Old Dogs, New Research and the Secrets of Aging
51–53 of 53 posts
Re: Old Dogs, New Research and the Secrets of Aging
#52From my grandparent to me, there has always been German Shepherds in our family. Starting the 80's all of our dogs started dying much earlier, ~6-7 of cancer. In the early 2000's, we switched to raw diet from premium store bought kibble to raw. Sure enough, not only did their coat improve not a single cancer death under age of 13. I know it's anecdotal, but in my dog world circle and family, we've all observed simila…
The handful of dogs I knew that broke 18+ years were mutts on garbage kibble like Ol' Roy. And these were medium-sized dogs (30-50lbs), not Chihuahuas. Anyone I know who can afford to feed their dogs raw also generally get purebred or "designer breed" dogs, and they've all lead shorter lives with more diseases (cancers, autoimmune disorders, bone problems, etc). My anecdotal experience leads me to believe that breedi…
> purebred or "designer breed" dogs, and they've all lead shorter lives with more diseases
Absolutely, this is also true. But in my case, I’ve never owned and now avoid AKC purebreds like the plague. Currently I have a long-coat non-AKC GS with 25% Malamute mix. AKC and their sire syndrome has destroyed the breed with Hip dysplasia and other issues. Their obsession with artificial looks and willful ignorance of genetics has completely turned me off.
Also can't compare a 50lbs dog to 80-100 lbs GSD. Smaller breeds on average live longer. We had a 10 lbs coton de teuer live to 20 which is not that uncommon for the breed.
Re: Old Dogs, New Research and the Secrets of Aging
#53aging (and anti-aging medication) has the potential to become the next big thing. My dog is part if the DogAgingProject and it’s really exciting to see some focus on something that impacts all of us.
I have such mixed feelings about this. It's not a great movie but this really does remind me of Elysium, in that we're truly heading for a world where those with means can live indefinitely. And those without means...
Why would you imagine it this way? All the work that's been done on longevity has been relatively cheap clinically. I really think you're underestimating how widely accessible age-reversing medicines and technologies could become. Perhaps you are American, and this is the problem. In many places programs of universal health care would be very happy to cover treatment that would make you young and healthy again. I can't imagine a better ROI for reducing health care costs (ie: eliminating the burdens of aging of populations on "the system"). In other words, those without means will also be perfectly fine, because outside of the US, it benefits society to keep them healthy.