EXTENDING LIFE, IN DOG YEARS.

1 WILD DOGS LIVE LONGER THAN FIDO

On average, domestic dogs live for between 10 and 13 years, although the world record is 29 years. Wild dogs live longer than household pets, so scientists are confident the animals are capable of greater lifespans. Now there is some “highly encouraging,” though still very preliminary, research that appears to support that belief.

2 ANTI-REJECTION MEDICINE

Evolutionary geneticists at the University of Washington have been conducting preliminary trials to see if rapamycin, an anti-rejection medicine given to kidney transplant patients, could ward off death in dogs. The drug has been shown to extend the life of mice by more than a quarter.

3 WITNESSED HEART IMPROVEMENTS

The first trials were conducted on 24 middle-aged golden retrievers, Labradors and German shepherd dogs. The initial phase was intended simply to show that the drug was safe to be administered, without side effects. But scientists have seen heart improvements.

4 NO SIGNIFICANT SIDE EFFECTS

No significant side effects were found, but there were “statistically significant improvements in heart function in the dogs that received rapamycin relative to those that received the placebo,” said Dr. Matt Kaeberlein, the director of the university’s healthy aging and longevity research institute.

5 PLENTY MORE RESEARCH NEEDED

Dr. Kaeberlein hastened to add: “It is important to keep in mind that this is a small study that requires replication before we can be confident in these results.”