Oldest Living Dog Cancer Free and Kicking Tail

As dog owners, we all wish our furry friends would live as long as we do and keep us company throughout our lives. But it's an unfortunate truth that dog life spans are much shorter than human ones.However, that doesn't mean our four-legged pals don't have moments when their lives extend beyond the usual limitations.

WMUR-9 reported that Muncie, an 18-year-old black Labrador retriever living in Warner, 

. Her owner, Don Williams, adopted the pooch when she was only 7 weeks old in 1996.That's not to say she hasn't shown her years, as this past summer Muncie underwent surgery and chemotherapy for

at Massachusetts Vet Referral Hospital in Woburn?, Massachusetts. Since then, doctors have said she's dog cancer-free. Now, Williams believes that Muncie is possibly the oldest living dog in the U.S.However, the Guinness World Record holder for oldest dog belongs to Bluey, an Australian cattle dog who died in 1939 at the age of 29 years and 5 months. Muncie herself has outlived two of Williams' other canines during her life span.

According to a report from NBC News,

 these days. For example, a Sphinx cat in Austin, Texas, lived to be 34 years old until he died in 1998, and a Wirehaired dachshund lived to be 21.The news source noted that dog life spans directly correlate to breed size, and small- to medium-sized pooches have the best chances for long lives. In fact, toy breeds like Yorkies tend to live the longest."Large breeds like shepherds, Labs, goldens probably live 10 to 13 years and the medium and small breeds 12 to 14 years. Mixed breeds in general tend to live a little bit longer than pure breeds," John Berg, D.V.M., at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in Grafton, Massachusetts, told NBC News.To keep dogs healthy during their later years, Fun Times Guide suggested owners

as they age. In addition, constant grooming keeps their coats strong while they get older.Pet parents should sign up for a

membership to gain access to nutritious foods and supplements that can keep canines healthy throughout their lives.