The oldest dog in the world may be Maggie, a docile
Australian Kelpie. The conditional ‘may' is a must in this case because, although the quadruped has an estimated age of around thirty years' old, there aren't documents that can prove this miracle of canine nature.
Maggie, a Guinness World Record-holding dog?
If there wasn't this lack of information surrounding Maggie's year of her birth, we could liken her longevity to that of
Tiffany Two, a cat who, thanks to her proven age of 27 years' old, was named 'the world's oldest cat' in the Guinness Book of World Records before passing away peacefully earlier this year. In fact, only Maggie's owner
Brian McLaren, a dairy farmer from a small town in Victoria, Australia, can vouch for her age. According to McLaren, the dog has lived on his farm for nearly three decades, which in dog years is equivalent to
200 human years.But what's Maggie's lifestyle like as such a senior dog? According to McLaren, she behaves like any elderly dog with periods of
prolonged sleep and sporadic movements that include some light walking on the farm with her trusted owner.
How to care for a senior dog?
Is there a way to preserve the health of our beloved four-legged friends for as long as possible? For
Almo Nature, an older dog does not need particular foods: just like us humans, they can keep their usual food too but special attention must be paid to the portions (in the case of reduced physical activity) and quality of raw materials. In particular, a dog of advanced years needs
high-quality protein sources because they are easily digestible and can be assimilated by its body.
Kibbles enriched in nutrients and delicious wet food are
the perfect combination to feed our friend, guaranteeing a balanced diet and a lot of taste. And although the wellness of a dog can start from the bowl, other factors are also essential: regular veterinarian examinations, physical activity, socialising with other dogs and close proximity to
the owner/pack leader are also factors that can help lengthen their life – and, probably, ours too!