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Why do some dogs get slower and sick with old age but other dogs don’t? Today I saw a 20 year old collie who was running around like a young dog and wagging his tail (but he has no teeth) my dog is 11 and she’s already slowing down and isn’t very playful any more

Why do some dogs get slower and sick with old age but other dogs don’t? Today I saw a 20 year old collie who was running around like a young dog and wagging his tail (but he has no teeth) my dog is 11 and she’s already slowing down and isn’t very playful any more

Updated On December 16th, 2019

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

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Its all really just genetics and also certain breeds tend to live longer than others. Just like in people, disease and life threatening illness can hit at any age in life. Also preventative care medicine can play a huge factor in your pets lifespan as well. So its best to keep up with preventative vaccines, dental care, heartworm and flea prevention. Here is a really neat website that lists all the characteristic traits of dogs, susceptible diseases, and also lifespan averages --> https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds Thanks for visiting Petcoach! Take care : )

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