More Dead Dog Tales

Major studies of canine mortality have been done before.

I have reported in the past, for example, on the 350,000 dog study done in Sweden which shows that Golden Retrievers in that country are about as healthy as mongrels -- and in fact may be a bit healthier despite a very high probability of getting cancer in old age.

Now a new U.S. study, based on a look-back of almost 75,000 American dogs, has been done.  In Mortality in North American Dogs from 1984 to 2004: An Investigation into Age-, Size-, and Breed-Related Causes of Death,  J.M. Fleming, K.E. Creevy, and D.E.L. Promislow look at all instances of canine mortality recorded in the Veterinary Medical Database (VMDB) between 1984 and 2004.  This study groups causes of death, categorized by organ system or pathophysiologic process, and segregates the dogs out by breed, body mass, and age (click here for an easy-to-print 12-page PDF).

What was found was, for the most part, not too surprising. 

For example, young dogs, which will put damn near anything in their mouth, are more likely to die from gastrointestinal obstruction from socks and balls and from puppy-born infectious caused by diseases such as distemper and parvo. 

Older dog, of course, are more likely to die from cancer, heart disease, liver or other types of organ failure. No surprises there.

As for death as it relates to by body mass,  large breeds generally have significantly shorter lifespans than small breeds.  Again, no surprise there.

In the organ system categories, the top five breeds with the highest relative proportion of:

• Cancer causes of death (neoplasms) were Bernese Mountain Dogs (54 percent), Golden Retrievers (50 percent), Scottish Terriers (47 percent), Bouvier des Flandres (47 percent), and Boxers (44 percent).
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• Gastrointestinal causes of death were highest in Great Danes (26 percent), Gordon Setters (22 percent), Akitas (21 percent), Shar-Peis (20 percent), and Weimaraners (17 percent).
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• Cardiovascular causes of death were highest in Newfoundlands (24 percent), Maltese (21 percent), Chihuahuas (18 percent), Doberman Pinschers (17 percent), and Fox Terriers (16 percent).
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• Neurologic disease as the cause of death was most common in Standard Dachshunds (40 percent), Miniature Dachshunds (40 percent), Pugs (27 percent), Miniature Pinschers (22 percent), and Boston Terriers (22 percent).
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• Musculoskeletal causes of death were most common in Saint Bernards (26 percent), Great Pyrenees (0.25 percent), Irish Wolfhounds (22 percent), Great Danes (22 percent), and Greyhounds (21 percent).
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• Respiratory disease as a cause of death was most common in English Bulldogs (18 percent), Borzoi (16 percent), Yorkshire Terriers (16 percent) Afghan Hounds (16 percent), and Treeing Walker Coonhounds (15 percent).

So what to make of all this?  To tell you the truth, I am not sure this study brings too much new information to the table; it simply underscores what we already know generally about canine health by breed, which is that purebred dogs are less healthy than mongrels, that certain breeds seem to carry heavier-than-normal genetic loads, and that some breeds have serious health issues as a function of their construction.

Now, what are we going to do about it?

• Related Links:
  ** Dead Dogs Do Tell Tales
  ** Pedigree Dogs Not as Healthy as Mutts & Mixes
  ** Swedish Kennel Club Lists 54 Breeds in Trouble
  ** Selecting Dogs for Defect... and Disease
  ** If Looks Could Kill
  ** Breeding Dogs for Intentional Defect
  ** Defective By Design at Crufts
  ** For Veterinarians, Silence Has Been Golden
  ** Deformity and Defect as Sales Opportunity
  ** Bulldogs: How Did We Come to Select for Defect
  ** Dwarf Dogs Defective By Design
  ** Blind, Deaf, and Epileptic by Design
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