Bramble, the Vegan Border Collie dog who broke a world record for longest lifespan

Bramble, the Vegan Border Collie dog who broke a world record for longest lifespan

What if we told you that dogs could live to over 20? Well let us tell you about Bramble…

 
As a dog parent, all we want is for our best friends to live happy, healthy lives, for as long as possible. We do everything in our power to safeguard their health; providing medical care, protection, a safe home, enrichment and a good diet. 
When our founders started Omni- that’s exactly what they wanted for their dogs too. They were struggling to find a diet that stopped the frequent tummy upsets, that tasted delicious, and was beneficial for their dog’s health, as well as kind to the environment. This is when they came across Bramble, the super Border Collie. 

Bramble was fed an exclusively plant based diet, and lived to 25 years old- that’s double the average life expectancy of a border collie! Not only this, but Anne Heritage (Bramble’s doting mum) also had 2 other collies (also on plant based diets) that lived to a phenomenal 19 and 20 years old as well.

Of course, we hear you say their lifespan relies on many factors- breed, environment, genetics, however we believe that diet shouldn’t be overlooked. It plays a significant part in health, much like in people. More recent studies are showing the benefits of dogs on a nutritionally complete plant based diet, from longevity (1), better coat conditions, gut health and even anxiety (2).
Bramble’s mum became vegan after learning about the horrors of the meat industry and its effects on the environment. At that time (Bramble was born in 1975) there was little information on plant based feeding, let alone plant based pet food brands- but Anne perfected making dinners for her pups- consisting of lentils, fresh veg , rice and more. The results? Her dogs thrived, and excelled far beyond the average collie life span. 

When we say thrived, we mean it- Bramble was full of beans, and described as a ‘bulldozer’ by her mum. She loved meal times, walks and swimming. It just goes to show that dogs aren’t reliant on ingredients, it’s the nutrients that really matter. What’s more, we know that dogs can obtain all their required nutrients from entirely plant based, cruelty free sources.

This is where we come in. Omni is nutritionally complete, species appropriate, totally plant based diet, made from fresh, human grade ingredients. As vets and scientists, following the science and looking out for your dog’s health is key. As our promise, we test each batch of Omni at the University of Nottingham, to ensure that the food that reaches your dog, is everything they need to live their lives to their full potential.

1. Dodd, S. (2022) ‘Owner Perception of health of North American dogs fed meat-  or plant- based diets’ Elsevier, 149: 36-46
2. Davies, M. (2022) ‘Reported Health Benefits of a Vegan Dog Food- A likert scale-type Survey of 100 Guardians’ Archives of Clinical and Biomedical Research, 6 :889-905