Background New regulations by the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office provide for the monitoring of breed health by Swiss breeding clubs. In collaboration with the Swiss Bernese Mountain Dog Club, the purpose of this study was to investigate the causes of death in purebred dogs registered by the club and born in 2001 and 2002. Results Of a total of 1290 Bernese mountain dogs (BMDs) born in 2001 and 2002 in Switzerland, data was collected from owners and veterinarians using a questionnaire designed for this study from 389 dogs (30.2?%). By the end of the study, 381/389 dogs (97.9?%) had died. The median life expectancy of all dogs was 8.4?years (IQR, 6.9–9.7). Female dogs had a significantly longer median survival (8.8?years; IQR, 7.1–10.3) than male dogs (7.7?years; IQR, 6.6–9.3) ( P Conclusions Findings of this study confirm a high prevalence of neoplasia and associated low life expectancy in BMDs. The results underline a need for more widespread precise diagnostics and further research on malignant tumours in this breed to improve overall breed health.
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