From the moment we bring a dog into our home, we work towards giving them the healthiest and happiest of lives. Every dog breed has a specific life expectancy that correlates to their health, their genetics, and how they are being taken care of.
Unfortunately, larger dogs tend to have shorter expected lifespans; scientists assume it’s because larger dogs age much faster than their smaller counterparts.
However, huskies are somewhat of an anomaly. They are relatively large dogs, but their breed-specific health traits and physical characteristics improve their lifespan rather than shorten it.
To learn more about your Husky’s lifespan and how you can make the most out of it, keep reading.
A Husky’s Life Expectancy
In general, a healthy and active Husky will live between 12 and 15 years. Despite their medium-size and heightened activity, they are strong and adaptive dogs that are known to stick around for as long as possible.
How long a Husky lives will vary for each dog, but you can play a large role in extending their life and keeping them healthy. Often, how much care you put into your pet will be reflected in the amount of time they spend in your life. Of course, accidents happen, and we can’t prevent all things such as diseases from impacting our dog’s life expectancy.
Factors of Life Expectancy
There are a wide range of factors when it comes to life expectancy. Huskies fall towards the higher end regarding medium-sized dogs’ life predictions. Huskies are generally healthy dogs that don’t have too many known issues. They are an ancient breed that has survived thousands of years working alongside humans and being loved as family pets.
A few details might play into how long your Husky lives. Some of these you may have control over and can influence, while others, not as much.
Here are four possible factors that can affect our Huskies:
Breeding
If you are going through a breeder, choose someone responsibly. A breeder should run all of the appropriate genetic tests needed to ensure most hereditary diseases are not a concern. You will also want a breeder that chooses their dogs based on temperament and health. Avoid backyard breeders and look for corresponding red flags.
If you adopt a Husky from a third-party source, such as a rescue, you might not be able to find out much information about your pup’s parents. However, you can pay for your own genetic testing to see if your dog has inherited any genetic diseases that would impact their lifespan. Typically, rescues, especially breed-specific rescues, will have dogs seen by veterinarians to flag possible health concerns as well as vaccinate, spay, or neuter.
Physical and Mental Exercise
Huskies are dogs that need a lot of stimulation, both mentally and physically. Exercising your Husky will help you to keep them in good shape. Huskies like a lot of space to run around; they should get ample amounts of time outdoors.
This high-energy breed can be the perfect fit for the right family or individual, but before welcoming a Husky into the family, really review their physical and mental needs. Huskies are adept at escaping their yards and can be very distraught and destructive without the right physical and mental stimulation.
Huskies are a working dog breed, which means that they are built to work, play, and simply go. The longer you are able to keep your Husky active, the longer they will live. That means that if you are still able to get your 14-year-old Husky on a walk, you should be doing so (with caution).
Proper exercise that is continuous and built-in to your pet’s day can help to limit the onset of mobility issues and arthritis. Plus, a walk or two a day will is good for us people as well!
Nutrition and Diet
Huskies burn a lot of their energy with their constant playful attitude and high drive. They like to work, they like to learn new tricks, and they do like to eat. Huskies know their bodies well and can often determine when they have reached their own nutritional goals.
If you provide your dog with a well-balanced diet, they should be feeling good and healthy for many years to come.
Regular Veterinarian Appointments
Another way that you can prolong your Husky’s life and keep them healthy for as long as possible is to make sure they are getting regular veterinarian appointments. By doing this, you can have a baseline on your dog’s health and track how they are doing over time.
With check-ups, your vet can catch anything that looks out of place and have your dog treated before issues progress. Your dog will stay up-to-date on vaccinations and preventative medications that will keep your pup healthy. The earlier you are able to catch something, the better the prognosis!
Health Concerns of Huskies
Huskies are known to be very healthy dogs that live long, happy lives. Conditions that might be of concern will more likely impact your dog’s quality of life rather than their life expectancy.
For instance, hip dysplasia might not be your dog’s cause of death, but it can limit their mobility and make life a bit more difficult. This decrease in physical activity might lower your dog’s quality of life which could have an impact on their life span.
Additionally, Huskies are known to have ocular issues, like:
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- Glaucoma
- Corneal dystrophy
- Juvenile cataracts
- Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
Get Answers With AskVet
Questions are bound to arise when it comes to being a pet parent. It’s normal to worry about little changes your dog displays, but we here at AskVet have got you covered. If you want a quick answer to ease your anxiety or help you act fast, join our app and set up a virtual session with our Certified Pet Lifestyle Coaches™.
Pet parents might feel like they have too many persistent questions to ask, but that’s how most pet parents feel! Join in with our Clubhouse, and you might realize that your concerns are concerns that are shared with other Husky parents.
The best thing you can do for your dog is to listen to your intuition when it tells you something is off. Sometimes that intuition will be a whine, and sometimes it will be Husky-loud-howl, but with that skill and the help of knowledgeable experts, your dogs, cats, lizards, and more can thrive.
Sources:
Veterinary-Prescribed Physical Activity Promotes Walking In Healthy Dogs And People | NCBI
Diagnosis, Prevention, And Management Of Canine Hip Dysplasia: A Review | NCBI
Why do small dogs live longer than big dogs? | Pursuit by The University of Melbourne
Buyer Beware: The Problem with Puppy Mills and Backyard Breeders | PAWS
Huskies are wonderful pets for the right person or family; but do your research! | The Daily Journal
