French bulldogs were found to have the shortest life expectancy.
The Royal Veterinary College's (RVC) VetCompass programme has published new research which allows owners to predict the remaining life expectancy of their dog, with results broken down by breed and gender.
Using the results of the study, researchers were able to identify breeds with the lowest and highest life expectancies.
Dr Dan O'Neill, co-author of the paper, said: “Dogs have helped many humans to get through the loneliness and isolation of the Covid pandemic. These new VetCompass Life tables enable owners to now estimate how long more that they can benefit from these dogs.”
Carried out in collaboration with researchers from the National Taiwan University (NTU), the study was conducted using analysis from a random sample of 30,563 dogs that died between 1 January 2016 and 31 July 2020 from 18 different breeds and crossbreeds.
The average life expectancy at age zero for UK companion dogs was 11.2 years. It was found that Jack Russell terriers had the greatest life expectancy from age zero, with 12.7 years. Other breeds with high life expectancies were Border collies (12.1 years) and springer spaniels (11.92 years).
Unsurprisingly, the dogs with the shortest life expectancies were brachycephalic breeds, with American bulldogs averaging 7.8 years, pugs with 7.7 years and English bulldogs with 7.4 years.
The breed with the shortest life expectancies was the French bulldog, with a life expectancy of only 4.5 years.
Lead author of the paper, project assistant professor at the National Taiwan University, Dr Kendy Tzu-yun Teng, said: “The dog life tables offer new insights and ways of looking at the life expectancy in pet dogs. They are also strong evidence of compromised health and welfare in short, flat-faced breeds, such as French bulldog and bulldog.”
BVA president Dr Justine Shotton commented on the findings regarding brachycephalic dogs: “A concerning finding is the lower life expectancy for flat-faced breeds.
“While the study doesn’t prove a direct link between these breeds’ potential welfare issues and shorter length of life, the findings serve as a fresh reminder for prospective dog owners to choose a breed based on health, not looks.”
Other findings from the study include that the average life expectancy at age zero for male dogs was 4 months shorter than female dogs, and that in both male and female dogs, neutered dogs were found to have a longer life expectancy than non-neutered dogs.
The full study is published in Nature, and is available to read here.
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
