# Anyone have a dog that made it past 15 and...



## ChattyCathy (Nov 22, 2008)

what were you feeding them? I'm just curious. Thanks.


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## claybuster (Dec 18, 2008)

ChattyCathy said:


> what were you feeding them? I'm just curious. Thanks.


Yes, back in '92 my wife had to have a Yorkie, just had to have one. There was a local breeder getting out of the business, and let a pup go for $50, so my wife said, "sold". Now, '09 we still have Mr. Casey with us.

Casey started out on cheap kibble feeds, I mean the cheapest of the cheap for the first 10 years. Started with Purina dog chow, and then eventually went cheaper. Local convenience stores (Cumberland Farms, 7/11) carry a Purina product called "Mainstay", which is cheaper than the dog chow. He was on that for maybe 3-4 years. It wasn't until I had got Zoe in '02 I was going to do a serious upgrade in nutrition. The original plan was to go with two feeds, high end stuff for the gun dog and keep the little guy on the cheap stuff. That wasn't working because keeping one out the the others wasn't going well at all and that lasted only for a few days. They have both been eating the same now since '02.

I had another dog that only made it to 10 years on the cheap stuff back in the kibble days. Cody was a Cocker who started to deteriorate around year 8 and by year 10 the hips were shot. I ended up about 50% of the time carrying Cody in and out to go do business by year 10. Often we would find a pee spot on the basement couch because of incontinence. Poor guy eventually got the point didn't even realize he was going, and it was getting difficult for us. I made the tough call in year 10 to put him down.


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## lorih1770 (Jun 17, 2008)

I grew up with a poodle mix that I found as a stray. He lived to be 19 years old. He actually ate grocery store food early on and then Hills HD for many years later. I think he may have lived into his 20's if he ate better foods! 

I put my husky down in '07. She was at least 15 years old, maybe older, she was another stray that I found. She had thyroid cancer and liver damage (due to the stupid vet who accidentally gave her 2 rounds of shots WHILE she had surgery for her cancer and against my wishes!!). Still a sore spot. Anyway, she ate Pro Plan for a few years and then Nature's Recipe for many years because it was I think #2 on the Whole Dog Journal list of best foods in the mid 90's. I'm hoping that back then it was a decent food. The last 2-3 years of her life she ate Innova Evo after I found out she had cancer and started researching like crazy. I do believe the EVO helped prolong the cancer from returning and spreading.

I currently have a 14 1/2 year old husky. Not sure if he's going to make it to 15 or not. He ate the same foods as my other husky. He was eating EVO several years ago for a couple of years and is now eating Orijen. I rotate foods every few months.


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Unfortunately I've never gotten to keep a dog for that long. My mom was a big fan of giving up on our "trouble" dogs when I was growing up, so she'd always re-home them :frown:

However I have a shepherd/lab mix who got hit by a car when she was younger and she was only supposed to live to be 8 years old. Well she's 11 now and doing much better since I switched her off of Hills Prescription K/D first to Natural Choice (I know, I'm sorry!) and then to raw. I doubt she will live to 15 since she did have all those issues with getting hit by a car and then poisoned for 8 years, but she's happy now and I'm just glad I can make her last time on earth better.


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## ChattyCathy (Nov 22, 2008)

claybuster said:


> Yes, back in '92 my wife had to have a Yorkie, just had to have one. There was a local breeder getting out of the business, and let a pup go for $50, so my wife said, "sold". Now, '09 we still have Mr. Casey with us.
> 
> Casey started out on cheap kibble feeds, I mean the cheapest of the cheap for the first 10 years. Started with Purina dog chow, and then eventually went cheaper. Local convenience stores (Cumberland Farms, 7/11) carry a Purina product called "Mainstay", which is cheaper than the dog chow. He was on that for maybe 3-4 years. It wasn't until I had got Zoe in '02 I was going to do a serious upgrade in nutrition. The original plan was to go with two feeds, high end stuff for the gun dog and keep the little guy on the cheap stuff. That wasn't working because keeping one out the the others wasn't going well at all and that lasted only for a few days. They have both been eating the same now since '02.
> 
> ...


So, by my calculation, if correct, Mr. Casey is 17 years old???? WOW, that's amazing!!!! Forgive me, but I can't remember after reading all your posts... are they on raw at all? And what high-end stuff do you feed them.

Aww.... it really hurts my heart when our animals pass. :frown: They are such loving companions.


