[livingwith]

Last summer (2008), my 3 year old Chocolate Lab. (who suffers from an underactive thyroid), suddenly started to limp and was licking her paws a lot. She developed a huge boil between her middle toes on one paw, We were at our holiday home at the time so I took her to a local vet immediately who decided that the boil needed to be lanced and cleaned there and then. He suspected a grass seed.
When I collected Tilly later I was told there was no foreign object, just pus but that it had been cle...Read the full article

[Andylarkin]

Angie

Many thanks for sharing your experiences with your Labs.

My dog, Charlie, is suffering from exactly the same thing as you describe, but up until now NO-ONE has mentioned thyroid problems to me. I have tried many footwashes, all to no avail and I did not want to go down the steroid route that one vet suggested.

When describing other Choc Labs that you have seen, you could have been describing my Charlie… I get so used to people stopping and making a comment as he drags himself along… I always say that he was born in retirement and is making damned sure he doesn't change any time soon.

He is only 3 and a half years old and he is not a pig (apart from when he stays at Mum and Dads and they give him titbits even though they insist that they don't) and I would describe him as a big chunky handsome lad. Personally I wouldn't call him fat, I call him big boned but that in itself gives away the fact that it is on my mind that he is not as thin as some labs I have seen.

He gets at least three hours exercise a day and loves swimming and being out in the countryside… so up until now I just thought of him as the lumbering gentle giant.

Could you tell me, are you in the UK or is it the US or Canada? I would be grateful for any more info that you might be able to share as it seems we have a common problem with our dogs.

I would really appreciate a response if you could?

Regards

Andy