When we start thinking about adding a dog to our family one of the things we often consider is how long will the dog live. Lifespans vary drastically from breed to breed. What is the lifespan of Pomeranians?
The average lifespan of a Pomeranian is between 12-14 years of age. Some Pomeranians live longer lives and can even reach 16 years old. On the lower end of the spectrum, you can expect your Pomeranian to live to at least 10 years old.
In this article, I’ll answer everything you want to know about the lifespan of a Pomeranian. How dogs’ lifespans are determined, what the most common causes of death in Pomeranians are, and much more.
- What Is The Average Lifespan Of A Pomeranian
- How Is A Dog Breeds Lifespan Determined
- What Are The Most Common Causes Of Death For Pomeranians
- Do Pomeranians Often Die From Cancer
- Do Small Dogs Live Longer Than Big Dogs
- Do Tiny Pomeranians Live As Long As Larger Pomeranians
- Do Male Or Female Dogs Live Longer
- Can Genetics Determine How Long A Pomeranian Lives
- Do Purebreds Live Longer Than Mixed Breeds
- What May Cause A Puppy To Die
- How Can I Increase My Dogs Lifespan
- Final Thoughts
- Other Articles You May Enjoy!
What Is The Average Lifespan Of A Pomeranian
The average lifespan of a Pomeranian is 10-16 years.
This is a large range in time that includes a variable of 6 years. When you consider that the lifespan is only 10-16 years total that’s a wide range of time.
The range of 10-16 years is so large because there are Pomeranians that naturally live to the shorter end of the spectrum and some that live to the ripe old age of 16.
As a Pomeranian owner, the time frame of 10-16 years doesn’t tell me much. Should I mentally prepare to lose my dogs when they are around 10 years old or can I expect that they will live to 16?
The majority of Pomeranians that live a long healthy life will live between 12 and 14 years of age.
How Is A Dog Breeds Lifespan Determined
There are several different data resources that go into determining the lifespan of dogs.
- Pet Insurance data
- Corporate practice records
- University hospital data
As crazy as it seems there is even ancient burial ground data that has been documented.
The Dog Aging Project is following tens of thousands of dogs for ten years determining how biological and environmental factors impact the health and life of our companion dogs.
What Are The Most Common Causes Of Death For Pomeranians
The leading causes of death in Pomeranians are.
- Heart Failure
- Trauma
- Gastrointestinal
- Infections
Heart Failure In Pomeranians
Heart failure is the number one cause of death in senior Pomeranians.
The majority of heart disease in dogs is caused by the weakening of the heart valves. Once heart valves start to weaken they no longer close tightly.
When heart valves no longer close tightly blood can leak out and back around the valves weakening the heart.
Trauma In Pomeranians
Trauma deaths are the second most common cause of death in Pomeranians.
Causes of traumatic deaths include being stepped on, dropped from being held, hit by a car, or attacked by dogs.
When a dog dies from a traumatic experience it is usually unexpected and at a premature age.
The experience is tremendously sad and can often be traumatic for those who were present.
Gastrointestinal Deaths In Pomeranians
Unfortunately, there are many gastrointestinal diseases and conditions that can cause death.
- Blockages
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Pancreatitis
- Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency
- Bloat
- Canine Parvovirus
- Inflammation Of The Large Intestine (Colitis)
- Inflammation Of The Stomach (Gastritis)
- Ulcers
Fatal Infections In Pomeranians
The third most common reason for deaths in Pomeranians would be a fatal infection.
Fatal infections can be viral, bacterial, or fungal.
Some viral infections include rabies, canine distemper, and canine influenza.
Some bacterial infections include Lyme disease and Leptospirosis.
Valley Fever and Blastomycosis are examples of fungal infections.
Do Pomeranians Often Die From Cancer
Statistics show that more than 45% of dogs that live past 10 years will die from cancer.
Some breeds are more prone to this horrible outcome.
Rottweillers, German, Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, and Poodles have the highest percentage of cancer.
Dr. Steven Steinburg of the Vet Cancer Registry has been collecting data on rates of cancer by dog breeds.