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## ChattyCathy (Nov 22, 2008)

lorih1770 said:


> I grew up with a poodle mix that I found as a stray. He lived to be 19 years old. He actually ate grocery store food early on and then Hills HD for many years later. I think he may have lived into his 20's if he ate better foods!
> 
> I put my husky down in '07. She was at least 15 years old, maybe older, she was another stray that I found. She had thyroid cancer and liver damage (due to the stupid vet who accidentally gave her 2 rounds of shots WHILE she had surgery for her cancer and against my wishes!!). Still a sore spot. Anyway, she ate Pro Plan for a few years and then Nature's Recipe for many years because it was I think #2 on the Whole Dog Journal list of best foods in the mid 90's. I'm hoping that back then it was a decent food. The last 2-3 years of her life she ate Innova Evo after I found out she had cancer and started researching like crazy. I do believe the EVO helped prolong the cancer from returning and spreading.
> 
> I currently have a 14 1/2 year old husky. Not sure if he's going to make it to 15 or not. He ate the same foods as my other husky. He was eating EVO several years ago for a couple of years and is now eating Orijen. I rotate foods every few months.


WOW, your dogs lived long too! It's amazing. I never had a dog over 10. Hopefully, w/mine eating better they will live longer.


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## ChattyCathy (Nov 22, 2008)

rannmiller said:


> Unfortunately I've never gotten to keep a dog for that long. My mom was a big fan of giving up on our "trouble" dogs when I was growing up, so she'd always re-home them :frown:
> 
> However I have a shepherd/lab mix who got hit by a car when she was younger and she was only supposed to live to be 8 years old. Well she's 11 now and doing much better since I switched her off of Hills Prescription K/D first to Natural Choice (I know, I'm sorry!) and then to raw. I doubt she will live to 15 since she did have all those issues with getting hit by a car and then poisoned for 8 years, but she's happy now and I'm just glad I can make her last time on earth better.


Oh, that is sad for the "troubled" dogs. But thank goodness they got rehomed instead of put down.

And, what an amazing story w/your shepherd/lab mix. I use to think 10 was it for dogs, now I'm learning much different and also learning that what we feed them makes a big difference.


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## claybuster (Dec 18, 2008)

ChattyCathy said:


> So, by my calculation, if correct, Mr. Casey is 17 years old???? WOW, that's amazing!!!! Forgive me, but I can't remember after reading all your posts... are they on raw at all? And what high-end stuff do you feed them.
> 
> Aww.... it really hurts my heart when our animals pass. :frown: They are such loving companions.


Yes, Casey is 17. Dog chow/ Mainstay years 1-10, Abady since. No teeth now so the granular feed is perfect for him. Yorkies are prone to bad teeth from what I understand, and the kibble years didn't help for certain. My vet was recommending cleanings early but I did not heed the warnings.

Well, I consider it high-end anyway, but most feel otherwise because of the ingredients. In fact, many would consider it low-end because of the ingredients. That's because many don't understand what makes a quality feed and what doesn't. If Mr. Purina and Mr. Iams want to make dandelion the next hot item ingredient, people fall for it hook, line, and sinker and next thing you know it is the miracle cure for something. Very few people actually know what there talking about when it comes to ingredients. Some of the most dangerous ingredients are touted as beneficial. Beet pulp is a perfect example of a commonly used and very suspect ingredient of being harmful (bloat).

I feed Abady Classic Granular. I don't mix or rotate with other feeds. They get some people food treats usually at dinner for waiting patiently and being good (nothing green).

Charlie


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## Winniesdad (Nov 25, 2008)

My English Setter, Worthy almost made it. He passed away just before his 
15th Birthday las year.

He started out on Iams because the vet recommended it. At that time we lived on about 20 acres of land with lots of grouse and I planned to hunt him. Later we started traveling playing music and lived in an RV. At that time he got mostly Moist and Meaty which was probably pretty horrible but he really loved it. He was a great traveler. We always found a spot to let him run like crazy for one hour a day and then he was happy just to be with us whatever we were doing.

After we settled down and got a regular house he started showing some hot spots and allergy symptoms. He was probably around 8 years old. I switched him to Sensible Choice. He loved it and it got rid of all his allergy syptoms.

He started to wind down a bit around 10 but he still was very anxious to run everyday. He developed a very small tumor on his leg. The vet said they would probably have to take his leg. He was such a runner. Dispersing birds was his great joy in life. We opted against surgery. I think we probably made a good choice as he was pretty healthy for 3 more years.

