The possible reason why small dogs live longer than larger canine breeds was pointed out in a study carried out by scientists from the University of Washington, in the United States.
The research indicates that although small and large dogs suffer from the same health problems, larger breeds are more likely to develop more serious illnesses. The team analyzed more than 25,000 dogs of 238 breeds to obtain the results, published in the journal PLOS.
The researchers found that larger dogs are more likely to face cancer, bone diseases, gastrointestinal problems, neurological and endocrine problems, ear, nose or throat problems and infectious diseases.
Smaller dogs, on the other hand, are more likely to have eye, heart and respiratory problems, and liver or pancreas diseases. However, the research also points out that the size of a dog does not seem to influence kidney or urinary diseases.
The findings indicate that, in general, although larger dogs do not suffer from more health problems than smaller ones, large dogs may have higher risk patterns for certain diseases. The finding may go some way to explaining the differences in life expectancy between the sizes.
However,
the scientists emphasize that more research is needed to clarify the links between age, size and the prevalence of diseases in dogs.
The study’s lead author, Yunbi Nam, explained to the Mirror that “this study does not confirm any causal relationship between dog size, age and disease. However, the findings could help lead to a deeper understanding of the types of conditions that may underlie the lower life expectancy of larger dogs.”
“For example, within the disease categories explored in this study, future research could address age and size patterns associated with specific conditions. These results provide insights into the disease categories that may contribute to reduced life expectancy in larger dogs and suggest several additional avenues for further exploration.”
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