Rapamycin · canine
Rapamycin for dogs: what the evidence actually shows
Rapamycin for dogs rests on one completed randomized trial in 24 dogs over 10 weeks and one unfinished lifespan trial, read together as though both had already reported.
The only completed canine trial ran 10 weeks, yet search results for rapamycin for dogs mix that trial with a shopping carousel selling capsules by bodyweight. A lifespan trial expanded by a $7 million NIH grant in 2025 (per the AVMA) has not reported. This page separates what was measured from what is still being tested.
On this page
Where the evidence stands today
| Study | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Urfer 2017, 24 dogs, 10 weeks | Cardiac function in middle-aged dogs | Completed. Two measures improved, one missed significance[1] |
| TRIAD, Dog Aging Project | Does rapamycin extend lifespan in dogs | In progress. No lifespan result published[2] |
| Veterinary oncology work | Rapamycin against canine tumors | Active research. Poor oral absorption is an acknowledged obstacle[5] |
| Mouse lifespan studies | Does rapamycin extend lifespan in mice | Established in mice. Does not transfer automatically to dogs |
Rapamycin for dogs, defined
Rapamycin for dogs is the off-label use of sirolimus, an mTOR inhibitor licensed in humans as an immunosuppressant, in companion dogs for age-related decline or certain cancers.[6] Its canine evidence base is one 24-dog randomized trial of heart function over 10 weeks, plus an ongoing lifespan trial that has not yet reported.
Dispensed as sirolimus for dogs, it is the same molecule prescribed to human transplant patients. The mechanism argument is the same one made for people: inhibit mTOR, shift the cell toward maintenance rather than growth, and slow some age-related decline. We cover that in depth for humans in the human evidence base.
How we read the canine literature
- Sample size and duration next to every result. A p-value from 24 dogs over 10 weeks is reported as exactly that.
- Failed endpoints get printed too. Reporting only the measures that reached significance is how a preliminary finding becomes a marketing claim.
- No product, no commission. We sell nothing for dogs or people and hold no seller relationships.
- Dated corrections. When TRIAD reports, this page changes and says when.
We have no veterinarian on staff and claim none. Everything below traces to published sources you can check.
Does rapamycin extend a dog's life?
Does rapamycin extend a dogs life? Nobody knows yet, and that is the accurate answer in August 2026.
TRIAD, the Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs, is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial run by the Dog Aging Project, and lifespan extension in mature and senior dogs is its primary endpoint.[2] It has not published that result.
Why mouse results do not settle it
The mouse data is genuine and repeatedly replicated. Dogs differ in size, metabolism and the diseases that kill them.
A study that would take 30 years in people will take three and a half years in dogs.
The one completed randomized trial, in full
Twenty-four dogs completed the trial: 8 on placebo, 5 at the low dose, 10 at the high dose, and one incorrectly dosed.[1]
Enrollment required a minimum of 18 kg and at least 6 years of age. Ages ran from 6.6 to 12.7 years, with a mean of 9.7 (per Urfer 2017). Breeds included Labradors, Golden Retrievers and Standard Poodles alongside mixed breeds.
| Measure | Result | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Fractional shortening | Improved, p = 0.036 | The headline cardiac finding. |
| E/A ratio (diastolic function) | Improved, p = 0.029 | Second supporting cardiac measure. |
| Ejection fraction | Did not reach significance, p = 0.058 | The result that is almost never quoted. |
| Mean corpuscular volume | Significantly reduced, p = 0.012 | A real measurable change, not an adverse event as reported. |
| Hematocrit | Unchanged, p = 0.803 | Other parameters stayed within normal ranges. |
Dosing was 0.05 mg/kg or 0.1 mg/kg, three times per week, for 10 weeks.
The endpoint that missed, and why it matters
Ejection fraction came back at p = 0.058. In the conventional framing that is not a positive result.
This is exactly what small samples produce: some measures clear the line, some sit just behind it, and which is which can turn on a handful of animals. Reporting the two that hit while omitting the one that did not is how a preliminary signal becomes a settled claim.
