Can Our Furry Friends Live Longer?

Losing a dog is never easy. They are like family, and they mean the world to us. When Audrey Ruple lost her Great Dane, Bitzer, at 8.5 years old, she was heartbroken. That’s a typical “long life” for a Great Dane, but that didn’t make it much easier.

Ruple is an Assistant Professor of Public health and a Veterinary Epidemiologist. She has dedicated her life to researching dog longevity, in something called ‘The Dog Aging Project.’ She pointed out that dogs are unique, in that, unlike other mammals that tend to live longer the larger they are, dogs do the opposite.

She also shared that Bitzer suffered from osteosarcoma. This is a type of tumor that affects dogs and is rare in humans. In fact, there isn’t a difference between them at a molecular level. It is so rare in humans that it is difficult to study, as there aren’t enough cases for randomized control trials (roughly 1000 new cases a year of which most are rapidly growing teenagers.)

This disease typically presents itself in rapidly growing mammals or large breed dogs. It appears as though the growth rate is a trigger for this cancer. Since humans and dogs share a large amount of genetic sequence, the treatments used for dogs are often applied in humans.

Ripple has always been interested in zoonotic diseases, i.e those spread between humans and animals, and translational and preventative medicine. Her goal in life is to prevent these diseases from happening. When she was contacted by members of the Dog Aging Project, she was immediately on board. The project already has almost 30,000 dogs on board, with the most popular breeds being Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Dachshunds, and Beagles.

The aim is to get more dog breeds, weighing between 70 and 100lbs, and over 100lbs, such as Great Dances, Mastiffs, and Wolfhounds. Hound dogs, Spaniels, Pointers, Terriers, Bulldogs, and Pitbulls, along with working dogs are also needed to diversify the study and represent minority populations.

If you wish to enroll your dog in the Dog Aging Project, visit DogAgingProject.org, and submit the required information. Your dog could help us learn a lot, and help to improve the quality of lives for dogs and humans!

Image source: Purdue University photo/Rebecca McElhoe