Basset Hound is one of the hound dogs, which were specially bred for hunting hares. They are one of the six recognized types of bassets in France.
Basset hound is a small dog with a large body and short legs and a long back and ears. Having a great ability to track and scent the ground for the clue of prey makes them ideal for hunting. Basset Hounds comes to second after Bloodhound in the ability to track and smelling for the prey.
Many dog lovers considering to add a Basset Hound puppy into their families may wonder how long can Basset Hounds live. And here is the answer.
The average lifespan of Basset Hound is 8 to 12 years. However, some Basset Hounds lived up to 17 years with their owners with proper care and regular exercise. They are prone to common health issues such as Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD), gastric torsion, and elbow dysplasia.
In this article, besides the average lifespan of Basset Hound, I’ll also discuss the factors that affect the life expectancy of dogs, common health conditions, and how you can make your Basset Hound live longer.
How Long Do Basset Hounds Live?
Bloodhound is a type of large scent hound in the hound family used to hunt for deer and boars in the old age. The average life expectancy of a basset hound is quite similar to other medium-large size dogs.
As mentioned above, the average life expectancy of Basset Hounds is 8 to 12 years. Most Basset Hounds died due to aging and common health issues such as Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD), gastric torsion, and elbow dysplasia.
Some Basset Hound’s dog owners reported having Basset Hounds hound up to 17 years old, which is five years more than their average lifespan. Of course, many factors can affect the lifespan of your Basset Hound. I will discuss all the elements in the sections below.
Factors That Determine the Life Expectancy of a Basset Hound?
Dogs are not born to be the same. Some dogs live longer while some dogs live shorter. The lifespan of dogs is governed by many factors.
Let’s discuss some of the factors which can help you determine how long your Basset Hound is expected to live.
The life expectancy of Basset Hounds can be affected by these factors:
Family history
Nutritional diet
Regular exercise
Mental health and emotional connection
Family History
Knowing the history of your pup’s family from the breeder is one of the best ways to determine the lifespan of your dog. Generally, they’ll have a pretty similar life expectancy to their parents.
Breeders usually maintained a proper history of the breed. They can help you out in determining your Basset Hound’s life expectancy.
Get some information from the breeder about the pup’s parents such as what genetic disorders they developed. Your Basset Hound puppy will more likely to develop the same disorders his parents are getting due to inheritance.
Healthy Diet
It is proven that a healthy nutritional diet can help a dog live longer than its average lifespan. I always quote the example of “Bramble.” He was one of the oldest Border Collie who died at the age of 26.
This quite amazing, isn’t it? According to the owner of Bramble, she only gives it a vegan bowl in the evening once in a day. It was a pure vegetarian dog, which is a supervising fact about it.
Regular Exercise
Regular adequate and proper exercise is also one of the most prominent factors which can help in determining the lifespan of your Basset Hound.
Nearly all pets required some exercise or activity to stretch their legs and keep them active mentally and physically.
Therefore, it is very much needed that you go out for a walk with your Basset hound daily and exercise them often, if possible, to make them happy for which they were bred for.
Mental Health and Emotional Connection
It is another crucial factor in determining your pup’s overall lifespan. Like human dogs also need mental stimulation and emotional attachment to living longer. Imagine yourself feeling alone and not loveable by anyone.
It will make you depressed and stressed. The same goes for your pup. If it is emotionally attached to you and your family, it will push itself to live longer with you.
Ways to Improve the Lifespan of Basset Hound
We have discussed some of the factors which can determine your pup’s lifespan.
Let’s have a look at some of the best ways to improve your pup’s lifespan:
Make sure your basset hound is in a good weight
Provide high-quality dog food
Provide proper health care
Make Sure Your Basset Hound Is in a Good Weight
It is crucial, especially for Basset Hounds, to maintain their weight. Measure your Basset Hound’s weight regularly and make sure his weight is in a healthy range.
Here is the healthy weight range of a full-grown Basset Hound:
Female: 44–60 lbs (20–27 kg)
Male: 51–64 lbs (23–29 kg)
Keep it in mind that obesity can be the biggest problem for your pup, which shortens the lifespan. They get overweight very quickly due to their short height and longer back.
You should prepare a balanced and healthy diet for your dog and provide regular exercise to prevent them from getting overweight.