The finding owners actually care about
Around 70% of dogs on the higher dose were reported by their owners as more active, against 25% of placebo dogs (per the 2017 Urfer trial).[1]
Show the numbers as a table
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Higher dose | about 70% |
| Placebo | 25% |
No clinical side effects were reported in the treated group over the 10 weeks. It is still owner-reported, so treat it as an encouraging signal rather than a measured outcome.
One dog got high triglycerides. That's it.
Can rapamycin help dogs live longer?
The honest position is that it might, and that the question is currently open rather than answered.
Three things are true at once: the mechanism is coherent, mouse lifespan extension is real and replicated, and cardiac function plus owner-reported activity have preliminary randomized support in dogs. None of those is a lifespan result.
Where the answer will come from
We track the study designed to settle it in the Dog Aging Project in detail.
TRIAD, the Dog Aging Project and who can enroll
TRIAD is randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled, which is the design standard that makes a result trustworthy.[2]
Show the numbers as a table
| When | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 10-week heart trial | 24 dogs, Urfer et al. |
| 2025 | TRIAD expanded | $7M NIH grant, per AVMA |
| Aug 2026 | No lifespan result | trial still running |
The American Veterinary Medical Association reported in February 2025 that a $7 million NIH grant expanded the trial, with lifespan as the primary endpoint and physical function among the secondary ones.[3]
Who can enroll in TRIAD
Enrollment is restricted to companion dogs of at least 44 pounds.[4] If your dog qualifies, this is the only route where the drug and the monitoring come as part of a study rather than an invoice.
If your dog is under 44 pounds
Then no randomized evidence covers your dog. TRIAD starts at 44 pounds and the completed heart trial required a minimum of 18 kg.
Small breeds are absent from the canine evidence base entirely. They also already live substantially longer than giant breeds, so the size of any available benefit is a different question, not just a smaller version of the same one.
Can I get rapamycin for my dog?
Only with a veterinarian prescription. There is no FDA approval for dogs covering any rapamycin product, so every use is extra-label drug use.
- Enroll in TRIAD. If your dog is over 44 pounds and otherwise eligible, this is the strongest option available and the drug is not billed to you.
- An extra-label veterinary prescription. Your veterinarian makes the call within a valid client-patient relationship and sets the monitoring.
We supply nothing, name no seller as a recommendation, and earn nothing from either route.
What extra-label prescribing actually means
Extra-label drug use in animals is lawful for a veterinarian who has a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship and judges it appropriate for that specific animal.
That relationship is the legal basis for the whole thing, not paperwork to route around. A seller willing to ship without one has not solved your problem; it has moved the risk onto you.
How much does rapamycin cost for dogs?
Rapamycin for dogs cost figures move with bodyweight, not with a flat monthly rate. Consumer listings sell monthly capsule packs sized by bodyweight, so the price climbs with the dog.
The human generic behind those capsules is far cheaper; see what rapamycin costs for humans. Neither is the real number: add the veterinary consultation and the monitoring bloodwork, which make an extra-label decision responsible.
The dosing question, reported not recommended
The 2017 trial administered 0.05 mg/kg or 0.1 mg/kg, three times weekly, for 10 weeks.[1] No completed randomized trial has run longer.
We report what a study administered; we do not issue doses.
What is the downside of rapamycin?
The rapamycin for dogs side effects reported in the literature start with the mechanism itself. Immunosuppression rises with dose, and infection risk rises with it.
Changes to blood chemistry and gastrointestinal upset are reported. Rapamycin also has poor intestinal absorption in dogs when given orally, which is an acknowledged obstacle in the veterinary oncology work.[5]
The gap in the long-term record
The largest downside is the gap in the record: long-term canine safety data does not exist, because the long trial is unfinished. The human side-effect picture is in the side-effect profile in humans.
A silent triglyceride spike found only by bloodwork
A published case from Dog Aging Project veterinarians describes a healthy Labrador on a low rapamycin dose whose triglycerides climbed far above the reference range over 6 months with no outward sign. Levels fell back to normal within 15 days of stopping (per the 2023 Evans case report), without lipid treatment.
If your dog is on rapamycin, ask the vet for a fasting triglyceride test at baseline, 3 and 6 months.
