SAN DIEGO, Calif. - “How old is your dog in human years?” That’s a question that most dog owners answer using the “multiply by 7” rule.
The adage suggests that a 5-year-old pooch is similar in physiological age to a 35-year-old human. But a new study suggests that the age-old method may actually be a myth.Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine found a formula that more accurately measures the age of our furry friends.
It turns out that, when looking at the different patterns of methyl groups in dog and human genomes, the two species do not age at the same rate.The study, published on July 2 in the Cell Systems Journal, found that when dogs are young, they age rapidly compared to humans.