Vet explains why ‘dog years’ isn’t really a thing

Ever wondered how old your pet would be if it were a human?

Of course you have.

Obviously.

Well, we’re here to tell you that the seven year equivalent isn’t always the best way to work it out.

As we reading a piece Mississippi State’s clinical instructor of veterinary medicine Jesse Grady wrote for The Conversation, the answer depends on how big your pet is.

He said the seven year rule was based on an “average-sized dog”.

“Not every dog is “average-sized” though so this seven-year rule was an oversimplification from the start,” he said.

“Bigger animals tend to have shorter life spans than smaller ones do.

“While cats vary little in size, the size and life expectancy of dogs can vary greatly – think a Chihuahua versus a great Dane.”

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He explained that, because vets can provide far superior medical care to pets, the old rule of thumb needs updating.

“Based on the American Animal Hospital Association Canine Life Stages Guidelines, today’s vets divide dogs into six categories: puppy, junior, adult, mature, senior and geriatric,” he said.

“Life stages are a more practical way to think about age than assigning a single number; even human health recommendations are based on developmental stage rather than exactly how old you are in years.

“Lining up canine and human developmental milestones over the course of an average life expectancy can provide a rough comparison.

There’s a silmaire guidling for cats.

It divides cats into six categories: kitten, junior, prime, mature, senior and geriatric.

“Since most healthy cats are around the same size, there’s less variability in their age at each life-stage,” Grady wrote.

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“Figuring out how old Buddy is in dog years or Fluffy is in cat years allows a veterinarian to determine their life-stage.

“And that’s important because it suggests what life-stage-specific health care the animal might need to prolong not just its life, but also its quality of life.

“So next time you take your pet to the veterinarian, talk about your animal’s life stage and find out what health recommendations come with it.

“Watching out for health abnormalities and maintaining a healthy weight could help your cat live long past the literal “prime” of its life.”