How Old is Your Pet?

 

Dogs and cats age much quicker than you and I. Their development from puberty to adulthood takes place over a period of 18-24 months (vs. About 21 years in people). After that time, each year of a pet’s life is equal to about 4 years of a human life (not 7 years as is commonly thought). So, a 16 year old Sheltie is the equivalent of an 80 year old person (not 16 X 7 = 112 human years!).

 

The average life span of a cat is about 14 years (we see lots of cats well into the teens and early 20’s). The oldest cat reported was 37 years!

The average life span of a dog is about 13 years (small to mid size dog) although smaller dogs often live well into their teens. The oldest dog reported was 29.5 years!

 

"How Old is Your Pet?" Take a look at the chart below to find out!

Age is influenced by your pets:

• Size and breed (smaller pets tend to live longer)
• Environment (outdoor, free roaming pets are at greater risk of infectious disease and trauma like being hit by a car)
• Nutritional status (obese pets have some very significant health risks)
• Disease status (diseases of vital organs like the heart, lung, kidney and liver are more common in the older pet as these organs are prone to wear as they age)

In general, animals 7 years of age and older are considered at risk for age-related problems.

Pet's Age	Age in Human Years
	Cat	Small Breed Dog	Medium Breed Dog	Large Breed Dog
1	15	15	15	15
2	24	24	24	24
3	28	28	28	28
4	32	32	32	32
5	36	36	36	36
6	40	40	42	45
7	44	44	47	50
8	48	48	51	55
9	52	52	56	61
10	56	56	60	66
11	60	60	65	72
12	64	64	69	77
13	68	68	74	82
14	72	72	78	88
15	76	76	83	93
16	80	80	87	100
17	80	84	92
18	80	88	96
19	80	92	101

 

Information courtesy of Medi-Cal/Royal Canin

 

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