Posted on 11/19/2007 11:27:37 AM PST by MississippiMasterpiece
I'm curious to hear from other Freepers about dogs they've owned that have had long lives. I have a Lab mix that's about to turn 17. She's been to the vet once in her life (to be neutered) and eats whatever I'm having for supper. Last night it was turnip greens, pinto beans with garlic and ham, cracklin bread, dirty rice and venison. She's solid black, except that her feet, muzzle and the hair around her butt have turned grey. She has lived outdoors all her life on the farm and still roams every day looking for miscellaneous mischief. Is my dog unusual or average in terms of age?
welsh terrier lived to 4. Indoor cats 18.
Should have read 14.
You’re a lucky person.
As a kid, we had a Cocker Spaniel that survived in good health to the age of 19. My father had him put down because he was loosing his eyesight. Never any health problems.
Spoiled worse than any child I have ever encountered.
They can live until they die!
I did have a mini-Dach make it 16-3/4 years. Even after two back surgeries. He was a real trooper!
That's an amazing age for Labs. Usually only small breeds live to that kind of age.
I'm curious about your statement about visiting the vet. Are you saying that your dog was never vaccinated? In my state you are required to vaccinate for rabies periodically (1 or 3 years depending on the type). Just curious...
If she’s roaming the farm no tell what’ she’s eating. I just got a lab mix in February and puked up rotten fence post last week. Not to mention carrying around horse apples. Hope she lives as long as your curr.
Average life expectancy for a lab is 12.6 years, which is pretty much the median for dogs. They’ve been known to make to 17, but that’s very rare. The oldest dog ever was an Australian sheepdog named Bluey that lived to be 29.
Why worry? Just enjoy every day.
Yep, smaller dogs live quite a bit longer. So to have a big dog live to 17 is quite good. I think 14 is about the life expectancy of the larger dogs.
I had a 1/2 Beagle, 1/2 German Shorthair mix that made it to 17.
I should have mentioned that she loves fresh cow manure from newborn calves. The manure has so much undigested milk in it that she laps it up like pudding.
Me too.
I think how long a dog wants to live when you feed him turnip greens is the moral question to be answered.
And feeding a dog beans is just crazy. Please don’t tell me you let him sleep on the bed.
My lab will be 12 in jan, other than having 2 knee operations, he’s going strong...just a lot slower.
“I should have mentioned that she loves fresh cow manure...”
My wife always mentions this stuff when Pepper is licking my face ;-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.