Life Span
Maltipoo Life Span
Overview
Of course we want our dogs to live as long as we do. This is only natural. Unfortunately, dogs have much shorter life spans than we do. However, one things to know is that small dogs such as the Maltipoo live longer, on average, than larger dogs. Your dog may live well into his or her teen years.
When you take all breeds together, the average life expectancy is 12.8 years old. The Maltipoo life span is between 12 and 16 years old, which is considered to be a moderately long life in the canine world.
Female dogs, in general, live a bit longer than males. If you take all of the breeds and average it out, females live about 1 and 1/2 years longer.
Even though there are no official records of this, one of the oldest Maltipoos is said to be one from Washington state, in the U.S. that lived to the age of 22! Let's take a look at more details of a Maltipoo life expectancy...
Does Being a Mixed Breed Make a Maltipoo Live Longer?
The question of 'hybrid vigor' does come into play in regard to how healthy a Matipoo will be, but not necessarily how long he will live. Quite a bit of research has been done in this area and studies have shown that some diseases show up less with cross-breeds; however not all of them. Cancer is a leading cause of death for canines and a study by the University of California, Davis looked at over 90,000 dogs. They found that cancer statistics were even with both purebreds and mixed breeds. This includes lymphoma and mast cell tumors.
The element of hybrid vigor did hold to be true for some medical issues, however this was mostly with health conditions that are not considered fatal including cataracts, elbow dysplasia and hypothyroidism
A 20 year long study by the University of Georgia looked at the leading causes of death in over 100 purebred dogs and mixed breeds. Mixed dogs were among the 12 breed groups most prone to die from trauma.
Leading cause of Death in Maltipoos
There are two ways of looking at this. One may place the Maltipoo into the mixed-breed group. In this case, the leading causes of death are:
1: Musculoskeletal disease 13.5%
2: Cancer 27.6%
3:Trauma 16.2%
Or we can look to the Poodle and the Maltese, keeping in mind that hybrid vigor does not decrease the rate of cancer. The leading causes of death are as follows:
Toy Poodle: Neurological 16.1% Trauma 11.7% Cancer 11.4%
Maltese: Cardiovascular 21.1% Congenital 9.7% Cancer 9.2%
With cancer being #2 for mixed breeds and #3 for both the Poodle and Maltese, this lends to cancer being one of the main health concerns for the Maltipoo and certainly a leading cause of death that hybrid vigor cannot erase.
It should be noted that trauma is the #1 cause of death for puppies (of any breed or mixed) and is top concern for all toy sized dogs. It is unfortunate that the statistics for this are so high, considering that this is so preventable.
Ways to Help your Maltipoo Live a Long Life
There are some things that affect the life expectancy of our pets. Some things we have no control over....And some we do. Let's take a look:
Spay or Neuter- This is not just done to prevent unwanted litters, stop heat and put an end to endless humping behavior. Spaying and neutering, especially if done at an early age gives a dog certain health advantages that can lead to a longer life. This includes eliminating the chance of developing certain cancers. It eliminates the chances of ovarian cancer for females and testicular cancer for males. It also reduces the chances of mammary cancer in female Maltipoos.
Feed your Maltipoo a healthy diet
- This plays such a vital role in overall health and life span. Staying clear of processed food
packed with chemicals and instead offering wholesome foods filled with nutrients and antioxidants can add years onto a dog's life.
Actively keep your Maltipoo safe
- With trauma being a top concern that ends lives prematurely, do all you can to protect your dog. Here is what you can do:
- Use a harness and not a collar when on leash
- Have everyone in the house extremely aware that this is an 'under-the-foot' dog that can be accidentally stepped on
- Do not allow young children to carry the dog unless supervised and taught proper handling methods
- If you are holding your Maltipoo, do not try to multi-task
- Always secure your puppy or dog into a certified canine safety seat when in the car
Offer the right amount of exercise
- Whether due to busy schedules or bad weather, many owners lose their enthusiasm to walk their dogs once they have had them for while. However, regular exercise
goes hand in hand with a healthy diet to help a dog live as long as possible. Maltipoo dogs of all ages should be walked a minimum of once per day and twice is best. Never believe that an older, senior dog is happy to relax in the house. If allowed to be immobile, that does will lose important muscle tone and will have poor blood circulation.
Keep all vet visits -
Adults should see the vet once per year for 'healthy checks' and seniors should go twice per year. Catching issues when in the early stages in the best way for a good prognosis.
Brush your Maltipoo's teeth every day
- Tooth decay kills thousands of dogs each year. Left unchecked, infection can spread into the bloodstream and reach vital organs including the lung, heart and brain. No matter the age of your dog, start daily dental care at home today...and bring him/her to the vet for a professional cleaning to have the teeth accessed.