How Long Do Huskies Live? What You Need To Know
It’s a sad fact to face, but every type of dog has a life expectancy that has been discovered over the years. Depending on their overall health and genetics, some dogs may live longer than others, but each breed has a tendency to have a normal life expectancy.
If you’re a husky owner, you probably want to know what this life expectancy is. It’s important to remember that depending on your dog’s diet and health throughout their life, their life expectancy could be longer or shorter than that of the average dog.
Let me introduce some details that you need to know to answer your question: How long do huskies live? Let’s find out.
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What Is The Average Life Expectancy Of A Husky?
Speaking very generally, most huskies live to be about 12 years old. The range of average ages spans from 10 to 13 years. This age range is quite common for medium-to-large dogs like the husky.
There have been cases of huskies living up to 15 years, and some live even longer. There have been cases where one sibling only lived to be 10 years old, while another lived to be 18 years old! Each dog is different, so you can’t always count on the averages.
The females usually live longer than the males, but this is not a 100% situation, so you might have males that outlive their female siblings as well.
What Kind Of Health Issues Do Huskies Have?
Working dogs like the Husky can have a number of health issues caused by both their activities and by their genetics.
The most common genetic disorders that may cause a decline in your pup’s quality of life include:
● Hip dysplasia
● Progressive retinal atrophy
● Muscular atrophy
While each of these disorders may not directly lead to death, they can cause your dog a lot of pain and discomfort. You don’t want them to go through this, so keep your eye out for symptoms early to help manage their potential pain.
Huskies can also become obese which can lead them to a premature death. Be careful not to overfeed your dog, because obesity will be hard to fight off and can cause them severe discomfort. The key to a long life for your Husky is keeping them thin and active throughout all of their years!
What Life Stages Does A Husky Go Through?
Each stage of a Husky’s life can be divided up fairly easily by their age, and this separation is pretty regular between every dog.
Puppy Stage: Huskies are considered to be puppies from when they are born until they are 12 months old.
Adult Stage: From the time they are 1 year old until they are around 7 years old, Huskies are in the prime adult stage of their life.
Senior Stage: While every dog shows their age differently, most dogs can be considered to be senior dogs once they are 7 years and older.
As dog’s age, you will need to adjust their diet and exercise plans. You may start to notice that your dog is not as active, and you will need to adjust their diet accordingly.
Every dog is different, so pay attention to how your dog is acting to decide when to start making changes to their lifestyle.
Do Huskies That Work In Sledding Live Shorter Or Longer Lives?
This is actually a complicated question. On the one hand, dogs that work as sledding dogs usually live a higher activity lifestyle that keeps them healthier for longer than dogs that live in homes without any sledding work.
This means that the extra care and time spent with them by their owners as sledding dogs can actually help them live longer, since this type of owner is usually much more in tune with potential health issues than other dog owners.
Still, Huskies that work in sled racing can also be at risk for health problems they might not encounter otherwise. Some issues that sledding Huskies get are bronchitis, lung illnesses, and gastric diseases. Some of these issues are simply caused by age. Still, a dog that works in sledding is more at risk for them than a dog that does not.
What Else Should I Watch Out For?
While it may seem like a silly thing to warn you against, accidents are a big cause of death for dogs, and especially so for dogs like Huskies that like to get loose.
When a dog escapes their home or runs away, they are at a higher risk for early death because of an accident or by contracting a disease. While this may seem very unlikely, it is easy for a dog to take a dangerous fall or get hit by a car if they get loose.
Make sure to keep your dog leashed when you are out in public and to train them not to run off while at home. By doing these things, you will be helping lower the risk that your dog will end up in a deadly accident.
SEE ALSO : The Best Food For Huskies
Make The Most Of Your Time Together
Coming to terms with the fact that your Husky has a much shorter life expectancy than you can be difficult, but remember to focus on the fact that you will have a great life together, and you can do everything possible to make sure their time with you is the best time!
Monitoring your dog’s health and diet throughout their life can also help you to be sure that they will live as long as possible, despite what the prediction calendar says.
How long do Huskies live? Let us know in the comments how long your Husky has been around, and be happy for the time you have together! Then, share this article with other worried Husky friends.