The Labrador Retriever is a large, friendly dog that loves to please and gets on well with children. Its water-repellent coat and webbed feet make it a good swimmer, and its natural retrieval instinct makes for a fun game of "fetch." Labradors are prone to certain diseases and health problems, such as progressive retinal atrophy, epilepsy and hip dysplasia.
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Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
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PRA is a group of diseases affecting the retina in dogs. PRA affects the cells allowing vision in reduced light (called rods) before the cells that allow vision in bright light (called cones). Dogs with PRA have trouble avoiding objects in dimly lit rooms, and eventually lose their ability to see in well-lit rooms. The type of PRA affecting Labrador Retrievers is progressive rod-cone degeneration, veterinarian Julie Gionfriddo says in the Veterinary Medical Database. Progressive rod-cone degeneration affects dogs later in life, because the rod and cone cells degenerate with time. In other types of PRA, the degeneration begins while the rods and cones develop in the puppy's eyes.
Epilepsy
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Labrador Retrievers are prone to developing epilepsy. The disease in dogs is similar to the disease in humans, and the main symptoms of epilepsy are seizures. Two types of epilepsy affect Labrador Retrievers: primary and secondary. Primary epilepsy has no test, as it is inherited. Diagnosis involves ruling out other possibilities rather than testing for the disease, according to the Canine Epilepsy Resource Center. Secondary epilepsy has a number of possible causes, most of which have diagnostic tests. While both types of epilepsy affect Labradors, they have a genetic predisposition to primary epilepsy.
Hip Dysplasia
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Hip dysplasia begins in young dogs as instability of the hip joint. As the dog grows, the head of the femur, or ball, gradually comes out of the acetabulum, or socket, according to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Hip dysplasia is common in Labrador Retrievers, and can cause lameness in old age. Symptoms of hip dysplasia include reluctance to rise or jump, shifting the weight to the front legs, loss of muscle mass on the rear legs and pain in the hips.
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