How a dog aging project can help pets and humans live healthier lives

The Dog Aging Project includes dogs from each 50 states and intends to uncover wellness and life span trends successful some canines and people. Getty Images/VYCHEGZHANINA hide caption

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Getty Images/VYCHEGZHANINA

The Dog Aging Project includes dogs from each 50 states and intends to uncover wellness and life span trends successful some canines and people.

Getty Images/VYCHEGZHANINA

In precocious 2019, a squad of researchers launched The Dog Aging Project, a semipermanent study connected nan wellness and lifestyles of dogs successful nan United States. Their motorboat goal: Enroll 10,000 dogs. When a world pandemic deed soon after, it was abruptly a daunting task.

But it turned retired that group were eager to motion up, since galore of them were spending tons of clip astatine location pinch their dogs.

Today, The Dog Aging Project has much than 50,000 companion dogs enrolled. Project scientists cod each sorts of information astir them: their diet, workout level, medications, demographics and biology exposures.

Through nan project, scientists for illustration Virginia Tech veterinarian and information expert Audrey Ruple dream to amended understand what contributes to canine aging, really to ameliorate its effects and really to leverage nan knowledge they summation into insights astir quality wellness and aging.

"Ultimately, I would really for illustration to cognize what nan correct look is for a long, patient life for our canine companions," says Ruple. "What are nan things that we tin do to optimize wellness wrong that species? I do deliberation that learning those keys successful nan canine organization will thief america successful position of figuring retired what's nan correct operation of things for nan quality organization arsenic well."

For much accusation astir signing your pup up for nan Dog Aging Project, visit their website.

Want to perceive astir much animal science? Email america astatine shortwave@nprg.org.

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This section was produced by Berly McCoy and edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked nan facts. The audio technologist was Kwesi Lee.