Wednesday 19 May 2021

Can Dogs Live Longer?

Professor’s search for dogs’ healthier living, longevity drives Dog Aging Project
dog aging project

Audrey Ruple loves Great Danes so much that, while in the middle of Texas on a family vacation in 2012, she made the decision to get another one.

“We were lucky that we had a vehicle large enough to hold an extra passenger,” says Ruple, recalling how Bitzer, a purebred Great Dane that eventually grew to 140 pounds, came to live with her family.

Despite the rocky trip back to Colorado, he became rather mellow and the go-to animal for cuddles and chuckles.

“He was the best dog. He was my heart dog,” Ruple says.

Bitzer recently died after living a large life. He was almost 8 ½ years old.

“He was old for a Great Dane, but much too young for a dog to die,” says Ruple, who is an assistant professor of public health and a veterinary epidemiologist. She researches dog longevity through the Dog Aging Project.

Being a licensed veterinarian who knows the ins and outs of animal health doesn’t make the loss easier.

Tags: 


from The Bark https://ift.tt/3bCUYVR https://ift.tt/3wkKVfQ

No comments:

Post a Comment

20 Best Foods for a Picky Eater Rottweiler

We hear it all the time: “Why won’t my finicky rottweiler eat the expensive food I buy them?!” Dealing with a picky rottweiler can be frust...