A Shift in Thinking Is Underway on How Dogs Age

The dogs of tomorrow may live a few more years longer than those of today if a growing body of research pays off. The Wall Street Journal reports on a fundamental shift underway among vets and researchers on how to stave off a dog's inevitable decline. "A topic that comes up constantly now is that we need to be more proactive," is how Brennen McKenzie of the biotech startup Loyal puts it. Essentially, scientists are building tools to spot how fast a dog is really growing old—their biological age, vs. their chronological age—then trying to slow that process down. For example, new studies have tied specific blood molecules and "biological age" scores to mortality risk in nearly 1,000 dogs, raising the prospect of quick, relatively cheap tests that could flag trouble long before a gray muzzle or wobbly walk shows up.

On the intervention side, the Dog Aging Project is running what researchers call the first rigorous real-world trial of a drug meant to slow aging in any species: low-dose rapamycin, given weekly for a year, to see if it boosts heart health, mobility, cognition, and lifespan. Loyal, meanwhile, is pursuing FDA approval for a drug targeting insulin sensitivity, plus two others aimed at a growth hormone thought to help explain why big dogs die younger. Layer on research into dementia-like cognitive decline, evidence that leaner, active dogs live longer, and even the value of brushing teeth, and the message is clear: Aging dogs may soon get a much different kind of care. Read the full story.