Fascinating Facts about Dogs’ Age – Oldest Dog in the World

Oldest Dog in the World

I am sure many dog lovers came across an interesting article that was published in the Telegraph.co.uk about a mix Labrador Retriever named Bella, whose owners claimed that she broke the record of the oldest dog in the world. The owner David Richardson, from Chesterfield, claimed that his dog was at least 26 years old, which in the canine years is 200 years of age.

Mr. Richardson brought Bella 26 years ago from an animal home, although RSPCA said that it doesn’t have any record for Bella. The Guinness World Records refused to enlist Bella as the world’s oldest dog in it’s book without proper paperwork and proof. Gareth Deaves, records manager from Guinness World Records, said “unless we can see a doggy birth certificate or some really clear evidence from the RSPCA then we won’t be able to prove Bella’s age and we can’t list her as the oldest dog.” According to Mr. Deaves, the most recent record of the world’s oldest dog was held by a dog called Butch. Butch, from America, died in 2003, when he was 28 years old. The prize for the oldest dog in the world ever recorded was awarded to Bluey, a sheepdog from Australia, who lived a happy 29 years and 5 months of life.

More facts about oldest dog in the World

"Barry" the St. Bernard, lived 15 years (1800-1814) and is still standing smartly around today, although taxidermically (stuffed), at the Natural History Museum in Berne. Barry saved dozens of lives in the Swiss mountain.

"Bramble", the Collie, who is living in Bridgewater, Somerset, is the living legend running 28th year. Experts think that an exclusively vegetarian diet… “rice, lentils and organic vegetables every evening”, accompanied by good regular exercise have blessed Bramble with such a long life. Guinness World Records is thinking that Bramble is the oldest living dog in the world. Bramble is not only world’s oldest living dog, but lucky too, thinks Anne Heritage, 43. Ms. Heritage described how Bramble had a narrow escape from the death at the onset in February, 1977. "The day after we brought her home, the [New Quay rescue centre] kennels flooded and the other dogs drowned… So she's been incredibly lucky" says Ms. Heritage. She added, "She has a big bowl of rice, lentils and organic vegetables every evening."

How to help your dog live longer?

Four things are very much essential! Good food, fresh water, good exercise and pure love. An extensive 14 years of study (conducted in the University of Pennsylvania) finally concluded that calorie-restricted diet would result in dog living a median 1.8 years longer than the known average dog’s life span. The study was published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in the issue of May 2002. Gail K Smith, the professor of orthopedic surgery at Penn said: "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. Because osteoarthritis is painful, this deferral represents a substantial boost in quality of life." Contrary to the myth, I would like to say that dogs are not carnivorous animals; they are omnivorous. So give them green.

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