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- 13
How long do cats and dogs live?
Posted by Dr. Barry Kipperman at 5:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
I’m asked this question every week, usually by well-meaning guardians trying to make sound medical decisions in behalf of their older dog or cat. The good news is that our animal companions are living longer than ever before. Let’s discuss the reasons:
1) Preventive veterinary care: Veterinarians have far greater resources to discover and treat age-related disorders and ailments, such as kidney failure, arthritis, heart disease, and cancer. As with human health care, it is much less costly and more successful for us to discover problems in their early stages rather than when the problem has become advanced. Given that our animal companions have limited means of communicating their malaise to us, it’s important that you and your veterinarian develop a plan as your dog or cat ages. I generally advise a checkup every six to 12 months once your furry friend is deemed a senior citizen.
2) The human-animal bond: In a previous post, I discussed the varied reasons why dogs and cats are now seen as family members by an increasing proportion of our society. This renewed and profound commitment has driven the rapid growth of veterinary specialists and emergency care, lunchtime dog walkers, and day care. The change in the role that animals play in many of our lives has also contributed to their enhanced longevity.
3) More cats are indoors: With the growth of urban centers, our animal companions have followed us into apartments, dorms, and offices. As a result, injuries and fatalities from outdoor hazards have declined, but the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle (e.g., obesity) have increased, so it’s important to provide indoor cats with enough exercise. Here are some tips to keep your cat happy and healthy.
4) Smaller dogs live longer: For those wanting a canine companion, many have chosen a small breed better adapted to living in a smaller space. I’ve always said, “All dogs eat the same total amount of food in their lives.” That is, large dogs eat more food on a daily basis than little ones, but the larger the dog in general, the shorter the lifespan. Toy breed dogs may eat very small meals, but they can often live to be 12 to 16 years of age. So if you’re looking for a canine companion, and longevity is what you’re after, think small.
The flip side of this increased longevity of our animal friends is acknowledging our responsibility to help care for them through their golden years.
This means preparing both financially and emotionally to do our best to help them maintain the highest quality of life that we can provide. There are more options available to help older dogs and cats now than ever before.
As long as we prepare for their future and make thoughtful decisions in their behalf in conjunction with your veterinarian, the answer to the question “How long will he or she live?” may be ”who knows”!
Posted to Health | Posted to Tags: Cats, companion animals, Dogs, Dr. Barry Kipperman, Preventive veterinary care, veterinary care
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tom says...
November 13th, 2009, 4:47 pm
I’m not so sure. Back in the day dogs were less in-bred (read: better genes) and as hard as it may be to believe, I sense they may have eaten better, such as few grains and no processed foods. I hear stories from older people who had dogs well into their late teens - long, healthy lives with few health problems.
babypook says...
November 13th, 2009, 6:09 pm
I only go to holistic vets. The conventional ones go to schools funded in large part by pet food companies, and businesses like Pfizer.
I wont vaccinate my fellow creatures , just as, I refuse them for myself.
Rebekka Augustine says...
November 13th, 2009, 6:14 pm
Felix, my Alaskan Malamute, turns 15 today so I’d like to add to this story: People are often startled to hear that Felix is as old as he is, especially because of his size; Although age has taken some of his muscle mass, he still weighs in at a hefty 95lbs. In his younger years he was on a strictly raw-food diet and these days he gets the best organic canned food we can find. He gets all the love we have to give him, and he is definitely treated like a member of the family in full standing. As he’s gotten older, though, the one thing that has made the most difference in his continued mobility and comfort has been homeopathic veterinary care.
A few years ago when arthritis started to appear in Felix’s back and hind legs, the traditional vet we were seeing advised that Metacam was the only avenue of treatment. It would ease his pain for a while, we were told, but it was a relatively short-term solution due to the potential for renal failure that comes with long-term use of the drug. We should, the vet said, accept the fact that Felix was an old dog (and of course a large breed, which makes it worse) and that there was a limit to what we could do for him. So we found a new vet.
Since then Felix has gone off Metacam completely and instead takes various homeopathic supplements to address his arthritis and boost his immune system. He also gets chiropractic and laser treatments to stimulate blood flow and nerve activity in the affected areas of his body, and he still walks twice a day, often with gusto!
He doesn’t run anymore and there are days when his back legs are stiff and uncooperative, but my partner and I are convinced that had we accepted the diagnosis of the traditional vet, Felix wouldn’t be with us today. I’ll always be glad we explored ALL the other options.
Susan Hoppler says...
November 15th, 2009, 12:01 am
Just a reminder to all of you fellow animal lovers: remember that as much as you would love to have your companion animal forever, your companion’s best interest must be first and foremost - are they happy? Content? Pain-free? Remember that they cannot tell you how they are feeling inside in human-speak. I am an ex-vet tech and can tell you from personal experience how hard it is for people to let their beloved animals go - often the pain and sadness of the “parent” blurs the line of where the animal’s suffering should override all else. One of my dear cat companions was diagnosed with a severe form of cancer that had spread throughout his body - found during abnormal labwork and an abdominal exploratory. I took him into work with me (the vet clinic) because one morning he was lethargic. That was all. Just letargic. It was amazing how
far the cancer had spread throughout his body with no symptoms that I could see. He hadn’t even lost any weight and was still eating. Believe me - I am very diligent about my cat’s health and well-being and brought him to the vet at least a couple of times a year.
