“If the reader wisely considers all that is laid down, he will find here the end of the premium mobile; a hedge lives for three years, add dogs, horses and men, stags and ravens, eagles, enormous wales, the world: each one following triples the year of the one before.” (The inscription made in the floor of Westminster Abbey in 1268 by the artisans, probably a prediction of judgement day.)
Is this the beginning of the erroneous adage that dog’s live in human terms in the ratio of 7-1, dog years vs. human years? Who knows? What is known is that dog lovers have since ancient times been aware their furry companions are destined for a very early demise, each leaving indelible marks on our souls.
Modern charts depicting a dog’s age, take into account the size of the dog. Big guys generally leave us earlier than little guys, to the disadvantage of folks like us that want them big, ravenous and affectionate. Then there is the scientific reality that chronological age does not equate to biological age. If only it were that simple. We must accept the world would be a very crowded place if dogs were placed here as forever critters. This consideration, alone, is a matter between dog owners and the Supreme Being.
I love complicated things, it is why I am married to a complicated woman, with a mind that fairly dances. A geneticist , Dr, Steve Horvath, from UCLA suggests that we (dogs and people) have an epigenetic clock, which is a reflection of our epigenome, which is reflective of our DNA which tracks our biological age which may not be in synch with our chronological age. Wow…..a mouthful of science for a simple process.
Here is where I am going. Something accounts for the obvious decline in dog longevity over the past decade or so. This is attributed to certain epigenome triggers, such as nutrient levels in food, chemicals in food, physical activity, stress, obesity, pesticides, metals,particulate matter (smoke) and other air pollutants.
Six beautiful labs and two energetic and bright German Shorthair Pointers have come and gone in our household, each loved a littler differently but passionately nonetheless. Dogs are the centers of our household, requiring the same care and attention as we provide each other. I am going to leave this with a single thought; we reflect poorly on our innate IQ’s. We feed unadulterated crap to our pets and eat the same, (dogs and humans have absolutely no need for carbohydrates in any form), we subject our dogs to the same epigenetic triggers we live in and at the end of the days scratch our heads and butts while wondering what is wrong and why our respective longevities are headed south. I write as I enjoy a cup of coffee (good), sliced fresh peaches (good) and a slice of almond Kringle from Trader Joe’s (bad).
I speak for all of us when I suggest we do better by our dogs and selves and give conscious thought about what ages us. We can impact the age of our demise……but not without a concerted effort. Believe me….
Have a great week!
SR
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