- What this does not say
- A single case report; the authors describe it as the first documented severe case and cannot estimate how often it occurs. Co-authors lead the Dog Aging Project, which is testing rapamycin.
Which dogs should not receive it
- Dogs with active infection or immune compromise, on veterinary judgement.
- Dogs whose owners will not fund monitoring bloodwork. The drug without the monitoring is the version that goes wrong.
- Small breeds, on the plain grounds that no randomized evidence covers them.
- Any dog whose owner expects a lifespan result from a trial that has not reported one.
Should I give my dog rapamycin?
- If your dog is over 44 pounds, healthy and mature, ask about TRIAD first. It is the only route with placebo control and included monitoring.[2]
- If you want the cardiac evidence specifically, that evidence is 24 dogs across 10 weeks, with one of three measures missing significance.
- If you want a lifespan promise, no honest source can give you one today.
- If your dog is small, you are outside the evidence base entirely.
- If your veterinarian declines, that is a defensible professional position, not obstruction. Ask what would change it.
What is better than rapamycin for dogs?
It depends whether you want evidence today or a position on 2027.
LOY-002 is a veterinary compound being developed specifically for canine lifespan and pursuing the regulatory approval route, which rapamycin is not. One path ends in an approved product with a label; the other currently ends in an extra-label judgement call.
The interventions with established effects
Meanwhile the interventions with the largest established effects on how long dogs live well are unglamorous: weight control, dental care, joint management and the veterinary visits that catch things early.
Rapamycin for dogs with cancer is a different question
Veterinary oncology has studied rapamycin against tumors including lymphoma, mast cell tumors and hemangiosarcoma, at different doses and toward a different goal.[5]
Poor oral absorption in dogs is an acknowledged obstacle in that work, which is why it appears on oncology pages and not on consumer ones.
Why oncology results do not transfer
A positive oncology result would not validate the longevity use, and the two literatures should not be quoted as though they were one.
What to ask your veterinarian
- Is my dog a TRIAD candidate, and would you support enrollment?
- If we go extra-label, what baseline and follow-up bloodwork do you want, and at what interval?
- What are we hoping to change, and how would we know if it worked?
- What would make you stop?
- What is the all-in first-year cost including monitoring?
A veterinarian who will not set stopping criteria is not the right partner for an extra-label decision.
Informational only, not veterinary advice
If TRIAD reports a positive lifespan result, this page will change and say so. Until then the accurate summary is short: promising mechanism, one small completed trial with a mixed result, no approved product, and a veterinarian standing between the idea and your dog for good reasons.
Frequently asked questions about rapamycin for dogs
What bloodwork would a vet run if my dog started rapamycin?
That is your veterinarian's call, but the one published severe case shows why it matters. A healthy Labrador's triglycerides climbed far above range with no outward sign and were caught only at a scheduled blood draw (Evans 2023 case report). Ask which baseline and follow-up panels they want, and how often.
What happens to extra-label use if TRIAD finds no lifespan benefit?
The main reason owners ask for it would be gone. What would remain is a 24-dog, 10-week heart trial and a separate oncology literature, neither of which was ever a lifespan argument. A null TRIAD result would be a real answer, not a failure of the question.
How does rapamycin compare with LOY-002 for dogs?
They sit on different paths. LOY-002 is being developed specifically for canine lifespan and is pursuing regulatory approval, which rapamycin is not. One route ends in an approved product with a label; rapamycin currently ends in an extra-label judgement call by your veterinarian.
Can my small dog take rapamycin?
There is no randomized evidence covering small breeds. TRIAD enrolls companion dogs of at least 44 pounds, and the completed heart trial required a minimum of 18 kg. Scaling a large-dog dose downward is an extrapolation, not a finding, and small breeds already live substantially longer.
What dose did the actual dog trial use?
The 2017 trial administered either 0.05 mg/kg or 0.1 mg/kg, three times per week, for 10 weeks. That is what was given in a study, not a recommendation, and nothing in the literature establishes what is appropriate beyond 10 weeks. Dosing is a veterinarian's decision.
