- French Bulldog (4.53 years)
- English Bulldog (7.39)
- Pug (7.65)
- American Bulldog (7.79)
- Chihuahua (7.91)
- Husky (9.53)
- Beagle (9.85)
- Boxer (10.4)
A life table is a tabulated representation of mortality-related data at particular ages in a given population, along with life expectancy data. The life tables for the UK companion dog population, broken down by sex, Kennel Club breed group, and popular breeds, were created by this study using data from VetCompass. Life expectancy at age 0 was 11 among the 30,563 dogs that passed away between 1 January 2016 and 31 July 2020. 23 [95% confidence interval (CI): 11. 19–11. 27] years. Female dogs (11. 41 years; 95% CI: 11. 35–11. 47) had a greater life expectancy than males (11. 07 years; 95% CI: 11. 01–11. 13) at age 0. Life tables varied widely between breeds. Jack Russell Terrier (12. 72 years; 95% CI: 12. 53–12. 90) and French Bulldog (4. 53 years; 95% CI: 4. 14–5. 01) had the greatest and smallest life expectancies, respectively, at age 0. The life tables produced by the current study provide new insights and applications to enhance the health and welfare of canines while also providing a deeper understanding of the varied life trajectories of many different types of dogs. The current study advances our knowledge of life expectancy, which will help veterinary professionals, pet owners, and many other sectors.
The improvement of canine welfare and health management depends on a deeper comprehension of life expectancies at various ages within the companion dog population in the United Kingdom (UK), further classified by sex and breed1,2. For instance, by being aware of life expectancy, current and prospective dog owners can form reasonable expectations for the typical amount of time their dogs will live. The majority of dog life expectancy research to date has concentrated on reporting the average ages at death of dogs who were chosen using referral or first opinion veterinary caseloads1,3, insurance databases4, or owner questionnaires5,6. The median age at death among companion dogs who passed away in the UK between 2009 and 2011 was estimated to be 12. 0 years [interquartile range (IQR): 8. 9–14. 2], and the Dogue de Bordeaux died at 5 years old, the youngest breed. 5 years (IQR: 3. 3–6. 1; n = 21) to Miniature Poodle at 14. 2 years (IQR: 11. 1–15. 6; n = 20)1.
A life table is a tabulated expression of life expectancy and the likelihood of death at various age groups in a given population, as opposed to providing a single value for the average age of death. Compared to a single summary average age at death across all ages, a life table offers much more detailed information and inference. A cohort life table summarizes the actual mortality experience of a group of people (the cohort) from the first member’s birth to the last member’s death, and a current life table provides cross-sectional mortality and survival experience of a population during one or a few current years. Additionally, Cohort Life Tables have been created using a e. , not pre-determined) cohort9,10. Both types of life tables have their importance. Cohort life tables can provide information about cohort mortality, but current life tables typically require less data to be collected.
Human life tables are frequently created for nations or specific regions within a nation as a proxy indicator of the population’s general health. A declining life expectancy implies that fatal events typically occur earlier and is therefore indicative of a population that is generally less healthy11 Thus, life tables can be used to identify vulnerable (sub-)populations and track changes in the general health of a population over time, enabling targeted research into the causes of the observed decline in life expectancy11,12. A crucial tool for efficient public planning and policy-making is the human life table13. g. , forecasting the costs of the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance programs in the United States14 A national current life table for humans is produced in the UK every three years, while an update is made in the US every year12,15. National life tables are typically created for the population as a whole, per sex, and in some countries, ethnic groups may be included16.
Life tables are not frequently constructed for companion animals, despite their value in the management of human populations. Recently, two studies on dog life tables were carried out in Japan10,17. The first used pet insurance data to create current life tables for dogs in general, along with estimates for different sizes, and the second used pet cemetery data to create a hypothetical cohort life table. These life tables have improved our understanding of the dog life cycle18 and have been used in studies that called for data on the lifespan of dogs of various ages, such as a quantitative risk assessment of the introduction of rabies19 and the quantification of welfare impact brought on by diseases2. However, given that dog population breed structures can vary greatly between nations, it is important to carefully consider how broadly applicable lifetables are internationally. Additionally, for a variety of genetic and medical reasons, national dog populations may vary in the average lifespan and mortality profiles of various breeds. For instance, on average, Labrador Retrievers lived 14. 1 years (mean) in Japan10, 12. 5 years (median) in the UK1, and 10. 5 (median) years in Denmark20.
Similar to how such life tables are used in human populations12,15, the development of a life table for companion dogs in the UK may make it easier to understand the life expectancy and health of the country’s companion dog population. The life expectancy at each age is not the same as the average lifespan less that age, as shown by a reliable canine life table, which can help us better understand life expectancy at various ages. The incorrect understanding of life expectancy has practical repercussions. For instance, if estimates of adult dogs’ age at death are based on current age and average lifespan, dog adoption centers may underestimate the typical remaining lifespan of dogs being rehomed. This might result in a longer period of ownership than what the adopting family had anticipated. When choosing between candidate breeds and/or individuals of different ages, life tables for specific breeds may be especially helpful for existing and potential dog owners in guiding their decision-making. Moreover, studies that quantify the impact of diseases on dog health and welfare can be supported by more advanced types of life table modeling2,21. When a dog dies from a disease, it forfeits any potential remaining lifespan that it might have had in the absence of that disease. Therefore, the burden of the disease increases when a longer period of remaining life is lost due to a disease, and a dog life table can provide this information about the life lost.
The current study sought to create the first life tables for the population of companion dogs in the UK as well as dogs with various traits, such as sex and some breeds. The study’s goal was to access death information from the records of dogs receiving veterinary care in the UK using a sizable data resource made available by the VetCompassTM Programme22. The resulting life tables may enhance our comprehension of the UK dog population’s demographics related to longevity, ultimately enhancing the health and welfare of dogs around the world.
