Metformin in dogs: the evidence
What the aging-research databases and the canine literature hold for Metformin (names searched: Metformin, metformin hydrochloride, metformin-hydrochloride). Compiled from DrugAge, the canine aging corpus and FDA CVM FOI summaries; nothing here is inferred.
Lifespan experiments in other species (DrugAge)
54 experiments recorded, by species: Drosophila melanogaster 21, Caenorhabditis elegans 20, Mus musculus 9, Acheta domesticus 2, Nothobranchius guentheri 1, Rattus norvegicus 1.
NIA Interventions Testing Program rows
| Species | Strain | Dose | Age at start | Duration | Sex | Mean lifespan Δ% | Mean sig. | Max lifespan Δ% | Max sig. | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mus musculus | UM-HET3 | 1000 ppm food | 9 months | until death | Female | 0 | NS | 0 | NS | PMID 27312235 |
| Mus musculus | UM-HET3 | 1000 ppm food | 9 months | until death | Male | 7 | NS | -2 | NS | PMID 27312235 |
Other DrugAge rows (sample)
| Species | Strain | Dose | Age at start | Duration | Sex | Mean lifespan Δ% | Mean sig. | Max lifespan Δ% | Max sig. | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acheta domesticus | 1.78x10^3 g metformin/g diet | Unknown | 79 | S | NA | PMID 25833406 | ||||
| Acheta domesticus | 1.78x10^3 g metformin/g diet | Male | 39 | S | NA | PMID 25833406 | ||||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 50 mM | Unknown | 40 | S | 0 | NA | PMID 20090912 | ||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 25 mM | Unknown | 57.3 | S | NA | PMID 24889636 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 25 mM | Unknown | -4.7 | NS | NA | PMID 24889636 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 25 mM | Unknown | 47.4 | S | NA | PMID 24889636 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 25 mM | Unknown | 44 | S | NA | PMID 24889636 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 25 mM | Unknown | 30.6 | S | NA | PMID 24889636 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 50 mM | Unknown | 9.4 | NS | NA | PMID 24889636 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 25 mM | Unknown | 29.7 | S | NA | PMID 24889636 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 6.25 mM | Unknown | 17 | S | NA | PMID 24889636 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 12.5 mM | Unknown | 13 | S | NA | PMID 24889636 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 100 mM | Unknown | 6.3 | NS | NA | PMID 24889636 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 50 mM | Unknown | 24.46 | S | NA | PMID 27984722 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 50 mM | Unknown | 43.65 | S | NA | PMID 29027899 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 20 mM | Unknown | 13.79 | S | NA | PMID 29263362 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 50 mM | Unknown | 21.65 | S | 21.13 | NA | PMID 30269951 | ||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 100 mM | Unknown | 24.2 | S | NA | PMID 31474368 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 50 mM | Unknown | 36.9 | S | NA | PMID 31474368 | |||
| Caenorhabditis elegans | N2 | 25 mM | Unknown | 32.73 | S | NA | PMID 31474368 |
Lifespan experiments in dogs (DrugAge)
DrugAge records no dog lifespan experiment for this compound.
Dog-equivalent doses (allometric starting points, not recommendations)
Method: FDA 2005 Km body-surface-area conversion; starting-point heuristic only.
| Species | Reported dose | mg/kg | Km factor | Dog-equivalent mg/kg | ITP | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rattus norvegicus | 300 mg/kg/day | 300.0 | 0.3 | 90.0 | No | PMID 20304770 |
Canine aging literature (Europe PMC corpus)
8 corpus records mention this compound.
Top hits in the core tier
- Metformin against TGFβ-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT): from cancer stem cells to aging-associated fibrosis. (Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.), 2010). PMID 21088486
- Effects of metformin, rapamycin, and resveratrol on cellular metabolism of canine primary fibroblast cells isolated from large and small breeds as they age. (GeroScience, 2021). PMID 33733399
- New tricks from old dogs join the fight against ageing. (Nature, 2017). PMID 29239380
- Translational Geroscience: From invertebrate models to companion animal and human interventions. (Translational medicine of aging, 2018). PMID 32368707
- Newer antidiabetic drugs and calorie restriction mimicry. (Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism, 2016). PMID 26904485
FDA CVM FOI summaries for dog products
No FDA FOI summary for a dog product contains this ingredient (it is not a marketed veterinary product).
Evidence gaps reported by the dossier tool
- DrugAge has no dog lifespan experiment for this compound.
- Corpus mentions exist but no randomized/placebo-controlled dog trial surfaced for it.
- No FDA FOI summary for a dog product containing this ingredient.
Reproduce: intervention_dossier(compound="Metformin") in dog-geroscience-mcp.