Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs (TRIAD): study design and rationale for a prospective, parallel-group, double-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial of rapamycin in healthy middle-aged dogs from the Dog Aging Project.

Companion dogs are a powerful model for aging research given their morphologic and genetic variability, risk for age-related disease, and habitation of the human environment. In addition, the shorter life expectancy of dogs compared to human beings provides a unique opportunity for an accelerated timeline to test interventions that might extend healthy lifespan. The Test of Rapamycin In Aging Dogs (TRIAD) randomized clinical trial is a parallel-group, double-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial that will test the ability of rapamycin to prolong lifespan and improve several healthspan metrics in healthy, middle-aged dogs recruited from Dog Aging Project participants.

Clippers are superior to scissors in the collection of hair for chemical analysis in companion dogs: a Dog Aging Project preliminary study.

Objective: To identify the safest, most efficient method for hair sample collection from companion dogs among clippers, scissors, and razors and to validate obtained samples with cortisol concentration analysis.

Animals: 25 healthy, privately owned dogs.

Methods: 2 hair samples were collected from each dog's ischiatic region with different implements (scissors, razors, or clippers).