All dogs receiving primary veterinary care in 2016 at clinics taking part in the VetCompassTM Programme were included in the sampling frame for the current study (i e. , dogs with at least one clinical record in 2016). For epidemiological research, the UK’s primary-care veterinary practices submit de-identified electronic patient record (EPR) data to the VetCompassTM Program (VetCompass, 2019). A unique animal identifier, breed, date of birth, sex, neuter status, body weight, and clinical data from free-form text clinical notes, summary diagnosis terms, and treatment with pertinent dates are among the data fields that VetCompassTM researchers have access to. All dog breeds recognized by the Kennel Club (KC), the American Kennel Club, and the Australian National Kennel Council were referred to as “purebred,” while every other breed (aside from those without a known breed) was referred to as “crossbred”24,25. Purebred dogs were categorized according to their breed as either non-KC recognized or one of the following breed groups: Gundog, Hound, Pastoral, Terrier, Toy, Utility, and Working (The Kennel Club, 2019).
The EPRs were initially screened for candidate death cases, including dogs that were euthanized, died without assistance, or had the mechanism of death unrecorded, using a variety of search terms in the clinical note field (search terms: euth, pts*, crem*, ashes, pento*, casket, beech, decease*, death, “put to sleep”, doa, died, killed, “home bury” 1, [“bury A subset of the candidate cases’ clinical notes were manually reviewed in detail in order to assess whether they should be included in the case. The dog had to have died at any time between January 1st, 2016, and July 31st, 2020, according to the EPR’s case inclusion criteria. Animals without sex information were taken out of the final sample.
Using all of the dogs in the dataset, a hypothetical cohort life table for the UK companion dog population was created after descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographics of the sample. Additionally, life tables for subpopulations (mentioned below) were constructed, with a minimum of 3 dogs required for each year interval and 11 dogs required for the final year interval in every life table. To ensure a sample variance that takes advantage of averaging, it was decided to include a minimum of 3 dogs in each given year interval (i e. “mean fraction of last year of life lived by dogs died in [x, x + 1]” (‘(‘widehata_x’)) will have a denominator of > 1). The number of dogs at a single year interval does not significantly affect the estimate of the 95% CI of the life expectancy because the estimation of life expectancy at each year interval accounts for all dogs died at that age and after. As a result, we only set the dog limit for the most recent year. Life tables were also created based on the criteria for the following: male and female dogs; neutered and entire dogs for both sexes; dogs from various KC breed groups (Gundog, Hound, Pastoral, Terrier, Toy, Utility, Working, and non-KC recognized); and crossbred and 18 different dog breeds. All the life tables were complete life tables (i. e. except for the final interval, which may go beyond a year, life tables have an age interval of one year.
Table 1 lists the life table’s parameters along with their definitions and equations. The average age at death for dogs of all ages is equal to the life expectancy at age 0.
Data management and cleaning were carried out in Microsoft Excel 2013 (Microsoft Corp.), including the removal of dogs that (a) died before January 1st 2016 or after July 31st 2020, (b) had a negative lifespan, (c) lacked birth or mortality information, and (d) lacked sex information. ) and in R programme version 4. 0. 2 in RStudio interface version 1. 3. 107326,27. Descriptive analyses were facilitated by the “tidyverse” package28. The 95% confidence interval for life expectancy at various years was generated using empirical bootstrapping with 10,000 iterations, and the life table was constructed in R29. Only if a life table iteration met the aforementioned requirements for a life table would it be included in the estimation of the 95% confidence interval. You can find R codes to create a full cohort life table and the confidence interval online at https://github.com/. com/kendyteng/OpenAccess/tree/main/lifetable_dog_vc_2016.
Overview of the Urinary System of Cats
The urinary system of a cat and a human are quite similar, but they have different main components. Urine is produced by the kidneys and travels through the ureter to the bladder.
The bladder holds the urine until the body is ready to expel it. The urethra then carries it outside.
At the tip of a cat’s penis or vulva, the urethra is a tube that connects the bladder (where urine is stored) with the outside world.
Can Both Male and Female Cats Have Urinary Tract Problems?
Urinary tract disorders can affect both male and female cats, though male cats are more likely to develop them. Male cats are more prone to obstructions because of their longer and thinner urethras.
A blockage of any kind, including an enlarged prostate or an infected urinary tract, can increase the burden on the kidneys in male cats. Chronic kidney failure may result from long-term untreated or undiagnosed kidney disease.
Females are most commonly affected by Feline idiopathic cystitis. In female cats with a urinary tract infection, the bladder may rupture.
Fila Brasileiros9 to 11 years
In order to prevent becoming aggressive, this breed, which is primarily used as a guard dog, needs to be properly socialized and trained in pack-leader techniques. However, don’t be alarmed by that; these dogs are friendly and playful with their family, and their disposition only requires respect and acknowledgment.
These dog breeds with the shortest lifespan perform better when raised with children; however, they perform less well when they are the “child” and a human child is introduced into the home. They are not for novice owners.
FAQ
Which breed of dog lives the longest?
Australian Cattle Dog Bluey, an extraordinary 29-year-old Australian Cattle Dog, holds the record for the longest-living canine. The breed normally lives for around 15 years.
What pet has the lowest lifespan?
- Hamsters.
- Betta fish.
- Guinea pigs.
- Chameleons.
- Mice.
- Rats.
- Zebra finches.
- Hedgehogs.
What is the minimum lifespan of a dog?
The four breeds with flat faces were found to have the lowest life expectancy at age 0; the French Bulldog was only predicted to live 4 years. 5 years, followed by English Bulldogs at 7. 4 years, Pugs at 7. 7 years, and American Bulldogs at 7. 8 years.