Healthy debate
In our recent Dog Census we asked:
Do you think pedigree dogs are living longer?
Yes 26%
No 37%
Don't know 37%
Do you think pedigree dogs are getting healthier?
Yes 11%
No 59%
Don't know 30%
Isn't it interesting? We have analysed a small group of 100 just to get a trend in advance of the survey closing, but isn't it fascinating that there is such a difference between perceived life expectancy and health even in a small group of people?
What do you think? Are pedigree dogs living longer or not?
If you're just going from personal experience there are so many other factors to consider.
I've had lots of Beardies in my life, even so I struggle to find a definitive trend. Some have lived very long lives - 16 is my best, some have died at 12 or younger of something odd. Some have had pups, some haven't. Some have had some trauma or an infectious disease. Will have been fed a certain commercial diet or fresh homemade food. Some were rarely vaccinated, others annually.
In that time I've had brilliant vets and sadly some really very ordinary ones. Great pet insurance or none at all - which possibly changed the options my vet may have put to me.
Sally for example was on Vivitonin for years, none of my other oldies before then were ever offered this wonder drug and that may have extended her life in both quality and quantity dramatically.
How will we ever get proper scientific data on life expectancies that factors all these variables out?
I guess we can just measure perceptions and ask lots of people in different professions and then take the average of them all.
Has there ever been a survey that suggested pedigree dogs are getting healthier and living longer?
Do you think pedigree dogs are living longer?
Yes 26%
No 37%
Don't know 37%
Do you think pedigree dogs are getting healthier?
Yes 11%
No 59%
Don't know 30%
Isn't it interesting? We have analysed a small group of 100 just to get a trend in advance of the survey closing, but isn't it fascinating that there is such a difference between perceived life expectancy and health even in a small group of people?
What do you think? Are pedigree dogs living longer or not?
If you're just going from personal experience there are so many other factors to consider.
I've had lots of Beardies in my life, even so I struggle to find a definitive trend. Some have lived very long lives - 16 is my best, some have died at 12 or younger of something odd. Some have had pups, some haven't. Some have had some trauma or an infectious disease. Will have been fed a certain commercial diet or fresh homemade food. Some were rarely vaccinated, others annually.
In that time I've had brilliant vets and sadly some really very ordinary ones. Great pet insurance or none at all - which possibly changed the options my vet may have put to me.
Sally for example was on Vivitonin for years, none of my other oldies before then were ever offered this wonder drug and that may have extended her life in both quality and quantity dramatically.
How will we ever get proper scientific data on life expectancies that factors all these variables out?
I guess we can just measure perceptions and ask lots of people in different professions and then take the average of them all.
Has there ever been a survey that suggested pedigree dogs are getting healthier and living longer?
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