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| Find out everything you need to know about the health and wellbeing of Great Danes. |
Is it almost warm enough to hit the beach with your dog,
or hang out in the sun catching some UV with your bearded dragon, or let your
guinea pigs loose to mow the lawn? Possibly. This weekend we’re celebrating
winding down. Starting with making a big pancake. Which just got licked by a
big boofy cat who jumped on the table before I could save it. Sigh. The three
second rule just doesn’t apply when one has seen big boofy cat tending to some vigorous self-cleaning prior to pancake encounter.
Anyway, in the spirit of spending time with the non-humans in our lives, this clip was recommended to us by Dr Phil Tucack. It’s a
surfer’s ode to his dog and it’s very touching and speaks to our attachment to
animals (if it doesn't play, click here).
Great Dane Health and Lifestyle Survey Results
Do you live or work with Great Danes? The AustralianGreat Dane Community conducted a survey into the health and lifestyle of 1,165
Great Danes to gather more information on this breed.
This is a comprehensive survey not only at the general
demographic but also factors such as temperament, routine healthcare, diet and
feeding habits, desexing and pet insurance.
A large number of health issues were looked at including
urinary and faecal incontinence, phantom pregnancy, pyometra, bloat and GDV,
endocrinopathies, orthopaedic conditions, cardiovascular disease, ocular
issues, allergies and anal gland activity.
For example, the top ten causes of death in this breed
are:
- Old age (including arthritis and mobility issues, organ failure)
- Bloat, GDV or post-GDV complications
- Osteosarcoma
- Dilated cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure
- Euthanasia for behavioural issues
- Myocardial infarction or heart failure
- Cervical spondylomyelopathy (Wobbler’s disease)
- Accidental death
- Snake bite
- Lymphoma
In terms of temperament, the majority fell into
categories of either couch potatoes (calm and cruisy) or energiser bunnies
(boofy and bouncy).
You can download the full report here.
