Are you planning to have a new pet inside your home? Do you find the American bulldog the perfect breed for you? Well, did you know that owning an American bulldog entails knowing exactly about the breed? Yes, they are cuddly and cute but this bulldog breed is also prone to some health-related conditions that may generally put an impact on their life span. With this, how long do American bulldogs live?
In this blog post, we will share with you the life expectancy of bulldogs especially the American bullies. We also have here those medical conditions that may affect their life years. We will also try to discover if there is something that we can do to extend the years that this cuddly pooch will stay on us!
Brief Information about the American Bulldog
Vital Statistics:
| Weight | Height | |
| Male | 32 – 54 kg (70 – 120 lbs) | 20 – 26 inches |
| Bully type | 39 – 59 kg (85 – 130 lbs) | |
| Female | 27 – 41 kg (60 – 90 lbs) | 20 – 24 inches |
In terms of physique, the American bulldog has a short coat but with athletic, sturdy muscles and bones which make them look really powerful. However, their body seems a little bit longer than taller. They have a large head paired with a broad muzzle and their ears are usually in a small to medium size that is either high set, dropped, or semi-prick. Moreover, they either have a docked or natural tail.
Generally, the coat color of the American bully is a solid one, white with some patches of different shade, or brindle. One can definitely identify the male American bully from the female one as the previous tend to be bigger and more muscular.
When it comes to reputation, the American bulldog works as the catcher of hog and cattle and as a personal property guardian. Because of their agility, confidence, and powerful jaws, those tasks were generally granted to them. On a subtler nature, the American bulldog is gentle and tends to be a loving family dog that is fearless in facing human intruders.
Sad to say, bulldog breeds including the American type have a list of health ailments. This is the reason why it is important to know how long do American bulldogs live.
How Long do American Bulldogs Live
In general, among the bulldog breeds, the American bulldog is the healthiest which means that they live the longest compared to the others. So, how long do American bulldogs live? Check the table below for the comparison of bulldog breeds life expectancy.
| Bulldog Breed | Life Span |
| English Bulldog | 8 – 10 years |
| French Bulldog | 10 – 12 years |
| American Bulldog | 10 – 16 years |
The table shows how long do American bulldogs live. As you can see, the life span of the America bulldogs is about 10-16 years which is generally longer compared to the two other bulldog breeds.
Basically, American bulldogs can live healthily to their fullest life span. Despite the fact of how long do American bulldogs live, they can live on an average of about 11.5 years if they are healthy and die just because of old age. However, knowing how long do American bulldogs live, it is very important for us to know the perils of their old age.
Factors Affecting How Long Do American Bulldogs Live
Moreover, there are lots of factors affecting the life years of this dog breed. And understanding those will help us to learn how long do American bulldogs live. Generally, the age of the American bulldog and their medical conditions happen to affect their life span. Here are some of them:
1. Old Age
Actually, like what we have mentioned earlier, the American bulldogs can live longer up to 16 years. And it is lucky for you as a pet owner if they can already make it to their average life span of 12 years or up to 13 and 14 years.
2. Dental Conditions
How long do American bulldogs live? Based on experts, American bulldogs experiencing dental issues are susceptible to make their life expectancy shorter by three years. So, if the years of how long do American bulldogs live is at a minimum of 10 years, expect to have them at about 8 to 9 years of their life.
The dental disease generally affects American bullies. And, unfortunately, this condition can cause serious damage to their health such as the occurrence of serious infections. Moreover, this will also further affects the liver and other organs of the dogs that will eventually lead to their body shut down.
3. Respiratory Disorders
Since the American bulldogs belong to the brachycephalic dog breed, they are highly prone to develop respiratory or breathing disorders. Unfortunately, there are some American bullies that do not make it to 7 years or 8 years of their lives.
4. Elbow and Hip Dysplasia
Another common health issue that generally affects how long do American bulldogs live is the dysplasia of the elbow and hip. This condition contributes to more painful sensation to the American bully especially as they aged. Worst, some dogs experiencing a very bad condition of hip and elbow dysplasia die too young from it.
5. Canine Neurological Ceroid Lipofiscuionis (NCL)
Canine Neurological Ceroid Lipofiscuionis (NCL) is actually the worst canine’s condition that can make shorter the span of how long do American bulldogs live. Once the American bully has this medical condition, they usually lose control of the back legs at first. And, as it progresses, the American bulldog won’t be able to move totally.
Seriously, Canine Neurological Ceroid Lipofiscuionis can kill your American bully at a very young age. Thanks to science as there are already available tests for genetic markers that can detect the presence of genes in dogs causing NCL.
*Other Health Problems Affecting the American Bulldog
Actually, these health conditions may greatly affect American bulldogs during their life years. But, they are not as serious as the above-mentioned medical problems and may or may not affect how long do American bulldogs live. Yet, it is still important to take note of and be aware of these conditions.
