Take a walk, eat, play, and sleep. Repeat.
That’s how Bobi, the world’s longest living dog according to Guinness World Records, spent much of his 30 years on his family’s farm in the Portuguese village of Conqueiros.
The rest of the world, unlike the owner of the Rafeiro do Alentejo, has not had the opportunity to witness their furry pet age three decades alongside them.
“That is truly unique,” Erik Olstad, an assistant professor at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, told The Washington Post. “Owners always ask me, ‘How can I make my dog live the longest life possible?’” That’s a difficult issue to answer because there are so many variables that influence life expectancy.”
A large part of it is genetic. Life expectancy and disease susceptibility vary with breed, according to Olstad. However, veterinarians told The Washington Post that there are still things dog owners can do to help their pets live long and happy lives.
“Dogs are very much like people,” said Natasha Olby, an associate professor of veterinary medicine at North Carolina State University. “They require appropriate eating habits, exercise, community involvement, and frequent health care.”
Experts told The Washington Post that maintaining a healthy weight is critical. Dog owners should attempt to provide quality dog food and avoid overfeeding because extra weight makes it much more difficult to manage mobility disorders such as arthritis or ruptured ligaments as they age.
“If I find dogs nearing their senior years overweight, you can guarantee I’m going to have some serious mobility conversations coming forward,” Olstad said.
Preventive care is essential. Maintain their vaccines, take them to the dentist, and take them to the vet once or twice a year for a normal checkup.
If you’ve had the good fortune to raise a senior dog, don’t assume that certain behaviors or problems are just the result of aging, according to Nicole Ehrhart, director of the Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging at Colorado State University.
Exercise, both physical and mental, is also essential. Take your dog for regular walks and runs that last as long as his breed and age allow.
The five-mile run that works great for your one-year-old border collie will not work for your bulldog with arthritis. In that situation, specialists advise taking your dog for 15-minute walks four times a day, for example. Hide food and sweets inside their toys to stimulate their minds.
As much as one wishes their dog could live as long as Bobi, who Guinness claims is the oldest ever recorded, experts stressed that the focus should be on providing pets with the best quality of life possible. According to Olstad, life expectancy is not a contract.
