my vet who had her in and checked her heart and hind leg flexabitiy and she could offer no explanation, and put it down to a one off. I have avoided this walk for several weeks but attempted it again during the last two weeks. The first time I took her she was fine but sadly it happened again yesterday. My bitch is very lively, very fit and has shown no sign of this problem on any other walk. The only thing different is the woods are full of squirrels and she does go mad chasing them - but surely if she had a problem it would show up during other lively walks??? The drunken/exhaustion lasts about 10 minutes then she is absolutely fine and carries on as if it never happened. It isnt a fit as I have experienced that with another dog I owned. Any ideas would be most welcome.

Exercise intolerance could be down to many medical reasons
such as thyroid trouble, heart trouble etc.
Best to advise the vet that she has had another episode, they may want
to do an ECG on her heart , blood tests etc if they are unhappy.

Hello guest,
I have a lab as well, mine's only 11 months. Your lab might have experienced an exercise induced collapse. Although it is rare, labs are prone to these "collapses". My pup is extremely hyper, the first time I ever heard about the exercise induced seizure, was at the dog park. My fiance and I were talking with an older couple who owned two pups about the same age as Remi was then, they kept repeating how he reminded them of their old dog. Then went on to tell us how they dog died at the age of 5 from an exercise induced seizure!! Gee, Thanks!! I mean in no way to scare you, every time we go out to play I watch over him and make him take breaks, usually against his will of course and that was almost 6 months ago!

I did a search on google and I found this website www.woodhavenlabs.com/articles.html I read on to find out that an EIC, most dogs affected are in the field-trail breedings. Signs become apparent at age 7 months to 2 years.  It states that streneous exercise induces weakness, that starts in their back end, then progresses to their front, which results " in a generally weak,wobbly gait.  After 10 to 20 minutes of rest, however, they return to normal. " I clicked on the first link for exercise induced collapse in Labs, but it has links discussing epilespy and other labs health problems. Although this is rare and where it is found, it is attributed to genetics. I would talk to your vet again, and give a call to you breeder or where you got her to find out if any of the litter mates have experienced the same problems.

I hope that I have not scared you, because I know how I felt after talking to that couple, but now I am glad that I know what I do. I knew of the epilepic seizures labs could be prone to, but not the EIC. Although I don't think Remi has "it", I still watch over him a little more closer when playing for a period of time. Hope everything turns out ok, and she really is just experiencing overexicement in chasing those pesty squirrels

Remi's Mom