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MSD Manual
Veterinary Manual
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VETERINARY PET

Reduced Life Span of Large Dogs

News
11/01/17 By
MSD Veterinary Manual

A new study on large and small breed dogs may explain why larger breeds generally have shorter life spans. It may be that rapid growth as puppies leads to overproduction of oxygen free radicals, which can have long-term effects and result in premature aging.

Read more on the new hypothesis for theshorter life span of large dogs in Science.

Learn more about the physiology of dogs in the MSD Veterinary Manual.

Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA (known as MSD outside of the US and Canada) is dedicated to using leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world.  The Veterinary Manual was first published in 1955 as a service to the community.  The legacy of this great resource continues in the online and mobile app versions today.

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