University of Washington studies dog lives with Dog Aging Project

SEATTLE — For many of people, the worst part about owning a dog is knowing you're never going to have them for a long enough time. Researchers at the University of Washington are studying how to improve your dog's quality of life for years to come. 

Dr. Anya Gambino is a veterinarian working with the University of Washington on something called the Dog Aging Project. They're studying dogs, both young and old, to determine how “frail” they are and how that impacts quality of life as dogs age.

“There's quantity of life. It amazing to have a long life, but you always want to have quality of life,” says Gambino, of Seattle's Timberline Veterinary.

“Dogs get the same kinds of diseases that humans get. They also show the same kinds of frailty that we see in humans,” said UW biologist and project co-director Daniel Promislow.

By studying frailty in canines, as doctors already do in humans, Promislow said he believes researchers can better understand life expectancies and disease risks in dogs. 

“We hope we'll be able to figure out the relationship between frailty and the disease,” Promislow said.

“Frailty” is described by researchers as “a complex syndrome associated with aging. Because it considers physical, mental and emotional changes associated with aging, it is a better indicator of the body’s condition and overall health than age alone.”

On average, American pet owners spend $1,500 per year on veterinary care. People spend more on dogs than any other pet with 41% of Americans spending up to $2,000 per year caring for their dogs. 

As pooches live longer with better veterinary care, owners grapple with more questions about how much — and how often — they should pay for medications and surgeries.

By comparing frailty in dogs and people, researchers believe they can help owners make more informed decisions.

“If we can do that, we can help vets treat dogs earlier, before those diseases are apparent and can also help dogs enjoy their later years to best degree possible,” said Promislow.

Across the county, over 46,000 dogs are already enrolled in the study. Those are 46,000 families who will likely one day also have a frail relative.

Researchers say they believe humans can benefit from this study, too.

“The other thing about aging in dogs is that aging in dogs looks a lot like aging in people,” said Promislow. “What we learn about aging in dogs is going to help us learn about aging in people, as well.”

That means more dogs and their people living out their golden years together.

“They provide us with so much unconditional love, joy and humor,” said Gambino. “We can do something for them that gives them the best chance for living a very happy life with us.”

To learn more about the project or take part, visit dogagingproject.org.