Tag: senior dogs

10,000 Pets Wanted for the Dog Aging Project Pack

There’s an old saying that the only bad thing about dogs is that they don’t live long enough. But dogs (and humans) may one day be able to live longer — and your very own dog could help make that happen.

The largest-ever study in canine aging was launched this week by the Dog Aging Project, an effort “to understand how genes, lifestyle, and environment influence aging,” according to its website, for the purpose of helping pets as well as people enjoy longer lives. The project is a joint effort of the University of Washington School of Medicine and the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

The participants in this groundbreaking study will be 10,000 dogs. They won’t be laboratory dogs, fortunately, but pets who don’t have to leave their homes.

UPDATE: During the first week after the launch, over 65,000 people nominated their dogs, according to a Nov. 21, 2019 newsletter from the Dog Aging Project. The 10,000 dogs wanted was “a goal, not a limit!” the newsletter reports. “In fact, the number of dogs we can enroll in the Dog Aging Project Pack is actually UNLIMITED, and we wholeheartedly welcome continued nominations!”

You can nominate your dog to participate whether they’re old or young, big or small, a purebred or a mixed-breed. It’s you who’ll actually be doing all the work as a citizen scientist. Over a five-year period, you’ll need to complete surveys about your dog’s health and life experiences. You may be asked to do certain activities with your dog and report on their performance. You’ll be provided with a genetic testing kit to sample your dog’s saliva.

Of those 10,000 participants, 500 or so middle-aged, medium- to large-sized dogs will be selected for a clinical drug trial, Geekwire reports. The drug, rapamycin, may have anti-aging benefits for pets and people.

Thanks to advances in veterinary care, dogs are living longer than ever nowadays — and getting more geriatric diseases. The study’s chief scientific officer, Dr. Kate Creevy of Texas A&M University, told TODAY there are currently no standards for frailty or prognosis of sick older dogs. The results from the study will change that and possibly lead to medical breakthroughs.

Along with helping to increase life expectancy, the researchers want this project to help increase healthspan, the period of life spent free from disease.

The $23 million study is getting $15 million in funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Dogs and people live together and get the same diseases, NIA Deputy Director Dr. Marie Bernard told TODAY.

I nominated Ella, my almost 10-year-old Pit Bull mix who still acts like a puppy, to become part of the “Dog Aging Project pack” (but I won’t be letting her participate in any drug trials). If you’d like to nominate your dog, complete a brief survey on the Dog Aging Project website.

Photo: Original_Frank

Adopt a Senior Dog for Free, Thanks to Stella & Chewy’s

Thinking about adopting a senior dog? Yay for you (and boo to anyone who dumps their older dog at a shelter)!

There are many benefits to adopting an older dog. Unlike their younger brethren, seniors are usually calmer and better behaved. Despite these qualities, they have a harder time finding forever homes. In fact, the vast majority of dogs adopted from shelters are younger than a year old, according to the ASPCA.

To help raise awareness of older dogs (and cats) needing forever homes, National Adopt a Senior Pet Month is observed every November. And to help more of these pets get adopted this month, the pet food company Stella & Chewy’s has pledged $25,000 to pay the fees for dogs and cats over four years old adopted from shelters and rescues across the United States. The company is also providing adopters with a free bag of pet food.

The Wisconsin-based company is named after founder Marie Moody’s dogs Stella and Chewy, who she adopted as seniors. So far this month, Stella & Chewy’s has paid for at least 35 senior pet adoptions, its website reports. If you’re rescuing a senior dog or cat (again, yay for you!), you can fill out an adoption reimbursement form online.

These are some of the benefits of adopting a senior dog, according to the ASPCA:

  • Older dogs are easier to train. It’s likely that they’ve already been potty-trained and know some basic commands.
  • You’ll instantly know the dog’s full-grown size and activity level, so it’s easy to determine if they’ll be a good fit for your lifestyle.
  • Senior dogs don’t have teething issues and probably won’t destroy your belongings.
  • Even if a dog spent years with their previous owner, they will quickly bond with you. “In fact, owners often easily form bonds with older pets due to the animals’ typically calmer dispositions, their familiarity with home environments, their experience dealing with other animals, and previous training,” notes the ASPCA.

Many thanks to Stella & Chewys for helping to get older pets adopted. Hopefully they’ll inspire other pet-related companies to do the same, so even more of these dogs can find the loving homes they deserve.

Photo: Schwoaze

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