The Brotherhood of the Lab

[HCT]

Sorry folks, just had to post this. It's a Lab thing.
Troubles, my 10 1/2 yr. old had to have surgery, lumpectomy, done under his front armpit today. I just picked him up about 2 hrs. ago. He's all out of sorts due to the anesthesia, sleepy and not knowing what to do (didn't recognize me when I got him)
Anyways, he ate a little, true Lab, and went into the bedroom to lay down. So here's my point, Ben and Sam, true Labs, went in with him and lay down with him. Mickey and Skeeter, mixes, just stayed in the living room.
Okay, you can say I'm reading more into this, but I know I'm not.
Well it beats reading about the economy. ;) :) :)

[Up In Smoke]

HCT,
you aren't reading too much into this, they know trouble is down.
will probably stay with him till the drowsies go away.
wonder what would happen if the others tried to go in and visit?? ; :o

[Smoking Duck]

There is a brotherhood...........and it extends from the labs to the lab owners as well!

Do you suppose the slicing of my finger was a precursor to this?  ;)

Coincidence????? I think not  ;D ;D

Hope your boy gets well soon, HCT!

[FLBentRider]

Not a great month for labs.... Mine ate a rock, HCT had a lump, SD sliced and diced....

[Smoking Duck]

The saddest part in all of this, FLBR, is that mine was by far the dumbest of the three  :'(

[FLBentRider]

 ::)

[Buck36]

Labs are incredible dogs. We are on our second one. Big jump going from an old dog to a pup!

I don't think you are reading into anything. Our dog acted just like that. When I had ACL surgery she was real docile and camped out right next to me by the couch.

[La Quinta]

Ya know any dogs sense tension...doesn't matter...don't want to sound odd...but everytime I even raise my voice at tv...our little boy Shih Tzu is wrapping himself around my neck...and our female couldn't be less interested...I don't think there is some Lab "brotherhood"...just my HO...dogs either are interested or not...or hiding out with their feelings...kinda like we do...

When our boy was ill...I was very worried that our girl would be upset that he was gone (and she is the baby of the two)...she was not...she's a dog..Was a good lesson for Mom!!! We do tend to think of them as little people...they really aren't...I don't care...they still are little people to me!!!!  ;D

[HCT]

LQ, By no means do I disrespect to your opinion, but I grew up with several different breeds of dogs, from spanials to Dobies. I still feel the Dobie is an incredible breed, but the Lab, well the Lab just thinks he/she is human. MHO. ;)

Up in Smoke, Troubles came out of the room a few minutes after me and sat at my side, his favorite spot, even being doped up didn't stop him. :D Anyways, when he came out, the other 2 niffed him and lay touching close to him. Ben and Sam fell asleep in the bedroom. :D :D :D 

[manxman]

Labs are incredible dogs.

I agree, had two black labs in the past and now have a choc lab.(and two border collies)

He is 9 years old and had a lumpectomy not long before before Christmas, fortunately the lump was harmless and he made a full recovery. He is back to his two favourite pastimes, sleeping and eating, with vengeance! ;) :D

Get well soon Troubles. :)

[IKnowWood]

I knew exactly what you are talking about.  We had a Chocolate that passed a year and a half now.  And he knew when things were not right.  When he had his second and third lumpectomy on his left hind leg (first was like 3yrs old and other was 9yrs old, it was attached in the muscle) our Black female knew to be calm and be with him and us.  But in times when either of us were upset, the dogs would care for us and lay next to us when sick.  The inlaws had a Sharpei and it was all about him. 

As for the lumps, Labs are prone to them.  The fast growing one the Chocolate had was invasive and had to be handled.  When he was in his later years, 11 and beyond, he started with floating lumps that eventually were all over his body.  Vet (who also has labs) said the older bigger labs tend to get them.  As long as they are floating and not attached and not growing fast, let them be. 

The Males are more prone than females. But the females sorta go looning as they age.  My black female is 12 now and her eye sight is bad, she is forgetful and highly protective unless you want into the house with us there.  Then she is just happy. Vet told us the females do kinda start to mentally loose it when they get old.  The males also some but their issues are normally physical.

Who knows.  We love our girl.

[HCT]

Hey Wood,
   My Sam, the rusty one below has 4 of those fatty deposits. They're not attached, I'm always feeling them, but my heart breaks just seeing them. The vet said to just leave them, if they start hindering him then we'll take them out. With Sam being almost eleven I am hesitant putting him under for such a long period of time. He's got one dead center of his rib cage, one by his winkie, one around his knee, one up towards his throat and a couple starting to emerge. I just can't put him through it, hopefully he'll be alright for the next few years. :( :(
I kind of blame his original owner keeping him in the basement for 12 hours a day, sometimes more. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think it helped the cause.

[IKnowWood]

HCT, our Cody had them all over.  Small, the size of tennis ball was the largest.  They never got in his way.  Vet did not indicate there was a event or cause that led to them, just happens to them.  Our girl Kaycee has a few small ones now and some other things on her skin all over.  Like little boils.  Only one was growing on her eye lid that the vet was watching.  Well, she took care of that one herself.  she ripped it off of day, blood everywhere, she did not care, I think she was just happy for it to be off. 

Labs.  Gotta love them.  I took her this afternoon for another Adequin shot, every other week, helps her arthritis in back end.

[HCT]

Wood, how is Kaycee responding to the Adequin? I've heard alot of good feedback about it. I hope it's helping. Sam has a touch of it also, can't run much and sits alot when we're not moving. Once in a while if it's acting up he gets a Rimadyl. I don't like that drug but once in a while it's okay to use. If he get's 3 a year, that's alot.

[IKnowWood]

Kaycee's response is great  We had to put her on it.  She already had been taking three Glucosamine/Condriton daily as well as one Previcox daily.  The Previcox is a powerful pain med.  It caused our other dog to go into liver failure (which we got turned around after 2 weeks of intense work).  Then when that was not helping and she could barely get up and move, we took her to the Vet assuming it was an end-game.

Vet mentioned this other Med that we could try, something that is pretty intense focus as first but its the only real other choice at this point.  She was still showing the desire to be with us and plan every once and a while, so we decided to give it a shot.  The plan called for 2 weeks of intense shots every-other day.  The idea was to build-it up then once there we would stagger them to get to a point where its sustained.  All dogs are different in response.  We went for it.  After the first week, she was actually prancing and playing agin.  We knew already she could not fetch or play outside, even when she wanted to.  It would be heartbreaking to see her afterword.   We quickly ended on every-other week.  She is sustaining it.  From time to time, yeah its a bit more.  But not consistent.

Vet told us we can increase again if needed but let think about it.   Shot is $29 each time so its not bad.  When we go on vacation, when we are gone for a time we miss shots, we double up and take vial and needles with us.  If we are not comfortable, we confirmed Vet down in SC will do it for us.

Just wish that Med was viable for Humans....