Are dogs living as long as they used to?

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K9Wendy

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As a groomer I was talking to a lady yesterday and we discussed that we rarely see really elderly dogs now. Most of my client's dogs are less than 13 max and it has been years since I had a really oldie on my books, by that I mean around 16 or 17.

I am now thinking maybe dogs aren't living just as long, unlike horses, we see many more oldies around than I can ever remember..

Just a thought!!
 
My Westie was only 8 when she died. But practically everything that could go wrong did go wrong with her at some point or other. She was finally pts because of steroid induced liver failure. Having said that, I spent a couple of years living at a veterinary practice and there was a Westie that used to go in there quite often and she was still going strong at 18!
 
I would say that dogs are living a lot longer nowadays than they used to due to vaccination and much better veterinary care. When I was young (long time ago) it was pretty unusual for dogs to make it to double figures but nowadays a 10 year-old is a relatively young dog. The last one I lost (on Easter Sunday) was exactly 15 and a half, the current one is 12 and during the season comes out every Saturday on foot with me following the New Forest Hounds - she loves it. I worked for a vet for 4 years and during that time I commented to one of the vets about the number of dogs with diabetes which was unheard of years ago. He replied that years ago they didn't live long enough to develop diabetes, which is very true. My first dog had distemper as a puppy as vaccinations didn't exist then and those diseases killed off an awful lot of dogs but you never hear of them nowadays.
 
our dog was 13 when he was pts due to cancer earlier this year
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. so atm we dnt have a dog. i think there life expectancy has increased because of the health care etc
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Not sure that they live longer than they used to - but age is breed dependant too. For instance, I have a Boxer, they are not a long lived breed. My husband's boxer was only 8 when he died and his parents boxer was only 9. My boxer is 9.5 and seems to be quite an 'old man'. However we did meet a boxer in the park once who was 13 and running about like a pup!
 
A friend of mine had a German Shorthaired Pointer who was nearly 17 when he was pts.

he had a full working life as a gun dog and field trial up to the age of 10, when deafness stopped him competing at top level. Spent the next 6 & a bit years with my friend who nursed him after his operation for a gastric torsion!!!
 
I cannot see any reason why dogs do not live as long as they used to. I wonder if all the ready made dry food we now give our dogs has altered their life span. One of my cavvies is now 10 with a very enlarged heart. I am dreading the day when we have to part.
 
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