[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Our German Shepherds
- From: Cindy <sophoclesajax@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: scenecrest.geo@xxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 19:55:07 -0700
"What do you guys feel is an acceptable life span for a GSD? 10 12, 14
years?"
Terry, as a lifelong owner & breed enthusiast, not a breeder, I consider 13
to be a normal "healthy" lifespan. And I think that should be all of our
goal, with beyond that being "gravy," and added treasure. Once we get 13
more commonly, I see no reason we who love this breed can't set our eyes on
13-15 as a goal to strive for.
Much less than about 13 and I think something has gone wrong, and that can
be *anything* in the mix from genes to diet, exercise, veterinary care,
toxins introduced, and overall quality of life the dog was given . . . most
often a *combination* of these things. On a personal level, 15 yrs 8 mos is
my family's longest. And that is a credit to the (wonderful) show breeder
as well as resulting from good diet, swimming & appropriate exercise,
veterinary choices we made, slightly more petite size for a female, and
love & care. 10 yrs and under and I think something (many things, more
likely) has seriously gone wrong and we seek to fix things, do better in
our choices the next time around.
Overall size (oversizing) I think is likely to contribute too, as giant
sized breeds more frequently do not live as long as merely large breeds and
I see bulkier, heavier breeds like rotties having more cruciate injuries,
bigger dogs having more likelihood of bloating, etc. When I hear the pet
buying public and/or backyard breeder types talking about bigger, heavier,
tougher, more macho GSDs that are well outside the standard for size, I
worry about this. I tell them they are not looking for a GSD, but should
buy a Rottie or Mastiff or Great Dane or something.
I think about lifespan more often that I would like to (since it can be
heartbreaking to lose a GSD at any point!) these days . . . as it is a
frequent question I get asked by the public when my GSD Service Dog & I are
out, since he is senior now (12 yrs) and still working in the public eye.
Cindy
On Tue, Jun 11, 2013 at 7:35 PM, Theresa-GSD Stolz-Scenecrest Farm <
scenecrest.geo@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> In my opinion as the GSD's I grew up around lived to be 14 years plus and
> do want
> to lose mine before that age. However, I have lost several GSD at 7-11
> years of age
> to Hemangiosarcoma as it is now plaguing our breed in the worst way.
>
> Theresa
> --- On Tue, 6/11/13, Terry Cochran <terrycochran97756@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
>
> What do you guys feel is an acceptable life span for a GSD? 10 12, 14
> years?
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Jun 11, 2013, at 6:47 PM, Theresa-GSD Stolz-Scenecrest Farm <
> scenecrest.geo@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > Helen,
> >
> > I see exactly what you are saying below as people are becoming more aware
> > with the health issues of the GSD.
> >
> > Below are just a few web-sites of the diseases that plague the GSD.
> >
> > Top 10 German Shepherd Health Problems
> >
> > http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/10/prweb10058085.htm
> >
> > Investigation of Inherited Diseases of the German Shepherd Dog Using the
> SNP
> >
> > http://www.akcchf.org/research/funded-research/0934.html
> >
> >
> > Common Diseases and Disorders
> > http://www.petplace.com/dog-breeds/german-shepherd-dog-diseases.aspx
> >
> > The following diseases are reported to occur more frequently in the
> German Shepherd Dog
> >
> > http://www.provet.co.uk/dogs/gsd.htm
> >
> >
> > Theresa
> >
> > --- On Tue, 6/11/13, Helen Franklin <helenfranklin520@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > When I think back about some of my dogs and the special relationships we
> > had, I cry. There is nothing I value more then these memories and there
> is
> > nothing more worth fighting for then this breed. The health issues are
> > killing our dogs and driving away the public. I don't have the answers
> but
> > this is the most important and most serious matter facing us today. We
> > must save these beautiful soulful brown eyes that look at us with love
> and
> > devotion. We must make all efforts to
> > cure their bodies of diseases that cause them pain and early deaths. We
> > are their caretakers. We owe it to them. We must unite in honesty, in
> > cooperation, and in communication...and that is just the beginning.
> >
> > Helen Franklin
> >
> >
>
>
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============================================================================
POST is Copyrighted 2012. All material remains the property of the original
author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind
are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the
Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Each Author is responsible for the content of his/her post. This group and its
administrators are not responsible for the comments or opinions expressed in
any post.
ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY
MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS
PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY
FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE
PROSECUTED.
For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxx
VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://showgsd.org
SUBSCRIPTION:http://showgsd.org/mail.html
NATIONAL BLOG - http://gsdnational.blogspot.com/
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