Simple Changes to Potentially Extend Your Golden Retriever's Years

Opinions vary among veterinarians about whether Golden Retrievers in the past enjoyed longer lives, yet there is consensus that these beloved dogs are lost at an age that feels far too early.

Can You Influence How Long Your Dog Lives?

Must they pass away so young? No. Many actions you can take at home can contribute to a longer life for your dog, though genetics also play a role in lifespan. You cannot alter genetics if you already have a dog, but when choosing a new puppy, it is wise to select one from a breeder whose older dogs come from the same lineage.

8 Strategies That Might Help Your Golden Retriever Live Longer

The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study is a project investigating this breed's lifespan, and research on extending human lifespan offers insights that can be adapted to dogs.

Below are modifications you can make at home that could help lengthen your Golden's life.

1. Upgrade Your Dog's Diet

While dry dog food may sustain your dog, a diet based on whole foods is the optimal choice if you aim to extend lifespan and maximize health.

No studies confirm that a homemade prey-model diet is more effective at increasing your Golden's lifespan, but a study by European researchers found that dogs fed a homemade diet lived nearly three years longer than those on a commercial diet.

One reason may be that a low-carbohydrate diet avoids the blood sugar spikes seen with commercial dry food, and dogs tend to eat less, staying leaner. Dogs that are obese or overweight have shorter lives than lean dogs.

Because cancer is the leading cause of premature death in Goldens, switching from dry dog food to whole foods is essential. Many studies link dry dog food to cancer, so changing the diet is one way to improve your dog's odds.

If your dog is eventually diagnosed with cancer, numerous studies indicate that a keto-style whole-food diet can inhibit cancer growth (the ingredients for that diet are in the linked article). Although not all cancers and their dietary connections have been researched, this is among your best treatment options based on current knowledge.

I prefer to feed my dogs raw whole foods primarily consisting of meat, bones, and organs—especially heart, which supplies the amino acid taurine (not considered essential for dogs but often notably low in Goldens).

If you prefer to cook for your dog, a well-balanced homemade diet outperforms anything available in stores.

2. Limit Food Quantity

Dogs kept on restricted food have less body fat, improved blood parameters, and longer lives. Not everyone wants to restrict their dog's food, but one study found that a 25% reduction in daily intake extended lifespan and delayed chronic disease onset. (1)

Unlike cats, dogs do not need to eat daily, so if you cannot reduce portions, at least let your dog fast once a week to encourage autophagy and extend lifespan.

3. Feed Just Once a Day

Dietary modifications have limited evidence for lifespan effects, but time-restricted feeding has support from lab animals and dogs. It was first demonstrated in laboratory rodents. Later, the Dog Aging Project showed that dogs fed once daily had lower odds of gastrointestinal, dental, skeletal, kidney, and liver diseases.

Thousands of dogs participated in this study. (2) Some of the benefits of once-daily feeding may stem from a reduced likelihood of obesity.

4. Keep Your Dog Physically Active

All research proving activity benefits for lifespan has been conducted in humans, but at minimum to prevent obesity, you should keep your dog active.

Muscle mass is linked to lifespan in humans, and the same holds for dogs: when a Golden becomes frail and stops taking long daily walks, the risk of debilitating disease rises.

Walking your dog in the early morning sun is preferable, but even evening walks are fine, and he should walk for at least an hour.

5. Groom Daily and Do Weekly Home Checkups

Getting on the floor and brushing your dog matters beyond removing loose hair. Daily grooming helps you spot skin diseases, skin tumors, and other abnormalities.

Also examine your dog once a week at home to catch problems early before they worsen.

6. Avoid Spaying Your Dog Too Early

Statistically, spayed and neutered dogs live slightly longer than intact ones. However, spayed females have a higher incidence of certain tumors, including lymphoma, mast cell tumors, osteosarcoma, and others. In Golden Retrievers, these cancers are three times more common if the dog is spayed.

Mast cell tumors are more frequent in Golden Retrievers and spayed dogs of any breed, so your dog faces multiple risk factors for this cancer. (3) Since spayed dogs statistically live a bit longer, I cannot advise against spaying.

Complications from adult spay are rare, contrary to what you might hear, so there is no reason to do it while a dog is young. It is best to wait until your dog is fully grown and has had at least one heat cycle for optimal health.

7. Brush Your Dog's Teeth Every Day

Periodontal disease will develop as your dog ages, so dental care is one way to increase lifespan. Starting early, before tartar and periodontal disease set in, helps, and if your dog gets used to having her mouth opened, she will not resist.

8. Regular Veterinary Visits

If you find anything during your weekly exam, take your dog to the vet as soon as possible. Even if all seems well, have your dog examined by a veterinarian once a year when younger and twice a year as a senior. Besides checking for abnormalities like skin growths, your vet will also recommend blood work to assess your Golden's internal organs.

References

(1) Kealy RD, Lawler DF, Ballam JM, Mantz SL, Biery DN, Greeley EH, Lust G, Segre M, Smith GK, Stowe HD. Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2002 May 1;220(9):1315-20. doi: 10.2460/javma.2002.220.1315. PMID: 11991408. i.nlm.nih.gov/11991408/
(2) Bray EE, Zheng Z, Tolbert MK, McCoy BM; Dog Aging Project Consortium; Kaeberlein M, Kerr KF. Once-daily feeding is associated with better health in companion dogs: results from the Dog Aging Project. Geroscience. 2022 Jun;44(3):1779-1790. doi: 10.1007/s11357-022-00575-7. Epub 2022 Apr 28. PMID: 35484470; PMCID: PMC9213604. i.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9213604/
(3) White CR, Hohenhaus AE, Kelsey J, Procter-Gray E. Cutaneous MCTs: associations with spay/neuter status, breed, body size, and phylogenetic cluster. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2011 May-Jun;47(3):210-6. doi: 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-5621. Epub 2011 Apr 15. PMID: 21498594. i.nlm.nih.gov/21498594/

This article is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from your veterinarian. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.