HEALTH
Understanding ageing in dogs
The process of ageing in dogs has been captivating scientists and making it a hot topic of research. Read to learn more about what they have found.
First, a study released in July ‘20 by a team of scientists study released in July ‘20 by a team of scientists that studied the DNA of more than 100 Labradors, as they aged, to derive a formula correlating dog age to its equivalent human age. They found that the thumb rule of 1 human year being equal to 7 dog years is not fully accurate. In its place, they suggest an alternative formula to calculate your dog’s age in human terms.
human age = 16 * ln(dog age) + 31
Another team of researchers at the University of Vienna published their findings almost at the same time. As part of the Clever Dog Lab, the team was able to show that dogs' behaviour changes with age in a very similar way to ours, including how they act during adolescence and old age, and what happens in their DNA as they get older. Just like us they too become less active and less anxious. The team was able to show this by conducting a series of tests on 200+ Border Collies over their lifespans.
So, dogs do tend to age just like humans & they get there more quickly. This is an important factor making the dog a “good model for human ageing and mortality,” as per Dr Pramislow of the University of Washington in his independent paper. They also suffer from many ailments similar to humans such as obesity, arthritis, hypothyroidism, and diabetes. This has convinced scientists to study how and why they get old with a zeal never seen before.
They believe that by unlocking the secrets of ageing in mammals, they could develop technologies that can halt or reverse the process, especially in humans. These are just some reasons why studying the process of ageing in Dogs is prompting much interest in the scientific community. Perhaps researchers will soon be able to unlock the secrets, enabling potential breakthroughs in de-ageing technology.
We at thepack.in are just happy that dogs are their chosen model for further studies as this will allow similar breakthroughs for both species simultaneously.
Happy Pet Parenting!
human age = 16 * ln(dog age) + 31
Another team of researchers at the University of Vienna published their findings almost at the same time. As part of the Clever Dog Lab, the team was able to show that dogs' behaviour changes with age in a very similar way to ours, including how they act during adolescence and old age, and what happens in their DNA as they get older. Just like us they too become less active and less anxious. The team was able to show this by conducting a series of tests on 200+ Border Collies over their lifespans.
So, dogs do tend to age just like humans & they get there more quickly. This is an important factor making the dog a “good model for human ageing and mortality,” as per Dr Pramislow of the University of Washington in his independent paper. They also suffer from many ailments similar to humans such as obesity, arthritis, hypothyroidism, and diabetes. This has convinced scientists to study how and why they get old with a zeal never seen before.
They believe that by unlocking the secrets of ageing in mammals, they could develop technologies that can halt or reverse the process, especially in humans. These are just some reasons why studying the process of ageing in Dogs is prompting much interest in the scientific community. Perhaps researchers will soon be able to unlock the secrets, enabling potential breakthroughs in de-ageing technology.
We at thepack.in are just happy that dogs are their chosen model for further studies as this will allow similar breakthroughs for both species simultaneously.
Happy Pet Parenting!
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