How Long Can a Pitbull Live?
Pitbull can be said an amazing family pet. If you are thinking to have a Pitbull as your pet, then you probably want to know about its lifespan. Sadly, none of the pets live their life for a duration, as we want them to live. The average lifespan of the Pitbull is about 12 - 14 years. It could be more or less for some of their types.
Pitbulls can even live for almost 20 years. But depending on health conditions, their living style, etc.
Does Female Pitbull Live Longer Than Males?
The life expectancy of Pitbulls does not depend on their gender. Either it is male or female, they have no difference in their lifespans. The life expectancy of Pitbulls depends on the dog breed, they belong to. So, it can’t be said that either female or male Pitbull live longer when compared to one another.
The life expectancy of the Pitbulls based on their breed has been discussed in this article.
How Many Type of Pitbull Breeds?
Pitbull is actually a term used in the United States. It is used for a type that is descended from terriers and bulldogs. However, in other countries, this term is usually used as an abbreviation of the breed of American Pitbull Terrier. There are four (4) types of Pitbulls. They are named as below:
- American Pitbull Terrier
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- American Bully
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Life Expectancy of Different Pitbulls Breeds
If you are going to have a Pitbull as your pet, then you must learn about the lifespans of each breed. The lifespans of different breeds of Pitbulls are as follow
- American Pitbull Terrier has a lifespan of about 8 – 15 years.
- American Staffordshire Terrier has a somewhat longer lifespan. It can live for a duration of about 12 – 16 years.
- American Bully can live up to 8 – 13 years of life.
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier has a lifespan of 12 – 14 years.
Factors affecting the lifespan of Pitbulls
There are some factors that affect the life expectancy of Pitbulls. It is said sometimes that their life expectancy is short, because of their vicious nature. They are said to be having violence in their DNA.
Some of the factors which affect the lifespan of Pitbulls adversely are as follows
1. Nutrition or Diet
Not only humans need a proper diet but dogs need that too. It's the guarantee of a good and healthy life. So, for Pitbulls, a healthy and nutritious diet is very important.
So, if your pitbull is not getting enough intake of nutrition, then it can have a negative impact on its overall health. Due to improper intake of food, it becomes nearly difficult for your pitbull’s overall system to work properly. This can cause laziness and loss of interest in exercising.
The diet has been explained in the later sections of this article for proper reference.
2. Genetic Factor and Health
Genetics plays an important role in defining the lifespan of Pitbulls. If your Pitbull is suffering from any genetic disorder, then it should be comprehended that it is going to decrease the lifespan of your Pitbull.
Some health issues like cancer, infectious diseases do affect the length of life of your dog.
3. Spaying and Neutering
Spaying is the process of removing of reproductive organs of a female dog. Neutering refers to the same process as discussed in the last sentence, but for a male dog.
The dog who has been spayed will have less tendency to the development of mammary cancer. Such dogs will have no chance of developing uterine and ovarian cancer.
Neutered dogs will also have control over their reproductive hormones. It will also have zero chance of developing testicular cancer.
Thus spayed and neutered dogs will have control over their reproductive hormones, decrease their habit of roaming. With less roaming, they will have less chance of getting into a car accident or getting in a fight with other animals.
4. Indoor vs Outdoor Pitbulls
The life expectancy of Pitbulls who are having outdoor visits is much more than those who are spending most of their time indoors. It is because outdoor going Pitbulls have higher activity levels. They do participate in different activities more keenly than indoor living Pitbulls. Due to different outdoor activities, they have a better working overall body system.
5. Obesity in Pitbull
Obesity is generally termed as the root cause of many diseases in human beings as well as animals. An overweight Pitbull is susceptible to many problems with the liver, heart, lungs, bones, joints, etc. Overweight can deteriorate the overall health of the Pitbull and reduces its lifespan.
6. Hip Dysplasia Disease
Hip Dysplasia is called to be an inherited disease that is common in American Pitbull Terriers. It causes the improper formation of hip joints, thus leading to arthritis. In this situation, your dog suffers from a lot of pain and has difficulty getting up when lying down. It might be due to reason of overweight.
It has adverse effects on the life quality of your pitbull’s life, followed by mobility-related issues.
7. Allergies
You might have noticed or observed yourself that you sneeze or have itchy eyes, when allergic to something. However, in dogs, the reaction to allergies is quite different.
Instead of sneezing, allergies tend to make their skin itchy. Pitbulls observe itchy skin quite often, under allergies. This skin allergy is generally termed as “atopy”, which affects ears, belly, folds of the skin, etc. at most. Symptoms can be observed at the age of 1 – 3 years, which eventually get worse over the course of the years.
This allergy affects the living standard of the Pitbulls, which can be observed in the form of licking of paws.
How to Make Your Pitbull Live Longer?