At 13 his tumor was bigger and he was pretty laid back but still happy and not in pain. He wanted a daily walk but didn't care to run as much.

At 14 he was winding down and the tumor started to grow aggressively. By the time we had him put down the tumor was breaking through the skin and infection had set in. We did have the vet monitor him when it got bad and I guess we made the decision. My wife thinks I waited to long. I wish I woulda waited longer.

He was a damn good dog and had a very happy life. I miss him everyday.

Anyhow thats probably more than you asked for but he was only a month or so shy of his 15th birthday so I thought he qualified for this thread :smile:


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Awww he sounds like a good dog, may he rest in peace.


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## ChattyCathy (Nov 22, 2008)

Winniesdad said:


> My English Setter, Worthy almost made it. He passed away just before his
> 15th Birthday las year.
> 
> He started out on Iams because the vet recommended it. At that time we lived on about 20 acres of land with lots of grouse and I planned to hunt him. Later we started traveling playing music and lived in an RV. At that time he got mostly Moist and Meaty which was probably pretty horrible but he really loved it. He was a great traveler. We always found a spot to let him run like crazy for one hour a day and then he was happy just to be with us whatever we were doing.
> ...



Thanks for sharing. He lived a long time. I know how you feel... I miss mine everyday too. :frown: They become such a part of our families!


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## TippysMom (Oct 3, 2008)

Our TippyDog was only 11 when he had to be put down - we still don't know for sure what was wrong, but he went downhill fast. 

We decided that God made one mistake - dogs should live as long as their people!!!

I miss him every day....even though I adore the "new kids".:frown:


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## Lovemymunchkins (Feb 3, 2009)

This is a very interesting thread...there's a distant relative of mine that has two labs in their later teens (12 and 15) and they've fed them kibbles and bits and other lower quality kibble their entire lives and they are really healthy looking dogs. They still run around and play and when they have their vet check ups they always come back with good reports....you'd never guess their age by being around them.

I know them being so healthy cannot be attributed to eating Kibbles and Bits (or at least I don't think so) so, my question is, do you think genetics plays a larger role in how long your dog will live, more so than nutrition in some cases?


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## Winniesdad (Nov 25, 2008)

I really think exercise, mental stimulation, and a sense of belonging can help a dog live longer. Of course even a well exercised and cared for pet can die young but I do think it gives them the best chance.

I was in a high end pet food store the other day and there was an old terrier sitting with the cashier. I asked how old and she said 17 years. I asked what she fed and she got kinda sheepish and said "Beneful or whatever is on sale". So...not great nutrition but the dog went to work with her human friend every day, was mentally stimulated by all the people coming and going, and probably was pretty well loved and had a sense of purpose.


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## Postal (Jan 23, 2009)

Winniesdad said:


> I really think exercise, mental stimulation, and a sense of belonging can help a dog live longer. Of course even a well exercised and cared for pet can die young but I do think it gives them the best chance.
> 
> I was in a high end pet food store the other day and there was an old terrier sitting with the cashier. I asked how old and she said 17 years. I asked what she fed and she got kinda sheepish and said "Beneful or whatever is on sale". So...not great nutrition but the dog went to work with her human friend every day, was mentally stimulated by all the people coming and going, and probably was pretty well loved and had a sense of purpose.


I agree very much with this.. It's the same for us. An active person that believes in regular exercise on top of their well balanced diet usually tend to live longer than the lazy slobs that sit around and play World of Warcraft on their computer all day and night  Poor people heh

Dogs with healthy, active lifestyles just have more of a chance to push their age limit.

Some guy told me a couple days ago that Reader's Digest said that every step you climb in life adds 4 seconds to your life. Just a rule of thumb :smile:


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## lorih1770 (Jun 17, 2008)

Well I spoke too soon. My 14 1/2 year old husky quickly went downhill last week and I had to put him down. Just days earlier he was playing in the snow. The vet thinks the cancer took over and possibly he had a stoke or injured his spine. He is missed!  

My 2 dogs now have been fed only the top few foods since I've had them. So we'll see (hopefully a very, very long time form now) how long they live and how their health holds up over the years, but I'm very confident that they will live longer and healthier lives.


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## ChattyCathy (Nov 22, 2008)

Winniesdad said:


> My English Setter, Worthy almost made it. He passed away just before his
> 15th Birthday las year.
> 
> He started out on Iams because the vet recommended it. At that time we lived on about 20 acres of land with lots of grouse and I planned to hunt him. Later we started traveling playing music and lived in an RV. At that time he got mostly Moist and Meaty which was probably pretty horrible but he really loved it. He was a great traveler. We always found a spot to let him run like crazy for one hour a day and then he was happy just to be with us whatever we were doing.
> ...


