PetCaseFinder

Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Exercise collapse in young Labrador retrievers and its inheritance

By Taylor, Susan M et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2008·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Canada·View original on PubMed

PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →

Original publication title: Exercise-induced collapse of Labrador retrievers: survey results and preliminary investigation of heritability.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

Many young Labrador retrievers, typically around 12 months old, experience sudden collapses during exercise, especially while retrieving. Owners reported that excitement and hot weather often triggered these episodes. The condition seems to run in families, suggesting a genetic link. If your Labrador shows signs of collapsing during play, it's important to discuss this with your veterinarian, as managing their activity and environment can help prevent these episodes.

People also search for: Labrador retriever exercise collapse · why does my dog collapse when playing · Labrador retriever heat sensitivity

Abstract

Completed surveys were obtained from owners of 225 Labrador retrievers affected by the syndrome of exercise-induced collapse. Questions addressed signalment, age of onset, description of collapse episodes, and owner perception of activities and factors associated with collapse. Most dogs were young (mean 12 months) when collapse episodes began. Retrieving was the activity most commonly associated with collapse. Owners felt that excitement (187/225; 83%) and high environmental temperatures (71/225; 31%) increased the likelihood of collapse. Analysis of pedigrees collected from 169 affected dogs was most consistent with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance.

Find similar cases for your pet

PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.

Search related cases →

Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18981194/