Having a counter-surfer the size of a horse can certainly keep you on your toes. These mishaps may not be as common with some mixes, and their life span can vary considerably. How long a Great Dane can live for is a question that many soon to be owners as before opening their homes to the miniature-horses.
Do Great Dane mixes live long? Great Dane mixes do not typically have a significantly longer lifespan than pure-breed Great Danes. However, this can vary based on the quality of care, diet, and lifestyle. Their larger overall size is still a significant factor in terms of life long health.
In this article, we will cover many health problems that a Great Dane could come across in their life as well as what really impacts your dog’s lifespan. We will also go over just how big your Great Dane could get, and ways that you can feed according to their growth patterns.
Do Smaller Great Danes Live Longer?
Smaller breeds can live longer, but not necessarily by very much. Sometimes there is really only a difference of a few years between the two.
Much smaller dogs can live almost twice that long, which may seem unfair to larger breeds. Whatever breed your Great Dane is mixed with is going to severely impact it’s lifespan as well.
If your Dane is mixed with another large breed, say a Saint Bernard, the lifespan may be much lower due to the multitude of health problems that are prevalent in both breeds.
However, their genetics aren’t the only deciding factor in their lifespan. Following a high-quality diet is also very important to long term health. When you have a large dog, you will want to help them make it easier on their joints.
How healthy your Dane’s joints are can impact its life span. Joint problems occur when there is too much wear and tear, and daily activity can be a hassle for your dog due to the pain.
This could cause them to become even more inactive and open the door for many other diseases. To keep your dog living long and healthy, make sure that you are feeding them a diet appropriate for the growth patterns, especially if you have a mix.
How Big Do Great Dane Mixes Get?
Great Danes can get huge, and they will easily be able to see over your kitchen counter-tops, so you may want to keep your food a bit further back than you’re used to!
In many cases, mixed Great Danes aren’t any different. Unless your dog is the result of multiple breeds, the Dane genetics are going to be extremely noticeable. Mainly in the height department, which is usually very noticeable after the first few months.
Keep in mind that the average height of the breed mixed with will still have an impact. Shorter dogs will result in a reduction of overall height compared to that of a purebred Great Dane.
By comparison, mixing a Great Dane with an Irish Wolfhound could have the opposite effect! Because this breed is even taller than most Great Danes, you could potentially end up with an even taller-than-normal dog!
The same would happen if you were to breed a Great Dane with a Saint Bernard or Mastiff. However, in this case, you would likely end up with a dog that is both heavier and taller. Talk about a lot of dog to deal with 😉
What Health Problems Do Great Danes Have?
Because of their giant size, Great Danes can see a myriad of health problems. While joint and bone-related diseases are one of the biggest concerns for Great Danes, there are unfortunately other health problems to also be aware of.
Below, we’ll cover a few of the common ones to be aware of.
- Hip dysplasia
- Athritis
- Dilated cardiomyopathy
- Hypothyroidism
- Bloat
- Cherry Eye
- Entropion
Hip Dysplasia
If you own a Great Dane, then there is a good chance you already know about this condition. This is when a considerable amount of wear and tear begin to inflame their joints, and they have a chance to suffer from osteoarthritis in the future.
Genetics is a huge factor with this condition, and you may need to feed your dog a certain diet to help with controlled growth.
Arthritis
Any size dog is susceptible to this, even more so with senior dogs. This may be a problem due to your dog’s weight and how quickly they are growing.
A dog’s growth pattern can be very hard to nail down if its a mixed breed, and feeding them too much could result in them placing too much weight on joints that haven’t’ fully developed.
Wobbler Syndrome
This a disease that attacks the cervical spine, which is the neck. This is more common with larger breeds such as Irish Wolfhounds and Great Danes.
The disease can affect how the vertebrates align with each other. It can result in their spinal cords being compressed, and even instances of neck pain.
For more information about wobbler syndrome, take a look at our dedicated article on the topic here.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
This is known as heart disease and is another one that is prevalent with larger breeds. The heart becomes extremely weak and cannot pump blood throughout the body as it needs to.
The disease can result in your dog suffering from weakness or fatigue, as well as problems with their breathing.
Hypothyroidism
This occurs when there is lowered production and release of T3 and T4 hormones by the thyroid gland. It can lead to a multitude of health problems such as:
- Weight Gain
- Hair Loss
- Excessive Scaling
- Recurring Skin Infections
- Lethargy
- Mental Dullness
It is very common with many medium to large-sized dogs. To combat this disease, you may do well by following a very specific diet from your veterinarian.
Bloat
This is whenever your dog’s stomach will twist or rotate around its short axis.
This may result in your dog, letting out a putrid burp before vomiting. In the worst case, it can shut off the blood supply to vital organs such as the spleen, which will result in the dog undergoing shock suddenly before dying.
There are many factors that can go into whether your dog could get this disease, but Weimaraners are known to be more prone to the condition. Thankfully, the negative affects of this condition can be prevented with a surgery called a gastropexy.
For more information about wobbler syndrome, take a look at our dedicated article on the topic here.
Cherry Eye
This health concern centers more on your dog’s eye. This refers to a large pink mass on your dog’s eyelid, and it is most commonly associated with a congenital weakness in terms of your dog’s gland attachments to its eye. Unfortunately, this can occur in both eyes.
For more information about cherry eye, take a look at our dedicated article on the topic here.
Entropion
This is another eye problem that you may have to worry about. This causes the eyelid to become inverted or folded inwards. The main cause behind this is the genetics that goes into your dog’s facial structure and may still be found in much smaller dogs.
Another eye condition to keep a lookout for is known as Ectropion. The only difference between the two diseases is that with Ectropion, the eyelids are folded outwards.
For more information about entropion and ectropion, take a look at our article here.