Out of 50 different dog breeds that are being tracked Pomeranians are in the top five breeds for the least amount of cancer cases.
Do Small Dogs Live Longer Than Big Dogs
Small dog breeds live longer than large dog breeds.
It can be kind of confusing to figure out just why larger dogs have much shorter lifespans.
A Great Dane may only live 8 years whereas a Pomeranian could live to 16. Two lifetimes in comparison to the Great Dane.
It would be simple if we could just say that large animals overall live shorter lives in comparison to small animals but, this isn’t true.
Elephants live 60-70 years whereas a field mouse lives only 2-5 years.
A recent study has shown that as confusing as it may seem larger dog breeds age faster in comparison to smaller dog breeds.
Large dog breeds grow at such a rapid rate during their lives that it takes a toll on the aging process of their bodies.
We’ve all heard that one human year is equal to 7 years in dog years. With large dog breeds, we could view that same one human year as the equivalent of 10 -14 dog years.
Do Tiny Pomeranians Live As Long As Larger Pomeranians
Tiny teacup or miniature Pomeranians have a shorter lifespan in comparison to average-sized Pomeranians.
Really small Pomeranians are usually produced as an outcome of unethical breeding practices like breeding the runts of the litter together or breeding with an unhealthy dog.
Teacup Pomeranians are at higher risk for many life-altering health conditions like heart defects, hypoglycemia, seizures, respiratory problems, collapsed tracheas, digestive problems, liver shunts, and blindness.
Just because you have a tiny Pomeranian doesn’t always mean it will have health problems and live a shorter life. There are many Pomeranians that are ethically bred and fit within the breed standard of 3-6 lbs that are perfectly healthy.
How Big Do Teacup Pomeranians Get?
Do Male Or Female Dogs Live Longer
Analysis of dog longevity has determined that there isn’t a major difference in longevity between male and female dogs.
If anything intact males may have a slight edge over intact females with spayed females having the advantage over neutered males.
The act of neutering or spaying has more of an effect on the lifespan of a dog than the gender does.
Are Male Or Female Pomeranians Better?
Can Genetics Determine How Long A Pomeranian Lives
Genetics plays a big role in the lifespan of your Pomeranian.
Making sure your Pomeranian has the best chance of a long life starts with its inherited genetics.
As long as you are getting your Pomeranian from a reputable breeder you should feel confident that your Pomeranian is not likely to have inherited a serious health condition.
Dogs that come from puppy mills or pet stores are at a much higher risk of inherited conditions that will ultimately shorten their lives.
Do Purebreds Live Longer Than Mixed Breeds
Research done by Dr. Silvan Urfer (University of Washington) of the Dog Aging Project has determined that mixed breeds live longer than purebreds.
Although mixed breeds live longer the lifespan amount was a minimal difference.
Mixed breeds on average within the study lived to 14.45 years whereas purebreds lived 14.14 years.
What May Cause A Puppy To Die
The leading cause of death in puppies is trauma.
Little puppies are very vulnerable to being stepped on or dropped.
Besides trauma, a puppy may not survive due to a birth defect, failure to thrive, inadequate nutrition, infections, and parasites.
How Can I Increase My Dogs Lifespan
We all want our furry family members to live long healthy lives.
What can we do to increase our dog’s life?
Luckily, there are many things that we can do that will contribute to a long life for your friend.
- Feed your dog high-quality food
- Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise
- Get lots of fresh air and sunshine
- Visit your vet regularly
- Make sure your dogs brain is challenged
- Brush your dogs teeth regularly
- Keep your dog at a healthy weight
- Visit your vet at the first sign that something is off
- Give your furry baby lots of love and attention
- Reduce stress
- Clean living (clean water, food, and environment)
- Spaying and neutering
It looks like many of these same things will also help us increase our quality of life and lifespan.
Final Thoughts
It is hard thinking about the fact that we will lose our furry best friends at some point.
The hardest thing about having a dog is the goodbye.
Luckily, Pomeranians are a breed that can live a long life lasting between 10-16 years.
The most important thing is to take care of our dogs to the best of our abilities and to love and appreciate every moment we have with them.