Just keep in mind that your animal companion depends on you to make the best, most compassionate choices for them. How can you really know how much pain your athritic older companion is in? I know that we all mean well, just remember that sometimes the best choice for your loved-one is the hardest. Oh - and by the way, if you aren’t going to vaccinate your pet, then please be sure they are never in a situation to catch a horrible, life-threatening disease:)
Daniela Vargas says...
November 15th, 2009, 4:47 am
Hi!!!
My husband and I have three Dachshunds, they’re our babies, we love them and they love us back, they’re really our family, and we want to know what special care should we give to them because of their breed. One of them, Dixie, I rescued her a year ago, found her on the street, and the vet told me she’s about 10 years old, given the fact that with her previous owner she was neglected what can I do for her so she can have great golden years? And one of my other dogs, Bruno, he got hit by a car a year ago, he’s now doing great but I worry that the accident can have repercussions in the long term, like when he’s old, could you please advice me on what can I do to give him a healthy, painless life, he’s my baby and my angel I would really appreciate if you could advice me. Thanks!
vicki says...
November 15th, 2009, 11:34 am
Nick, my beautiful Russian Blue is 18.
No one, including his vet can believe his age.
He is in great health, loved by everyone who knows him.
We look forward to many more birthdays with him!
Carrie says...
November 15th, 2009, 4:30 pm
My sister’s cat Fluffy has been around halfway through the life of my cat Misty that died, which after that i had beauty that i still have and then when we got Beauty, fluffy was an old cat and now since he had kittens with Beauty who died and we ended up getting kittens called Spike and Simba which are either like teens in cat years and Fluffy must be a pensioner by now and is still alive and near enough good in health. He has more problems with fur balls and when he eats too much he throws up, he was overweight but has lost a lot and now i a little flabby, but a part from this he goes out at least once to twice a day and can be out for minutes or hours because the time ranges but there are times he stays indoors and eats food and lazes and that can be for weeks straight and he is still alive and healthy and quite fit.
I think if you give your animals enough care and affection, and are willing to pay whatever to vets to help your animal if they need it then they will have more of a long lived and healthy life.
Barbara Moore says...
November 15th, 2009, 7:14 pm
My born “Blind” dog “Kellie” turned 15yrs. old, 09/02/09.Her Mother ‘Honeybun’ is 17yrs. old.Both have slightly enlarged hearts and each is on a different blood pressure medication.They both get over the counter hip & joint chews,everyday,for quite a few years now,and neither have stiff joints.I think with love and paying attention to them is a key to long life.I know the minute if one of them is not acting the same and keep a watchful eye to see if they will need a vet’s care or just not up to par that day.they have been a “blessing” to our family.
Susie says...
November 16th, 2009, 7:47 am
All the above comments sound like great advice to help pets live longer. When my Australian Sheppard dog died at 16 years of age, I couldn’t help but believe I could have prolonged her life if I knew any better, even though the vet tried to convince me how lucky I was to have a large dog live to that age. So I did some research, and come to find out, ALL pet-foods have disease-inducing ingredients. Healthy dogs should live to about 24 years old. That can only be accomplished with eliminating commercial dog/cat food, and instead, replaced with home-cooked meals. I believe it too. The last time I saw one of my friends a couple years ago, his big dog was 16 years old with a lot of energy. His meals consists of the same food my friend eats, who is also a vegetarian. Actually, I think my dog got to live longer then average dogs her size because “people” food was included with her meals. However, I also believe that dog food shortened her life (she suffered and died from cancer). I could have probably had about 8 more years with her if I had known better. She suffered for quite a long time before her death. With healthy, prepared meals, all that could have probably been avoided. I’ll never get another dog again until I’m ready to commit to preparing his/her own meals.
Marion says...
November 17th, 2009, 6:32 pm
I got my lovely labrador from a rescue centre when he was aged 7 years, he will be 12 years in January and although he has slowed down a lot has a loving and happy life with us. He is quite a large dog but gives so much love.
Marie says...
November 18th, 2009, 12:07 am
Susie, you are right on target regarding commercial dog and cat food. Especially if it comes from China. I found a vegetarian recipe for my dog on the internet and my dog (large german shepard/chow mix) loves it. It is easy to prepare. In a large crock pot I put one cup of dried split green peas, one cup of lentils, and almost one cup of black-eyed peas. I wash and cook them with bacon fat until soft (I buy a package of “ends and pieces” bacon. I separate the lean meat from the fat. We eat the lean meat and I put the fat in the crock pot.) Then I put in 4 or 5 large chopped carrots. When the carrots are cooked, I then add almost one cup of rice (how much rice I add depends on the amount of liquid in the pot). She always wags her tail when I give it to her and she never seems to tire of it. I have noticed how much better her fur coat looks and she seems to feel much better. Being such a big dog she has her share of hip and joint problems, but she seems much stronger being on the vegetarian diet. It is easy to prepare and low cost, certainly much better and cheaper than commercially processed dry/cereal food which makes them fat and sick. The beans and rice are a source of protein so they don’t need all that animal blood/left overs/chemicals in commercial food for protein. Give it a try, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how easy it is to make your own dog food.