Spaying and neutering your animals can have major pros and cons. It extends both the male and female's lifespan. Doing these procedures can help make sure that your dog does not die of an early death, and helps combat against testicular cancer in males and pyometra (a uterine infection) in females. Neutered males have a higher risk of developing urinary tract cancers and prostate carcinoma.
Feeding your dog correctly can help eliminate health issues. It’s important to make sure that you feed them meals that are low in fat and served in moderate proportions. Overweight dogs developed can obtain many illnesses and even injure themselves if their nutrition is disregarded. In some cases you might even have to put your dog down if they are too heavy because they will have incredible chronic pain and an overly decreased outlook on the basic activities of life.
Gender plays a part in how long a dog lives. Females are expected to live one or two more years than a male dog. Female dogs grow and mature slower than males. The male dog gains the most weight during adolescence. Females are able to stand more stress due to the excessive amount of pregnancy hormones that they produce.
It's important to know the dog's breed doesn't always determine how long it will live. Great danes, mountain dogs, and other large animals are great examples of large breed dogs. King Charles Spaniels, Boxers, and Golden Retrievers are some of the medium sized breeds. Scottish Terriers, Beagles, and Dauchsands are perfect examples of the smaller breeds that outlive medium and larger sized dogs.
No matter what breed you choose, you can always expect to get the maximum amount of years from your pet if you provide it with the essentials. Helping them to eat right, exercising them properly, and making regular checkups to the vet can all help boost your dog’s life expectancy.
Eric Blair writes about pet health and the benefits of giving pets supplements from NuVet Labs.