How Long Do Pit Bulls Live? Despite the stigma they carry, Pit Bulls can be wonderful family pets. If you’re considering including one in your family and you’re wondering the length of time Pit Bulls live?
Unfortunately, no dog breed is as long-lived as we’d like them to. However, it’s helpful to know the number of years you’ll enjoy with your furry friend. It’s also helpful to know the kinds of ways you can prolong their lives, so we’ve provided that information too.
What is a Pit Bull, Anyway?
We’ll be speaking specifically about Pit Bull Terriers in the American Pit Bull Terrier in this article. However, all breeds that are referred to as Pit Bulls have similar lifespans and health concerns.
Pit Bull Lifespan
The typical Pit Bull’s lifespan is 12 to 14 years. Your dog might last as long as 20 years or even be tragically ill, and without severe health problems or horrible accidents, you should expect to live at least 12 years with your Pit Bull.
Factors Affecting How Long Pit Bulls Live
In addition to terrible accidents, numerous variables can impact the life expectancy of a Pitbull. Things that can reduce the life expectancy of a Pitbull are:
- Obesity causes many of the same health issues for dogs, just like human beings.
- Dietary deficiencies can have a negative impact on the well-being of the Pit Bull.
- Hip dysplasia impacts your dog’s mobility and the quality of their life.
- Heart diseases can drastically reduce the lifespan of a Pit Bull.
- Insufficient training can result in an unruly Pit Bull that needs to be put down following an attack on an animal or a person.
- Lack of exercise can result in destructive behavior that could lead the owner to transport the Pit Bull to a shelter in which they are more likely to be put to death.
How Can You Help Your Pit Bull Live Longer?
Although you cannot change the causes of congenital heart disease, however, there are actions you can take to aid in giving the Pit Bull the best chance of a long and healthy life. Here are some tips to assist in helping the Pit Bull live longer.
1. Keep Your Pit Bull a Healthy Weight
A majority of all dogs are obese or overweight. Like humans, being overweight can be a problem for dogs and can cause problems like:
- High blood pressure
- Certain kinds of cancer
- Kidney disease
- Arthritis
- Quality of life is diminished.
- Shorter lifespan
How can you tell when you think your Pit Bull weighs too much? If your dog is standing in a position, it should show an apparent waistline when seen from the side or above. Also, you should be able to detect (but not feel) the ribs.
Like humans, the most important factors to maintaining your Pit Bull’s healthy weight are feeding them a nutritious diet and providing ample exercise. If you love giving dogs treats, be sure to give the dog less kibble to help offset the calories and ensure you don’t take too many snacks.
You can also substitute healthy fruit or vegetables safe for dogs, such as carrots, for healthy snacks that won’t impact your dog’s stomach size.
If you suspect that your Pit Bull is overweight, consult your veterinarian about ways to help them shed weight. Sometimes, just feeding your dog fewer calories isn’t enough. You may require a calorie-reduced diet.
2. Choose a Pit Bull Breeder Carefully
Pit Bulls are genetically predisposed to a variety of ailments, such as hip dysplasia, heart disease allergies, and thyroid issues. Breeders who are reputable strive to limit the number of genetic diseases transmitted through their bloodlines. They also conduct certain tests to verify the well-being of their dogs prior to breeding them.
However, breeders in backyards, puppy mills, and pet stores are more focused on making money than on producing healthy pups. Breeders who are not reputable like those are more likely to have genetic issues as well as more likely to be afflicted by fatal diseases like parvo.
Here are some tips to ensure that the breeder you’re interested in is trustworthy:
1. Health tests should be conducted on the dog’s parents.
2. You should be able to look at the puppies at their homes
3. They’ll be able to answer your questions and also answer a few of their own
4. You must be allowed to have a meeting with, at minimum, the mother dog
5. They should be able to offer to return the puppy in the event that you are unable to keep it for any reason.
6. They could offer health insurance
3. Get Regular Vet Care
Many illnesses are simpler to treat the earlier they are discovered. Taking the Pit Bull to the vet every year at a minimum as a puppy and twice per year after becoming an adult could help identify possible health issues before they become sufficient to cut short your pet’s lifespan.
4. Make sure you give them Lots of Training and Exercise
Pit Bulls are extremely energetic and need at minimum an hour of physical activity every day. If they don’t get enough exercise, Pit Bulls are likely to get disgruntled and destructive. If they are bored, a Pit Bull can start chewing up and swallowing food items they shouldn’t. This can cause obstructions in the intestinal tract that could prove fatal if not treated quickly and with expensive surgery.
Although Pit Bulls are not necessarily less likely to attack dogs or people like other breeds, however, they are more likely to cause massive injury when they bite.
The most effective way to protect you and your Pit Bull from aggressive behavior is to give them lots of socialization and training at a young age. It is important to be assertive and confident without overpowering your Pit Bull.
Positive reinforcement can be a better teaching method for a Pit Bull than domination or punishment-based training methods.
5. Feed High-Quality Food
People who consume a lot of junk food are less likely to live longer as compared to people who eat healthily. The same applies to dogs. Are you aware of the contents of your Pit Bull’s food?
The majority of cheap dog food is composed of filler ingredients that lack any nutritional value. This includes corn or meat by-products (the portions of an animal that aren’t eaten, like hooves and beaks). Make sure you choose food with real meat as its primary ingredient, with no by-products, and there is no corn.
6. Brush Their Teeth
The majority of people do not think about brushing their dog’s teeth. However, the dog’s oral health could affect the health of other aspects of their life. It’s true that if you don’t clean your dog’s teeth, bacteria may develop out of control beneath the gumline. This can cause it to enter the bloodstream, affecting your dog’s internal organs, including the heart.
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Suppose you are able to brush your Pitbull’s teeth every day using a toothbrush that is soft and toothpaste designed specifically for dogs. If your dog isn’t letting you do this, you should go through the 5 top bone choices to use for Pit Bulls.
Chewing on bones can help remove tartar and plaque from teeth and stimulate gums. It’s the perfect alternative to brushing your teeth.
The Final Thoughts Summarising the Pit Bull Living Expectancy
Although there’s no way to ensure the possibility that you and your Pit Bull will live a happy, long life, following these suggestions will increase the likelihood that your dog will enjoy many healthy, excellent years as a beloved part of your loved ones.
With a bit of luck and lots of affection, your Pittie might outlast all odds to live a lot longer than the typical Pit Bull’s lifespan of 12 to 14 years.
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