Health
The data on mortality and morbidity in Australian Cattle Dogs are minimal. Apparently the only completed health survey is one done by the UK Kennel Club in 2004, which had a small sample size of 11 deceased dogs and a larger sample size of 69 live dogs[1]. The Australian Cattle Dog Health, Education, and Welfare foundation has an ongoing health survey of dogs alive on or after January 1, 2001, but there is no information on their web site (as of July 12, 2007) about when they plan to end data collection and produce a report[2].
Mortality
Based on a small sample of 11 deceased dogs, Australian Cattle Dogs have a median longevity of 11.7 years (maximum 15.9 yrs)[1]. The median longevities of breeds of similar size are usually between 11 and 13 years[3], so, assuming the 11 dogs were representative of the population, Australian Cattle Dogs appear to have a typical life span for a breed their size. Leading causes of death were cancer (27%) and cerebral vascular ("stroke" 27%)[1].
There is an anecdotal report of an Australian Cattle Dog (or an ACD-like dog) named Bluey who lived 29.5 years, but the record is unverified[4]. Bluey is reported to have been born in 1910. The first Australian Cattle Dog standard was written in 1902[5], only eight years before Bluey was born. It is not clear how closely Bluey resembled, or is related to, the breed as it now exists.
Morbidity
Based on a sample of 69 still-living dogs, the most common health issues noted by owners were musculoskeletal (spondylosis, elbow dysplasia, and arthritis) and reproductive (pyometra, infertility, and false pregnancy)[1].
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