The canine hair metabolome encodes age and coat exposure in over 700 dogs

Abstract

Hair can be collected noninvasively and stored for years, making it a practical sample for studying physiology and environmental exposure. Yet the chemical information it carries in dogs remains largely unexplored. We profiled 782 banked hair samples from 700 Golden Retrievers by untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, detecting 4,533 compound groups and revealing an unexpectedly rich chemical profile. Prominent signals reflected skin-surface and hair chemistry, including amino acids, peptides and urocanic acid, alongside surfactants, plasticizers and pesticides detectable despite washing. A signal annotated as imidacloprid distinguished dogs receiving topical products containing this insecticide from dogs receiving no flea or tick preventive (AUC 0.865). Hair chemistry also varied with age, most strongly between puppyhood and early adulthood. Oxidized lipids generally declined, whereas amino acids and peptides remained largely stable. A multivariate model estimated age with moderate accuracy (cross-validated r = 0.66) and assigned a higher age to the later sample in 64 of 75 repeatedly sampled dogs. Because age and collection date were strongly correlated, their effects could not be fully separated, although date-restricted analyses supported an age-related contribution. Together, these findings establish banked dog hair as a promising resource for studying chemical exposure and life-stage-associated changes in chemistry.