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dog longevity

Joy

Why do small dogs live longer than large ones? Here's a simple scientific explanation.

Dogs aren't like the rest of the animal kingdom.

via Jairo Alzate/Unsplash and Ben Griffiths/Unsplash

A Chihuahua and a Great Dane

A basic rule throughout nature is that larger animals tend to live longer than smaller ones. Elephants saunter into their sixties and whales can cruise the ocean for centuries, whereas mice live about a year or two and the common house fly won’t make it past a month.

The major reasons for the discrepancy are slower metabolisms and reduced risks from predators. However, there is a disconnect when it comes to man’s best friend. On average, smaller dogs tend to outlive larger ones.

For instance, petite Chihuahuas can live up to 15 years, outliving their significantly larger counterparts, Great Danes, by a solid 8 years. What’s to account for the huge difference in lifespan?

Dogs diverge from the rest of the animal kingdom regarding longevity primarily because of how they mature as puppies.

According to Discover Magazine, larger breeds suffer from more physical ailments when they age because they expend more of their early resources for growth instead of maintaining their bodies. This can lead to more damage on the cellular level that doesn’t manifest until the dog has reached adulthood. This lowers a larger dog's defenses against cancer while also raising the possibility of DNA replication damage that can lead to cancer at a later age.

To put it simply: Larger dogs grow up fast, which leads to a faster decline.

"There's a body of robust theory in evolutionary biology—what we call 'life history theory' – about the way animals allocate their resources to different functions," evolutionary biologist Professor Mark Elgar of the University of Melbourne's School of Biosciences told Phys.org. "The bottom line is, there is no free lunch.”

"We conclude that large dogs die young mainly because they age quickly," Elgar says.

It appears that all that wear and tear on a large breed dog’s body as they rapidly grow can harm its health in the long run. A group of undergraduate students from Colgate University in New York found that as puppies, large breed dogs have significantly more free radicals in their cells, which can lead to damage that has long-lasting effects.

Free radicals steal parts from other molecules, which causes damage and can lead to aging and disease.

Being a dog lover is bittersweet because you know that you and your furry friend will have to say goodbye one day. I guess that’s what makes the time together so special. Your time together is finite, so it’s best to enjoy it together while you can.

The good news is that, as pet owners, if we take good care of our dogs, they can have the best chance of living a long and happy life. The American Kennel Club offers this list of tips to promote your dog’s longevity and quality of life:

Feeding a healthy diet
Helping maintain a healthy weight
Encouraging breed- and age-appropriate physical and mental exercise
Taking our dogs for annual veterinary checkups and vaccinations
Providing preventive dental care
Administering heartworm, flea and tick preventatives
Keeping them safe from accidents
Giving love and affection

From Your Site Articles

dogs

Joy

A drug discovered on Easter Island may help dogs live up to three years longer

Every dog owner is going to want this.

via Pixabay

A new drug could extend a dog's life by three years.

The tragedy of having pets is knowing that one day you’ll have to say goodbye to your loved ones. The average dog lives between 10 and 13 years, depending on its breed, but researchers believe that with the help of a drug called rapamycin, their lives can be extended by around three years.

Rapamycin was discovered nearly 50 years ago from soil that was found on Easter Island, an island in the South Pacific famous for its mysterious Moai statues. The drug was approved by the FDA for human use because it suppresses the immune system to prevent it from attacking donated organs.

"Rapamycin seems to have the ability to 'reset' immune function by reducing the increase in chronic inflammation that goes along with aging," Dr. Matt Kaeberlein of the Dog Aging Project says according to Yahoo. "This also seems to have benefits beyond the immune system in all sorts of tissues and organs."

Early tests on dogs, rats and mice show the drug is very effective at reducing the aging process. It was found to reduce age-related declines in mice, most notably in the heart, ovaries, brain and oral cavity. It was also found to boost the immune system's response to cancers and COVID-19.

The study found that rapamycin increased the mice's average life spans by up to 25%. If the same results are found in dogs, then a canine with a 12-year life span could presumably live to 15.

“You can take an old heart or an old immune system, treat a mouse with rapamycin for eight weeks, and see that function improve. I know it sounds a little bit like science fiction, but when you actually look at the data, it's quite remarkable," Kaeberlein says, according to KRTV.

The drug is found to have serious side effects in humans including cancer, diabetes and infections. However, Kaeberlein believes that they are partially the result of the drug being administered to people who already have health problems. Further, the drug will be administered in much smaller doses to dogs, compared to humans who have had organ transplants.

The University of Washington's Dog Aging Project is taking this research a step further by doing a nationwide study on almost 600 dogs.

The Dog Aging Project is recruiting dogs to participate in the largest #canine health study ever conducted. This is an opportunity to be part of a research project that can dramatically extend what we know about #health and #aging in our dogs.https://vimeo.com/dogagingproject/join\u00a0\u2026
— Dog Aging Project (@Dog Aging Project) 1611427625

Kaeberlein believes that a dog is just as likely as a mouse to benefit from the effects of rapamycin, although the reaction will differ by breed. He believes that when it becomes widely used by veterinarians it’ll be administered to larger dogs at around 6 or 7 years and smaller dogs at 9 or 10.

The drug is already approved for use in humans by the FDA, so further studies will help dog owners and veterinarians decide whether it’s a safe treatment. "If our trial shows compelling evidence for beneficial effects and little in the way of side effects, I suspect many veterinarians will become more comfortable prescribing it for owners who request it," Kaeberlein says.

There is never a right time to say goodbye to our beloved pets. But if these studies turn out as researchers predict, we may be able to have a few more years of memories with our dogs before they cross the Rainbow Bridge.

From Your Site Articles

dog longevity

Why do small dogs live longer than large ones? Here's a simple scientific explanation.

Dogs aren't like the rest of the animal kingdom.

A drug discovered on Easter Island may help dogs live up to three years longer

Every dog owner is going to want this.

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