Golden Retrievers Dying Younger – 5 Top Most Reason
Buying and taking the Golden Retriever home are among the common traditions in society nowadays. But what is the best age to buy a pet? Another important question is to find out the average life span of the pet and whether it is a myth or a reality that Golden Retrievers dying younger, in the last decade.
Well! Golden Retrievers lived an average life of 16-17 years in the 70s and 80s of the last century. Recently it has been found that the pet lives an average life of 11-12 years. Genetics and most importantly health issues and diseases impacted a lot in the average life of the pet. I will cover complete details of the life span of the pet along with the most prominent health issues that the pet faces.
Reasons Why Golden Retrievers Dying Younger
Multiple studies have concluded the same results of decreasing short span for a Golden Retriever’s life.
Some factors affected most and will probably remain impactful in upcoming years for the health and average life of the pet:
Genetics
Genetics plays the most crucial in the health and traits of any living thing including the Golden Retriever. The pet can inherit a shorter lifespan from its predecessors.
Bad Breeding Practices
Golden Retrievers are best known for various mixes and crossbreeds. But bad breeds seek over the health of the pet causing a shorter lifespan.
Bad Hygienic Conditions
Lack of grooming and bad environmental conditions can cause in shorter span of the pet.
Most Common Diseases
Cancer
A study, conducted recently, found that every fifth Retriever dog on the planet Earth suffers from any variant of the cancer. It can be in many forms like lymphoid neoplasia and hemangiosarcoma; the percentage of affected pets is 18.4% and 22.6% respectively. Early findings and treatment help in the fixation of cancer for pets.
Old dogs suffer from the diseases in most cases. But it doesn’t mean that young ones don’t suffer from the disease at all. Regular visits help handle the matter quickly.
Obesity
The decrease of life span due to obesity can’t be ignored for humans as well pets and the Golden Retriever is no exception. The pet gains weight very quickly with even small meals. Obesity can lead to cancer as well in some cases.
Chances of death increase from 10% to 20% for a heavyweight Golden Retriever than a normal-weight dog. Regular exercise and providing meals, dedicated quantity, at dedicated intervals help in the maintenance of the weight. Veterans may be consulted as well in case of any glaring issue regarding the weight of the pet.
Heart Disease
Grain-free diet in some cases causes bad health for the pet and ultimately causes death through heart disease. Proper diet and regular visits to the veteran can help in minimizing health diseases for the pet. Here are some common heart diseases that a Golden Retriever may suffer:
Hip Dysplasia
The disease is well-known among the owners of the Golden Retriever. The dog finds it difficult to run initially and walk when the issues grows with time. It can suffer from elbow joints as well.
The disease isn’t fatal at all as research says that the pets find it difficult to manage such injuries but they don’t die. However, some owners may leave the pet if it has gained the weight over 75 pounds with such type of injuries.
Less Common Diseases
Some very little-known diseases may cause death in rare cases. Here is the list of said common diseases:
Bloat
Stomach effects from the disease. Initially, it causes just pain but can cause in death of the pet if it isn’t cured through proper medicines.
Epilepsy
The disease doesn’t cause any major issues initially but it can harm the liver if it isn’t treated well in time.
Degenerative myelopathy
The pet’s spinal cord remains affected the most during the disease. Old dogs suffer the most and young ones face it very rarely.
Hypothyroidism
It ultimately makes the dog overweight and initiates a pathway for fatal diseases.
Patellar luxation
The pet kneecap slides from its original position causing pain to the dog.
Skin and ear infections
The disease is among the most common diseases for the breed and causes pain.
Cataracts
The pet suffers from eye disease which can cause discomfort for the pet.
Conclusion
The average lifespan of the Golden Retriever has decreased from 4-5 years in the last 50 years or so. Cancer takes the most share in harming the pet. Some diseases aren’t fatal at all but can become fatal if proper treatment isn’t carried out. Grooming and caring for the pet helps increase the life expectancy of the pet to some extent.