1. Healthy Diet and Controlled Weight
Obesity is the root cause of all problems. If the diet of your dog is balanced, then there will be fewer chances of obesity.
It is better to give your Pitbull a healthy diet and let them have plenty of activities. If you are a person who likes to give his dog a lot of treats, then you should be very vigilant in terms of calories.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has somewhat determined the minimum requirement of nutrients, which are important for dogs. According to AAFCO recommendations, a minimum of protein of 22 percent is required for puppies and lactating females. However, this percentage goes to 18 percent for adult dogs and decreases to a value of 5 – 8 %.
This requirement can be fulfilled by targeting animal protein like meat or poultry. These sources should have higher animal fat than normal along with limited carbohydrate contents.
You should give Ollie fresh food a try. Ollie is a homemade and vet-approved and certified recipe of human-grade fresh food. They provide a meal that specializes customized based on your dog's age, weight, breed, and health condition.
I've written about my whole journey and experience with Ollie fresh food. Remember to check out Ollie Fresh Food Review
2. Regular Vet Visit
The disease is easily curable if it is spotted as early as possible. If your Pitbull is young, then it is better to take him to a vet at least once a year. However, in senior years, you should take your Pitbull to the vet at least twice a year.
These visits will help in finding out the potential health problems and making it easy to cure them on time. This will lead to an increase in the life expectancy of your Pitbull.
3. Keep Your Pitbull's Teeth Clean
The dental health of your dog is as important as the health of other body parts. Most of the pet owners do not give proper attention to the dental problems of their Pitbull. But dental health has a great impact on their overall health.
In case of no brushing, there are wide chances of the growth of bacteria under the gum line of the Pitbull. The bacteria then tend to enter the bloodstream and end up affecting the heart of your dog.
4. Feeding High-Quality Dog Food
It is a general understanding that the people who like to eat a lot of junk food live lesser as compared to those who eat a healthy diet. The same concept applies to dogs. It is better to read the ingredients of dog food, before buying.
Try to feed your dog with food, which is full of nutrition. The dog food should contain real meat in it, with no filler ingredients.
Most of the dogs’ food is made up of such ingredients which have zero nutritional value. Ingredients like corn or by-product of meat are said to be filler ingredients. They are said to be harmful to your dog’s health.
According to Clinical Nutrition Service, out of two options for food, wet food is preferable for dogs as it has certain qualities. It is easy to chew and swallow. It is also said to be somewhat favorites of those Pitbulls who are picky eaters. Percentage of fat and protein is dominant in wet foods, so helping in fulfilling the high protein diet requirement. However, if weight loss is under consideration, then wet food should be avoided.
Dry food has greater shelf life than wet food. It is said to be easier to clean. Dry food is also helpful in maintaining the dental health of the dogs as well.
5. Plenty of Healthy Exercise and Training
Pitbulls are said to be very active and they required at least 1-hour exercise per day. If they don’t get enough exercise, they get bored and destructive as well. A Pitbull who is bored will start to chew up things and swallowing the unwanted things. This can lead to the obstructions in intestines. This obstruction can be deadly if not treated.
The best way to stop the aggressive behavior of your Pitbull is to socialize him. There should be suitable training for him as well.
Positive reinforcement is preferably appreciable rather than punishment and a firm attitude.
6. Keeping your Pitbull on Leash
Keeping your dog all the way indoor can’t be a solution as this can make him bored. Boredom elevates the awkward behavior or response in the dogs.
So, while going out, it is better to keep your Pitbull on the leash. In this way, you can steer your dog in any way you want, and keep him safe. While keeping on the leash, your dog can avoid many accidents. It won’t be able to get into unnecessary fights.
While on the leash, your pitbull will not be able to consume the things, which can cause infectious diseases in him.
HDP Big Dog No Pull Dog Harness (20% OFF) - Sales
7. Choosing a Pitbull Breeder
Pitbulls are genetically prone to several health conditions. Good breeders do their effort to reduce the genetically passed diseases and carry out necessary tests. This ensures the good health of the dogs before breeding.
Dogs bred from bad reputed breeders tend to suffer from genetic problems and deadly infections. This leads to a decrease in the lifespan of the Pitbulls. There are some important things, one should expect from a reputable breeder. Some of them are as follow:
- The Breeders should be able to give the guarantee related to the health of the pitbull.
- They should be always ready to take the puppy back, for whatever reasons.
- Professional breeders should carry out all the necessary tests on the parent dogs before breeding.
- They should be able to get back to all of your queries and problems efficiently.
Conclusion
The average lifespan of the Pitbull is about 12 - 14 years. There are several factors that affect their life expectancy discussed above.
But the most important thing to increase their lifespan is to take care of their diet and healthy food.
If you found this post beneficial to you, don't forget to share it with other Pitbull pet owners.
Comments
Post a Comment