First of all, it is essential to understand that there are average indicators of the life expectancy of the Siberian Husky breed, determined by dog breeders, veterinarians, and dog handlers.
It should be noted that husky dogs differ from many other dog breeds and known for their high level of activity. These pets are healthy, playful, and have good stamina.
Such characteristics are assigned to the dog from puppyhood to an old age, which also determines its lifespan. Huskies typically live from 12 to 16 years of age.
Due to successful selection, Siberian Huskies remains one of the healthiest dog breeds, that has a severe advantage such as the absence of a pronounced tendency to generative diseases, which positively affects their lifespan.
Of course, these facts remain relevant only if the dog is kept in optimal conditions; the owner paid enough attention and also provided his four-legged friend with proper nutrition.
Cases have been recorded when these dogs, under favorable conditions, lived up to 20 years. However, some common husky health problems do randomly occur, and every husky owner should consider this if they want a long and fulfilling life for their beloved dog.
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Husky Life Span
Initially, Siberian Husky are sled dogs that pull the load for their masters. They are also familiar with dogsled races and are a big help during search-and-rescue missions.
So, how old do Huskies live? The average lifespan of a Siberian Husky is an average of 12 years same as Akita german shepherd mix. If provided loving care, these dogs can last 15 years or even more.
Is your Husky female? Good for you, since female dogs tend to live longer than the male ones. My Husky is a male, but this difference is not well-proven. Therefore, there is still a significant chance that he will live longer than his female siblings.
How to Determine a Husky Age and Why is that Important?
A lot of husky owners who get their dog from the shelters, animal rescue organizations, or picked up an adult animal on the street, have one question in common: ”What is the age of my dog?”.
This information could be beneficial if you try to prolong your husky lifetime. For example, the risks of cancer in dogs that are responsible for about 47% of dog deaths increase manifold after dogs hit the 10-years benchmark.
Knowing the age of your Siberian Husky is notably important, as it can give you a heads up about what to expect in terms of your dog’s health and how to take better care of them.
Feed ration, amount of exercises, frequency of vet visits: all these factors should be adjusted according to the dog’s age to provide a happy and long life for your puppy.
Siberian Husky Life Stages
Just like humans, dogs have life stages too. The crucial step for Husky development is in the first few weeks after birth, but they keep on growing and develop longer compared to other breeds.
Newborn
Besides the size and their distinctive colors, huskies are a little bit different from other breeds when they’re still puppies. It is natural for puppies to be born with their eyes still closed.
They use their sense of smell to look for their mother. In 3 weeks, they can already open their eyes and start to be physically active, show each trait, and bark to each other.
It is vital in this phase to play with siblings to improve their social skills. Puppies must not be separated from their mother until they are two months old.
Socialization
This stage is about 14 weeks or so, and they are keen to master their senses. They are fast learning what is going on around them. Take this chance to expose them to people, sounds, and other animals. This is the best time to train the puppies about discipline. Awarding treats can work but must be solely for positive interactions.
Adulthood
You will notice that Husky growth starts to slow down when they reach six months old. In a year, their height will most likely be the same after. Although they will still be developing and getting mature until they’re two years old, it would be their body weight, emotional, and intellectual growth.
Health Issues
Huskies are healthy dogs, but they also suffer some common health issues like other breeds do. Dysplasia and eye diseases are one of them. Do you know that compared to other dogs, huskies are capable of maintaining their weight with minimal food intake? As long as you feed them with hi-protein food, they’re right.
Huskies are ideal pets. They usually are clean, parasite-free, and odorless. Since they thrive with less food, they are easy to raise. You can train them to carry your load and travel with speed, even in cold weather. Where does Husky live? Some say that the lifespan of a Husky depends on where he lives.
I’m afraid I have to disagree with that. I believe that Husky can live longer as long as they are well taken care of. Husky has this fantastic ability to adapt to its environment quickly. Try to search; huskies are everywhere around the world.
Factors and Main Causes of the Premature Death of Siberian Husky?
Genetic Health Problems and other Diseases
Huskies are prone to some genetic defects such as hip dysplasia, blindness, and other eye issues.
Hip Dysplasia
In this painful disease, the bones in the hip joint don’t sit well in the socket. This causes the bones to collide and rub against each other. As you can guess, this can be quite painful.
Hip Dysplasia is a polygenic disease that’s affected by environmental factors. What’s more, a Husky puppy that’s fed a high-caloric diet would have a speedier onset of Hip Dysplasia, in case it contains the genes for it. So, try to provide a minimal diet for your dog.
Eye Diseases
Although eye diseases aren’t necessarily life-threatening, for a working dog like the Husky, eyesight is vital. However, eyes seem to be the weak-spot for Huskies as they’re prone to several eye-related problems, including PRA, hereditary or juvenile cataracts, and corneal dystrophy. Suppose you notice any opacity in your husky’s eyes.
Then it would help if you visited the vet as soon as possible other health issues such as myelopathy, epilepsy, diseases of the genitourinary system. Although most of them will not end a dog’s life, they may put you in a difficult position.
For example, such as degenerative myelopathy, which leads to paralysis of the limbs over time, or epilepsy attacks, which, having begun at the age of 7 months to 3 years, progress over time and become more frequent and prolonged. There is no cure for these ailments, and therefore, when they reach the extreme stage, sometimes difficult decisions need to be made in your Husky’s interests.
