Mystery Illness & the Fountain of Youth Update

UPDATE OF THE MYSTERIOUS DOG ILLNESS AND IS SCIENCE FINALLY HELPING OUR PETS LIVE LONGER LIVES?

Q: What kind of update on the "Mysterious Dog Illness"?

Doc A: The disease is spreading to all parts of the country originating in the northern states and spreading south. I wonder if that has anything to do with the mobility of the holiday travelers with their pets to all parts of the US. With this report, we still haven't identified the pathogen or collection of pathogens causing the disease.

Doc A: The number of dogs with severe respiratory distress associated with the Mystery Illness is exploding in numbers throughout the US over 20 new cases last week reported in Tampa alone.

Q: Is there anything we can do for our pets to prevent getting the Mystery Illness?

Doc A: Reduce dog park visits, limit neighborhood walks, avoid boarding and day cares as much as possible and please update the Bordatella vaccine with your veterinarian.

More to come I am sure! AND IN ANOTHER VEIN…….

We've all heard about the mega-rich using bio technology looking for a way to extend the human lifespan which we would all love but what about our best friends?

It's always sad and a hardship to say good-bye to our furry four legged family member. Well what if we can say "Not So Fast My Friend?" Science may be offering us the ultimate gift to extend the lifespan for Fido.That's right normal lifespan of large bread dogs 12-15 years may be extended up to 20 years and maybe more.  

You already know, interest and research for extending lifespan or "A FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH" is not new but some of the new discoveries are progressing. 

We at our clinics and Epi-Pet have been following studies about Rapamycin, a drug currently used to prevent organ transplant rejection in humans that accidentally was found to extend life. Studies continue but at a slow pace.

The newest exciting news though comes out of Loyal, a biotech company with LOY-001 that has met the first condition for FDA'S "Expanded Conditional Approval" which is nothing more than a fast tract FDA conditional approval process maybe making LOY-001 marketable and available for CANINE LIFE EXTENSION by, get this "2026."

I must say though that I have both "Excitement and Fear" for the development and release of this drug for pets. SO MANY QUESTIONS including extend life for how long??? And will this be an extension of not just TIME......BUT

1) What is the quality of the extended life for the pet?

2) What are the costs or are there any financial burdens?

3) When does the drug need to be administered and are repeated doses required?

4) Will there be stress on the Pet-Pet Parent relationship?

5) By fast tracking the normal FDA process for drug approval, Are we possibly jeopardizing the health of our beloved pets in the twilight of their lives?

BUT, if this works without glitches maybe we have a new "Fountain of Youth" not only for our pets, but maybe even for us humans!! Stay tuned for more information!!! 

3 Takeaways from today:

1) The Mystery Dog Illness IS SPREADING in the US.

2) Encourage isolating your pet over the holidays along with annual vaccine especially the bi-annual Bordatella vaccine.

3) "The Fountain of Youth" may soon be available for our four-legged furry family members. We should be very excited about sharing more time with man’s best friend but temper our excitement with some degree with cautious optimism.