Clinica Veterinaria: An Easy & Cheap Way to Make Our Pets Live a Long Life

We have written several times about lifespan in animals – about how many years a dog, a cat, or a rabbit may live; about when we can consider an animal old; and about those “Methuselah dogs and cats” that reach 25 years or more.

Everyone would probably agree that dogs and cats are living longer and longer. When we started working (at the end of the 20th century), an 8-year-old cat was considered geriatric, and a 10-year-old dog was simply a survivor. Nowadays, 20-year-old cats are increasingly common, and 15- or 16-year-old dogs are no rarity.

But what determines an animal’s lifespan? Most studies focus on dogs, with far fewer on cats. We all know that small dog breeds (under 10 kg) usually live longer than large ones (over 25 kg), while giant breeds (over 50 kg) rarely exceed 10 years. Of course, this refers to fit animals – not those made artificially thin or fat.

The main factors influencing healthy ageing in dogs are feeding, exposure to trauma or infectious diseases, and exercise. At least half of these are directly under the owner’s control. Vaccines, for instance, have drastically reduced the risk of lethal infections like distemper, which in the 1980s and ’90s killed thousands of puppies (and adults too). We saw that tragedy firsthand during our student years and early careers. What changed afterward? Simple: vaccination, vaccination, and vaccination. That’s a fact anti-vaccine advocates can’t ignore.

Feeding and exercise are also easy to manage, especially for urban dogs that depend entirely on us for their diet and physical activity. As for trauma prevention, leads, harnesses, and car safety belts help – though accidents can still happen.

Since vaccination has already extended canine lifespan significantly, we can now focus on the next steps: improving feeding and exercise routines.

Another factor affecting lifespan is neutering. Beyond birth control, it prevents reproductive system diseases (uterine, mammary, testicular, and prostate problems) that can severely shorten life. Recent studies explore how neutering timing influences long-term health. Evidence suggests a link between early, pre-puberty neutering and joint disease, particularly in large and giant breeds. We have always recommended post-puberty neutering – and facts seem to be proving us right.

Without a doubt, diet control is the best way to keep pets young and healthy. By “controlling diet,” we mean balancing calories and exercise. Caloric restriction combined with daily activity can delay ageing by preventing chronic, low-grade inflammation – the kind that slowly wears the body down. That’s why Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are so valuable: they’re natural anti-inflammatories (and usually present in a normal diet, so supplements aren’t always needed).

We love reminding our clients that the most powerful – and cheapest! – anti-inflammatory treatment is simply weight loss.

Interestingly, a large clinical study in the U.S. is now testing potential anti-ageing pills for dogs. These drugs, already shown to extend lifespan by 12–20% in worms and rodents, might one day be marketed for both dogs and humans if proven safe and effective. Two different medicines are being tested and compared with caloric restriction.

So, in the near future, we may be offered a “miraculous” (and likely expensive) pill to make our dogs live longer. But early results suggest we can achieve similar benefits right now – through sensible feeding and regular exercise.

If you’d like to learn more, look up the Dog Aging Project.