WOW! What a great story and sounds like he was such a wonderful dog! I understand how you feel... I still miss two of my dogs that had to be put down a few years ago. :frown:


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## ChattyCathy (Nov 22, 2008)

TippysMom said:


> Our TippyDog was only 11 when he had to be put down - we still don't know for sure what was wrong, but he went downhill fast.
> 
> We decided that God made one mistake - dogs should live as long as their people!!!
> 
> I miss him every day....even though I adore the "new kids".:frown:


I AGREE!!!! :biggrin: Dogs should live as long as we do.


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## ChattyCathy (Nov 22, 2008)

Lovemymunchkins said:


> This is a very interesting thread...there's a distant relative of mine that has two labs in their later teens (12 and 15) and they've fed them kibbles and bits and other lower quality kibble their entire lives and they are really healthy looking dogs. They still run around and play and when they have their vet check ups they always come back with good reports....you'd never guess their age by being around them.
> 
> I know them being so healthy cannot be attributed to eating Kibbles and Bits (or at least I don't think so) so, my question is, do you think genetics plays a larger role in how long your dog will live, more so than nutrition in some cases?


I have to say that I don't think feeding dogs the "best" food plays 100% towards their health. Their are many factors such as environmental (like Winniesdad's post). Dogs knowing they are loved helps tremendously as does their genetic background and exercise all lead to a well-rounded and hopefully long-lived animal.


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## ChattyCathy (Nov 22, 2008)

lorih1770 said:


> Well I spoke too soon. My 14 1/2 year old husky quickly went downhill last week and I had to put him down. Just days earlier he was playing in the snow. The vet thinks the cancer took over and possibly he had a stoke or injured his spine. He is missed!
> 
> My 2 dogs now have been fed only the top few foods since I've had them. So we'll see (hopefully a very, very long time form now) how long they live and how their health holds up over the years, but I'm very confident that they will live longer and healthier lives.


OH, I'm so sorry for your loss.... :frown:


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## TJ99959 (Feb 4, 2009)

To begin with every dog is different. Size also has a lot to do with longevity. It is just not in the cards that a Great Dane will live as long as a Yorkie. Wish they would, even with their size a Dane is one of the easiest breeds to live with. (or is it because of their size)

Diet is actually a strange component to the longevity because it is just as easy to over feed a dog as it is to under feed one. Same is true with diet quality, it is just as easy for the food to be to rich as it is for the food to be to poor.
We all know what happens to us when we keep eating to much of the prime rib and ignoring the beans and carrots.

As the years have gone by I have come to the conclusion that I would never waist 10 years of my life on a dog that I didn't like, and that there will always be one dog/pet that stands out over all the rest.

Mine was this old guy
http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp43/blunderpic/dogs/blunderbumper.jpg
No matter what, didn't matter if he did it right or wrong, it was always entertaining.
Oh, and a goose did that to his nose.
RIP ole buddy


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## ChattyCathy (Nov 22, 2008)

TJ99959 said:


> To begin with every dog is different. Size also has a lot to do with longevity. It is just not in the cards that a Great Dane will live as long as a Yorkie. Wish they would, even with their size a Dane is one of the easiest breeds to live with. (or is it because of their size)
> 
> Diet is actually a strange component to the longevity because it is just as easy to over feed a dog as it is to under feed one. Same is true with diet quality, it is just as easy for the food to be to rich as it is for the food to be to poor.
> We all know what happens to us when we keep eating to much of the prime rib and ignoring the beans and carrots.
> ...


Yeah, I forgot about the size thing. I had a maltese and she only lived to around 10 and had a lab who lived to around 13, I thought it was ten but I checked it out. Go figure.


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## Lovemymunchkins (Feb 3, 2009)

lorih1770 said:


> Well I spoke too soon. My 14 1/2 year old husky quickly went downhill last week and I had to put him down. Just days earlier he was playing in the snow. The vet thinks the cancer took over and possibly he had a stoke or injured his spine. He is missed!
> 
> My 2 dogs now have been fed only the top few foods since I've had them. So we'll see (hopefully a very, very long time form now) how long they live and how their health holds up over the years, but I'm very confident that they will live longer and healthier lives.


