Examining Breed-Related Causes of Death for Dogs

"Most dog owners and veterinarians know that small dogs live longer than large ones, but until now there has been no thorough systematic examination of breed-related causes of death.
Now, a group of researchers has reviewed more than 74,000 cases of canine death recorded from 1984 to 2004 in the Veterinary Medicine Database, a registry established by the National Cancer Institute that receives reports from 27 veterinary teaching hospitals in North America.

The analysis, published in the March/April issue of The Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, found that the most common cause of death varies considerably from breed to breed and by age.

Golden retrievers and boxers had the highest rates of cancer, the leading cause of canine death over all. In several toy breeds — Chihuahua, Pekingese, Pomeranians and toy poodles — cancer was much less common. For them, the leading cause of death was trauma."
via NYTimes.com/read more