An excellent hunting dog and a loyal friend is what beagles are. Ever wondered how long they live for?
In this article we will tell you all about it so keep on reading.
With their floppy ears and expressive eyes, this dog breed makes for an adorable pet.
Beagles originated from England in the 16th century where the rich Englishmen owned packs of hounds for hunting rabbits and other smaller prey.
Beagles are known for their great ability to sniff and are categorized as small scent hounds.
Their powerful noses have made them famous. Elvis, for instance, is a renowned beagle for his ability to smell pregnancy by smelling fecal. He has been a great zookeeper ally who has been quite helpful in determining polar bear pregnancies.
How Long Do Beagles Live?
The average lifespan of a beagle is 12 to 15 years with most Beagles living well into their teen years.
In order to prolong your Beagle’s life, it is important to adhere to the vaccination schedules, have regular vet visits, avoid unnecessary contact with wildlife waste and most importantly, pay keen attention to the dog to prevent avoidable trauma.
A healthy canine diet, adequate exercise, love and companionship are all paramount in ensuring your pet lives a long, healthy and happy life.
Beagles, just like any other pet breed, can outlive their life expectancy provided they are well tended to, cared for and loved.
The oldest living Beagle to ever live was named Butch and lived for 27 years. Butch was acquired by Gregory Duncan of Keswick, Virginia, USA in 1975 as a puppy and lived up to 2003 when he died. [1]
How Long do Beagle Mixes live?
Beagle mixes have an average lifespan of 12 to 25 years. [2]
There are a variety of mix breeds of the mix Beagle. Some examples of Beagle mixes include; the Beagle terrier, Bluetick Beagle, Dachshund Beagle and the Beagle Basset among others.
An interesting thing to note about Beagle mixes is that the incredible sense of smell of the Beagle when combined with other great features of other breeds gives rise to a better, friendlier and excellent companion and hound.
How long do pocket beagles live?
Pocket beagles preceded the beagles we know today. They live for 12 to 15 years. They were mainly used by hunters in the 13th century. This breed was slightly shorter than today’s beagles with a height of 8 to 9 inches.
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What Do Beagles Usually Die From?
The following are common causes of death in Beagles
1. Infections
Beagles mostly suffers from infections especially when below 1 year.
Such infections lead to the premature death of these puppies with parvovirus as the leading cause of death in Beagle puppies more so when not duly vaccinated. However, even when vaccinated, the puppy is still vulnerable to parvo during its inoculation series.
Distemper is another fatal virus that is common in dogs not properly vaccinated. [3]
Leptospirosis is another common infection which attacks young Beagles and is widely spread through contact with wildlife urine.
Always keep your Beagle away from wildlife prone areas and have it vaccinated against Leptospirosis and fungal infections.
2. Trauma
Another common cause of death in Beagle puppies is trauma caused by dropping or home-related accidents.
Beagles are a small breed dog and thus require to be cared for and keenly observed in their tender years to avoid premature death.
3. Congenital Diseases
With Beagles, congenital diseases are common especially liver shunts and heart defects. Luckily, these are easily preventable by adopting proper breeding methods. [4]
For adult Beagles, the most common cause of death is cancer. This is also the case in most breeds except 11.
To reduce the risk of cancer, it is recommended that you neuter or spay your Beagle to avert ovarian and testicular cancer. [5]
4. Neurological Diseases
Lastly, Beagles also die from neurological disease such as IDD or IVDD (intervertebral disc disease) which eventually leads to paralysis, fatal strokes, seizures, inflammation of the brain and tumors of the spinal cord and brain among others.
Also, canine cognitive disorder is a form of neurological disease that beagles suffer from.
More on Beagles
There are two varieties of Beagles based on size. There is one that does not grow past 13 inches in height while the other grows to a height of between 13 to 15 inches.
Their weight depends on their height and can weigh between 18 to 30 pounds.
The most common colors of their coats are black, white and tan tri-color with other colors such as red and white, solid chocolate brown and shaded varied shades of brown.
This breed is low-maintenance as their coat is easy to maintain and does not have tangling issues.
The love of beagles has seen it make its way to cartoons and even White House. Cartoons such as Snoopy, the comic-strip character who became an iconic and loved character in the history of comics.
President Johnson is remembered for his great love of Beagles. He had two, Him and Her, who enjoyed walks on the White House lawn in the company of the President. [6]
A loving, loyal and energetic pet is what a Beagle is. Get yourself a Beagle and lose yourself in its soulful eyes and experience pure bliss and joy.
If you forget everything remember this:
How Long Do Beagles Live?
- Beagles live for an average of up to 15 years.
- Beagle mixes live for 12-25 year
- Common cause of death in Beagles are cancer, trauma and congenital diseases
