How long will your dog live? With this tool they are able to predict it quite accurately.

Sometimes people who share their lives with dog When they get older, they will have to go through a very difficult decision. Are there treatments for his ailments, or is the best way to rid him of his pain to sacrifice him? For this reason, countless tears have been shed throughout the world. But what if there was a way predict dog mortality? Will this help to understand whether treatment is worth trying or, conversely, will it only worsen the animal’s suffering?

This question was asked by a group of scientists from North Carolina State University before the start of the study, the results of which were recently published. They focused their research on finding a tool that would help predict dog mortality in the following cases: 6 months.

It is impossible to make a logically accurate forecast. It is impossible to know exactly when an animal will die. However, there is factors that will help you understand where your health is at. This way, much more informed decisions can be made. They can be just as painful, but at least this information can help people know they did all they could for their furry friends.

Dog mortality is based on human mortality

Dogs live much shorter lives than people. It depends on the breed, but on average their lifespan is usually around 14 years old. As this time approaches, his health begins to deteriorate. Sometimes this can happen even sooner if the dog has a premature condition.

This is when, in certain cases, their suffering is so great that the possibility euthanasia. People who make this decision about their pets can sometimes experience terrible doubts. What if he had been saved?

For this reason, these scientists developed a questionnaire that helps predict dog mortality by relating it to factors that influence human mortality.

The fragility of human health is measured according to five parameters: loss of strength, slow walking speed, weight loss, fatigue and decreased activity. This, since life expectancy varies, also appears to be a predictor of mortality in dogs. For this reason, the authors of the study, which was just published in Frontiers of Veterinary Science decided to give pets to guardians survey in which the health of dogs was analyzed using the same parameters.

What does each block say?

The survey made some changes to the data analyzed on humans, but also divided it into five parameters: nutritional status, fatigue, muscle weakness, social activity and mobility. Once the questions have been answered, a rough estimate of the dog’s mortality over a six-month period can be made.

Using this survey, scientists confirmed that if there is deterioration three out of five parametersDog mortality at six months is five times higher than when survey results were more positive.

In such a case, the cause of your poor health may have a specific treatment with many guarantees. But if this is not the case, this will serve as very useful information for making a decision.

In any case, it is important to note that this data very preliminary and that we will have to continue research in the same direction. We now know that there is a way to approximate a dog’s suffering. Given their love and devotion, this prediction is the least we owe them.