Common Labrador Health Problems and How to Prevent Them

Labs are built tough. The breed is famously resilient, which is half the reason it sat at the top of America's dog rankings for 31 years. But tough does not mean bulletproof.

Like every breed, Labrador Retrievers come with a short list of predictable problems, and the largest study ever done on the breed makes the pattern clear: musculoskeletal disorders are the leading cause of death in Labs, and ear infections are the single most common condition vets see.

Here is the good news, and the whole point of this guide. Most of what threatens a Lab is something you control. Not all of it. But the big levers, weight, ears, activity, and catching trouble early, sit squarely in your hands. We raise our Labs in our home and manage these same things every week with dogs like Dunkin and Sadie. Here is what to watch for and what to do about it.

The Joints: Hip and Elbow Dysplasia

This is the big one. Hip and elbow dysplasia are the signature joint problems in the breed, and musculoskeletal disease is what most often shortens a Lab's life. Both conditions come down to joints that do not form quite right, which wear, inflame, and turn into arthritis over time. There is a hereditary piece you cannot change after the fact. But there are two levers you can pull every single day.

Watch for the early signs: stiffness after rest, a reluctance to climb stairs or jump into the car, a bunny-hop in the back legs when running, or a front leg that turns out. If you see them, get to the vet. Early management buys years of comfort.

What you control: keep your Lab lean, and exercise smart. Extra weight is a direct load on bad joints, and it speeds the slide into arthritis. Smart exercise means low-impact when you can get it. Swimming is the gold standard, which works out well for a breed that would rather be in the water than out of it. We get into routines that build muscle without grinding joints in our guide on exercise needs.

The Weight: Obesity Is the Quiet Killer

If you do one thing for your Lab's long-term health, keep it lean. Labs are one of the most obesity-prone breeds on record, with studies putting overweight rates among the highest of any breed. There is even a genetic reason behind that bottomless appetite.

Obesity is not a cosmetic problem. It worsens the joint disease above, and it raises the risk of diabetes and heart trouble. The fix is not complicated, but it takes discipline. Keep them active and trained. A working, exercised dog burns what it eats and stays out of trouble. Keep fresh water available at all times, especially for active dogs in the Florida heat. Measure meals instead of eyeballing them, go easy on treats no matter how hard they sell you, and run your hands over the ribs every so often. You should feel them under a thin layer, not dig for them. We cover feeding amounts by life stage in our guide on what to feed your Labrador.

So how hard does a Lab have it compared with other breeds? Here is the overweight risk for three of them, measured against the average dog.

A couple of breeds, the Pug among them, rank higher on raw odds. But here is the catch that sets the Lab apart: of these three, only the Labrador carries the POMC appetite gene. A Lab's hunger is partly hardwired, which is why keeping one lean takes more discipline than the number alone suggests. A German Shepherd, by contrast, sits below the average dog. It is simply easier to keep lean.

The Ears: The Most Common Problem You Will Face

This is the one almost every Lab owner deals with, and it is the single most common condition vets treat in the breed. The cause is simple. A Lab has a heavy, floppy ear that traps moisture, and a Lab loves water. Warm, dark, damp ear plus a dog that swims every chance it gets equals infection.

We stay on top of this, and you should too. We clean our dogs' ears weekly, sometimes more than once a week. It takes a few minutes and it heads off most problems before they start. The signs of trouble are easy to learn: a dog shaking its head with a swooshing sound inside the ear, scratching at the ears more than usual, or red and inflamed skin down inside the ear. When we see any of that, we clean the ear thoroughly and get the dog to the vet. Ear infections do not fix themselves, and a bad one is miserable for the dog.

Build the cleaning into your routine, dry the ears after every swim, and watch for the signs. It is the highest-payoff health habit you can build with a Lab. More on coat, skin, and ear care in our grooming guide.

Exercise-Induced Collapse (EIC)

This one is rarer, but every Lab owner should know it exists because it is specific to the breed. EIC is a genetic condition where intense, high-excitement exercise triggers a sudden loss of coordination in the back legs, usually 5 to 15 minutes into hard activity. The dog stays conscious and almost always recovers fully within about half an hour of rest. It is frightening to watch and rarely fatal, but repeated severe episodes can be dangerous.

If your Lab ever wobbles, goes weak in the hind end, or drops during hard exercise, stop the activity immediately, get the dog cool and resting, and call your vet. Dogs prone to it do fine as long as you manage their hardest exercise and let them rest at the first sign.

Bloat (Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus)

Bloat is the emergency on this list. It is the one that can kill a healthy dog in hours. The stomach fills with gas and can twist on itself, cutting off blood flow. Deep-chested breeds like Labs are at higher risk. The signs are a swollen, hard belly, unproductive retching or trying to vomit with nothing coming up, drooling, pacing, and obvious distress. This is not a wait-and-see situation. It is a get-in-the-car-now situation. Some simple habits lower the odds: feed smaller meals rather than one large one, and avoid hard exercise right after eating.

The Eyes

Labs can carry inherited eye conditions, mainly progressive retinal atrophy, a gradual loss of vision, and cataracts. These are less about daily prevention and more about awareness. If you notice cloudiness, bumping into things, or hesitation in low light, have your vet take a look. Routine vet visits catch most eye changes early.

What You Can Actually Control

Pull this together into a simple playbook, and you have handled most of what threatens a Lab. Keep them lean, because it protects the joints, the heart, and the lifespan all at once. Clean the ears and dry them after every swim. Keep them active and trained, which burns calories and keeps the mind right. Learn the emergency signs for bloat and EIC so you do not freeze when seconds count. And see your vet regularly. We take ours in at least once a year for a checkup, the rabies vaccine, and a heartworm test, which is the floor, not the ceiling. Senior dogs and any dog with a known issue should go more often.

None of this requires a veterinary degree. It requires paying attention and being consistent, which is the whole job of a good dog owner.

Your Weekly Lab Health Check

Five minutes a week catches most problems while they are still small and cheap to fix. This is the run-through we do on our own dogs, usually during a calm moment like an evening cuddle. Make it a habit.

Anything that looks off, write it down and mention it at your next vet visit. Anything that looks painful or fast-moving, call sooner.

Originally published December 2023. Last updated June 8, 2026. Written and reviewed by Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA, owner of Borosky Labradors.