How long was the longest completed rapamycin trial in dogs?
Ten weeks. That is the duration of the Urfer 2017 randomized controlled trial, which remains the completed randomized evidence base for rapamycin and canine cardiac function. TRIAD runs far longer, which is precisely why its result matters and why it is not available yet.
Does a 10-week trial say anything about years of use?
Very little. The completed randomized trial ran 10 weeks, and long-term canine safety data does not exist because the long trial is unfinished. Anything said about months or years of dosing is extrapolation, which is exactly the gap TRIAD was built to close.
Does rapamycin make dogs more energetic?
That was the most owner-visible finding. Around 70% of dogs on the higher dose were reported by their owners as more active, against 25% on placebo. Owner reports are subjective and enthusiasm is hard to blind, so treat it as an encouraging signal rather than a measured outcome.
How do I enroll my dog in the Dog Aging Project trial?
Through the Dog Aging Project directly, and eligibility is the first hurdle: TRIAD enrolls companion dogs of at least 44 pounds. Enrollment is the one route where the drug and the monitoring are provided as part of the study rather than billed to you.
When will TRIAD report its results?
No published completion date is something we will guess at. The trial was expanded with a $7 million NIH grant reported by the AVMA in 2025, which extended its scope. Check the Dog Aging Project directly, and treat any status statement including ours as dated.
Does p = 0.058 on ejection fraction mean the heart trial failed?
Not quite. Two cardiac measures improved, and ejection fraction landed just outside the conventional 0.05 cutoff in a trial of 24 dogs. A study that small can miss a real effect or produce a chance one, so it reads as a signal, not proof.
Is the cancer use of rapamycin in dogs the same as the longevity use?
No. Veterinary oncology has studied it against tumors such as lymphoma, mast cell tumors and hemangiosarcoma, at different doses and toward a different goal. A positive oncology result would not validate longevity use, so the two literatures should not be quoted as one.
Will my vet prescribe rapamycin off-label?
Many will not, and that is a defensible position rather than obstruction. The completed evidence is small, long-term canine safety data does not exist, and the veterinarian carries the professional responsibility. Ask what would change their mind and what they would want to monitor.
Sources and how we checked them
6 sources, all link-checked; oldest check
- A randomized controlled trial to establish effects of short-term rapamycin treatment in 24 middle-aged companion dogs. Urfer SR et al. GeroScience 2017;39(2):117-127.24 dogs completed (8 placebo, 5 at 0.05 mg/kg, 10 at 0.1 mg/kg, 1 misdosed), minimum 18 kg and 6 years, mean age 9.7; dosed three times weekly for 10 weeks; fractional shortening improved (p=0.036) and E/A ratio improved (p=0.029), while ejection fraction did NOT reach significance (p=0.058); MCV fell (p=0.012); no clinical side effects reported.Verified Sep 15, 2026
- TRIAD: Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs. Dog Aging Project.Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with lifespan extension in mature and senior dogs as the primary endpoint; still in progress, no lifespan result published.Verified Sep 15, 2026
- $7M grant rescues dog study investigating rapamycin for canine aging. American Veterinary Medical Association, 26 February 2025.NIH grant expanding TRIAD; primary endpoint lifespan, secondary endpoints physical function.Verified Sep 15, 2026
- Dog Aging Project Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs (TRIAD). Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University.Enrolment restricted to companion dogs of at least 44 pounds, which excludes small breeds from the trial evidence base.Verified Sep 15, 2026
- Rapamycin for the treatment of cancer in dogs. Ethos Discovery.Notes rapamycin has poor intestinal absorption in dogs when given orally, a pharmacokinetic constraint absent from consumer marketing.Verified Sep 15, 2026
- Sirolimus - NCI Drug Dictionary. National Cancer Institute.Entity reference for sirolimus as the generic name of rapamycin.Verified Sep 15, 2026
Every link above is re-requested on a schedule by an automated checker; the date shown is when it last answered. Publishers that block automated requests are marked as such rather than reported broken. Our editorial standards explain how a source gets cited here in the first place.
Filed by the Rapamycin.store evidence desk. Each source is re-checked when the page is reviewed.
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