A current life table and causes of death for insured dogs in Japan

• A current life table was constructed using data of 299,555 insured dogs in Japan.
• The overall life expectancy of dogs was 13.7 years.
• The probability of death at different age groups from different diagnostic categories was also calculated.
• Probability of death from most diagnostic categories increased with age and neoplasia and cardiovascular system disorder were the two major causes of death.

The life expectancies and causes of death were evaluated in 299,555 dogs insured in Japan between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011, of which 4169 dogs died during this period. The overall life expectancy of dogs was 13.7 years. The probability of death was high in the first year of life, lowest in the second and third years, and increased exponentially after 3 years of age. The life expectancy was 13.8 years in the <5 kg body weight group, 14.2 years in the 5–10 kg body weight group, 13.6 years in the 10–20 kg body weight group, 12.5 years in the 20–40 kg body weight group and 10.6 years in the ≥40 kg body weight group. As body weight increases, life expectancy tended to decrease except in the <5 kg body weight group. The probability of death increased as dogs got older for most potential causes of death. Neoplasia resulted in the highest probability of death, especially in the large and giant breed groups. Cardiovascular system disorders were the second major cause of death and the toy group had a probability of death significantly higher than the other breed groups at age 12+.