Ichtyosis
This is actually a skin disease of canines in which the flaking of the skin is highly severe. The flakes are actually large and very dry that is very similar to the appearance of fish scales. Unfortunately, newborn American bulldog puppies can get highly affected by this disease. Good thing that there are some measures that you can do about this, yet cure is not yet available for this condition.
Hypothyroidism
Usually, this endocrine condition happens once the body of the American bulldog is not able to give off a sufficient level of thyroid hormone.
Entropion
An eye condition of canine in which the eyelids usually folds at the inner portion gearing into their eyeball
Fibrosarcoma
Also known as bone cancer or malignant tumor which comes from the unmanageable overgrowth of fibroblasts, the tissue that connects with other tissues and organs of canines
Generally, it is really important to have an idea about these conditions that your pooch will be experiencing along their life years. This applies to true if you are purchasing an American bulldog from a breeder. Better to check these conditions thoroughly.
Ask for health certificates and check for the stock if they have signs of abnormalities on their hips or elbows or the overall physical appearance. Moreover, you can also consider asking for a health warranty.
How Long do American Bulldogs Live – Maximizing their Lifespan
In humans, there’s a common saying that goes “healthy life, longer life”. This is also true when it comes to how long do American bulldogs live. If you want your American bully to experience and live a longer life, the best thing that you can do is to keep them healthy. So, check the following tips to let your American bulldog maximize his life years in a healthy way.
*Keep away from puppy mills
In case you want to purchase an American bulldog from a breeder, it is highly crucial to get it from a reputable one. If you want to maximize the years how long do American bulldog live, better to keep away from getting puppies produces in puppy mills. Remember that a well-trusted breeder performs the appropriate procedures of breeding and checking the health status of both parents and the offspring.
Also, it is important to take note that dogs including the American bulldog have the ability to pass their undesirable conditions to their puppies. Reputable dog breeders also know how to produce a healthy breed of American bulldogs.
*Spay or neuter
Generally, spaying or neutering is an important phase of the life years of all dogs. This can generally affect how long do American bulldogs live and can, however, extend their life longer.
*Provide them with a healthy diet
The importance of feeding your American bulldog a healthy and appropriate diet comes in by affecting how long do American bulldogs live. Actually, there is a study in Europe showing dogs fed with homemade, raw diet have the ability to extend their life span a little longer for 3 years more. This is generally compared to those that had fed commercial dog food.
However, if you still opt to provide commercially-made dog food to your American bully, make sure that you only feed them with dog food specifically formulated for them. Keep in mind that bulldog breeds including the American bulldog may suffer from food allergies and the need for nutritional requirements.
So, this basically means that feeding the bully with the appropriate food for them will maintain their optimum health and, at the same time, may extend their life years based on how long do American bulldogs live.
*Avoid overfeeding
Some studies reveal that thin dogs generally live longer. Moreover, in Great Britain, dogs fed with 25% lesser calories extend the life years for additional two years compared to the other dogs.
American bulldogs are susceptible to get obese or become overweight. Remember that obesity problems of American bullies may trigger other health-related conditions like arthritis and other issues of the bone as they grow older.
Knowing this, it is always better not to overfeed the American bulldog. Doing so may also help in extending their life span based on how long do American bulldogs live.
*Incorporate supplements to their diet
Dogs can also get lots of benefits from supplementation. This is highly applicable for those American bulldogs that are not on a raw diet. Remember that the numbers of vitamins and minerals that the American bulldog’s need may not be present in commercially-available dog food. Moreover, you may consider supplementing your American bully with the following:
- Antioxidants
- Fatty acids such as Omega-3 and Omega-6
- Glucosamine
- Probiotics
- Vitamin C
*Keep them active
The bulldog breeds have an innate nature of being lazy. So, this means that they can get easily get big. Although this dog breed is not able to sustain too much exercise, they really need to have some amount of it. Actually, a 15-minute walk will do the job but them engaging in running or playing on a regular basis is really crucial for the American bulldog. Engage your bully in a daily exercise routine for at least 5 days a week.
Moreover, you can also begin providing exercise to them at a very young age so that they will grow up into it and find that exercising is a comfortable routine. You may also be surprised that the American bulldogs are great jumpers because of their sturdy muscle structure. They are also good diggers due to the terrier line that runs in their blood.
*Let them have proper oral care
Since dental disease is prone to American bulldogs, brushing their teeth is an essential routine for them. This is especially true if they are already 3 years old. Oral care like brushing helps in eliminating the growth of bacteria and the development of plaque within their gum line. With this, further infections may be prevented which can affect their life years based on how long do American bulldogs live.
Final Words
The life span of 10 – 16 years answers how long do American bulldogs live. There are lots of underlying factors that generally affect the life expectancy of the bulldog breeds including the American type. They are highly susceptible to numbers of health-related problems that can shorten their life years.
But, as pet owners, you can actually extend or maximize their life span by providing them with healthy living. Moreover, being aware of the health conditions of your dog and taking an early intervention about it can generally make a big difference in the life of your American bulldog. Keep them healthy at all times will give you and your American bully the chance to spend time longer together.
