I'm old enough to have recollections of WW2, and grew up on a housing estate south of London (UK) which was specifically built to house young families in the immediate post war years. Most of the households kept pets and many kept a dog.
In those days, dogs were free to roam, and when the kids played in the streets and nearby fields they were always accompanied by a varied collection of neighborhood dogs.
There was rationing of food until the early 1950's, and dogs were fed on table scraps mixed with bones and offal, e.g. lungs etc. that were not suitable for humans. We all knew the friendly local butcher!
Dogs were not sterilized, so females in season were kept inside the house. Those dogs, with one exception, were all of mixed breeding. They were not groomed, wormed or de-flea'd, and were not vaccinated. I don't think the kids I grew up with knew what veterinarians were, since they were never mentioned. I never heard of 'Vets'! The dogs I knew never seemed to get sick because they were always around, and they lived to be 15, 16 and 17 years or older - without changing their lifestyle. Young and old, those dogs played with the kids in the streets, they went stealing fruit from the local orchards with the kids, they ran around in the fields with the kids and they swam in the nearby river. I don't recall dogs scratching or 'scooting' and I never saw a dog fight either! The one exception to the mixed bred dogs was a GSD. Major was acquired by his extremely proud owners (our next door neighbors) in the late 1950's. Vets had been discovered by then. I recall Major, at less than a year old, chasing his tail then he suddenly disappeared. We were told he was 'put to sleep' because he'd developed 'seizures'. He was not fully grown at the time.
From my own first hand recollections of those days, I would say that dogs were *naturally* healthier for longer.
In spite of what is now deemed good care by 'responsible' owners, I think we have traded the 'health and longevity' that did not need a crutch, for fairly widespread chronic health problems that, when they emerge, can be managed by veterinary medicines to the extent dogs are kept functional and comfortable for longer. But, because they need the veterinarians' 'crutch' I would not categorize these dogs as 'healthy'.
I've spoken with many others from my generation who have the same recollections.
What is the impression of those on this list? Were dogs really healthier in the good old days? (If you think they were not, then you'd better define 'healthy', LOL!)
I met recently at the dog park a woman with a Golden Retriever. She allowed him to run and play in the dirty river water because she believed it made him healthy as well as happy. Apart from being dirty, smelly and wet, he looked in very fine condition as well as very obviously enjoying his morning exercise. We got talking and she told me that she's from Poland where dogs are not treated for anything they don't have, they rarely see a vet and typically live for around 20 years.
Interesting?
Pat
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