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otis-agnes's avatar
otis-agnes
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May 07, 2015

Golden Retriever

I don't know what happened to the golden retriever, but it's sad that such a wonderful breed has so many health issues. In the 1970s goldens lived about 17 years, today it's around 9. Our Haylie died at 7 from Lymphoma. Fingers crossed that my Abby lives way past 9 (she's 7 now). I'm hoping that Penny lives a long life because besides golden, she's part cocker. I'm glad that a study is being done because they're awesome pets! Agnes

30 Replies

  • dturm wrote:
    The following is an interesting article from Johns Hopkins.

    Basically they did a statistical study and concluded that 2/3 of cancers were "bad luck" related to the length of life and the other 1/3 other contributing causes like genetics, environment, diet, etc.

    I too have noticed that Goldens are more prone to cancer now than 30 years ago. We've had 5, two made it to 15+, one to 12, one to 10 and Jill is approaching 13 and healthy. I think expected the life span is closer to 10 than 7.

    Maybe we need to add a few flat coated retrievers and water spaniels into the gene pool and mix European gene pool with American.

    Doug, DVM


    Very interesting article. Thanks for posting it.

    You are so right about the European pure bred gene pool. Their breeds are far different then ours and are way longer lived than America. And surprisingly also in the Giant Breeds.

    With 'extensive' genetics testing many have been imported and are being introduced to the American Breed for just that reason.

    They claim the dog food is essentially the same in Europe but there are 2 glaring differences in the European Dogs.

    1. biggest difference between how dogs in Europe are raised versus dogs in the U.S. is, Europe doesn't spay or neuter at nearly the rate we do in North America.....sterilization seems to have a significant impact on both the endocrine and immune systems of dogs


    2. European dogs do receive fewer vaccinations. Rabies has been essentially eradicated in Western Europe, so dogs that don't travel aren't required to get rabies vaccines. This probably provides them some protection from vaccine-related illness, especially since the rabies vaccine with its aluminum-containing adjuvant, is one of the more troublesome vaccines administered to dogs.
  • We have been fortunate. Our previous rescue Golden (adopted at 7) lived to 14. And then it was a matter of her hips and back legs wearing out due to arthritis. When it got to the point it became very very difficult for her to get up and to walk we had to have her put down.

    Now have a 10 yr old rescue Golden (adopted at 6) who is still in great health, although starting to slow down a little on long walks. Hopefully she will be around for another number of years.

    Although both had to have multiple cysts removed at different times, neither ever developed cancer.
  • Interesting study from Johns Hopkins. I wonder how the relative percentages of cancer due to "bad luck" and other contributing causes changes when the lifespan decreases from that of humans to that of dogs.
  • The following is an interesting article from Johns Hopkins.

    Basically they did a statistical study and concluded that 2/3 of cancers were "bad luck" related to the length of life and the other 1/3 other contributing causes like genetics, environment, diet, etc.

    I too have noticed that Goldens are more prone to cancer now than 30 years ago. We've had 5, two made it to 15+, one to 12, one to 10 and Jill is approaching 13 and healthy. I think expected the life span is closer to 10 than 7.

    Maybe we need to add a few flat coated retrievers and water spaniels into the gene pool and mix European gene pool with American.

    Doug, DVM
  • This was many years ago, but I believe mine was 13 when she passed. She had papers but I bought her at a small pet shop (I was young and naive). I remember visiting her and her supposed sister twice. She had a funny walk and was a little sick as I recall. Something just wasn't perfect about her.

    On the second visit, it kinda hit me that I wasn't buying a car or something I should expect to be "perfect" but rather was gaining a companion, and that everybody (and dog) needs a loving owner.

    We had a long trip home and I had her in a box on the front seat. Some idiot cut me off, and when I hit the brakes, she tumbled out. She then climbed into my lap, and fell asleep the rest of the car ride home.

    Best dog ever. Only one I've ever had. Sorry to get sappy, lol.
  • Why do some dogs get cancer while others do not while being exposed to the same environmental conditions? Clearly, some dogs are more predisposed (i.e. genetics) than other dogs. Open your eyes to just how much genetics are causing the issues we are seeing in our dogs. It's not "responsible breeders" that are the source of this; it is the system of closed registries.

    Excluding dogs (even based upon DNA health tests) lowers the genetic diversity in the closed gene pool (increasing inbreeding). This is from the link above to a website by a group of genetic researchers (I highly recommend you read it and other info on the website).

    5) You cannot remove just a single gene from a population. You must remove an entire dog and all the genes it has.

    6) You cannot select for or against a single gene, because genes tend to move in groups with other genes (this is called "linkage"). If you select for (or against) one, you select for (or against) them all.

    As more and more genetic tests are developed for each breed, more and more dogs will be excluded from the closed gene pool leading to an acceleration in the rate of inbreeding. This will lead to more discoveries of genetic diseases (increased odds of mating two with the same recessive mutation). Genetic testing is a band-aid for the genetic issues in breeds; careful outcrossing (opening of the closed registries) will be the ultimate solution.
  • Yes, it seems all too common.....we lost our golden to bone cancer at 9 years old. Know several others who've lost goldens to cancer. In the past, have known goldens to live 14/15 years.
  • Nature, nurture, can be a compilation of either or both.

    There are FAR my carcinogenics being allowed in food today. Human and with an even more lenient allowable ingredients containing these in dog food.

    To blatantly paint a broad brush across 'responsible' breeders is unconscionable.

    That said.

    For those breeders that DO NOT breed for money they have independently spent millions of dollars and time finding and instituting genetic testing within their specific breed AND TEST FOR IT and eliminate any animal that posses an unwanted hereditary health issue gene.

    Again that is a very select group of breeders. Buying a pure breed dog out of the local newspaper or on line is NOT any of them.

    And AKC registered dog from this select group that tests will actually have the letters of what the dog was tested for, cleared of, right after the dogs name.

    Over the past 20 years genetic testing for specific breeds 'paid for by these select breeders and their clubs' has produced results of MANY of these markers to make their way over successfully to human testing. Your welcome.
  • My neighbor just had to put one of his Goldens down who was 7. His first Golden also had to be put down at about the same age. Both had cancer. Regrettably the more popular a dog becomes, the more bad breeders get into the picture. It's truly sad.
  • otis-agnes wrote:
    I don't know what happened to the golden retriever,
    The answer in known (and it is not better quality pet food) but those in control of the breed are not ready to accept it. Unfortunately, just identifying and excluding the mutations responsible for the high rates of cancer in this breed will not save the breed.

    Why You Need Population Genetics: the "Elevator Pitch" by Carol Beuchat, PhD

    Fingers crossed here yours has a long life.