This archive report was first published on 10 July 2020.
July 10, 2020
For years, dog owners have been using a simple rule of thumb to estimate their pet's age in human years: multiply the dog's age in years by seven.
However, a new study by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that this ratio is not accurate and changes over time.
Researchers studied the biological changes to dogs' genomes over the course of their lives and identified chemical marks on the DNA that correspond to different stages of life, known as epigenetics.
These marks, called methyl groups, attach themselves to a particular region of the DNA, switching it to the 'off' position and ushering in the next stage of life.
According to the study, published in Cell Systems, the new formula to calculate a dog's age in human years is: human age = 16 ln (dog age) + 31.
Using this formula, an eight-week-old pup is approximately equal to a nine-month-old human baby, while a six-year-old dog is equivalent to a 60-year-old human.
The study's lead author, Trey Ideker, said that the new formula had been developed with Labradors in mind, but further investigation could include long-lived breeds and short-lived breeds.
The team hopes that this new formula will enhance our understanding of cross-species aging and help veterinarians in their clinical practice.
