On Sunday the 14th of July the adventurous team at Vets Now Referrals in Glasgow will be slogging up the tallest mountain in Britian to raise funds for Labrador Retriever Rescue Scotland Scio (LRRSS).

LRRSS are a voluntary, benevolent organisation dedicated to the welfare of Labrador Retrievers in Scotland and parts of the North of England.  In 2012 they helped to rehome over 500 Labradors and 70 Labrador crosses. But they are much more than just a rehoming charity they provide help and support to Labradors in need. Here are the stories of two of the lucky Labradors that LRRSS have helped.

LINCOLNS’ STORY

Lincoln is a 6 year old black Labrador who came to Vets Now Referrals with severe breathing difficulties.  Radiographs and tests showed that he was suffering from what is known as a “spontaneous pneumothorax”. This is when air starts to gather in the chest cavity for an unknown reason preventing the lungs from fully inflating.  It may be caused by a serious infection, tumour or a ruptured air sac.  Lincoln underwent an operation which involved opening his chest cavity and filling it with fluid to identify the area of lung where the leak was coming from.  Once the area was identified the effected lung lobe was removed.  This is a very specialist operation with intensive post operative care costing in total over £3500.  Lincoln is now at home and doing well.

Lincoln is seriously ill and has breathing problems. He needs surgery which will cost £3500 but I am on a mission to find the money to pay for it. The condition Lincoln has is called "spontaneous pneumothorax" - spontaneous just means that it's happened without there being an accident or trauma. Pneumothorax is air collecting around the lungs and is commonly known in layman's terms as a "collapsed lung". It usually occurs because of an abnormality in the lungs. Sometimes this might be something nasty like a tumour or might happen because of an infection like pneumonia, but most commonly it occurs because a small area of lung has formed a thin-walled sac which has then ruptured. This is called a "bulla" or "bleb". The aim of the surgery is to find the place where the air is leaking from the lung and remove the abnormal area of the lung, usually with a special surgical stapler. Sometimes if its difficult to find the leak, the surgeon will fill the chest up with fluid and look for bubbles, just like repairing a bicycle punctureOLIVERS’ STORY

Currently LRRSS have 12 Labradors in long term foster who all suffer from ongoing health issues.  Oliver is an 8 year old chocolate Labrador who suffers from dreadful skin problems and allergies.  He came to LRRSS in 2012, he hadn't been to a vet in 4 years and his skin was so bad that he was self harming. He is bald around his eyes, nose, belly and legs.  He also had horrendous dental problems and when he underwent dental treatment a rountine blood test showed he had problems with his liver function.  Oliver needs daily medication for his skin allergies and liver problem, he also needs to be on a prescription hypoallergenic diet as he suffers from gastric upsets. The cost of all this veterinary treatment is supported by LRRSS.