"Is free-roaming a key factor determining lifespan? An epidemiological study on the life expectancy of Turkish companion dogs".

Abstract

Companion dog lifespan data has exclusively been studied in developed economies. Here we report results from n = 1312 privately owned Turkish companion dogs (Free-roaming and non Free-roaming) from an online survey analyzed through Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression. Median survival time (MST) was 13 years. Most common causes of death were viral infections (n = 126), cancer (n = 60), and cardiovascular disease (n = 36). Desexing (χ2 = 31.6, P = 2E-8), being a mixed breed (χ2 = 6.4, P = 0.01), and regular preventative care (χ2 = 5.3, P = 0.02) significantly increased lifespan. Roaming freely significantly decreased lifespan (χ2 = 19.5, P = 1E-5). Dogs living in duplexes and single-family homes lived longer than dogs living in apartments and houses on acreage (χ2 = 10.5, P = 0.01). Owner income or education levels did not correlate with lifespan. In a Cox model, only desexing (HR = 0.478, P = 0.0006), living in a house on acreage (HR = 2.30, P = 0.0064) and being allowed to roam freely (HR = 1.59, P = 0.041) remained significant. Even though there are studies that contain information about dog demographics and mortality data outside of the western countries, to our knowledge, this is the first study of factors that influence companion dog lifespan in a middle income economy. While much of our findings correlate with those from developed economies, our sample also lets us study the effects of factors not commonly found in developed economies on dog lifespan, such as being allowed to roam freely.