Hacker News Reader

Comment by sparrish | Hacker News Reader

I don't get it. So you reduce IGF-1 growth hormone and the dog doesn't get as big... so it lives longer like smaller dogs. Why not just get a smaller dog from the start?

Don't people who want large breed dogs want LARGE dogs?

View on HN

This seems like something you start them on later in life. The IGF-1 hormone spurs growth when they are young, but its continued presence after they stop growing greatly increases their chances of health issues like cancer later in life. So if you start them on it at ~2 years old, they'll still grow to normal size but it will reduce the prevalence of cancers.

(at least that seems to be the theory).

This is given to adult dogs, reducing the hormone when it no longer is relevant for growth.

How did you come to this conclusion? The treatment appears intended to be given over the lifespan of the animal and not just during adolescence (not sure when you would start this therapy).

The very fine article suggests that over production of this hormone causes accelerated aging over the lifespan of the animal, I didnt go through exhaustively but I saw no indication that the drug was intended to make dogs smaller.

It's not completely clear to me (maybe I skimmed too much), but I don't think the drug is meant to be administered during the early years of the dog's life. They let it grow to the normal size, but then begin reducing the expression of IGF-1... I think. So size should not be impacted, but lifespan is extended.

I have a golden retriever but he is a bit smaller than average. He isn't tiny, still around 65 lbs, which is the low end of the established breed size. If I bring him to the dog park he is about 85% the size of other retrievers.

He was a breeder stud for a long while. I get compliments on him frequently, especially on his smaller size.

I think the idea is you let the dog grow to full size, then begin this treatment after they have finished growing.

I think that you don't start reducing IGF-1 until after the dog has reached it's full adult size.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com