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According to the Sunday
Telegraph, Bramble, living in Bridgewater, Somerset, has just celebrated her 27th birthday, possibly
making her Britain's oldest living dog and a contender for the oldest dog in
the world.
Luck of the Dog
How exactly does a pooch live to be 189 (in dog years)? Anne Heritage, 43, describes how
Bramble survived at least one near-death-experience right at the outset in February 1977:
"The day after we brought her home, the [New Quay rescue centre]
kennels flooded and the other dogs drowned," says Ms. Heritage.
"So she's been incredibly lucky."
No Bones About It
Aside from luck, Bramble's secret to longevity is a vegetarian
diet. Ms. Heritage is a vegan
and has brought up her pooch on the same diet regime she herself follows
(although Bramble does wear a fur coat—but don't go pouring
buckets of red paint on her for that little violation).
"She has a big bowl of rice, lentils and organic vegetables every
evening," says Ms. Heritage.
Hairball in the Pool
In addition to healthy eating, exercise is a must. Last year
while recovering from a back injury which doctors said could have
paralyzed her, Bramble began taking swimming lessons at a canine
hydrotherapy pool in Stolford. She now enjoys a weekly dip every
Friday for half an hour.
 Astute Scoop
readers can tell that this is a cat, not a Collie. Well, same story,
different species. See CatsInTheNews.com May 3, 2002: "Cat
Splash Fever" for more. (Photo: Moggies
UK)
Says Ms. Heritage: "She's an inspiration and
just goes to show that if you do eat the right things and keep on
exercising, you can extend your life."
How to Make Your Dog
Live 1.8 Years Longer
An extensive 14-year study has just been completed, stating that a
calorie-restricted diet results in dogs living a median 1.8 years longer
than the average dog.
The study was conducted by University of Pennsylvania and published in the
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (May
2002).
In addition, these same dogs are also slower
to develop chronic diseases, such as osteoarthritis, implying that not
only the quantity but the quality of life is extended.
"Dogs in the calorie-restricted group didn't require treatment for
osteoarthritis until a mean age of 13.3 years, fully three years later
than the dogs in the control group," says Gail K Smith, professor of
orthopedic surgery at Penn. "Because osteoarthritis is painful,
this deferral represents a substantial boost in quality of life."
Of course, Scoop senior editor "Wags"  has
his own opinion about boosting the quality of life. It has something
to do with leaving the refrigerator door open.
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Who is the oldest dog
in the world? |
| "Bluey"
was an Australian Cattle Dog who herded cattle and sheep in
Australia for nearly twenty years before retiring. The dog
died in 1939 at the age of 29 years, five months. Another dog,
an Australian Cattle Dog / Labrador mix, died in 1984 reportedly at
the age of 32 years and 3 days, but this case was not fully
documented, and so it is not official.
Source: World
Pet Records, AnimalNews.com
200 Years Old and Still Standing
 This
pooch might have them all beat on a technicality.
"Barry" the St. Bernard, who saved dozens of lives in the
Swiss mountains, lived from 1800-1814 and is still around today,
albeit taxidermically (stuffed), at the Natural History Museum in
Berne. See Apr.1, 2002 "The
2 Worst Rescue Dogs in the World".
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So you wanna have the
next
"Oldest Dog in the World"? |
Here's how you do it:
 Get a dog.
But don't just get any dog. Get a head start by adopting an
old
dog. That way, you won't have to wait as long before
you and your pooch are rich and famous! Take a look at
some of the canine seniors listed
here, or click on the picture of "Lottie" the
12-year-old Dalmatian looking for a home.
- Keep your dog.
- Contact us at DogsInTheNews.com in about 25-30
years. Congratulations!
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Vegetarian dogs? |
| Check out these places on the web:
Vegetarian Cats?
The Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition (UK) states: "Although
both dogs and cats are carnivorous by nature, the dog has evolved
such that it is able to adapt to a vegetarian diet, if required.
This is not true for the cat, whose diet must be derived, at least
in part, from animal tissue."
(I guess you're off the hook, Morris.)
Source: Nutritional
Imbalance,
Waltham.com
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