Whats the Average Life span of a Cairn

[Newman]

I am merely just curious no hard feelings.. but like how long do you think the average life-span of a healthy cairn terrier (Like fonzy/Your cairn) would live? (My dog)

Does it depends on mix-race because he is not 100% pure bred, he has something else in him (What other people said) so does that make it lower/higher life span?

Thanks all

[Hawkeye]

Approximately 14 years, but many have lived up to 16 & 17 years. Of course, cost is a factor. How much a person is willing or can afford to spend on their sick dogs is always an issue.

[bradl]

Not long enough, that's for sure.

I too think 14 is still probably about average, for Cairns as with many smallish dogs, mixes or not. That number is also probably creeping higher due to improvements in standards of care.

We lost Barley at 13+. Haggis will be 17 a week from Sunday.

[Newman]

Wow 17 on Haggis? amazing, I really shouldn't have made this topic because I dont want to think about it, but I was just so curious about it. Thank you all for the reply I guess it's around 14years, I just wonder why god made them to live so short

[cairnrescueleague]

The CTCA website says at least 14-15, and I would agree with that. It does seem to me that some of them pass on when they're 11-12, but most of them make it past that and live to be at least 14-15. I had one that was at least 17 and another I lost two months shy of her 19th birthday. Both were rescues, so I can't take credit for their longevity.

In terms of mixes, I think it somewhat depends on the mix. I had a foster that died two weeks after she turned 20. She was a chihuahua-cairn mix, and chis tend to be long lived. She would have lived longer than that if her owners had taken better care of her teeth. My vets didn't dare do a dental at her advanced age.

[pkcrossley]

in general the differences are related to size, not breed. fonzy is the size of a cairn, if i'm understanding you, so what goes for a cairn probably goes for him. smaller dogs tend to live longer than large ones, and very large dogs (like bouviers) have pretty short lives. i also think 14 sounds like a good average, which means that many dogs will live longer. my previous dogs, slightly smaller than cairns, lived to be 17 and 18. one thing you might bear in mind: mixes tend to be healthier. the greater the variety of genes the greater the immunity. so cairn lifespan is a good guide, but you can also think on the high side. but things happen. so don't get cocky! with every dog there's a simple rule: precious every day.

[Lynn in TN]

I just wonder why god made them to live so short

My Mom and sister had a dog that was part Poodle part Terrier( We believe Westie) She lived to be 14 years old. Even though she did not live with me I was devastated, of course they were too. It has been 2 years and I still miss her. I watch Kelly and she is so much like her I sometimes cry. If 14 years with this little dog ( her name was Pooter) then loosing her could hurt that bad what would it have been like had she lived to be 40?

I hope Fonzy lives a very long and happy life!

[Gayle]

My dog, Bailey is now 15 years old. He will be 16 in December. On the whole, he is doing well. He still takes 3 walks per day, although slower. He is virtually blind and deaf. He takes medication for colitis, which controls it. He is a happy dog, always in a good mood! Hopefully, he will be with us a little longer.

[josie&holly]

When walking Holly I regularly meet someone who had a Cairn that lived to 19.............. I know of at least one Cairn that is 16 [he is deaf but still walks well] and another that is 15.............. I also know of one that died at 8 yrs of age due to a cancer so like humans they can vary!

[Crazy4Cairns]

Well - it is never long enough! Our first two cairns both lived close to 18 years! I was a kid when we got them and was out of college and working when they died. I litterly grew up with them! One was blind but up to the day he died his sense of smell was so good that he would still bark to tell us that whatever we had in the oven was done!. He was better than any timer and was never wrong - especially when it came to the Thanksgiving Turkey! Our third cairn only lived until he was 12 - We were all heartbroken!