Many times we do not know that the size of a dog can determine its life expectancy, in general, large dogs tend to live less than small breed dogs, which means that if we acquire a large breed dog we take into account health problems, the most common diseases, the dog's life expectancy and breed specific care.
The life expectancy of a large breed dog is on an average of 8 to 10 years, although these numbers cannot be taken as a general rule, since this is not always the case, they are only averages that have been obtained throughout studies and follow-ups that have been made to large breed dogs, since it has been determined that there are Large breed dogs that have lived up to 13 years and others that have reached only 6 years of life, which implies that they are only average years of life, but they are the most regular.
Can the life span of a large breed dog be lengthened?
Most dog lovers or owners have come to believe about a calculation that is the most common to calculate the age of a dog, which is that each year of a person is equivalent to seven years of a dog, this is something that has been discarded, it is false, since dogs when they are puppies age faster than during their adult life period, which makes this cannot be controlled exactly, studies indicate that a large breed dog reaches adulthood at 6 years of age.
It can be said that lengthening the life expectancy of a dog consists of the basic dog care, daily exercises, a balanced diet for the dog and adequate veterinary control is essential for the dog to be healthy, which indicates that it can prolong its life expectancy. Feeding is essential both when the dog is a puppy and when it is an adult, it must have a good portion control, vitamins, proteins and minerals, the meals should not contain excess fat and the portions should be moderate and appropriate to the size of the dog, if we do not know what is the indicated diet for the stage of life in which the dog is, we can consult a veterinary.
When the dog is a puppy, it is recommended that the food portions be small and three times a day, it is better than putting large portions twice a day.
If the portions and food are not adequate this can result in the dog having overweight, obesity, and lack of nutrients, which leads to the dog's life span being even shorter than the average and is that we can find factors that harm our dog that escape from our hands, such as the most common diseases of the breed, That is why we must have knowledge of the breed of dog that we have in charge, there are common diseases in large breed dogs such as hypothyroidism and arthritisThese diseases must be detected in time to benefit the quality and life expectancy of the dog.
Does spaying and neutering help dogs live longer?
Sterilization in dogs has become a method to extend the life of the dog, since they tend to live longer than a spayed and neutered dogBeing less prone to having some type of accident and developing some types of cancer, the right time for the dog to be sterilized must be taken into account by the veterinarian and the owner of the dog.
This method has in turn caused much controversy as to what period of life the dog must be sterilized, for some it is convenient that it is between 6 and 9 months, but other studies reflect that for sports dogs it should be from the year of the dog's life, which should be a matter to discuss with a trusted and knowledgeable veterinarian, and thus choose the best option for the dog.
The life expectancy of dogs sometimes cannot be controlled, so it is better to take advantage of each day than our faithful friend as long as he is by our side, being the happy one and making us happy.