Beagle Life Expectancy: Help Your Beagle Live A Long And Healthy Life

Beagle life expectancy is about 10 to 13 years. This is a typical life span for small to medium-sized dogs. There are some things you can do to keep your Beagle fit and healthy. No one can guarantee ways to make your Beagle live longer, but if you provide the best care possible for your Beagle you will be improving the changes that your Beagle will live a long and healthy life.

1. Give your Beagle good nutrition.

Beagles usually like to eat. They like to eat a lot. In fact, Beagles are frequently used by pet food companies in feeding trials. Your Beagle may like just about any kind of food you give him, so it’s up to you to make sure you give him nutritious food. This means you need to become savvy about reading dog food labels. Choose a good quality dog food that has two or three meat protein sources listed in the first five ingredients. Choose foods that are not too heavy on corn. Corn is often used as a protein in dog food because it is cheaper than meat protein. There’s nothing wrong with some corn in dog food (unless your dog is allergic to it), but dogs only digest about 50 percent of the corn they eat. The rest is passed as waste for you to pick up as dog poop. Your dog can digest meat protein much more efficiently. So, avoid foods that rely too heavily on corn in its different forms. The same goes for other grains.

You don’t have to completely avoid grains in dog foods (though there are grain-free foods), but you should not feed your dog foods with too much grain either. Look for foods with named ingredients such as whole chicken and lamb meal instead of poultry digest. The more specific the ingredient, the better, so you know exactly what you are feeding your dog. And avoid artificial preservatives such as BHA and ethoxyquin. Look for natural preservatives such as vitamin C and vitamin E. You don’t have to feed your dog the most expensive dog food on the market, but you should look for a nutritious food. Good food can help your dog reach the maximum Beagle life expectancy.

2. Provide good veterinary care.

Your Beagle should receive all of the recommended vaccinations for puppies at appropriate times, such as shots for parvo, distemper, leptospirosis, parinfluenza, and other diseases. He should also be vaccinated for rabies. Puppies are particularly susceptible to many diseases and can die because they have no built up immunity. A year later you should see your vet so your Beagle can get his booster shots, as appropriate. After that, some vaccinations need to be updated yearly and some need to be updated every three years. Talk to your vet about the right vaccination schedule for your dog. You should not have to get all of your dog’s shots again each year.

Getting the same shots again each year is not necessary and it can put too much stress on your dog’s immune system so ask questions if your vet suggest giving your dog vaccinations for a lot of different things every time you visit. As your dog starts to get older, he will need to have some other things done on his vet visits. When your Beagle is about six years old he should start to have an annual senior check-up. Your vet should check your dog’s blood and urine to make sure everything looks normal.

At some point your dog may need to have his teeth cleaned under anesthetic if they have gathered plaque and tartar, but this shouldn’t have to be done every year. It does involve putting your dog under anesthesia which carries risks. You should also give your dog heartworm and flea preventive throughout his life, as appropriate. Providing good veterinary care for your dog throughout his life can improve Beagle life expectancy.

3. Keep your Beagle in good shape.

As mentioned, Beagles love to eat. Sometimes they love to eat too much. It’s up to you to watch your dog’s waistline. Do not allow your Beagle to become overweight. Obesity can shorten the Beagle life span. Obesity and lead to diabetes, cause respiratory problems, heart problems, complications during surgery, problems with arthritis, and many other health problems. Monitor how much food your Beagle eats. Measure his portions and do not let him eat another dog’s meals. You should also make sure he gets regular exercise, even as he gets older. If he’s not getting exercise on his own you should take him for long daily walks. Keeping your Beagle in good shape can improve Beagle life expectancy.

These are just a few of the things you can do to ensure Beagle life expectancy is as long as possible. With good food, good veterinary care, and keeping your Beagle in good shape, your Beagle should easily live to be 10 to 13 years old, or older. We all want to have as much time as possible with our beloved dogs. Take care of your Beagle and he will be with you for a long time.

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