Lifespan

[Emily]

A bit of a morbid topic.

Ella's choccy friend Hamish made his way over the rainbow bridge on Saturday and it's very much on my mind. In the last couple of weeks, I know of 5 labs/labx that have passed.

We're devastated about Hamish, especially as he's stayed at our house over the years and his death came very suddenly. Saturday morning he was happy and playful and out on his walk and by Saturday night he couldn't stand, heart was being compressed by fluid and cancer discovered throughout his body. His humans did the kindest thing and broke their hearts in the process.

Hamish was 12.

Google tells me that the average lifespan of a lab is 10-12 years.

It got me wondering about those that have loved and lost labs before. How many years did your lovely lab live?

 

[SwampDonkey]

Both previous labs live until they were 15 years nearly. I don't think Rory will he's just that dog.

 

[Kelsey]

I am sorry to hear about Hamish

This thought is on my mind now more than I would like to admit unfortunately.

My Axel lived to only 6 years old due to cancer.

 

[Cath]

My lovely Robbie died at the age 12 to cancer. I still miss him.

 

[Jennifer]

Poor Hamish and such a shock for your friends. A similar thing happened to my sister’s cocker a few months ago.

Murphy got to15.
Scott 8 kidney failure.
Scout 12 laryngeal paralysis.

When you stop and think about it you could wonder why on earth we put ourselves through it over again but then you remember why.

 

[Jacqui-S]

Much on my mind too.
Lilly is 14 today

 

[Cath]

Happy Birthday darling Lilly

 

[Hollysdad]

Tammy 11 (liver failure)
Cocoa 11 (arthritis)
Holly 10 (heart disease)

 

[SteffiS]

My other two chocolate labs only lived to 8 and 9. One had an aggressive cancer, the other a massive internal bleed - he’d been to the vets for his annual check the day before and no-one spotted he was unwell; I feel eternally guilty that I didn’t know he was ill .

Ripple is 9 this month so this is on my mind (although my sister believes Ripple will live forever as he’s been such an “individual “ dog).

 

[Cath]

I feel eternally guilty that I didn’t know he was ill

You shouldn't @SteffiS it was not your fault

 

[Loraseal]

Sam was 7 (diabetes)
Rex was 15 (Heinz 57 variety but mostly Labrador in looks and personality)
Butch was 12. (named by my Dad)
The vet specialized in joint/pain told me that Hunter's joints were so bad that he had 3 -5 years. In September he will be 7 and I just celebrate and enjoy every day that we have with our stupid boy. Even when he eats human pooh!!!

 

[Atemas]

Sky was just two months off 13 - arthritis

 

[Anne123]

Doerak almost 15 (old age, dementia), Euan almost 9 (severe backpain, herniated disks), Finn is 10,5

 

[Stacia]

Drift was just over 11 years, suddenly started to vomit and couldn't stop.

Rourke is 12 years and 3 months and on the cusp of being put down because of severe arthritis, as you can imagine I am in a state.

My GSPs lived to 14 as did my Collie/x so a shock to lose the Labs so much younger.

So very sad and sorry about Hamish. My vet said dogs 'suddenly fall of the cliff edge' well one moment and then found to be riddled with cancer, the same happened to his dog.

 

[HAH]

Our recent family labs have died at 14 (Jambo), 6 (Jasper - we suspect poisoning, he had a fit and never recovered), and 14 (Brock).

On cancer coming quickly, I think that's true in many cases - a very special dog we know is being put to sleep this morning as he's taken a sudden and severe downturn and was found to have a lot of cancer. It's absolutely the right thing for him but his family are (of course) heartbroken.

 

[kateincornwall]

Tess ( yellow Lab) 11 died from Liver disease
Sam , Black Lab was only 6 when he died from Lymphoma x

 

[MellowYellow]

So sad all these lovely dogs...

Billy was nearly 16 (he was a labrador / brittany spaniel cross - they are very long-lived apparently)
Bones had just turned 13 - he was one of those dogs who are fine in the morning, actually butt tucking in the garden, and in a coma by the evening. Liver failure.

 

[HAH]

All of these dogs represent so much love, both from them and for them. And they'll have all influenced how we grow, and how we live with our current and future dogs too - it's part of the great doggy web that is bigger than all of us!

It makes me think I'd love to do a family tree focussed on all the animals that touched our lives. Far more difficult than hoomans as the records aren't there, but wouldn't it be magical??

 

[Naya]

It has been on our minds recently too. Before we went away we noticed Harley was struggling walking too far.
When we got back from holiday last week my dog Walker said she had been fussy with food and was refusing to eat some days. We thought it was down to missing us, but this has continued since weve been home. The last 2 days we’ve noticed she’s not weight bearing on her back paw and has a hard lump near the bottom of that leg and also a few other concerns such as being lethargic and sleeping a lot. She had a burst of energy with our dog Walker today having hoolies with another red lab, that was back to dawdling. She is booked to see the vet tomorrow early evening to see if they can see what’s going on.

 

[Lab_adore]

Benson was 13, not sure what happened but one day he just couldn't stand up