How many Labradors live and what does it depend on?

Labrador Retriever is an ideal pet for keeping in a family with children. This is a harmless dog, which is distinguished by friendliness, cheerfulness, devotion. The task of each owner is to provide the pet with the correct conditions of detention, because the life of the labrador directly depends on this.

The life expectancy of a dog of this breed is influenced by several factors that do not always depend on the owner. For example, genetics. So, it is typical for retriever to get sick with hereditary diseases. Breeders responsibly select breeding individuals, avoiding the cross of genetically inferior dogs. But still puppies with joint dysplasia, epilepsy, retinal atrophy, diabetes and skin ailments are still born.

In order to avoid buying an unhealthy individual, when meeting a puppy, it is important to study the entire set of documents for club activities of the parent couple and the results of the analyzes.

Factors affecting life expectancy are the conditions of the dog. Only proper care and balanced nutrition ensure the pet's health and long life. If an animal is forced to lead a homeless existence for some reason, then its life expectancy will be significantly less than that of a dog kept at home.

Owners are always interested in how old the dog is, if you translate its years into human indicators. So, Labradors up to one and a half year old can be considered “youths”. 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 - a dog who has exceeded 80. A twenty-year-old dog can be considered a long-liver, because by human standards she is already 100 years old.

The average life expectancy of a Labrador Retriever in normal household conditions is 10-14 years, but more often it is 12 years. Given the fact that the breed belongs to large, these are good numbers, as it is believed that large dogs live less than miniature ones. For example, 10 years for a shepherd is already a very advanced age, and German mastiffs rarely live up to 8 years. Therefore, in comparison with such dogs, Labradors are long-lived breeds.

Of course, among them there are long-lived dogs. For example, the Labrador dog Chilla from Australia died at the age of 32, which is 150 years old by human standards. There are even dogs that got into the Guinness Book of Records due to their age. So, Labrador Butch from the USA lived up to 28 years, and the first three years he was kept in very poor conditions.

Bell's dog from the UK died of a heart attack at age 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 did not become the record holder of the Book, as the owners did not have documents confirming the age of the animal.

Before buying a Labrador Retriever puppy, you should familiarize yourself with the conditions of detention that you can offer your pet in advance. He needs a lot of space, close "odnushka" will be small for the active life of a large dog, which will significantly affect its life expectancy. The dog's lifespan will help to extend daily long walks with games and runs. An animal that does not have enough activity is prone to weight gain and the development of diabetes, such a dog will not live up to 10 years.

A Labrador, especially in old age, is required to be regularly taken to veterinary examinations. Self-monitoring of the condition of the pet also plays an important role. It is necessary to comb out the hair every week, timely identify fleas and ticks, pay attention to the condition of the skin and coat.

An important factor in increasing the dog's lifespan is proper nutrition. From an early age, the daily intake rate should be observed. Usually a 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 overfeed - This can negatively affect her health.

It is allowed to feed the Labrador with dry food, but it must be class not lower than premium. A veterinarian will help you calculate the daily rate correctly. Responsible manufacturers usually give this information on the package, but if the food is bought by weight, the veterinarian can help. Do not try to calculate the portion yourself, focusing on the dog’s wishes, 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 must include veal, skinless chicken, low-fat fish, cereals, eggs, cottage cheese, vegetables. Be sure to add vitamins and mineral supplements to your food. All medications should be prescribed by a doctor, taking into account the state of health and age of a particular individual.

Walking the puppy is important at least five times a day. An adult dog needs only two or three walks. Labradors are happy to train on dog simulators, but it is important to start such training not earlier than the teenager turns 10 months old. Up to this age, the dog has a fragile spine and weak limbs, and active jumping can cause injuries. These dogs love to spend time outdoors and swim, so be sure to take your pet with you on a picnic.

The lifespan is determined by the emotional background of the animal. Stress or homesickness can shorten the life of a 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.

Therefore, when planning a child, you need to think many times whether it is worth starting 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 have a Labrador in the family, where there are already children.

The causes of the premature death of a four-legged friend may 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 compressed, blood circulation is disturbed. All this, together, causes the death of the pet.
• Collapse of the trachea. In this chronic disease, a narrowing of the lumen of the air tube that connects the larynx and lungs occurs.
• Tumor of the spleen. With a tumor of this organ, even a minor injury can provoke a rupture of the spleen, which will lead to the death of the pet.
• Heart disease. Most often, retriever has delegation cardiomyopathy.

This is the most common disease for Labradors. But here it can also be attributed, for example, the ingestion of a foreign body into the throat. These dogs are distinguished by their curiosity, they want to taste everything: scattered socks, cutlery, small details of toys, bones. Seeing that the dog has difficulty breathing, she lies with her mouth open and suffocates, immediately take the pet to the veterinary clinic.

On the walk, the dog also faces many dangers. Dog owners are aware that there are more and more doghunters on the territory of the country scattering poison in yards and dog pitches.

However, the dog can be poisoned in the apartment. For example, during the repair, the owners may not notice how the pet tasted the building 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 in a stray dog ​​pack. All of these situations can lead to premature death of a pet.

The following video introduces you to one of the most popular dog breeds. He will tell you how to keep a laboratory worker and take care of him.