LIFE EXPECTANCY AND CAUSE OF DEATH IN DOG S

The present study on life expectancy and cause of death is based upon data from 9,248 dogs. The entire sample showed a life expectancy of 10 .0 years. The most frequent cause of death was tumors (27.3%), followe d by cardiac and circulatory ailments (16.3%). The causes of death als o showed a breed-specific distribution. The mean age attained in vario us breeds differed, ranging from 6.8 years in the Berner Sennenhund to 13.0 years in the Pudel. Dogs of mixed breeding tended not to differ from purebreds either in their life expectancy or in their cause of de ath.