So sorry for your loss :frown:


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2009)

My 82-year-old father once told me that mongrels live longer than purebreds. I don't know whether there's any truth to that, does anyone here know? Growing up, my family owned 4 purebred Pugs and 2 purebred AKC Irish Setters. None of them lived to 15 or beyond. If I remember correctly, my mom fed them all Alpo something or other supermarket brand. I currently have two mixed-breeds of my own living on a top-quality diet, and they are quite young, so, we'll just see how that goes.
Sorry I couldn't contribute more to this discussion.


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## NocturneWolf (Mar 23, 2009)

LabbieMama said:


> My 82-year-old father once told me that mongrels live longer than purebreds. I don't know whether there's any truth to that, does anyone here know? Growing up, my family owned 4 purebred Pugs and 2 purebred AKC Irish Setters. None of them lived to 15 or beyond. If I remember correctly, my mom fed them all Alpo something or other supermarket brand. I currently have two mixed-breeds of my own living on a top-quality diet, and they are quite young, so, we'll just see how that goes.
> Sorry I couldn't contribute more to this discussion.



There's no truth to that at all. 
Growing up, my mother raised Cocker Spaneils (what we'd call American Cockers today) and German Shepherds. The oldest dog we had was a male buff Cocker named Schnapps. If I remember right he was 18yrs old, a month or two shy of beign 19. The Cockers averaged 15years, the Shepherds believe it or not got up to 15-16 years in many instances, too. The shortest lived dog I had was a Giant Schnauzer from a bloodline where many of the breeders fed raw. He was 8 years old & died of osteosarcoma. We've also had various mutts over the years. One was a poodle mix who lived to be 11, the other was a Heinz 57 who was only about 50lbs but barely made it to 9yrs. I am not sure in hindsight if he had bad hips or spinal problems, but he was half paralyzed in the rear when we had him put down, there were also kidney problems going on as well. He would either have trouble urinating or would give you a pool of clear urine with a foul odor. May have been in renal failure. He was eating mostly Nutro, which is not a horrible food. 
It all has to do with genetics. My Parsons now are all living to ripe old ages, these are all purebred dogs from a line known for longevity.


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## Jacksie2006 (Jun 23, 2008)

I had a dog who lived to be 19 (On pedigree) Before I knew that food was crap, he was a mutt and a great dog.


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## AMonkey (Mar 14, 2009)

Our dogs are 13 and 14. We used Iams for the majority of their lives and have experimented for the last two years. Beneful was a HUGE mistake. We've just moved them to Taste of the Wild dry and Evingers and something else grain free wet. The doxie just had 5 teeth pulled. I poured war, water in the dry food and made a gravy for the first few days. She's tackling the food dry now. And both dogs love vegetables too. 

The doxie has gray around her face, but most people are surprised to find out her age. I swear our cocker looks younger now that we've removed grain and byproducts from her diet.

The belly rubs (freeze dried liver) snacks are great snacks - especially for dogs with little or no teeth (they crumble easily. One of the girls at our groomer just adopted a 14 year old dog and started her on raw food. She says the dog's doing great!


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## ChattyCathy (Nov 22, 2008)

Jacksie2006 said:


> I had a dog who lived to be 19 (On pedigree) Before I knew that food was crap, he was a mutt and a great dog.


Wow! That's a long time. I have to say that sometimes it's not the food (and I do believe a good food may help them live longer) but the genetics of the dog that has them living a long time as well.


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## ChattyCathy (Nov 22, 2008)

AMonkey said:


> Our dogs are 13 and 14. We used Iams for the majority of their lives and have experimented for the last two years. Beneful was a HUGE mistake. We've just moved them to Taste of the Wild dry and Evingers and something else grain free wet. The doxie just had 5 teeth pulled. I poured war, water in the dry food and made a gravy for the first few days. She's tackling the food dry now. And both dogs love vegetables too.
> 
> The doxie has gray around her face, but most people are surprised to find out her age. I swear our cocker looks younger now that we've removed grain and byproducts from her diet.
> 
> The belly rubs (freeze dried liver) snacks are great snacks - especially for dogs with little or no teeth (they crumble easily. One of the girls at our groomer just adopted a 14 year old dog and started her on raw food. She says the dog's doing great!


Your dogs sound like their doing really good! I recently started adding water to my dogs kibble and they really like it... so now they get one meal w/water in their kibble and one without... who knew?! I don't feed raw but many here do and their dogs love it. :biggrin:


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## foxtrdogma (Mar 3, 2009)

*Made it past 15*

Hi,

I'm still new to the forum and I'm learning so much. I adopted my previous dog at age 5--he was a wire fox terrier and had been in and out of three different homes. I tried what was, at the time, all the best foods and he never adjusted. (He had constant vomiting.)

