The average French Mastiff’s lifespan is only five to eight years. Their size makes them prone to health problems and obesity, which can have an effect on their overall lifespan. With proper care, they can live full and happy life.
Before scrolling down this guide, “What Is a French Mastiff’s Lifespan,” check out: 11 Best Mastiff Breeders in the United States! (2023) and 9 Best Mastiff Rescues in the United States! (2023).
Why Do French Mastiffs Have a Short Lifespan?
It is a wonderful experience to own a Mastiff, as they are magnificent dogs and make excellent family pets. Unfortunately, it is a relatively brief experience. If Mastiffs live short lives, why is that?
It’s heartbreaking to lose a family companion that’s been with you for years. Nonetheless, losing your beloved Mastiff to old age after an incredibly short period of time is especially cruel.
No matter how well you take care of your Mastiff and how well you maintain their health, Mastiffs are not known for their long lives.
Compared to other dog breeds, Mastiffs have one of the shortest lifespans. Even though Mastiffs come in several varieties, their lifespans don’t vary much within the family. Toys and medium-size dogs usually have longer lifespans than giant dog breeds.
A medium-sized dog usually lives about 13 years. The lifespan of a big dog rarely exceeds 10 years. There is a wide range of research on the lifespan of Mastiffs (English Mastiffs), but the average is just seven years, and less than 25% of them live to be 10 years old.
How Old Was the Oldest French Mastiff?
An average French Mastiffs live for about five to eight years. In rare cases, they can live longer. The oldest French Mastiffs have lived to be 11 years old. There are some things you can do to help your French Mastiff live longer.
Feed Them Right
There is no doubt that a healthy diet is vital for your pet, just as it is for yourself and your family, and dogs who eat fewer calories live longer.
As a consequence, obese dogs are susceptible to various life-threatening diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and cancer.
Low-quality meat and fat are common ingredients in commercial pet foods. Often, most nutrients are removed from them during the processing process. In terms of vitamins, nutrients, and flavors, freeze-dried dog food is as close as you can get to providing your dog with a raw diet.
Give Them Plenty of Exercise
In addition to dogs’ need for exercise, you will receive benefits as well; for instance, exercise will maintain the health of your dog’s heart and help prevent obesity and heart disease. Additionally, it increases muscle tone, improves metabolism, and ensures that your pet is mentally stimulated.
It is recommended that your dog is exercised for 30 minutes a day if he is a low-energy dog, and for two hours if he is a high-energy dog.
Keep Their Minds Active
Your pal can also live longer if he or she engages in mental activity. Unlike the dogs of the past, dogs of today do not have access to vast open spaces or need to forage for food. They are often bored and destructive as a result.
Today’s dogs receive food from their owners and seldom have an activity to keep them active.
It is fun to joke about their comfortable lives, but a comfortable life isn’t healthy for their mental or physical health. You can reward your pet with food puzzles by giving them physical and mental exercise.
Simple puzzles like scattering food in a yard for them to seek out are as simple as allowing them to sniff it out, or more complex ones like Kong toys stuffed with food treats.
Brush Their Teeth
You should not underestimate the importance of your pup’s dental health, as it is often even more significant. In dental tartar, more than 80% of bacteria can enter your pet’s bloodstream and cause organ infection. Your pet’s gums, bones, and ligaments can be damaged from this disease, which causes him tremendous pain.
Daily brushing, or at a minimum, consistent brushing, is the best preventive measure to ensure your dog lives a long life. It is also possible to keep this under control by taking your dog to the veterinarian regularly for deep cleaning. It can also be beneficial to use treats formulated to promote healthy teeth.
Regular Vet Care
Your dog should receive a yearly physical in the same way as you do to stay healthy. Symptoms disease, such as cancer, may not be apparent at first. Wellness exams should be performed once or twice a year for healthy dogs.
A veterinarian examines your dog, discusses vaccinations, checks their teeth, checks for heartworms, ticks, and fleas on their medication, and usually tests them, such as urine and feces. Stay on top of their flea, tick, and heartworm prevention. There is a proverb that says prevention is better than cure, and that can be summed up as a pound of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
A problem with infestations is that they are hard to remove after they occur. As well as spreading blood and intestinal parasites, fleas and ticks can transmit potentially lethal conditions like tapeworm and Lyme disease to your pet.
If you are not sure which product is right for your dog, ask your veterinarian. If your house or dog’s sleeping area has fleas and ticks, vacuuming the carpet or furniture several times a week can help remove them.
Keep Them Leashed
The safety of your dog depends on your location, which is why you should keep your yard fenced and use a leash. Running after other animals, chasing cars, or expressing their autonomy is a natural instinct for dogs, but they often do so unaware that they can be dangerous.
