Take steps to extend the life of a pet
Barry KuKes
If you read my column regularly, you know I hope for a day when pets, especially dogs and cats, will live longer. The average dog lives about 10-16 years, but a few dogs have lived twice as long. Smaller dogs tend to live longer than large dogs. Great Danes and mastiffs live an average of only eight years, but there are exceptions. One large dog is in the Guinness Book of World Records.
According to NPR, Bobi, a Rafeiro do Alentejo dog, broke the Guinness World Record in February 2023 for the oldest living dog and possibly the oldest dog ever.
Bobi is 30 years old but was supposed to be buried as a newborn after a Portuguese couple had too many animals than they knew what to do with. But somehow, Bobi survived. There are videos about Bobi online.
According to USA Today, a drug codenamed LOY-001 is designed to be used in large dog breeds for lifespan extension. Loyal, a San Francisco-based biotech company developing drugs to extend a dog’s lifespan, said the Food and Drug Administration gave it a “technical section complete.” That means the FDA agrees that the company’s data shows that the drug is effective.
Creme Puff (Aug. 3, 1967 – Aug. 6, 2005) was a mixed tabby domestic cat owned by Jake Perry of Austin, Texas. She was the oldest cat ever recorded, according to the 2010 edition of Guinness World Records, when she died at the age of 38 years and three days, as stated on Wikipedia.
I am sure many dogs and cats have lived extraordinarily long lives, but their owners haven’t taken the steps to share this information with others or the Guinness World Book of Records. For all we know, there could be a 100year-old mouse named Mr. Jingles living in a shed somewhere in Louisiana.
Until scientific advances become a reality, there are many things we can do to help our pets live happier and longer lives. Similar to how we extend our lives, pets’ lives can also be prolonged with the proper diet and nutritional supplements, daily exercise, and medical/veterinary
Pharmaceutical companies are making significant strides to help extend the lives of humans and animals. Still, until these drugs come to fruition, a healthy lifestyle for both man and beast is the best method of attaining an extended life. care.
I always say that if it weren’t for modern-day pharmaceuticals, many seniors, including myself, wouldn’t be alive. My parents’ generation didn’t have cholesterol, blood pressure and other maintenance medications that prevented heart disease, strokes and other life-threatening ailments. Pharmaceutical companies are making significant strides to help extend the lives of humans and animals. Still, until these drugs come to fruition, a healthy lifestyle for both man and beast is the best method of attaining an extended life.
If you eat healthy and exercise regularly, then there is a pretty good chance that your dog will enjoy this same lifestyle. Taking your dog along when you go for a walk or jog benefits your pooch as much as it benefits you if you and your dog are in decent shape.
Please don’t take your 12-year-old dog with you on a bicycle ride when they can barely keep up with a 3-milean-hour stroll. Be aware of your pet’s needs and go slow. Also, be cognizant of the outdoor temperature. On a hot summer day, the pavement is too hot for a dog’s paws if you can’t keep the back of your hand on the pavement for at least seven seconds. Overexposure to heat can lead to heat stroke.
On a cold day with snow and ice on the ground can increase your dog’s risk of frostbite and dry out their paw pads, leaving the skin chapped or cracked. Use common sense when exercising your pet.
As for nutrition, we and our pets love treats, but too many can have a negative impact on our health. Many dogs develop diabetes and cannot tolerate sugar or glucose. I had to give my one dog, Fiona, insulin injections once a day for several years. Do some research and decide on a dog food that you feel is best for your pet. We currently feed all three of our dogs white rice, hamburger or chicken, peas, carrots, and green beans mixed together. Making the rice is the most difficult because it tends to get sticky, especially when cooking up a crock pot quantity. We buy a 20-pound bag of rice every other month. This concoction appears to make them more alert, sleep less, want to play more, and they maintain a steady healthy weight.
Lastly, keeping your pets safe from harm is one of the best ways to extend their lives. Be on the lookout for predators, vehicles being driven recklessly, extreme temperatures, poisonous snakes and frogs, other aggressive pets, etc. And as always, please adopt, don’t shop.
Barry KuKes is the former and retired community outreach director of the Halifax Humane Society. Email him at bkukes@gmail.com. View more of his work at minicooperproductions.com.