Accidents
Here’s a fact: Huskies LOVE to run. If you give them a chance, they will run off into the wide open and won’t look back until they’re tired. Sadly, many dog owners have lost their Huskies in road accidents in similar situations.
You need to monitor the pet carefully, engage in its training, and if he is left alone for the whole day, it is necessary to provide him with a sufficient number of safe treats and dog toys.
Sometimes being alone for the entire day, husky could spoil things out of boredom and happens to swallow different pieces that can fit in his mouth. This does not always lead to severe outgrowths, but sometimes these “pranks” end up with blockage of the stomach or intestines.
That is why it is so essential to reduce the likelihood of an accident that happens, mainly when you are not around. And everything that can be dangerous for a husky or be swallowed by him, if possible, should be removed to a place inaccessible to the dog.
How to Extend the Lifespan of a Siberian Husky?
Proper Nutrition
Husky only need less food for a day, but they can be as energetic and playful as they can be. If well-trained, you can even make them do a useful job. However, you need to give this breed the proper kind of food.
If you don’t have an idea of food for huskies, I suggest starting with this. My Husky loves it. Make sure that you give your Husky high-quality dog food and clean water. There is plenty of dog food possible that is fitted to your dog’s age.
Keep its Body Weight in Check
According to research published in The Veterinary Journal, overweight dogs tend to have shorter lives. In 2019, 31 out of 100 dogs that were admitted to the Banfield Hospitals were obese.
That should give you an idea about how prevalent obesity is in dogs. But obesity in active and working dogs like Huskies; boy oh boy, that’s a biggie! The size that your Husky grows will indirectly affect its longevity.
An overweight dog merely is not going to have the stamina, muscle mass, and immune system to last through old-age for very long. As with any breed, there will be genetic variations in size.
Do larger dogs die sooner? Maybe, but the research can not explain precisely why. In any event, the Husky breed, except a miniature variant being bred, has a mostly consistent adult size, and small variations are unlikely to lengthen or shorten the lifespan significantly.
So, you’d want to keep your lovely Husky’s body weight in control. Bear in mind that the average value of female Huskies ranges from 35 to 50 pounds (16 to 23kg) while that of a male is 45 to 60 pounds (20-27 kg). Anything within this range should be okay for a grown-up dog, but if you are still raising a puppy, you can find our weight chart right here, “Is My Husky Puppy’s Weight Normal?”
Daily Exercise
These dogs are not created to watch TV on the couch with the owner; they were breed to run and pull, and play, and run again. The Siberian Husky Club of America (SHCA) suggests not to buy a Husky if you work all day and can accommodate only one dog.
The reason is – Huskies thrive on physical attachment and bonding. They’d want to spend time with you or with other dogs. So, make sure to interact with your puppy and keep it busy with a lot of exercises and playtime, as they like an active lifestyle. It is essential not only to walk around but also to run, as well as play with your husky, who will only be happy with such excessive activity.
Climbing and descending, overcoming obstacles at speed, pulling exercises, winter racing – all this will help Siberian husky to live as long as possible and will be beneficial in any way. Only in this way will huskies be healthy both physically and psychologically. Check our top 5 tips for exercising your husky puppy, as well as the best playtime ideas for husky.
Regular Vet Checkups and Vaccinations
Make sure you’re taking your hound to the vet at least once every year for a routine checkup. This is very important for all types of dogs, regardless of whether they’re sick or not.
Also, make sure your Husky has all the needed vaccinations. This way, you can avoid a lot of diseases and stop them right in their tracks. I know the vet fee is a big headache for dog owners.
And the prospect of having to pay thousands of dollars in case your Husky gets sick is daunting. In this case, you force want to get pet insurance. We wrote our thoughts on that, and you can read it here – Is Pet Insurance Worth It For A Puppy?
Grooming and Hygiene care
It’s quite essential to groom your Husky properly to maintain its health and increase its lifespan. Caring for huskies is easy. It is enough to brush your husky’s magnificent coat a couple of times a week and bathe 2-3 times a year.
More frequent brushing is required during the shedding season. Cleaning your dog’s ears, wiping its eyes should be included in your routine list. Also, we recommend regularly brush your dog’s teeth or at least use teeth-cleaning toys.
We prefer to use natural dental treats, which are recommended by veterinarians and accepted by the Veterinary Oral Health Council. We have a lot of information in our grooming section, where we give tips and guidelines on how to groom and take care of your husky properly.
How to Care for an Old Husky?
It’s essential to make your dog feel loved and belonged as it grows. However, don’t expect your mutt to be as fast and athletic as it used to be.
- Do not physically overload.
- Veterinarian examinations every two months, even if the dog is relatively healthy.
- Give vitamins and minerals (on the recommendation of a veterinarian);
- do not overfeed.
Final Words
Any dog can live longer than what we expect out from its usual lifespan. Dogs are like family. They thrive loyally and well with humans that care for them.
Just remember that all it takes are love and lots of patience when you adopt a dog. Are you still curious on how long do Huskies live? I bet you already know! If you have friends who are interested in Husky, share this post or drop a comment and let’s talk about it.
