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.
“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
And what of wholefood plant-based diets for our pets and who was Bramble?
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 20-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.
A balanced vegan diet is one of the best diets that you can feed to your elderly dog
How does a plant-based diet benefit elderly dogs?
The kindest plant-based anti-inflammatory is Algae oil Omega 3 oil. This is the purest form of Omega 3 with none of the heavy metals or high levels of Vit A as sometimes found in cod liver oil. Omega 3 is so beneficial for ailing joints and nerves. Our elderly pets also need the addition of the immune boosting pure Vit D3. This is also found in Omega 3 Algae oil, or from UV radiated mushrooms (chop raw mushroom and leave in sun for 10 minutes before cooking). Older dogs may not get out for long walks as much as they used to and be exposed to as much natural sunlight as usual, so would need this extra Vit D3. This article shows how Omega 3 levels in the blood can extend the lifespan of our dogs just as it does with us.
💚 Why did we develop GOLD DUST Joint Supplement?
- It contains the powerful antioxidant combination of plant proteins such as organic non GMO maize and oats which naturally rejuvenates dogs in their golden years
- Glucosamine, MSM, Manganese and Hyaluronic acid sooth stiff painful joints while promoting gentle joint healing for dogs in discomfort
- Fast acting with results noticed in just a week
- Boswellia enhances the natural systems that control inflammation
- Biotin, Vit B12 and Vit C support dog breeds predisposed to cardiovascular stress and is an anti-oxidant for the heart
- Psyllium husks combined with palatable Aniseed and Oatmeal provide natural prebiotics to enhance the absorption of nutrients for a healthy immunity
- Gold Dust powder can be combined with Omega 3 Algae oil for a true Power Duo for your elderly dog's joints
Does A Wholefood Plant-Based Dog Food Diet Delay Doggy Dementia?
The story of Bramble above and the dogs owned by Anne Heritage is proof of longevity of dogs on a wholefood plant-based diet.
We do not have published research in dogs, but we do have it in humans where an intensive change in the lifestyle of humans suffering from dementia, was shown to reverse Alzheimers!
A study in May 2024 from Dr. Dean Ornish & colleagues 👏 (Ornish, D., Madison, C., Kivipelto, M. et al. Effects of intensive lifestyle changes on the progression of mild cognitive impairment or early dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease: a randomised, controlled clinical trial featured in Dr Michael Greger's nutrition video.
Further evidence supporting the power of wholefoods🌱and the consensus, "what is good for your dog's hearts is also good for their heads" (and ours).
It is not just length of life that we want for our elderly dogs; but quality of life. We want them to be able to see and be aware of us for as long as they possibly can to enhance the bond well into their golden years ❤️
What published studies are there about vegan dog food diets and longevity?
The lovely Dr Sarah Dodd shown above, published a ground-breaking research paper in 2022 shown here which due to the positive health impacts of weight loss and eating pure plant-based proteins while enhancing the gut microbiome; plant-based dogs could live up to 18 months longer than meat-based dogs which is almost 10 years in human terms - astounding!
Listen to Prof Andrew Knight speaking at the London Vet Show about these remarkable studies that have been done