decaliter). There is also High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” cholesterol that
helps keep the plaque from building up (risk levels are below 40, measured in mil-
ligrams per decaliter).
When there is too much cholesterol in the blood, it can build up on the walls of
the arteries. Over time, the buildup (often called plaque) causes “hardening of the
408 arteries,” or a narrowing of the arteries that restricts or stops blood flow to the heart.
What is a dog’s and cat’s age equivalent compared to a human?
A
ll animals “age” at different rates, and our domestic dogs and cats are no
exception. Unlike humans, these pets seem to age more rapidly in terms of
human years, with both animals being of an age equivalent to about 15 human
years by the time they are one year old. There are, however, some differences for
dogs. Some people have determined an age range depending on the size of the
animal. For example, a dog over 90 pounds may only be equivalent to 12 human
years by the time it is one year old; a dog 51 to 90 pounds is about 14 human
years old when it is one year old; and dogs under 50 pounds are the equivalent of
15 human years by their first year. These age differences are reflected for the
entire life of the dog. Below is a simplified table illustrating dog and cat years
and their human age equivalents.Human Years versus Cat/Dog Equivalents
Human Age Cat Dog Human Age Cat Dog
Equivalent Age Age Equivalent Age Age10 years 5 months
13 years 8 months
14 years 10 months
15 years 1 year 1 year
24 years 2 years 2 years
28 years 3 years
32 years 3 years 4 years
36 years 5 years 5 years
40 years 6 years 6 years
44 years 7 years 7 years
48 years 8 years 8 years
52 years 9 years 9 years
56 years 10 years 10 years
60 years 11 years 11 years64 years 12 years 12 years
68 years 13 years 13 years
72 years 14 years 14 years
76 years 15 years 15 years
80 years 16 years 16 years
84 years 17 years 17 years
88 years 18 years 18 years
89 years 19 years
92 years 19 years
93 years 20 years
96 years 20 years 21 years
99 years 22 years
103 years 23 years
106 years 24 years