Oldest living dog Bobi dies aged 31!

Can dogs on a vegan dog food diet live longer? Who was Bramble, the Collie who lived until the age of 25 on a wholefood plant-based diet in the UK?

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Bodhi oldest dog in the world found to be a fake date he died!

Bobi a Portuguese Mastiff lived his whole life with the Costa family in the village of Conqueiros, near Portugal’s west coast, after being born in 1992 (!) with three siblings in an outbuilding.

Leonel Costa, who was eight years old at the time, said his parents had too many animals and had to put the puppies down, but Bobi escaped.

Mr Costa and his brothers kept the dog’s existence a secret from their parents until he was eventually discovered and became part of the family, who fed him the same food they eat.

Apart from a scare in 2018 when he was hospitalised after suddenly collapsing due to breathing difficulty, Mr Costa said in February that Bobi had enjoyed a relatively trouble-free life and thought the secret to his longevity was the “calm, peaceful environment” he lived in.

However, he had experienced trouble walking and worsening eyesight prior to his death.

Bobi was not the only dog owned by the Mr Costa to live a long life. Bobi’s mother lived to the age of 18 while another of the family’s dogs died at the age of 22. See full article here.

Bobi oldest dog very overweight and with cat friend

“His lifestyle seems to have provided plenty of opportunity to exercise and explore his peaceful farm and forested surroundings without restriction, helping Bobi to stay physically and mentally well,” said Prof Knight as quoted in the Guardian here.

Bobi was said to have been fed human food soaked in water to remove seasoning! Prof Knight said it was possible for dogs to survive on a diet of human food scraps, since this is “consistent with canine evolutionary history”. However, in order to live a long life, they needed owners who followed “an unusually healthy diet”.

The secrets of pet longevity, includes nutritionally sound diets and plenty of exercise.

 

A SCANDAL UNFOLDED WEEKS AFTER THIS ARTICLE ABOUT BOBI WAS PUBLISHED

As a vet, I always thought that Bobi looked far too large to have carried that weight and lived to be 31 years old!
Interesting article in the Guardian here as it shows the inaccuracies with the Guinness World Book of Records measurements. Bobi was found NOT TO BE 31 WHEN HE DIED!!
We do have some accuracy with Bramble who gained her place there in 2002 as she lived till 25 years old with her devoted Mum who wrote a book about her as she was only fed an organic wholefood vegan diet all her life!


And what of wholefood plant-based diets for our pets and who was Bramble?

Bramble the world's oldest living dog lived on a vegan whole food diet

An inspiring example of a 100% plant-based dog is that of Bramble, a 25-year-old Border Collie whose wholesome diet of organic brown rice, red lentils, vegetables, and some additional ingredients like yeast extract and herbs earned her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest living dog in 2002!

Bramble’s owner is Anne Heritage – a devoted animal lover growing up in the South West of England in the 60’s. Read her remarkable story in a book available on Amazon.

In her words she not only had Bramble, but “I’ve had seven dogs – three of them lived to 19-years-old, one lived to 15-years-old (a German Shepherd), and then Bramble lived to 25-years-old.”

This is remarkable and can definitely be attributed to a life dedicated to feeding a healthy plant-based natural diet as well as the freedom of exercise and wholefood ingredients. Prof Knight mentions in the article in the Guardian that it was possible for dogs to survive on a diet of human food scraps, since this is “consistent with canine evolutionary history”.

However, in order to live a long life, they needed owners who followed “an unusually healthy diet” just as Anne Heritage followed in the 70’s and 80’s. Her book explains how when she moved home, she chose it to find the perfect vegetable patch to grow her own organic vegetables, and her dogs were only fed these once daily and would go for walks in the Somerset countryside for at least 3 hours each day.

This is the ideal and remarkable and proof of the benefits of wholefood plant-based diets for both us and our dogs. If wanting to home cook for your dog feeding a nutritionally sound plant-based diet, it is possible and we sell all the supplements needed and have a number of delicious recipes to guide you.


JBK heart

A balanced vegan diet is one of the best diets that you can feed to your elderly dog


My biggest regret as a vet, is not feeding our previous family Labrador, 'Slick' (shown below), a plant-based diet. Read the full article about enhancing the health of our elderly dogs through a plant-based diet here

Elderly dog Slick owned by vegan vet

 

Dr Arielle Vegan Vet and Ruff vegan dog

 

“I believe in a kinder, healthier way to feed our dogs that does no damage to our environment, harms no animals and uses fresh, healthy plant-based ingredients for a balanced, wholesome and delicious diet”
- Dr Arielle Griffiths Plant Powered Vet and Ruff Plant Powered family dog 


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