Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Causes of death and cancer rates in Danish Bernese mountain dogs
By Nielsen, L et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2010·Department of Small Animal Clinical Studies·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Malignant histiocytosis and other causes of death in Bernese mountain dogs in Denmark.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A survey of Bernese mountain dogs in Denmark found that the average lifespan is about 7 years, with cancer being the leading cause of death in these dogs. Specifically, malignant histiocytosis, a type of cancer, was diagnosed in 13 dogs, most of whom were related. Other common causes of death included old age, kidney disease, and infections. This information highlights the health challenges faced by this breed, particularly the prevalence of cancer.
People also search for: Bernese mountain dog lifespan · malignant histiocytosis in dogs · causes of death in Bernese mountain dogs · dog cancer symptoms · kidney disease in dogs
Abstract
To determine the causes of death in Bernese mountain dogs, to assess the prevalence of malignant histiocytosis in the Danish Bernese mountain dog population, and to assess whether a hereditary pattern for this disease exists, 756 questionnaires were sent to members of the Danish Bernese Mountain Dog Club requesting information regarding the life span and causes of death of their dogs. A response rate of 57.7 per cent was achieved, giving information for 812 dogs, of which 290 had died. The average life span was 7.1 years. The most prevalent causes of death were neoplasia (42.1 per cent), old age (10.3 per cent), kidney disease (6.9 per cent), infection (5.9 per cent), skeletal problems (5.2 per cent), heart disease (3.8 per cent) and behavioural causes (3.5 per cent). Thirteen dogs were diagnosed with malignant histiocytosis, 11 of which were genealogically related.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20154310/