Dogs That Live To A Ripe Old Age

[shepherdpower]

Every now and then I hear of dogs that have lived to an exceptional age, with good health and very rare visits to the vet. I always ask their owners what they feed them, etc. My lawnmower man has a Staffy female. She is 19 years old, in excellent health, although is starting to slow down now, but still loves to chase the ball. I asked him what he feeds her. His answer :: CHUM!! He said that is the only dog food that she likes, and she has thrived on it. I asked how often he has her vaccinated. He replied "She had her puppy vaccinations - she hasn't had any since". In fact, the only time she has been to the vet. since then, is when she cut her foot.

I feed my Shepherds on the best quality food I can buy, usually very expensive. They are on the BARF regime. My Shepherds usually live until they are around about 14 years of age, which breeders tell me is rather amazing these days, but I would really love to know how I can improve what I'm already doing with my dogs.

Has anybody else owned dogs that have lived to very old ages. If so, what do you put that down to. Or is it simply just good genetics?

[poodlefan]

I think its a combination of any or all of the following:

*good genes

* good diet

* good husbandry

* good luck

[stellnme]

Agree with Poodlefan's suggestions....perhaps with a healthy dose of love thrown in.

[Kavik]

Agree with poodlefan

[megan_]

I agree with PF, but maybe exercise needs to be added in there too? I think that, all things being equal, a dog that gets plenty of exercise and natural play would be healthier than a dog stuck in the back yard.

[Remarkabull]

Agree with PF. With humans we all know of people that do NOT live a healthy life but live a long one! How many times have we heard 'my Pop/mum/dad/uncle smoked and they lived until they were 90'? I know that I don't eat all the right foods and I DO eat alot of the wrong ones but apart from being overweight I have no health issues at all. My SIL (very slim, fit and healthy) said to me when I had announced that I was pregnant with my second child (my first pregnancy was completely normal with no issues) "you need to be careful as 'big' people can have alot of difficulty carrying and giving birth". This coming from a woman that had to stay in hospital for 6 weeks and get stitched up twice so she didn't lose her babies.

Some people (and dogs) are just lucky and/or have good genes.

[poodlefan]

I agree with PF, but maybe exercise needs to be added in there too? I think that, all things being equal, a dog that gets plenty of exercise and natural play would be healthier than a dog stuck in the back yard.

I lump exercise, chiro, regular vetting etc under the term "husbandry". All horse owner habits die hard.

But yes, absolutely... its a case of use it or lose it in terms of mobility - for dogs and us.

[sas]

The secret to the dogs I grew up with:

1) PAL and table scraps

2) Loads of exercise with kids who would play outside

3) Low stress - the freedom to roam and hang out with neighbourhood dogs.

[dogbesotted]

mu FIL, a farmer, reckoned it was dried dog food that caused early death.. his working dogs lived to ripe old ages of 17 plus.. until he started feeding dried food...

maybe it is a combination of conveniance foods, over vaccination and lack of exercise and doggy fulfullment...

H

[shmoo]

My family JRT, Glenda, lived till 16.

At 'My Dog' and 'Pedigree Dry' her whole life.

Very fit and active due to 3 active kids - she would run along side us on our motorbikes! My mother walked her EVERYDAY of her life, when she was old enough, for at least 45mins.

Glenda always travelled with us on holidays, had her vaccination every year and a dental every few years when she was older.

Passed peacefully in her sleep.

ETA: She was a tough JRT. Took on blue tongues in the backyard that were bigger than her. She moved a herd of cows over 100+ acres all by herself right under their feet. (No this was not intentional from us!)

Edited August 17, 2010 by shmoo

[stormie]

*runs off to buy CHUM and PAL*

[Magstar]

Our last dog lived till 17 and he mostly ate Chum tinned food. He was always very active and had acreage to run around on.

[kmaci]

My boxer lived to be 13 or 14. He was brought up on Pal then Chum (wet and dry) plus table scraps. He died peacefully in his sleep.

My parents had a GSP that lived to over 15. He was recued so we never knew how old he was but my parents had him for 15ish years. He grew up on Chum (wet and dry) plus table scraps. I'm pretty sure mum would add rice sometimes to make things last longer. His only health problem was a non cancerous tumor growing under his tail.

My mum's cats live to over 17 and they were fed on the cheapest thing they would eat plus a bit of liver or similar.

I have decided that the reason our pets have lived so long is not special food but my mum

[ravenau1]

My family Shepherd lived to be 13 or so. For most of her life my Mum made all her food, meat, veggie peelings, rice etc, all cooked up, in her latter years she ate canned dog food and kibble along with scraps. She was an outside dog, though I used to get up early on a Saturday morning and sneak her into my room lol.

edit:typo

Edited August 17, 2010 by ravenau1

[rubiton]

Good luck and good genes.

Family dog 1 - Lab cross lived til 1 week before turning 14 died of cancer had canned and dry pal food and dinner scraps. Went out on walks was fine off the lead lived outside when we were not home and at night (unltil he got very old and it was winter) died in 84 family had him from a puppy and was runt of the litter

Family dog 2 - Afghan lived til she was about 14 was put down due to kidney disease and some problem with her neck where she couldnt lift her head up properly. Rarely takn on walks as has no recall and lived pretty much on a beanbag unless outside. Didn't do much running around. Got her when the breeder wanted her gone as she was fighting with another bitch and the other dog was the better in the showring so was either desexed and given away to my mother (friend of breeder) or was to be put down. was around same time as dog 1 ate same diet. Got clipped once a year.

