Chocolate Clan Labradors
To know one is to love one
Our Girls Health Information
Maggie and Grace are now entering middle age. Both are taller than their mother with Maggie being 22" and longer. Maggie now weighs about 65 lb and Grace about 70 lb. Grace now lives with our daughter Sarah. Hope only weighs 50 lb. She seems skinny but as the years roll by her weight will change. Hope is slightly shorter than her Mom Maggie.
Hope came into her first heat cycle in June of 2019, at 20 months. She has had no major health issues yet. We say yet as she love to chew, and has eaten toys, shoes, and drug bottles. Who knew Vitamin D was toxic to dogs? We do now.
Maggie came into her first heat cycle in July of 2012, at 16 months. She has had no major health issues during her first five years, except for needing a C-section to deliver her first litter of pups. Her annual check-ups are excellent.
Kassey was on the small size at 21" and and her weight has increased to 65 lb. in old age from a working weight of 55 lb.
Kassey has had two lumps in her lifetime. One was a sebaceous cyst, probably from an ingrown hair. It ruptured and healed all on its own. The other lump was a soft tissue sarcoma. The vet noticed the sarcoma and had it removed immediately. Soft tissue sarcomas are a form of skin cancer. Kassey had this cancer when she was two, and has had no major health problems since. At thirteen, Kassey is an "old" dog. She does not hear or see as well as she used to do. And she has problems jumping into the car due to arthritis. But she still loves to retrieve, swim and go for walks.
Koko was about 21" and her weight varied from 65 to 70 lb for most of her adult life. With illnesses of old age her weight got down to about 55 lb but during her last winter she put on weight due to lack of exercise. See Old Age for more on this.
Koko had three histiocytomas removed and one allowed to disappear. Histiocytomas are ugly bumps that grow rapidly but if given time, about three months, will disappear on their own. Koko had three lumps removed that were identified as Mast cell tumours. Mast cell tumours are one of the most common type of skin cancer in dogs. Koko also had a couple of other lumps removed that were benign. The problem with all these lumps is that it is hard to tell which are which. The vet can do a needle aspiration and search for suspicious cells. Or they can do a biopsy. If they do the latter, then it is just as easy to remove the suspicious lump.
We owe our vet, Cindy Nowles, a deep depth of gratitude for removing the cancers and allowing our girls to continue to have healthy lives.
Skin cancers are common in dogs, but there is no known genetic link to these types of skin cancer.
For more information specific to Old Age, please visit the old age page under 'Our Girls'.
Purpose
This site contains information on our Labrador Retrievers. Our first was Koko who lived to be fifteen as did her daughter Kassey. Our clan now consists of Maggie, Hope and Abbey. Visit the Photos to see lots of pictures of the Chocolate Clan and past litters. The site also contains some general information on Labrador Retrievers. Browse around and if you have any questions submit them to us in "Contact Us".
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