Since you are here you probably have a dog who collapsed after exercising and are wondering whether he/she has a medical condition or is just great at being manipulative to get out of exercise. And if that’s the case, you’ve definitely come to the right place because here at IndulgeYourPet, we’ve got both kinds of dogs running around our offices!
But all joking aside…
Exercise induced collapse in dogs is a serious medical condition that some dog breed are prone to developing which is why we wanted to take a moment and discuss exactly what exercise induced collapse (EIC) is and what it’s actually like to own a dog who has been diagnosed with this condition.
But before we get…
Too ahead of ourselves, we should point out that EIC isn’t a medical condition used to describe dogs who just collapse once after running around for an hour in 115 degree Arizona weather.
Instead…
It is a genetic disease most commonly found in Labrador Retrievers and requires a much larger rap sheet of collapsing frequently after 5-10 minutes of exercise.
But if…
Your Labrador does frequently collapse after short vigorous exercise then he or she might have the condition known as exercise-induced collapse which is when a dog collapses during or after strenuous activity.
Fortunately…
Most Labradors recover completely and return to normal after collapsing in about thirty minutes or so, but there are copious cases in which dogs have died from this condition, which is why folks should never underestimate this condition if they feel that their dog may in fact have it.
Now…
While we here at IndulgeYourPet always encourage folks to take they pet to a veterinarian anytime they suspect that there may be something wrong with their furry little buddy, it’s important to be able to recognize some of the signs that might indicate that your Lab has this condition.
This way…
You can provide some better insight about your dogs health to your vet once you do end up visiting them.
Symptoms associated with EIC may include a variety of motor deficiencies immediately following strenuous exercise. These deficiencies may take the form of:
- Collapse,
- Difficulty walking,
- Shaky legs,
- Muscle weakness,
- “Abnormal” levels of lethargy or fatigue.
It is important to note that…
Even if your four legged friend does have EIC, he/she may not collapse every time they encounter intense exercise. This is why it may be rather difficult (and costly) for your veterinarian to make a definitive diagnosis right away and may require several visits before he or she is certain that your dog does actually suffer from EIC.
What causes EIC?
EIC is caused by a mutation of the dynamin gene which is found on chromosome nine of a dog’s DNA. This mutation has been found to be responsible for the fainting and collapses in the heat of the dogs that are affected.
You may be wondering….
“If my dog has EIC will it’s puppies automatically have it too?” The answer is… Probably not, since EIC is an autosomal recessive trait, unless your dog’s partner also has EIC or is a carrier for it, the puppies will not be affected!
Which means that…
Provided that you choose to work with a “reputable” dog breeder, chances are they should be able to guarantee that any of their puppies won’t develop this condition. Unfortunately, this doesn’t really help folks who ended up falling in love with a Lab that does exhibit these characteristics which leads us to one’s treatment options.
The bad news about this disease…
Is that there is no cure! The only available treatment is simply to not have any mild to moderate exercise with your pet. Dogs with this condition should stay away from getting their body temperature up too high in order to avoid any episodes of collapsing.
Although…
One last ditch solution is to give your pup phenobarbital which basically just calms them down and limits their excitement which reduces one of the factors that causes the collapsing. Now we’re not suggesting that this be the option that you choose which brings us to a very important point that we should bring up….
Which is…
we here at IndulgeYourPet are not doctors, veterinarians or even medical professionals. All we are is a bunch of folks who are passionate about animals and only want what’s best for them.
And…
Since every dog is different even if did have medical training, it would be highly inappropriate for us to make any recommendations about treating your pet without first meeting him or her.
This is why…
We always say, “when in dobut, have a vet check it out!” this way, you can be sure that your buddy is getting the best care possible.
Which brings us…
To the last topic we wanted to focus on for a moment which is pet insurance. You see, visiting a veterinarian can be expensive. Visiting one numerous times trying to nail down an elusive diagnosis and treating a do with medications for the rest of his or her life can be even more expensive!
This is why…
We always like to remind all of our readers about the importance of purchasing a pet insurance policy on all of their pets so that you won’t necessarily have to pay 100% of the vet bills on medications and expensive vet visits if in fact your loved one ever does become sick or injured.
For more information on who we feel currently offers the “Best” pet insurance policies in the industry, feel free to check out our Best Pet Insurance Companies article.
