Labrador Retriever

Health at a glance

The best UK picture of Labrador health comes from a Royal Veterinary College VetCompass study of 33,320 Labradors seen at UK first-opinion vet practices in 2013, with detailed records reviewed for a random sample of 2,074 dogs^[1]. The median age at death was 12.0 years^[1]. Neutered dogs lived longer than entire dogs (12.5 against 11.6 years), and there was no meaningful difference between males and females^[1].

The most commonly recorded problems were ear infections (otitis externa, 10.4% of dogs in a year), overweight or obesity (8.8%) and degenerative joint disease (5.5%), followed by lameness, dental disease and fatty lumps (lipomas)^[1]. Among dogs whose cause of death was recorded, musculoskeletal problems (24.5%) and cancer (21.1%) were the leading causes^[1].

Coat colour made a difference. Chocolate Labradors had a median lifespan of 10.7 years against 12.1 years for black and yellow dogs, although the chocolate group in the mortality analysis was small (34 dogs)^[1]. Chocolate dogs also had more ear infections (23.4%, against 12.8% for black and 17.0% for yellow) and more hot spots, known as pyo-traumatic dermatitis (4.0%, against 1.1% and 1.6%)^[1].

Conditions Labradors are prone to

Weight gain. Obesity is the second most commonly recorded problem in Labradors^[1]. It was recorded in 11.4% of neutered males against 4.1% of entire males^[1]. Part of the reason may be genetic: University of Cambridge researchers found that around one in four Labradors carries a variant of the POMC gene, and each copy was linked to dogs being about 1.9kg heavier on average^[7]. Extra weight matters for insurance because it puts more strain on joints that may already be weak.

Ear disease. Otitis externa was the single most common diagnosis, and it was more common again in chocolate dogs^[1]. If ear problems keep returning, check whether your policy counts them as one condition with a single limit.

Hip dysplasia. PDSA names Labradors among the medium to large breeds most affected^[5]. The Royal Kennel Club lists hip scoring under the BVA/RKC scheme as a minimum health test before breeding^[2]. Over 48,000 Labradors have been hip scored in the last 15 years, and the breed median score for dogs scored in the five years to the end of 2025 is 8, where 0 is best and 106 is worst^[4]. See our hip dysplasia page for signs, treatment and costs.

Elbow disease. In a VetCompass study of over 455,000 UK dogs, 2.54% of Labradors had elbow joint disease recorded in a year, and Labradors had nearly six times the odds of crossbreeds^[6]. Across all breeds, 61% of cases affected both elbows^[6]. Elbow scoring is also a minimum breeder test for the breed^[2].

Cruciate ligament disease and arthritis. Degenerative joint disease and lameness are both in the top four recorded problems^[1]. Cruciate ligament rupture is another knee problem owners of large dogs often ask about, but we have not found a UK figure for how often it affects Labradors specifically.

What treatment can cost

Joint surgery for a large dog is expensive. These are published referral prices, including VAT, from two UK referral hospitals:

• A total hip replacement at Langford Vets costs £7,750 for a dog of 10–40kg or £8,050 for a dog over 40kg, per hip, plus a £1,350 work-up for consultation, sedation and scans (prices correct at 1 May 2026)^[8].
• Fitzpatrick Referrals lists a total hip replacement with standard implants from £8,500 to £9,000 per hip^[9].
• Cruciate surgery (TPLO) at Langford costs £5,050 for a 10–40kg dog, or £8,200 if both knees are done^[8]. Fitzpatrick lists TPLO from £4,750 for a dog under 45kg^[9].
• Elbow arthroscopy at Langford is £3,465 to £4,200 for one joint, on top of a lameness investigation^[8].

These are single-hospital price lists, not national averages, and your own costs will depend on where you live and what your dog needs. For context, the average pet insurance claim across ABI members in 2024 was £685^[10].

What this means for your insurance

Several of the problems above are long-running, which makes the type of policy more important than the headline price. PDSA describes four main types: lifetime cover pays up to a set amount each year for as long as you renew, maximum benefit cover pays a set amount per condition until it runs out, time-limited cover pays for each condition for 12 months, and accident-only cover pays only for injuries^[11]. Which? notes that lifetime policies come in annual, per-condition and hybrid versions, so check how the limit actually works^[12].

Pre-existing conditions are the biggest risk for this breed. Most insurers exclude anything your dog had, or showed signs of, before the policy started^[12]. Many policies also treat a problem on one side of the body and the same problem on the other side as a single “bilateral” condition. The Financial Ombudsman described this as a standard term in most pet policies, and upheld an insurer’s decision to decline a claim for both hips where signs in one hip pre-dated the policy^[13]. Some policies add a further restriction: one insurer’s terms for newly added pets say that if one hip or elbow was treated before cover, the other side is not covered for 12 months^[14].

Premiums are likely to be higher for pedigree dogs^[12]. As your dog ages, expect co-payments: Which? says insurers typically treat dogs over eight as older pets and co-payments can reach 25% of each claim^[12].

Questions to ask before you buy a policy

• Is the vet fee limit per year, per condition or for the life of the policy, and does it reset when I renew?
• How do you treat bilateral conditions such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and cruciate disease?
• How long is the waiting period for illness, and are there longer waits for any joint conditions?
• Are there any exclusions for hereditary or congenital conditions, or for my dog’s breed or age?
• At what age does a co-payment start, and how much is it?
• If I switch insurers later, which conditions will the new policy exclude?

Get the answers from the policy wording or the insurance product information document (IPID), not just the sales page.