Variation in age at death of dogs of different sexes and breeds
Bronson, R.T.
American Journal of Veterinary Research 43(11): 2057-2059
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9645 PMID: 6891194 Document Number: 188580
The pathology files of the Angell Memorial Animal Hospital, Boston, for the years 1962 to 1976 showed that the mean age at death of 2002 intact and neutered dogs of 56 breeds and cross breeds was 3.0 to 9.9 years. This variation was not correlated with mean breed body weight. An attempt to explain the variability by finding diseases to which dogs of the short-lived breeds were particularly susceptible was not possible in general, since the samples of each breed were small and the total number of diseases from which they died so large. Dogs of long-lived breeds died from diseases appropriate to their age, particularly cancer, 39% of the sample. In the sample as a whole, cancer accounted for 20% of deaths at 5 years and increased to and remained between 40% and 50% from 10 to 16 years of age.