The previous owner had fed him nutranuggets lamb and rice, so I tried it and he stayed on it until he was twelve. We switched because he developed stubborn bladder stones and the specialist strongly recommended Hill's WD and then UD. He lived another four plus years. 

My sister's dog lived his entire life on pedigree with table scraps and made it to eighteen. 

It seems like genetics makes a big difference but good nutrition may have extended both of these dogs lifes even further. I suspect that the bladder stones were a result of the lower grade food.

Thanks for an interesting thread.


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## ChattyCathy (Nov 22, 2008)

foxtrdogma said:


> Hi,
> 
> 
> It seems like genetics makes a big difference but good nutrition may have extended both of these dogs lifes even further. I suspect that the bladder stones were a result of the lower grade food.
> ...


I agree w/you too. It's a blessing when dogs live longer than expected! :biggrin:


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2009)

I have just recently become re-acquainted with an old college friend of mine (thanks to Facebook!). He was telling me about his 16-year-old Aussie Mix that he got in 1993 as a puppy. The dog is still alive, but showing signs of aging of course, and the only food this dog has ever known was Science Diet, Iams, Beneful, Purina Dog Chow, and Purina Pro Plan. The guy said now that the dog is really ancient, it deserves to be spoiled so it is getting some table scraps mixed in with its Purina Pro Plan.

The guy stated that he felt exercise and playtime was far more important than nutrition in keeping a dog healthy.

I thought that was an interesting point. Some people don't exercise their dogs enough but feed them only the best, while others exercise their dogs a lot but feed them crappy stuff.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

since Uno is my first dog, I dont have any personal stories, but my best friend has a amstaff mix thats 18 years old and still kicking last time I've talked to her, she lives in a different country, and since dog food is quite expensive, hes been fed homecooked/people food all his life.


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

My dogs get the best food for them and a ton of exercise, hopefully they'll live as long as I do!


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## domari (Jun 17, 2008)

One of my sisters had two Schnauzers that lived to be 15 and 17, they ate Purina all their lives. My other sister had a large mutt of who knows what type of breed, lab/collie/something, that lived to be 17 who ate whatever was on sale at the grocery store. 

My mom had a black lab back in the 40's that lived to be 17, she told me they fed their dogs Gaines dog food back then. 

The average life span of dogs really hasn't increased at all in the last 100 years even though there have been major changes in the types of food.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I personally think that it's all about genetics, alot of mutts didn't have there genes crossing lines like they do now with some of the more rarer breeds, that have a tendancy not to live that long.


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## jadelee (Jul 8, 2009)

I think except genes healthy food, exercises and injections have a great role in the length of dog's life. Combination of these elements + your treatment of the dog you have = long life - smth like this i guess


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## AMonkey (Mar 14, 2009)

My Hannah is a 13 year old cocker, and we've had her in and out of the vet for throwing up. Recently, we discovered urine in her bed. We have her on good food. I've noticed "a change" - can't put my finger on it - but something is different. Any tips for keeping an older cocker healthy?

Annette



claybuster said:


> Yes, back in '92 my wife had to have a Yorkie, just had to have one. There was a local breeder getting out of the business, and let a pup go for $50, so my wife said, "sold". Now, '09 we still have Mr. Casey with us.
> 
> Casey started out on cheap kibble feeds, I mean the cheapest of the cheap for the first 10 years. Started with Purina dog chow, and then eventually went cheaper. Local convenience stores (Cumberland Farms, 7/11) carry a Purina product called "Mainstay", which is cheaper than the dog chow. He was on that for maybe 3-4 years. It wasn't until I had got Zoe in '02 I was going to do a serious upgrade in nutrition. The original plan was to go with two feeds, high end stuff for the gun dog and keep the little guy on the cheap stuff. That wasn't working because keeping one out the the others wasn't going well at all and that lasted only for a few days. They have both been eating the same now since '02.
> 
> I had another dog that only made it to 10 years on the cheap stuff back in the kibble days. Cody was a Cocker who started to deteriorate around year 8 and by year 10 the hips were shot. I ended up about 50% of the time carrying Cody in and out to go do business by year 10. Often we would find a pee spot on the basement couch because of incontinence. Poor guy eventually got the point didn't even realize he was going, and it was getting difficult for us. I made the tough call in year 10 to put him down.


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