Provide High-Quality Dog Food
A healthy and proper diet is one of the critical factors to improve the lifespan of your Basset Hound. Avoid feeding them with cheap dog food because it is often low quality and provides insufficient nutrients to your dog.
It shouldn’t like you are feeding your dog with food which it dislikes or giver you have a hard time in consuming it. Remember that a healthy diet is one of the major factors to improve your dog’s lifespan. Do proper research about the best dog foods around you.
It is recommended to stick with just one brand of the dog food which suits your pup and makes it happy about consuming it. If you wish to replace the food brand with a new one, then do it gradually.
Provide Proper Health Care
Proper healthcare of your pup will also enhance its lifespan. Regular visits to veterinary are recommended to cater to all the disorders at their early stages as soon as possible.
Be picky and careful about your pup’s health. It’s a matter of the fact that it can increase its overall lifespan.
Good dental health is one of the signs of your pup’s longer lifespan. Keeping the teeth and gums of your dog will prevent oral pain.
Because if your puppy has an oral pain, then the bacteria in the plague can enter into the bloodstream, which can make your dog sick and unhealthy. So be careful about it.
Common Health Problems of Basset Hounds
Every breed has some genetic disorder, which they have a potential or risk to catch early or later in their lifespan. Basset Hound does have some health concerns against inherited diseases or disorders.
Some of the common health problems your Basset Hound could face are as follows:
Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD)
Osteochondrosis Dissecans is a painful joint disorder that is more common in large breeds such as German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, and Rottweilers. However, small breeds like Basset Hound can be susceptible to have this disorder.
It is a condition in which small pieces of cartilage break off and float in the joint freely. The worst part is that the cartilage grows continuously and don’t die.
This results in building up of fluids around which causes inflammation, swelling and irritation of nerves around the joint. Due to this painful condition, the free-floating and growing cartilages are called “Joint Mice.”
Gastric Torsion
Gastric torsion is known by many other names such as Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus, twisted stomach, or bloat. There are usually two parts to this disorder.
The first part is the bloating of the stomach. It means that the stomach fills up with the mixture of gases, fluid, and froths resulting in a far greater size of the stomach than usual.
Bloating will lead to torsion in the second part. In torsion, a stomach is twisted inside the abdomen like a sausage with the entrance and exit places closed.
Bloating and torsion can occur simultaneously or one after another. The effect of this disorder is difficulty in breathing and worst cases shut down of vital organs due to oversize of a stomach.
Elbow Dysplasia
Elbow dysplasia is a condition in which the joints of elbow are developed abnormally explicitly related to the growth of cartilage and abnormal structures around it. These abnormalities are called “Primary Lesion,” which can give rise to other joint disorders.
Obesity
Obesity is one of the most common problems in Basset Hounds. Due to their smaller height and lengthy structure in the width of a body, they tend to gain weight more quickly.
According to the 2018 survey of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), 56% of pet dogs in the United States are overweight.
Obesity brings itself some severe health concern for your Basset Hound. Due to obesity, your pup can face diabetes, arthritis, and heart diseases, which will shorten their overall lifespan. So be cautious about it.
Von Willebrand’s Disease (VWD)
It is a genetic disorder that is caused by a missing or defective von Willebrand factor (VWF). VWF is a clotting protein. It binds a key clotting protein VIII, which is necessary for a platelet plug during the clotting process.
This condition is named after the name of Finnish physician Erik von Willebrand, who had first explained this disorder in the 1920s.
Entropion
Entropion is an eyelid disorder, which is caused by the rolling of eyelids inwards. Due to the inward rolling of the eyelids, the hairs on the surface of the eyelid rub with the cornea of an eye.
This results in pain, perforations, corneal ulcers, and the development of pigments on the cornea interfaces with the vision of your pup.
Final Thoughts
Basset Hound is one of the scent hound breeds of the hound family, which was solely bred for hunting hares and tracking small animal footprint in the forests and rough plains. However, they are serving as pet animals in the United States and different parts of the world.
They are considered to be extremely social, having an average lifespan of 8 to 12 years. They can easily live up to 17 years with you through proper health care.
Their life expectancy is quite similar to any medium-large size dogs such as German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers.
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