Posted on 11/19/2007 11:27:37 AM PST by MississippiMasterpiece
I'm curious to hear from other Freepers about dogs they've owned that have had long lives. I have a Lab mix that's about to turn 17. She's been to the vet once in her life (to be neutered) and eats whatever I'm having for supper. Last night it was turnip greens, pinto beans with garlic and ham, cracklin bread, dirty rice and venison. She's solid black, except that her feet, muzzle and the hair around her butt have turned grey. She has lived outdoors all her life on the farm and still roams every day looking for miscellaneous mischief. Is my dog unusual or average in terms of age?
I had a Yorkie (4lbs fighting weight) that lived to be 19, almost 20.
Dogs really are disgusting. That’s why I have 2 labs.
Of my last three mini-dachs, only one didn't make it to 16½ years. She might have gained a year or two if I'd been brushing her teeth as my vet told me on the last two. My dogs never protested if I used the last of my morning coffee with cream and sugar.
Dog's—and people's—hearts improve with good dental care. My vet also approved of table scraps and a good dry dog food.
OTOH, an acquaintance once said her Beagle was 26 years old. At my apparent astonishment she said, "Maybe it was 15 years." :)
All in all, I've found the smaller the dog the longer the life... Terrier-type dogs tend to enjoy longevity in my experience. And I eschew Vets as much as possible. Nothing personal against them or their profession, but I believe the it's better to leave well enough alone.
Me too....
The ten-year-old has a mix of chow.
The one-year-old has a mix of beagle.
(I say the 1yo is 100% retard but he’s trying to be a good boy...he’s just so goofy)
My brother’s Husky is 17 and going strong which is pretty old for the breed. Got some arthritis in the hips and some sign of cataracts but I’d love to be that spry...at 119.
You never know how long, but I can tell you no matter how long it’s always too short.
Thanks. Our dogs get the mandatory rabies shots. After the initial DHLP shots (which we sometimes break-up rather than getting the full-combo) we usually just do titers tests for anti-body levels. It’s more expensive, but you aren’t hitting the dogs system so hard with the booster shots.
Current thinking here is that we’re over-vaccinating our dogs given their exposure (which is fairly low). Working dogs; different story.
Our dogs (terriers) usually live 10 to 15 years, BTW.
My boy loves beans.....but beans or not....if he gets, well, gassy, he will run the whole family out of the house and sit there like “WHAT?”
“Our dogs (terriers) usually live 10 to 15 years, BTW.”
One of my beloved cairn terriers died (put to sleep) two weeks shy of this 17th birthday. Our other cairn was 19 years old. I currently have another cairn who is almost 14. She lost a leg to cancer and still chases the westie pup and the schaunzer around!
Clearly dogs can live into their late teens if they are lucky. Pits, however, shouldn’t be allowed to.
I had one English Setter die at 18 and one was 3 months short of his 17th birthday.
I think it just depends on the dog. Most of my dogs have been over 14 when they died. However, I can’t stand a fat dog so maybe being normal-weighted had something to do with their longevity.
Are you still around spewing your hatred and making up laws? I have a Pit. What do you intend to do about it?
Nothing but hold your anti-social, white trash tastes up to contempt and ridicule. Nice to hear from you.
1/2 decade is a lustrum. It's easier to type and will send some scurrying to the dictionary.
My little Nicompoop is 12 years old, part of something unknown, but looks like springer, lab, big boxer, and maybe lion. Got her when she showed up at our door one cold January night and was 3 weeks old or so. She now weighs 104 lbs., runs like a deer, and is so protective of our home and cars it isn’t funny. She eats like a horse, loves ice cream, and will cry if I leave her at home when I go to town. We fed her out of a baby bottle and gave her liquid vitamins as a pup, and she seems to know or understand her role in life. Our vet told us she wouldn’t live a week when I found her, and he wanted to put her down. My wife wouldn’t let him and that, as they say, is the rest of the story.
We adopted the Cattle Dog on my profile page when he was about a year old. He’ll probably outlive me!
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