University of Texas Grad Could Help Your Dog Live a Longer Life

Just today I saw another post where someone in Tyler, Texas had recently said goodbye to their beloved family dog.

I've heard so many people--both family and friends--discuss how one of the hardest things about life is the fact that our dogs (and cats) don't live long enough. Of course, when it comes to our beloved animals, they could never live long enough.

But, even just a few more years would be amazing.

What if I told you we were one step closer to that becoming possible and it's thanks to a UT alumnus?

A graduate of the University of Texas in Austin, Texas has been doing work that could result in a longer life span for your dog.

For those of us who love our dogs with all of our hearts in East Texas, it might be extraordinarily difficult to find anything about them that we DON'T love. However, there may be one thing that we would be willing to change--their life expectancies.

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As far as I am concerned, our animal friends are our family. The bonds we create with these beautiful, loving creatures are forever in our hearts. That is why it is truly devasting when we have to say goodbye to them. Granted, we know that at some point all lives come to an end. But wouldn't it be amazing if we could have more time with those we love? And, of course, that includes our dogs.

What if we are getting close to that becoming a reality?

Loyal is a startup that has been researching and working on a medication for canines that could increase life expectancy in bigger dogs.

The name of the startup is Loyal. And their CEO Celine Halioua not only grew up in Texas but is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.

The company recently announced that the USDA stated the drug has a 'reasonable expectation of effectiveness' which, according to a story from KXAN based in Austin, Texas, indicates 'there is strong evidence suggesting the drug would extend a dog’s life, especially the larger ones.'

The is called LOY-001.

And this may mean it'll be available on the market in the (hopefully) not-too-distant future.

The Loyal team researched close to 500 different-sized dogs at different life stages to determine different parameters, and eventually gave test doses to about 100 'doggos.' If you'd like to delve deeper into their research, here ya go.

LOY-001 is designed for the bigger dogs that tend to have shorter lives than their smaller counterparts and according to Loyal's research, aims at a hormone in dogs that not only causes larger growth in canines but can also contribute to a faster aging process.

I hope they continue this beautiful, life-extending work at Loyal. I can't think of any creatures that deserve it more.