October 15, 2024, 8:16 am | Read time: 4 minutes
“Dogs’ lives are too short. That is their only fault.” The American writer Agnes Sligh Turnbull once said this, speaking from the soul of most dog owners. After all, it is often difficult to predict how long older dogs have left to live. This can make it difficult to make important decisions. A new test should now help.
The loss of a beloved pet is a drastic experience for most owners, from which many do not recover. But even before the pet dies, it is often preceded by another difficult phase. This is the making of important decisions about the healthcare of an older dog.
New test can predict whether a dog will die within the next six months
As part of a North Carolina State University study, a test was developed to support owners in this difficult process. This newly developed tool is intended to help pet owners and vets assess the actual frailty of older dogs. In this way, uncertainties in these already difficult decisions can be eliminated. Owners can also be given the opportunity to better prepare for the death of their pet in case of doubt.
According to the researchers, the test, in combination with a veterinary assessment of the dog’s body and muscle condition, can predict the likelihood of the dog dying in the short term. Short-term here means a period of six months. Owners should also receive helpful information about their dog’s state of health and quality of life.
“We have tools for assessing frailty in humans”
“In humans, we classify frailty as a physical or physiological condition associated with loss of strength, slow walking speed, weight loss, fatigue, and reduced activity. In other words, what happens when the body starts to break down,” says co-author Natasha Olby, professor of gerontology at NC State.
Oldby adds: “In humans, frailty correlates with disability and mortality, and we have tools to assess frailty in humans. In dogs, however, this is a new field, and there is a need for screening tools that are easy to use.”
“How long will my dog live?”
To put this in context, Olby is the director of the Canine Neuroaging Program at NC State University, where she and her colleagues are researching the mechanisms of aging in dogs. A tool that can measure frailty in dogs would be valuable for several reasons, she says.
For example, such a tool could help owners of older dogs to make difficult decisions. For example, whether a senior dog can still be expected to be treated aggressively. Or whether it is already so frail that palliative measures or even euthanasia should be considered. The information gained from the test could give owners more clarity and less guilt in the event of a recommendation to euthanize.
There is a catch
As Natasha Olby reveals, one of the most common questions concerned owners ask vets is: “How long will my dog live?” Owners of older dogs, in particular, would ask this question in an attempt to make a decision about the further treatment of their pet.1
The research team, therefore, designed a questionnaire that pet owners can use to determine the frailty of older dogs. It contains questions about the dog’s nutritional status, fatigue, muscle weakness, social activity, and mobility. The questions are based on five categories that are also used to assess human frailty:
- nutritional status
- fatigue
- mobility
- muscle condition
- social activity
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“Of course, in reality, you never know exactly how long a dog will live”
According to the researchers, dogs that are classified as impaired in three of the five areas have an almost five times higher risk of dying within six months than other dogs. “Of course, in reality, you never know exactly how long a dog will live. But this questionnaire, in combination with the body and muscle values, is well suited to predicting six-month mortality,” admits Olby.
What is particularly appealing about this new screening test is that it is easy to use and does not require any laboratory tests. This is because “a vet can assess the body and muscle condition simply by palpation,” explains Olby.
However, the authors of the study concede that this is still a first step but a necessary one. They now hope that their research will get the ball rolling and lead to a better understanding of how frailty manifests itself in dogs.2