You should consider the immediate threats to your dog’s safety when keeping them on a leash. A canyon hike can leave unleashed dogs vulnerable to wild animals.
Do French Mastiffs Have Health Problems?
French Mastiffs are prone to certain health problems that have an effect on their lifespan.
Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
Various skeletal disorders can cause our pets severe pain, including hip and elbow dysplasia. Balls and sockets make up hips and joints, and cartilage usually cushions them.
It is caused by an improper fit between the ball and socket, causing them to scratch and grind against each other instead of gliding smoothly together. Knees and hips deteriorate and lose function over time due to this condition.
Allergies
Food and environmental allergies might affect your Mastiff. Puppies’ immune systems and skin will be affected differently by this, causing reactions. At first, some symptoms of allergies may not be apparent, so it may take a while to pinpoint them.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Deficiency of the heart muscle leads to dilated cardiomyopathy. Degeneration thins the heart, particularly the left ventricle, due to this process.
These thin walls of your heart are stretched continuously by the pumping of blood, resulting in a larger heart. The condition is classified as dilated cardiomyopathy once it reaches this size. Heart failure can occur in large breeds due to this condition.
Ear Infections
There is a high incidence of ear infections in Mastiffs, among other breeds. Infections like this are painful and can be easily detected since your dog shakes their head or scratches their ears relentlessly. A black-to-yellow discharge and inflammation are also visible visual symptoms.
Infections in the ears are caused by a number of factors, including getting water or moisture in the ears. The difference between ear mites and ear infections is important to note. They cause intense itching and discharge because they infest the ear canal.
Obesity
Mastiffs love to eat. It is possible for them to pack on the extra pounds if their diets are not as restricted.
Bloat
It is unfortunate to see large breeds suffer from the condition of bloat, but it is quite common. In this situation, the stomach twists because there is a buildup of gas, fluid, and food in the abdomen.
Eating too fast, overeating, and drinking too much water too quickly are all potential factors that can cause this issue to appear very quickly. As well as large breeds, breeds of other sizes are also susceptible to this problem.
Hypothyroidism
Thyroid glands are located in the neck of your dog. Hormones are produced and circulated through the body by this organ. As a result of the thyroid producing too little hormone, hypothyroidism is caused.
There are many different symptoms of hypothyroidism, so knowing what to watch out for can make it easier to diagnose the condition.
In order to determine thyroid levels and potential problems, your veterinarian will perform a series of blood tests.
Seizures and Epilepsy
Seizures can occur in Mastiffs when another underlying health issue is present. Various types of attacks can occur for a number of reasons. In some instances, seizure disorders are caused by toxins, liver disease, high or low blood sugar, kidney disease, kidney failure, anemia, head injuries, encephalitis, brain cancer, strokes, and electrolyte problems.
Clearly, one size does not fit all, and the effect can occur anywhere in the body. The majority of canine seizures are caused by epilepsy, a specific type of seizure disorder.
How Long Does a 130-Pound Dog Live?
A 130-pound dog would likely have a lifespan of six to 10 years. Small mammals tend to live longer and age more slowly.
A study examined more than 56,000 dogs seen at North American veterinary teaching hospitals and covered 74 breeds. The study was led by a veterinary evolutionary biologist at the University of Göttingen in Germany. According to Kraus, large dogs age rapidly, and their lives unfold in a frenzied manner.
The study found that dogs of large breeds died from cancer more often than those of small breeds. How come? In Kraus’s opinion, large breed dogs may grow faster than small dogs, so they may experience abnormal cell growth associated with cancer more frequently.
The fact that large dogs age more quickly may also contribute to their vulnerability to age-related illnesses. Researchers have found that dogs with overweight or obese bodies live shorter lives than those with ideal body weights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dog breeds like the Chihuahua, Shih Tzu, Toy Poodle, Bichon Frise, and Dachshund have the longest lifespan.
Dog breeds like the French Mastiff, Irish Wolfhound, Bernese Mountain Dog, Great Dane, and Saint Bernard have the shortest life expectancy.
In a study on longevity, only eight percent of dogs lived to be 15.
Conclusion for “What Is a French Mastiff’s Lifespan”
French Mastiffs (Dogue de Bordeaux) have the shortest life expectancy of any Mastiff; they usually live from five to eight years. 10 to 12 years is the average lifespan of a Spanish Mastiff (Mastn Espaol). In general, Bullmastiffs live between seven and nine years.
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Learn more about the French Mastiff by watching “PROS & CONS About French Mastiffs|The GOOD and BAD!!!” down below:
Garrett loves animals and is a huge advocate for all Doodle dog breeds. He owns his own Goldendoodle named Kona. In addition, he volunteers at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, where he fosters dogs and helps animals. Garrett enjoys writing about Doodles and believes that dogs can teach humans more about how to live than humans can teach a dog.
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