Labrador Hip, Elbow and Joint Problems: Dysplasia, Cruciates and Arthritis

Labradors are big, fast-growing and enthusiastic, and their joints pay for it. Hip and elbow dysplasia are common in the breed, cruciate ligament tears are common in adults, and arthritis is almost universal in seniors. You can't change the genes your dog came with, but you can change how hard they land on them. The usual honest line: we are not vets. This is what to watch and when to ask.

Dysplasia: the growing years

Hip and elbow dysplasia means the joint didn't form properly, so it wears. It is largely genetic, which is why breeders score hips and elbows, but growth speed and weight decide how bad it gets. Feed a large-breed puppy food, keep the puppy lean, and protect the growth plates until they close at twelve to eighteen months: no forced running, no jogging alongside a bike, no long hikes, no stairs at speed, no jumping off furniture, no repetitive ball-chasing on hard ground. Free play on grass and sniffy walks of about five minutes per month of age, twice a day, are fine.

Signs in a puppy or young dog: bunny-hopping with the back legs together, a swaying walk, difficulty rising, sitting oddly with a leg out, reluctance to jump, a limp that comes and goes. Mention them; early diagnosis opens options that later diagnosis closes.

Cruciate ligaments: the adult years

The cruciate ligament stabilises the knee. In Labradors it often degenerates and then tears during ordinary play: a twist, a skid, a jump. A sudden lameness on a back leg, or a slow-building limp that is worse after rest, is the classic picture. Treatment is often surgery and it is expensive, which is one reason to insure early. Lower the odds with lean weight, warm-ups before hard play, and not throwing a ball for a dog that skids to a stop.

Arthritis: the senior years

Stiff after rest, loosens with movement, slower on stairs, reluctant to jump into the car, licking a joint, grumpy when touched. That is pain, not age. Modern arthritis care is excellent: weight first, then the right exercise, supplements, and medication that lets an old dog enjoy walks again. Rugs on hard floors, a ramp for the car, an orthopaedic bed, nails short, and swimming, which is the best exercise a stiff Labrador can have.

Exercise by age

• Puppy: five minutes per month of age, twice a day, plus free play on grass. No forced exercise.
• Adolescent: build gradually after twelve to eighteen months. Brain work before mileage.
• Adult: one and a half to two hours a day, varied: walks, swimming, retrieving with rules, scent games. Avoid endless ball on hard ground.
• Senior: shorter, more often, swimming where possible. Stop before they are sore, not after.

When a limp means the vet

Any limp lasting more than a day. Any sudden back-leg lameness after play. Any joint that is hot or swollen. Any dog who cries when a leg is moved. And any senior who is stiff every morning; that one isn't an emergency, but it is a phone call, because the treatment works. Keeping the weight down, as the feeding guide explains, is the one thing that helps every joint problem on this page.