Family dog 3 - Golden Retriever lived til 17 (died in Dec 2000) got 1 km walks each day til the last few years, got commercial dog food then later pasta etc should have been gelded as he got adenomas under his tail which was controlled with female hormones for some reason vets never suggested desexing early on. Was put down when his hind legs could no longer support him for long, his hair fell out on his hindquarters and had one massive adenoma through his tail. Liked to sleep outside in the middle of the grass at night and got stressed if brought in when he was older and it was pouring rain (loved being inside with the family but once it was bedtime he wanted out to lay inthe middle of the yard - never used a dog kennel).

Relatives dog - lived til about 14 or 15 in backyard and not walked once the kids lost interest years ago. Was given joint product and special food due to teeth issues but didnt see a vet inside the last year due to 'poo on her backside would make the car dirty'. Never allowed inside not even in a laundry in those stinking hot 44 degree days or the freezing cold of winter.

So its luck of the draw as not keeping fit didnt affect the afghan or relatives dog (both females coincidentally) eating commercial canned food didnt affect any of them. All of the family dogs had their yearly vaccinations (as did the relatives dog til they decided to stop taking her but was within the last year). LAst family dog had the various heartworm medications (starting with daily tablets then later on when monthly came out onto the monthly option).

OUr dog now 11 has joint issues that started when she was young so we prefer to try and keep her fit as that seems to keep the joints in better condition so she doesnt get sore as often. She's had two bouts of gastro (recently and 2 years back) none of the three family dogs ever had this problem. She's also had her teeth cleaned twice, got an infection from stabbing a leg with a tree branch at the park that she simply walked into, had two lumps removed recently that vet said were fatty lumps (and she has more), had hip issues and then last year the front shoulder and elbow had issues, now has slightly high kidney reading in her blood results, was stung in the throat by a bug requiring emergency vet treatment - none of the family dogs had any of these issues ever. Well ok the golden retriever had a lump removed from his throat as a young dog but until the adenomas and hind end problems cant think of much else he had in 17 years. Can only assume our dog came from a backyard breeder from a lab with not so good joints (sire it seems was a kelpie or kelpie cross) we got her when she was 2.

So can only put it down to as I said good luck and good genes (and I guess keeping them well fed on whatever they do well on).

Edited August 17, 2010 by rubiton

[Gayle.]

Good luck and good genes.

I agree with this. Our old Lhasa is 16, she was bought for me as a gift when she was a tiny puppy, probably from a pet shop. I don't think she's purebred, probably got some Maltese in her as well.

She's lived on canned dog food, kibble and table scraps all of her life. Hates raw meat, can't eat bones anymore due to hardly any teeth, she's a cranky old girl when things don't please her but she toddles around the property and oversees everything and while she's not as sprightly as she once was, she's fit, healthy and I'd say has a good few years in her yet.

She has not been vaccinated since she was about 6 and gets wormed only about once a year. I don't like medicating dogs for the sake of it and I suspect this has contributed to her healthy old age. I can only hope my Aussies live as long and with such good health.

[Sheridan]

To poodlefan's list as a subcategory under good genes, I'd put good immune system.

[RiverStar-Aura]

I agree with everything that's been said. Mostly I feel it's just luck although I'd like to say that some breeds may be prone to living longer than others. Both of our Aussie Terriers lived to 15/16 and I know Poochie was neglected when it came to vet checks and such. We had Poochie when my 4 brothers and I were aged between 5 and 12 and I didn't know that dogs were supposed to have yearly vaccinations until I was 21 or so (Poochie was about 10 years old at this stage and I took on the responsibility of caring for her).

She was fed on table scraps and canned food until about 7 years of age when she had to undergo major dental surgery to fix all her rotten teeth and since then we changed her diet to Lucky Dog dry food. We were pretty lucky with Poochie considering it took 2 vets and 13 years to discover she didn't have grass allergies that she had mange mites appear every summer and the only reason we had her put down was because her kidneys failed her. Even then it took about an hour to administer the needle because I think she knew what was happening and she fought it to the very end. She was a stubborn and tough little bugger who I'll always miss.

But yeah (I ran off topic a little ) she wasn't fed anything special or had regular exercise but she was able to entertain herself with the massive blue tongues and mice around our backyard!!

[Tara and Sam]

Mum's dog lasted till just over 17 years old and she had Pal can and dry food most of the time , mum cooked up mince and vegies as other meals

she was fit and healthy and lasted all those years on Pal

we have 2 dogs also raised on Pal can and dry food , also mixed with other meals of home cooked mince and vegies

and both about 14 years old and according to the vet very healthy dogs ,( apart from old age setting in )

we dont have table scraps left over , certainly not enough to feed a 40 kilo dog or a guts of a cocker spaniel

[OSoSwift]

I babysat a Kelpie who lived until 18. Got got fed Pal working dog dry food with the odd bit of cooked meat and bones a few times a week.

He died with all his teeth in his head - although a little worn. He hadn't been to a vet for about 10 or more years. He was rarely washed nad spent his life outside. He slept in the laundry on the floor with a wool blanket thrown on the floor.

After he stayed I sent him home with a dog coat, which he loved (they said he freaked when they had tried one years earlier) an old cot mattress and a couple of extra blankets.

He rarely ever got washed and never really seemed to smell at all.

My family Kelpie X lived to 16 and finally got euthed due to a sinus tumour. She was blind and deaf but her heart and lungs were clear and strong. She ate what we ate, inlcuding onion. My mum always made five plates, hers, dads my brothers, mine and the dogs. She had some bones and ate frozen whole herring we would catch while on holidays then freeze and bring home for her. She only got a bath when she rolled in something dead. She slept inside and on my bed.