Labrador Health: Ears, Joints, and the Chocolate Lab Question
In UK vet records, chocolate Labradors died younger and had more ear and skin disease than black or yellow ones. What the study found, and its limits.
Written by thecanineledger
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In a study of UK vet records, chocolate Labradors that died had a median age at death of 10.7 years. Black and yellow Labradors lived to 12.1. The authors summarise: “The median life-span of Labrador retrievers overall was 12 years but was much shorter in chocolate dogs.” (McGreevy et al., Canine Genetics and Epidemiology 2018).
While that finding is striking, it rests on only 34 chocolate dogs that died. The study is better at showing what Labradors commonly get: ear infections, extra weight and joint disease.
1. The study
The dogs. Researchers used VetCompass, a database of anonymised UK primary-care records. They found 33,320 Labradors under vet care in 2013, and reviewed the records of 2,074 chosen at random.
Deaths. 176 of the sampled dogs died during the study.
Old data. The records are from 2013.
Funding. One author was supported by the Kennel Club Charitable Trust for part of the study. The authors declare no competing interests.
2. The most common diagnoses
| Disorder | Share of Labradors |
|---|---|
| Outer ear infection | 10.4% |
| Overweight or obesity | 8.8% |
| Degenerative joint disease (arthritis) | 5.5% |
| Lameness | 4.4% |
| Periodontal (gum) disease | 4.2% |
| Lipoma (fatty lump) | 4.1% |
Weight and neutering. Neutered males were more often recorded as overweight than entire males, at 11.4% against 4.1%. In females, the difference wasn’t significant.
Our note: The obesity figure relies on vets writing it in the notes, so 8.8% may understate how many Labradors are overweight.
→ What Extra Weight Costs a Dog: The Labrador Lifetime Study · → Ear Infections: Why They Keep Coming Back · → Arthritis Treatment: What Works, From Weight to Medication
3. What Labradors died of
Of the 147 deaths with a cause recorded, the most common were musculoskeletal disorders (24.5%) and cancer (21.1%).
Dogs that died of cancer died younger, at a median of 10.6 years, against 13.4 for musculoskeletal disorders. The authors note “that most common diseases are not terminal and that disease predisposition in life is not the same as disease predisposition as a cause of death.”
Our note: We read “musculoskeletal disorder” as a cause of death to mean euthanasia for arthritis or immobility in old age.
4. Chocolate Labradors
Ears and skin. Ear infections were recorded in 23.4% of chocolate Labradors, against 17.0% of yellow and 12.8% of black. Hot spots (pyo-traumatic dermatitis) were also more common in chocolate dogs.
A puzzle in the figures. All three colour figures for ear infections are higher than the 10.4% the paper gives for all Labradors. We couldn’t reconcile them from the paper.
Lifespan. Chocolate dogs died younger, but only 34 chocolate deaths were counted.
A possible reason. Chocolate coat colour is recessive. The authors suggest breeders who want chocolate puppies may breed from a narrower set of lines. “It is possible that a more restricted population gene pool has a higher carriage rate of the disease risk genes involved in ear and skin conditions.” This is a hypothesis.
Our note: We read only this study on the chocolate findings.
5. If you have, or want, a Labrador
- Keep your dog lean. Weigh regularly and ask your vet for a target weight.
- Dry the ears after swimming, and see a vet if your dog shakes its head or scratches its ears.
- Watch for stiffness as your dog ages, and ask about arthritis care.
- If you want a chocolate Labrador, ask the breeder about ear and skin problems in the parents.
Our note: These points are ours, including drying ears after swimming. The paper mentions swimming as a possible ear risk from earlier work.
→ Is My Dog Overweight? Body Condition Scoring Without Guesswork · → Choosing a Breed or a Mix: The Health Data Breeders Don’t Lead With
6. What we could not verify
| Commonly said | What we found |
|---|---|
| “Chocolate Labs die younger” | In this study, yes, but only 34 chocolate deaths were counted. |
| “Labradors are always greedy and fat” | 8.8% were recorded as overweight. That depends on vets noting it. |
| “Most Labradors die of cancer” | Cancer caused about a fifth of deaths. Musculoskeletal disorders caused a quarter. |
Sources
- McGreevy PD, Wilson BJ, Mansfield CS, et al. Labrador retrievers under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders. Canine Genet Epidemiol 2018: VetCompass study, 2,074 Labradors sampled, 2013. One author supported by the Kennel Club Charitable Trust
Always confirm with your vet before acting on anything on this page.