Bramble The Vegan Border Collie Who Lived To The Age of 175
Are you familiar with Bramble the veggie-eating Border Collie from the United Kingdom who lived to the ripe age of 25 years old? This is over 175 "dog years" which is considered to be nearly double the average lifespan of Border Collies who typically live for 12-15 years.
Bramble was awarded the Guinness World Record for being the oldest living dog during her time. And do you know what her parent claimed as the reason for her incredible lifespan? A daily nourishment of a vegan diet that consisted of brown rice, lentils, yeast, veggies, and soy (textured vegetable protein).
Let's take a look at the lessons we can learn from Bramble and her pet parent Anne Heritage.
Bramble's Diet & Lifestyle
Anne Heritage, Bramble's owner fed her a vegan diet that was based on brown rice, lentils, yeast flakes, mixed vegetables, and soy. In addition to a well-rounded and healthy diet, Bramble also enjoyed daily walks and play sessions. Anne made sure to give Bramble plenty of love and attention throughout her life.
Recent studies have confirmed the effectiveness of complete vegan diets for dogs, but Bramble was born in 1975 when this type of data wasn't readily available. Bramble's parent, Anne Heritage believed that companion animals should be treated with dignity and didn't believe commercial pet foods at the time effectively cared for the animals they fed but were also detrimental to the animals slaughtered as well as the environment.
Anne fed Bramble a vegan diet because she herself was a vegan and she didn't believe in feeding her animals anything that she wouldn't eat herself. Anne provided Bramble with a healthy diet that she consumed only once a day but she also believed that Bramble should receive at least two hours of exercise or play per day when possible.
We applaud Anne's passion for providing the best diet and lifestyle possible to Bramble and we have used her story as inspiration while developing Wild Earth Dog Food. We believe it is possible to provide dogs with clean protein dog food that is cruelty-free and strives to maintain and protect the environment around us.
Lessons We Can Learn From Bramble
Bramble lived almost twice the average lifespan for Border Collies and there are a variety of lessons that we can learn from Anne and Bramble and incorporate into the lives of our dogs. Everyone wants to see their dog live the healthiest life possible, but all dog parents want to expand the number of years they can spend with their pups. Based on the story of Bramble and recent studies, it could be theoretically possible that the average lifespan of dogs can be extended with a focus on the healthiest and clean diet possible but also a focus on a healthy lifestyle.
Dogs Can Thrive On A Plant-Based Diet
Many consumers will struggle with the question of "are dogs carnivores or omnivores?". The popular claim finds its roots based on the genetic lineage of companion dogs coming from a now-extinct species of wolves over 20,000 years ago. Most modern, as well as ancient species of wolves, are typically considered to be carnivores even though they will utilize an omnivore diet during specific periods of the year. This thought process has transcended onto modern-day companion animals but doesn't take into account that companion dogs are genetically different compared to the ancient species of wolves that saw a genetic divergence thousands of years ago.
The modern dog has been proven to be capable of living effectively and even thriving on a plant-based diet that provides them with the essential protein, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids necessary to maintain their diet. There is oftentimes an old-school thought process that believes that a plant-based diet doesn't provide the protein necessary for your dog to build and maintain muscle and energy. But this thought process has been proven to be inaccurate. In fact, Wild Earth Clean Protein Dog Food contains a higher protein percentage compared to many commercial meat-based dog food brands. And our ingredients are cleaner and more environmentally friendly compared to many commercial brands on the market today.
We are able to learn from studies on vegan dog food as well as stories such as Bramble's that dogs are capable of living and even thriving on a healthy plant-based diet. Modern-day dogs are omnivores and can thrive on a vegan diet that provides them with the protein, essential fatty acids, and amino acids that they need.
Treat Your Dog As An Equal
Another lesson that we hope everyone can learn from Anne and Bramble is her ability to provide Bramble (and her other dogs) with the lifestyle that they deserve. She strived to provide them with a diet that she herself would eat as well as give them an abundance of exercise and mental stimulation. These factors helped to extend their lifespan, improve their everyday health, and helped them live as happy a life as possible.
Your dog is part of your family and you should strive to provide them with the best lifestyle and health possible. We hope this story inspires you to think about what you feed your dog and how it could impact their health in the long run. We recommend you read about the superfoods and clean ingredients we include in our Cruelty-Free Dog Food and how they can benefit the health of your dog.
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