Labrador Retriever is an ideal pet for keeping in a family with children. This is a harmless dog that is distinguished by friendliness, cheerfulness, devotion. The task of each owner is to provide the pet with the right conditions of maintenance, because the life span of a Labrador directly depends on this.
Factors affecting life expectancy
The life span of a dog of this breed is influenced by several factors, which do not always depend on the owner. For example, genetics. So, for retrievers it is characteristic to suffer from hereditary diseases. Breeders responsibly approach the selection of individuals for breeding, avoiding the crossing of genetically disabled dogs. But still puppies are born with joint dysplasia, epilepsy, retinal atrophy, diabetes and skin ailments.
To avoid buying an unhealthy individual, when meeting a puppy, it is important to examine the entire set of documents for club activation of the parent pair and the results of the analyzes.
Do not buy a Labrador from an untested breeder, otherwise there is a high probability of becoming the owner of a sick puppy, who will not be able to please with longevity.
Factors affecting life expectancy are the conditions of the dog. Only proper care and a balanced diet provide the pet with health and long life. If for some reason an animal is forced to lead a homeless existence, then the duration of its life will be substantially less than that of a dog kept at home.
Age versus human years
Owners are always interested in how old a dog is if you translate its years into human indicators. So, "youngsters" can be considered Labradors up to the age of one and a half. You can equate such a puppy to 20 years of human age. After 3 and a half years, the dog will “knock” 30 human years. At 6 years old - this is a 40 year old dog. 16 years old is a dog that has passed for 80. A twenty-year-old dog can be considered a long-liver, because by human standards it is already 100 years old.
How many labradors live on average?
The average life expectancy of a Labrador Retriever in normal home conditions is 10–14 years, but more often it is 12 years. Considering the fact that the breed belongs to large, these are quite good numbers, as it is believed that large dogs live less than miniature ones. For example, 10 years for a shepherd dog is already a very old age, and German dogs rarely live to 8 years. Therefore, in comparison with such dogs, Labradors are long-lived breeds.
Of course, among them come across long-lived dogs. For example, the Labrador dog Chilla from Australia died at the age of 32 years, which is 150 years in human terms. There are even dogs that fell due to their age in the Guinness Book of Records. So, Labrador Butch from the USA lived to the age of 28, and for the first three years he was kept in very poor conditions.
Bell's dog from the UK died of a heart attack at the age of 29, and she was not surrounded by human attention in the last years of her life, otherwise she might have lived even longer. This dog was not the record holder of the Book, as the owners did not have documents confirming the age of the animal.
How can I extend the life?
Before buying a Labrador Retriever puppy, you should familiarize yourself with the conditions of detention that you can offer your pet. He needs a lot of space, a close “odnushka” will be small for the active life of a large dog, which will significantly affect its longevity. The life of the dog will help extend the daily long walks with games and runs. An animal that is not active enough, is prone to weight gain and the development of diabetes, such a dog will not live to 10 years.
Labrador, especially in old age, is required to be led regularly for veterinary examinations. Self-monitoring of the pet's condition also plays an important role. It is necessary to brush wool every week, timely detect fleas and ticks, pay attention to the condition of the skin and wool.
An important factor in extending the lifespan of a dog is proper nutrition. From an early age should observe the daily rate of feeding. Usually the puppy appears in the house at the age of 1.5-2 months. Up to 3 months it should be fed about six times a day, up to 5 - five times, up to 9 months - four times, up to a year - three times, after a year it is enough to feed the animal twice a day. In terms of nutrition you can not listen to the desires of the dog and feed it from the table or perekormlivat - This may adversely affect her health.
Food that is not intended for dogs can cause the formation of ailments of the digestive system or allergies.
It is allowed to feed the Labrador with dry food, but it must be class not below premium. Veterinary specialist will help to correctly calculate the daily rate. Usually, responsible manufacturers provide these data on the packaging, but if food is bought by weight, then a veterinarian can help. Do not try to count the portion yourself, being guided by the wishes of the dog, she will eat as much as you give. Do not forget that dry food swells in the stomach.
If the dog eats natural food, then the diet should necessarily include veal, skinless chicken, lean fish, cereals, eggs, cottage cheese, vegetables. Be sure to add vitamins and mineral supplements to food. All drugs should be prescribed by a doctor, taking into account the state of health and age of the individual.
Walking a puppy is important at least five times a day. An adult dog needs two or three walks. Labradors enjoy training on dog simulators, but it is important to start such training not earlier than a teenager turns 10 months old. Until this age, the dog has a loose spine and weak limbs, and active jumping can cause injuries. These dogs love to spend time in nature and swim, so be sure to take your pet with you on a picnic.
The duration of life is determined by the emotional background of the animal. Stress or longing for the owner can shorten the life of the Labrador. Therefore, it is important to devote a lot of time to the dog, scratching, caressing, playing with it, and avoiding frequent partings. Stress itself does not affect longevity, but it can lead to an exacerbation of chronic diseases or the development of new diseases.
Thus, there are cases when the appearance of a child in the family Labrador blind and he developed diabetes. The illnesses came amid a stressful situation, to which a sharp change in attitude towards the dog on the part of the owners led.
Therefore, when planning a child, you need to think many times whether it is worthwhile to start a dog during this period. It is important to understand that with the advent of the child the owner will no longer be able to pay due attention to the animal, therefore it is recommended to start a Labrador in the family, where there are already children.
Main causes of death
Causes of premature death of the four-legged friend can be the following diseases.
- Inversion of the stomach. It is an expansion of the stomach due to weak walls. In this case, the stomach increases, swells, as a result of which the diaphragm is squeezed, the blood circulation is disturbed.All this, together, causes the death of the pet.
- Collapse of the trachea. With this chronic disease, the lumen of the pneumatic tube narrows, which connects the larynx and the lungs.
- Spleen tumor. With a tumor of this organ, even a minor injury can provoke rupture of the spleen, which will lead to the death of the pet.
- Heart Disease. Most often, retriever cardiomyopathy occurs in retrievers.
These are the most common diseases for labradors. But here we can also refer, for example, ingestion of a foreign body in the throat. These dogs are distinguished by their curiosity, they want to taste everything: scattered socks, cutlery, small parts of toys, bones. Seeing that the dog has difficulty breathing, it lies with its mouth open and chokes, immediately take the pet to the veterinary clinic.
Walking the dog also has many dangers. Owners of dogs are aware of the increasing number of dog hunters' activities in the country, scattering yards in the courtyards and dog grounds.
In order to avoid labrador poisoning you should always walk in a muzzle.
However, the dog can get poisoned in the apartment. For example, during the repair, the owners may not notice how the pet tasted the construction chemical material, which can cause death.
It is very important to walk the animal on a leash. Labradors are smart dogs, but very active and curious. In search of adventure, the animal may be on the roadway or get caught up behind a stray dog pack. All of these situations can lead to the premature death of a pet.
The following video will introduce you to one of the most popular dog breeds. He will tell you how to keep Labrador and care for him.
