Learning from the Demographics of Doggie Death

We can gain a lot from our dogs. I previously thought that such lessons were restricted to congeniality and entertaining pet tricks. Now, however, we learn that they can teach us much about pathobiology and the causes of death (see; The Disease Demographics of Doggy Death). Below is an excerpt from an article about the "doggie deaths":

A large new study delves into the association between the breed of a dog and its cause of death, paving the way for future research into the genetic causes of the same diseases that plague humans. Some associations between certain breeds and fatal illnesses have been known for a while....Golden retrievers, for example, have high rates of cancer, while a higher-than-average percentage of dachshunds die from neurological diseases. And it’s a truism that small dogs live longer than large ones. But the new study relies on data covering 74,556 dogs whose deaths were recorded between 1984 and 2004....Analyzing such a large dataset turned up some new findings — 16% of fox terriers die from heart disease, and 47% of  rare Bouviers des Flandres die from cancer — and solidified others. And it lays the groundwork for further studies looking at the genetic basis of diseases in dogs....There are a lot of interesting questions for researchers to pursue. Why do small dogs tend to live longer than large ones, for example, even though in the rest of the animal kingdom size is generally tied to longevity? ....[The author of the study] says it’s not clear whether smaller dogs are somehow protected by genetic factors from the aging process, or whether that process is somehow accelerated in larger dogs. And do larger dogs usually avoid death from neurological or endocrine diseases because they have some kind of protection against them, or because musculoskeletal diseases and cancer kill them before those other diseases can set in?....Research into the ties between genetics and disease has implications for humans, who get many of the same illnesses as do dogs. Another thing dogs and people have in common: preventive care is almost always better than treating serious conditions or diseases once they’ve appeared....That means regular exercise and avoiding obesity are as important for your pooch as they are for you.

In addition to teaching use about the genetics of various diseases and longevity, out dogs can also help us improve our own health status. They provide a good excuse for daily exercise in the form of dog-walks. Here is a quote from a study of dog-walking conducted in Australia:

46% of households in [New South Wales, Australia] had a dog and, overall, dog owners walked 18 minutes per week more than non-dog owners. However, more than half of dog owners did not walk their dogs, and were less likely than non-owners to meet recommended levels of physical activity sufficient for health benefits. If all dog owners walked their dogs, substantial disease prevention and healthcare cost savings of $175 million per year might accrue.

I have always assumed that nearly everyone walked their dogs. Clearly. the majority of the Aussies open their doors and let their dogs fend for themselves. "No worries. Throw another steak on the barbie and let's hope that Fido makes it back home."

Comments

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