Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut
2 chocolate labs:
Rommel is the local celebrity (made the paper)
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Cross-posting from another thread (from 2008...shit I got old).
Poor old Rommel is giving up the ghost on me. We figured last spring that he probably had one more winter in him because he's just aged so much faster than his brother. I always said I wanted 12 healthy years from my labs and that's pretty much exactly what I got; he turned 12 in October and was still as willing as ever to run and play; just couldn't do it as long.
In December he started panting pretty hard and by January he picked up a cough. We took him to the University vet, had some abdominal scans and ultrasounds - no luck. Best they can tell is that he's aspirating likely on account of laryngeal paralysis. They were surprised that his gait was still good because it can be a sign of neurological breakdown. Sadly, over the last month or so his hind legs have started to fade as well so it sure has the look of just a gradual neurological fade. Fortunately he's learned to change how he drinks and I don't think he's stressed out by the 'newness' of the cough so by staying calmer, he's pretty much self-regulating it; I hear him hack maybe once or twice a day now (as opposed to hourly when it first surfaced).
Doesn't seem to be hurting, still a happy old lab. But things are slow-going for him and he mostly just hangs out with us on the couch now. All told, it's what we expected and probably not a bad way to go but it still kinda sucks. I'm hoping he can get some nice spring days on the screened in porch before we have to make the call but summer may be tough on him with the heat and the breathing issues.
Been a good run...