February 24, 2026 – Dogs are living longer than ever before, and that's something to celebrate. Advances in veterinary science and health care have extended lifespans across breeds, giving pet families more years with the animals they love. But longer lives also bring new health challenges. As dogs age, they face increased risks for conditions like cancer, cognitive decline and chronic disease.
Understanding how to keep our pets healthy as they age is a primary concern for many pet parents and their veterinarians – and it's a question Morris Animal Foundation is working to answer.
Ongoing Canine Aging Studies Funded by Morris Animal Foundation
To address the growing need for aging-related pet health research, Morris Animal Foundation continues to invest in science that improves dogs’ lives as they age. Alongside studies on cancer and cognitive decline, the Foundation is currently funding projects that:
- Examine the role oral bacteria play in periodontal disease in senior dogs
- Investigate how the loss of a human or animal companion affects aging dogs
- Determine whether different working dog breeds show similar patterns of aging
- Assess whether a common blood test can serve as a marker of lifespan and health
- Identify DNA biomarkers associated with the aging process
Two studies currently underway are generating results worth a closer look.
Study Update: Understanding Biological Aging in Dogs
In an ongoing study set to conclude later this year, researchers are examining the aging process in retired sled dogs. By analyzing DNA modifications associated with aging, the team aims to determine whether changes at the cellular level can predict life expectancy, disease risk and mortality.
Early results are generating significant findings. The data suggest that aging may progress differently in male and female dogs, that certain therapies may help slow the aging process, and that mortality may be linked to how the body's systems fluctuate over time – a pattern that, if better understood, could point to a meaningful target for slowing disease and extending healthy lifespans.
In the final months of their study, the team will continue analyzing correlations between cellular changes and aging, as well as evaluating the success of their anti-aging therapies. The findings could one day give veterinarians and pet owners a way to measure a dog's biological age – not just chronological age – and use that information to guide more personalized care.
Study Update: Investigating Inflammation and Aging-Related Diseases in Dogs
Chronic inflammation, specifically inflammation caused by mutations called clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), is implicated in many chronic disease states in humans. Now, researchers are investigating whether the same may be true for dogs. This study aims to better understand how CHIP functions in dogs and whether these mutations are linked to inflammatory diseases associated with aging.
So far, the research team has validated their methodology and found that more than 25% of their cohort of dogs have CHIP-related mutations. They have also realized a strong correlation between CHIP and increased age. As the study wraps up, the team is investigating additional biological links between CHIP and immune system health, including its potential role in leukemia.
Learning More: Free Webinar Series on Senior Dog Health
Studies like these are expanding the knowledge and tools veterinarians draw on when caring for senior dogs. And as pet owners, many of us want to do everything we can to support a healthy aging process at home, too.
Thanks to a generous partnership between the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study and Caring Pathways – a provider of in-home compassionate end-of-life pet care – Morris Animal Foundation is proud to offer a webinar series focusing on issues facing aging dogs. View the webinar series here - topics include cognitive decline, pain management, cancer and more.
Support a Lifetime of Love (and Health!) for Dogs and Animals Everywhere
Dogs give us everything. Helping them live longer, healthier lives is at the heart of everything Morris Animal Foundation does. Love alone can't save them, but science can get us closer. Every dollar you give funds research that deepens our understanding of pet health at every stage of life, from puppyhood to old age. Give today to support a lifetime of love for pets and animals everywhere.
