Golden Retriever Lifetime Study

Meet Dr. Cat Cowan, New Pathology Resident

A life-long lover of animals and self-professed science geek, Dr. Cat Cowan recently joined the Study team as the second pathology resident who’ll support the project by providing additional support in examining the huge number of tissue samples collected from Study participants.

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Connecting researchers with dog lovers and veterinarians to advance animal health.

Veterinarians

Owners

The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study will help identify nutritional, genetic and environmental risk factors for cancer and other important diseases in dogs. Results will provide comprehensive data on diseases and other health challenges, including cancer. Findings will be used as a launching point for multiple health studies in dogs.

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3000+

Golden Retrievers enrolled in the study across the U.S.

60%

of Golden Retrievers are impacted by cancer

Looking for Links between Lifestyle, Gut Microbiome and Obesity

Using data and samples from the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, researchers will analyze the gut microbiome in healthy weight and obese dogs to determine if the microbiome differs between these two populations and could contribute to obesity in the breed.

Data Commons

Data Commons is an open, free database available to the research and educational communities. Qualified individuals can gain access to data generated by the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, one of the largest and most comprehensive longitudinal studies ever conducted in veterinary health research.

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Golden Retriever Lifetime Study Journal Articles

Age at Gonadectomy and Risk of Overweight/Obesity and Orthopedic Injury in a Cohort of Golden Retrievers

The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study: Establishing an Observational Cohort Study with Translational Relevance for Human Health

Population Characteristics of Golden Retriever Lifetime Study Enrollees

Inbreeding Depression Causes Reduced Fecundity in Golden Retrievers

Study data and samples are available to qualified researchers during special calls for proposals, which are scheduled and announced by Morris Animal Foundation. For additional research-related data and sample questions, contact the study team directly.

Golden Retriever Lifetime Study Sample Tier

If you are planning to submit a request to receive Study specimens, specify which samples your research design will require using this Sample Tier infographic that ranks Golden Retriever Lifetime Study biospecimens according to their relatedness to primary and secondary Study endpoints and the type of specimen.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Have additional questions about the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study? Whether you're a participant or just interested in learning more, find answers to commonly asked questions about the Study.

FAQs

Support the Study

Make a donation to support the largest study of its kind to improve the health of dogs.

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Send a Tribute

Honor, celebrate or memorialize the important people and pets in your life with a beautiful golden retriever card.

Meet Dr. Cat Cowan, New Pathology Resident

Veterinarians

Owners