4 year old lab collapsed today, doing ok but scary

[HerdBullH20]

My Golden Retriever had a heart murmur- If she exerted herself real fast chasing a ball occasionally she would kinda faint and eye's would roll back in head. It was super scary.   Your sounds healthy in that department so imagine not the case.

[pianoman9701]

I'm glad it turned out OK for your dog. What a scary thing to happen and how fortunate to have a vet tech next door!

[SuperX]

Sounds like EIC.  Simple genetic test will tell you.  It's a recessive trait so both parents can be fine but carriers so some of their pups can end up affected if both parents pass on the gene.  My last lab had it and was "affected" and he lived passed 13 and was a great retriever on water but could only last a short time before collapsing on land when hunting upland or training.  (a common thing with EIC affected labs).


Get him tested at your vets

[Happy Gilmore]

Sounds like EIC.  Simple genetic test will tell you.  It's a recessive trait so both parents can be fine but carriers so some of their pups can end up affected if both parents pass on the gene.  My last lab had it and was "affected" and he lived passed 13 and was a great retriever on water but could only last a short time before collapsing on land when hunting upland or training.  (a common thing with EIC affected labs).


Get him tested at your vets

They also do that in the water and usually drown

[Pegasus]

Had a GSP do the same thing while hunting. Dog keeled over, eyes glazed over and I thought he died. After examining the dog I realized he was still alive. Had to carry the dog out for several miles. About two hundred yards from the vehicle he perked up and was walking almost normal by the time I arrived at my vehicle. Wished the dog had awakened about two miles earlier. Carrying a dog and gun by yourself is not fun. Vet examined the dog later and said it was some kind of seizure and that the dog would be prone for more episodes. It happened once more. Luckily the dog was at home and did not completely go unconscious.  We hunted for many more years. I always believed the heat and dehydration had something to do with the episodes. Made sure he never had a lack of fresh water in the field after that.

[SuperX]

Was it just the back legs/hips affected?  Could be Exercise Induced Collapse, commonly referred to as EIC.  It's a genetic disorder.  Did the parents have all of their health clearances? 

Sounds like it could be EIC. Pretty scary when it happens.

OP, so sorry to hear about your lab having EIC.  I'm 99% sure based on what you've said, that this is what is wrong.  I have seen it before and my last lab had it.  It's scary and seems like heatstroke the first time you see it.  EIC is a recessive genetic trait in labs only (so far as I know from past research), there is a genetic test your vet can help you with.  You can have pups in the same litter that are just fine, affected, or just carriers.  On the positive side, it hits each dog differently and you can avoid it happening when you learn the triggers.   My last lab had it from both parents (affected) and was only good for a couple retrieves on land before he started to wobble, but he was happy to retrieve all day on the water and loved hunting ducks.   he had a normal lifespan and was a normal active lab unless you got him worked up to retrieve on land. 

Best thing you can do is get the test done.