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Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a tool that can aid owners and veterinarians in assessing an elderly dog's frailty. The tool—when coupled with simple assessments of body and muscle condition by the veterinarian—can predict likelihood of short-term (within six months) mortality and provide important data to owners faced with treatment and quality-of-life decisions for their aging dogs.

The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

"In humans, we classify frailty as a physical or physiological state associated with loss of strength, slow walking speed, weight loss, exhaustion and reduced activity—which is what happens as your body starts winding down," says Natasha Olby, Dr. Kady M. Gjessing and Rahna M. Davidson Distinguished Chair in Gerontology at NC State.

"In humans, frailty correlates with disability and mortality, and we have tools for assessing frailty in humans. However, this is an emerging field in dogs and there is a need for screening tools that can be applied easily."

Olby is the primary investigator for NC State's canine neuro-aging program, which seeks to understand the mechanisms involved in the canine aging process.

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