The present study provides some insight into the mechanisms
associated with sarcopenia in dogs as they age. Studying the histological
features and cellular mechanisms underlying muscle
senescence in dogs can potentially contribute to our understanding
of sarcopenia in humans. Comparative ageing research in
companion animals that share the same environment, diet and exposure
to pollutants, etc., makes the canine a more realistic model
than laboratory rodents. Greater knowledge of the changes that occur
in canine skeletal muscle with ageing is also of value to veterinary
pathologists when undertaking histopathological examination of
muscle biopsies, allowing them to distinguish changes due to ageing
from those resulting from disease.