Last year, the 2012 “State of Pet Health Report” released by Banfield Pet Hospital focused on the rise of many chronic diseases in cats and dogs. The 2013 “State of Pet Health Report” is the third annual Banfield Pet Hospital report, and is the only one of its kind that analyzes nationwide medical data for more than 2.6 million pets.

Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Banfield Pet Hospital, Jeffrey Klausner, DVM, MS, DACVIM, describes the 2013 “State of Pet Health Report as featuring “an exclusive look at the lifespan of both dogs and cats, providing additional insight into the overall health of our pet population.”

Highlighted in the report are the key findings of factors that have contributed to pets living longer and healthier lives. It also identifies a connection between spaying and neutering pets and their longevity.

According to the report, neutered male cats live 62% longer than unneutered cats, and spayed female cats live 39% longer than unspayed cats. Neutered male dogs live 18% longer than unneutered dogs, and spayed female dogs live 23% longer than unspayed dogs.

Moreover, the average lifespan of a cat in 2012 was 12 years of age, which is up one year since 2002 (a 10% increase) and the average lifespan of a dog in 2012 was 11 years which is up about six months since 2002 (a 4% increase). Toy/small breed dogs live 41% longer than giant breed dogs.

Additional data published in the report include fascinating statistics, such as: Mississippi and Louisiana are among the states with cats having the shortest lifespan, since almost 20% of kitties aren’t neutered or spayed. Two of the five states with the shortest canine lifespan are Mississippi and Louisiana, since they both have the highest prevalence of unneutered and unspayed dogs (44% and 38% respectively). The five states in which the lifespan of dogs are the shortest are Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Delaware and Massachusetts.

On the other paw, Oregon can brag about having highest percentage of geriatric dogs at 13%. The states in which dogs live the longest are South Dakota, Montana, Oregon, New Mexico and Colorado.

For more in depth information, check out the Banfield Pet Hospital 2013 “State of Pet Health Report.”

Banfield Pet Hospital is the largest veterinary practice in the world. With more than 800 hospitals throughout 43 states, the practice employs 13,000 associates, including 2,600 licensed veterinarians caring for 460,000 cats and 2.2 million dogs every year.