Life Expectancy of the Yorkshire Terrier ranges from 12 to 16 years with a median of about 14 years old. Females live on average 1-1.5 years longer than males. Should note that the average life expectancy of all domestic dogs in depending on the country is significantly less, from 11 to 12.5 years
Why yorkies have lifespan significantly above national averages? This is due to two main factors:
1. Small dog breeds such as Chihuahua, York and Dachshund have a longer life than medium and large breeds dogs. Larger dogs, such as Labrador and German Shepherd, have an average life expectancy of 10 to 13 years.
2. Yorkshire Terrier is a fairly healthy breed. Most the health problems faced by yorkies are not fatal.
The main causes leading to the death of the Yorkshire Terrier
Contents
A very interesting and useful study was conducted. The University of Jordia, which lasted over 20 years to establish the main causes of death of dogs. During the study were 82 dog breeds are documented. It was investigated more than 70 thousand. animals, several hundred of which were Yorkshire terriers.
The data obtained give a good idea of what often all dying Yorkshire terriers and other breeds, and surprisingly, that many of these causes can be prevented.
The results are divided into two large groups: puppies under the age of 1 years and adult dogs from 1 year and older.
The main causes of death for York puppies
Yorkshire Terrier puppies have 2 main reasons of death:
1. Infections. Unfortunately, the most common reason Yorkie puppy deaths are infectious diseases. This includes the whole a number of diseases, including parvovirus, dog distemper, tapeospirosis and some others. Many viruses and infections are transmitted by others. dogs and animals, so letting the puppy out recommended only after completing the full course vaccination.
2. Injury – various injuries and damage are a major cause of death in adult Yorks as well. (More see below for details)
4 main causes of death of adult Yorkshire terriers older than 1 of the year
1. Respiratory diseases – about 16% of York died of respiratory diseases. Types of diseases that were fatal for dogs:
- Brachycephalic airways syndrome
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Tracheal collapse
In dogs older than 7 years, degenerative diseases that violate normal lung function, can cause the lungs to become more vulnerable to airborne pathogens and toxins.
Note that tracheal collapse is characteristic disease for small dog breeds. In some cases, it can be fatal when the disease leads to chronic bronchitis and other serious health problems. One of the reasons Collapse is a neck injury due to a collar. For this reason, for Yorkers are advised to use a harness.
2. Cancer – About 11% of Yorkshire Terriers become cancer victim. York life may be interrupted due to various types of cancer, including lymphoma, skin cancer, breast cancer, soft tissue sarcomas and bone cancer.
It’s important to note that 50% of all cancers are treatable if diagnose in the early stages. Breast Cancer Risk glands can also be drastically reduced if the dog is sterilized. Therefore, regarding this cause of death, many cases can be prevented.
3. Injury is the second main reason mortality in york puppies and third in adult yorkshire terriers. The horrific 10.7% of Yorks died due to injuries, and almost in each case this could have been prevented.
According to statistics, almost 11% of Yorkers die due to injuries and injuries, so their owners should be clearly aware of this. Death from injury in most cases was due to fatal damage to the head and / or body when the dog:
- stumbled
- stepping on a dog
- thrown or dropped from a height
- accidentally knocked down the stairs
- shot down, hooked by a car
- fatal injury to a dog as a passenger in car
As you can see, this cause of death of puppies and adult Yorkies more often everything can be avoided. Breed life expectancy dramatically will increase if possible injuries are minimized.
4. Congenital diseases. About 10.5% of York died due to a congenital disease, this is the 4th main reason death of York over 1 year. Yorkshire Terriers, like others purebred breeds, prone to several diseases, but most common is a hepatic shunt.
It is worth noting that small dogs have higher chances on the development of hepatic shunts. This is a disease when the liver dogs do not have adequate and sufficient blood flow.
Puppies born with this defect may not show no signs until the age of 1 year or a little later. Symptoms of a liver shunt include:
- Weakness
- Low growth
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Heavy salivation
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination
- Strange behavior (e.g. walking in a circle)
- Bouts, cramps
In many Yorkies, clinical signs appear after 1-3 hours after eating, as toxins usually filtered by a healthy liver, reach the dog’s brain. The disease is diagnosed with X-ray, ultrasound and blood analysis.
Medication is only possible in case of mild cases, but it’s worth keeping in mind that any non-invasive treatments diseases dramatically reduce the dog’s lifespan. More 50% of cases of hepatic shunt in York are enough severe cases requiring surgical intervention. By According to statistics, the survival rate after surgery is about 95%.
How to Increase Yorkshire Life Span terrier?
There are many things you can do to your York lived as long as possible. The care you give him with the first day of dating and in adulthood, will have a big impact your dog’s health and longevity.
- Vaccinations. Because infections are the main the cause of death for York puppies, it is important to monitor timely vaccination. Puppies must not leave the house at least 2 weeks after they were delivered all the necessary vaccinations.
- Injury prevention. Injuries are big cause of death for both puppies and adult terriers. Your attention should be directed towards creating a safe environment for dogs. Your family and everyone in the home should clearly be aware that a small dog is present “underfoot”. Teach your yorkshire terrier to all the major teams and if the dog will be in danger, then one of the teams will be able to save her from possible injuries and injuries.
- Oral hygiene. If the dog’s tooth or gums start to hurt, and in the mouth decomposition of food begins and forms tartar, infection can enter the body through the bloodstream, reaching including the heart and brain. Dogs with poor oral hygiene and bad teeth can suffer from pain in various parts of the body, and old dogs with missing teeth have difficulty with food. For these reasons, proper and regular brushing is very important and can be an important step you can take to increase the life expectancy of your yorkshire terrier.
- Sterilization. For both males and females, despite some conflicting studies, most veterinarians recommend sterilization in order to increase life expectancy. Dogs that have been sterilized before 6 months old, live up to 20% longer than their full brothers.
- The right diet. What your dog eats from day to day, has a huge impact on her overall condition health, and therefore on life expectancy. Use only quality feed or home cooking. Avoid feeding your york left over, for example, after dinner, food – this may quickly lead to poisoning, obesity and other problems with health.
- Be careful when walking and physical exercises. Regular exercise combined with a healthy diet throughout life york will help substantially extend his or her lifespan. Any activity will be keep the dog’s heart and muscles toned and of course will contribute to her emotional health.
- Do not delay the visit to the veterinarian. Many serious diseases have favorable prognoses if there were discovered early enough. This is especially true for hepatic shunts and cancer. Make sure you have enough budget for unexpected medical issues. Many owners hesitate to bring your dog to the vet even because of enough a small financial burden.
- Consider the age of the dog. Time is running out fast, but many owners do not want to admit that York getting older and may be in the final stages own life. For aging dogs, adjustments are often recommended. not only nutrition, but also exercises and daily routines in general. Yorkshire Terriers over 10 years old are recommended to show to the vet twice a year.
Aging and sick dogs
Unfortunately, most owners have to make a decision. about the “end of life” of his dog. Not all dogs die from natural reasons during sleep, therefore, regarding many of them to the owners an extremely difficult decision to put to sleep or euthanasia to put an end to their suffering.
