Fans of Hong Kong veteran actor Damian Lau can heave a sigh of relief after his latest posts on social media, in the wake of rumours that he had had a stroke early last year.

On Monday (March 8), Lau, 71, posted on Weibo recent photos of himself with his dog Ding Ding, wishing his pet a happy birthday. One of the photos has a time stamp showing it was taken on Feb 21 this year.

Lau, famous for playing swordsman Luk Siu Fung in 1970s TVB dramas, appeared to be in good spirits in the photos with his dog, which he said he treats like his child.

He has been married to former flight attendant So Ka Yin since 1992. The couple have no children.

Lau's last social media appearance was in photos he posted in June last year.

Concerns arose about his health in January last year after he was photographed by Sing Tao Daily looking unwell and using a walking aid.

As his right hand was clenched in a fist, with his index and little fingers bent in an unnatural way, the media speculated that he might have suffered a stroke.

When asked by reporters, Lau said he had injured himself and was on the road to recovery. Hong Kong singer Jonathan Wong also told the media that Lau had suffered a fall while rehearsing for a musical.

Lau also looked better in subsequent photos posted on social media by actresses Sheren Tang and Michelle Yim respectively in March and May last year.