Do you know why big dogs live shorter lives? Answer from the experts
Experts from the University of Adelaide, Australia, investigated the causes of differences in life expectancy and mortality in 164 dog breeds. These range from Chihuahuas to Great Danes.
“In analyzing this data, we found that large dogs were more likely to die of cancer at a younger age than small dogs. This is indeed what Dr Jack da Silva from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Adelaide said.
“Large dogs do not necessarily age faster than smaller breeds. However, research has shown that the greater the average body weight of a breed increases, the higher the incidence of cancer.
The expert believes that the relationship between dog size and lifespan may be due to an evolutionary delay in the body’s anti-cancer defenses. These cannot keep up with the recent rapid selective breeding of large dogs.
The study also found that shorter lifespans fit the theory of aging. This is known as life history optimization or “disposable soma”.
The expert further states the following facts
“This theory is based on the idea that if a person invests most of his resources and energy in growth and reproduction, he cannot equally invest them in This theory is based on the idea that if a person invests most of his resources and energy in growth and reproduction , cannot invest them equally in cell repair and defense against cancer. All organisms have an emphasis on early reproduction, even if it comes at the expense of body maintenance and repair and longer life.
“Dogs are a good model for studying aging in humans. Dogs, like humans, live in an environment that tends to protect them from accidental and infectious causes of death. Therefore, they are more likely to die from age-related diseases such as cancer .
Therefore, the results of this survey may apply to owners of large dogs. However, researchers predict that large breeds will develop better cancer-fighting genes.
“Most of the 400 or so dog breeds that we know of were created only in the last 200 years. Large dogs have not had time to develop better cancer defense mechanisms to match their size. This could happen even now, but at the expense of reproduction.
Smaller litters
Dr. da Silva predicts that large breeds will adapt and extend their lives. However, according to aging theory, they are more likely to have smaller litters in the future.
“This can happen naturally or through selective breeding. Some breeders breed large dogs with a high cancer. And thus a longer life.”
This research is the result of an annual comparative analysis of published data on dog breeds from around the world.
Dr. da Silva is currently investigating the link between litter size, cancer incidence and dog lifespan.
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