Probably one of the most frequently asked questions I get from new Pommy Mommies, is how old will my Pomeranian get to be? … or basically how long do Pomeranians live? I actually hate answering this question because there’s no “real” answer. Most experts say that Pomeranians live between 12 to 16 years… but then I personally know people who have Pomeranians that lived to be 20, 21, and 22 respectively. That’s literally over a generation… how cool is that?
So How long do Pomeranians Live?
The reason why I hate this question is because your Pomeranian life expectancy relies on many factor that will either take year off or help him grow to the ripe old age of twenty.
Obviously Pomeranians are of the smaller breeds and experts say that small breeds will live about 1.5 times longer than many of the larger breed dog. Some say that it must be due to the larger the body the more work it has to do and basically will break done like any thing else that ages. I know some of us can attest to that. For a quick example a 140 pound Great Dane’s heart works much harder then a 7 pound Pomeranian.
It’s a little weird but if you read anything about human life expectancy woman win out every time… probably because we let things roll off our backs… and men stress about everything from money to what color to paint the garage.. I mean really, paint the garage. So just like us, gender seems to play a big role in Pomeranian life span. Female Poms usually live about a year or two longer than their male counterparts.
Being a huge rescue advocate I see the devastation that genetics plays n the life of a rescue Pomeranian… So it will also play a big role in AKC and Breeder pups. Some Pomeranians are susceptible to illnesses like heart murmurs, seizures, luxating patellas, and collapsing trachea and this will of course affect the length of his or her life. Rescue is impossible to get the correct health screens done but if you are getting your furry baby from a “responsible breeder” than make sure that proper health screens are implemented… and whatever you do please do not buy from a Pet Store that buys from Puppy Mills… their are absolutely no health screens for Puppy Mill puppies.
Another variable to how long your Pomeranian will live is vaccines. If you keep up with the proper vaccines, don’t over vaccinate and don’t neglect or skip a vaccine your furry baby will live longer. How long do Pomeranians live
Courtesy of www.teacuppomeranian.net
I know this is going to not be popular but miniature Pomeranians or so called “Teacup” Pomeranians are basically bred to be smaller than what is considered healthy and will generally live shorter lives than standard size Poms… which are usually 7-8lbs. The biggest and most controversial are usually lack of bone density (susceptible to broken bones causing stress) immune system that is not strong, due to over breeding.
Where your Pomeranian lives and how he or she lives, makes a huge difference on how long they will live. Stress as with humans is very key in the life expectancy of your furry baby. A life full of love, peace and their human’s companionship will give them a much longer and far better life than one of chaos, neglect and isolation. The best environment is one that is balanced and more peaceful than chaotic. There needs to be quiet time, which is define by the house not being compared to Grand Central Station with a million people coming in and out of the house, not more pets in the house than the house can handle so they don’t feel crowded… and Tv’s, Radios are not played at near deifying levels (remember all dog’e ears are sensitive to sound). Activity is something that is uniquely defined because most Pomeranian’s will pick when they want to be active… but you want to make them feel like they’re not alone, that they can rest on a pillow, dog bed or join in whatever you are doing. You need to make sure that there is interaction for playtime, socialization which can also just be sitting or lying next to you and getting petted.
Eating Clean as us human’s say is definitely going to contribute to how long your Pomeranian lives. The best food is always going to be devoid of fillers, artificial coloring, grain, wheat and preservatives and served fresh not left out for hours or days. I prefer a Raw Diet for my furry babies… it has done wonders for them as rescues. Something that not many people think about is … clean air. Pomeranians lungs are much smaller than humans and are way more susceptible to the dangers of second hand smoke then us human counterparts. If you smoke don’t let your Pomeranian smoke.
Everyone always asks me about how much exercise their Pom should get and I teasingly say… my husband is the exercise guru, not me… go talk to him. Seriously exercise is important for strong lean muscles and keeping your furry babies weight under control. Something most people don’t know is that too much exercise can be detrimental to Pomeranian puppies and can effect their growth plates. Balancing exercise and active play will keep your Pomeranian very healthy. A daily walk lasting 20-40 minutes and a few sessions of active play (fetch, etc) per week will keep the heart and body healthy.
Dental care is the most overlooked aspect of a Pomeranian’s health and should be up there with feeding and grooming as priority because Poms are very susceptible to gum infections and tooth loss due to plaque and tarter build up. If you can brush your dog’s teeth or get a “Dental” once a year it will help your Pom live longer. Tooth loss can create problems with ingesting enough food to provide enough nutrition to keep them healthy.
Last but not least… Spaying or neutering your Pom can have live saving implications. Pomeranians that are not altered have greater risk of cancer and illnesses associated with reproductive organs. I hope this gives little insight to How long your Pomeranian will live. It’s not the exact life expectancy gauge that everyone wants but it should give you enough information to make the right decisions to give your furry baby the best life he or she could have.