Study may figure out a dog's life
1st July 2010
As many as 20,000 puppies will have their "lifestyle" monitored in an attempt by veterinary researchers to improve the health of dogs.
Owners of Labrador retrievers, the UK's most common breed, are being invited to participate in the joint Dogslife study by the Royal School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh.
Participants will have to record information on their pet's daily life to help the researchers establish what influence diet and exercise has on the likelihood of a dog becoming ill or catching a disease.
The results may help owners reduce their pet insurance bills if they are more aware of how to avoid risking their dog's health.
The vet school's Dylan Clements said: "The data from Dogslife will provide valuable information on how dogs are looked after by their owners across the UK. We hope that assessing the lifestyles and health of a large number of dogs will make it possible for us to identify factors contributing to common illnesses."
The Kennel Club Charitable Trust is funding the £100,000 study, which also involves Manchester University's Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research, Liverpool University's vet science faculty and the Kennel Club.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
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