It is generally accepted that dogs, which are popularly called mongrels, are healthier than purebred dogs.
The latter supposedly require a lot of fiddling and visiting the vet several times a year.
British scientists were concerned with finding an answer to this question and came to the conclusion that everything is not so clear-cut.
To do this, scientists launched a large-scale experiment, in which they studied the health of more than 9 thousand dogs.
They focused on three popular dog breeds.
Dog owners were asked to answer questions about how often they have to visit a veterinarian due to their pets' illnesses.
The age, gender of the dog, whether it was spayed/neutered, other characteristics of the pet’s standard of living, as well as the gender and age of the owner were taken into account.
After comparing the risk of developing 57 of the most common diseases in dogs, scientists came to some rather disappointing conclusions.
It turned out that the health of non-purebred dogs is not much better than that of purebred dogs.
Veterinarians emphasize that a dog's health is determined by its living conditions, temperament, and genetics.
It is also important to consider the impact of stress on the well-being of pets.
