Research into extending the lifespan of dogs and cats

Welcome to Long Living Pets Research Projects.

Mission: Help pets live longer healthier lives and limit the risk of cancer.

Dear visitor,

Thank you so much for visiting this website. This is a privately funded 30-year observational study by me, Thomas Sandberg. I am looking into the consequences of feeding a raw food diet to pets. I have studied dog's and cat's digestive system in dept since 1997 and believe that they both are carnivores. They require a species appropriate diet to sustain a strong immune system that in turn will promote a long healthy life and dramatically limit the risk of falling victim to serious diseases like cancer. 

If you feed a raw food diet and interested in supporting this study I hope you will register your pet. There is no fee to participate. My goal is to follow more than 10,000 dogs and 5000 cats for the rest of their lives documenting their health. I'm interested in all breeds and sizes.

If you arrived on this page because you have a pet with cancer, please register and I will share the information I have collected over the last two decades. I do not treat animals but I can guide and assist you to possibly help you beat this horrible disease sharing natural protocols. Register here.

You can also support these one-of-a-kind projects by donating to my funding raising campaign at Long Living Pets Research Foundation I'm currently unable to secure funding for these projects since the ones benefiting from this are us pet owners, not the commercial enterprises that make billions of dollars selling food that kills our beloved pets. Strong words I know, but sadly in many cases the truth. Close to 50% of our pets get cancer and that is not acceptable to me! The pets with cancer that I have assisted over the last 15 years were all fed a kibble type diet. All! 

I sincerely thank everyone in advance for any donations, every dollar helps! We need to keep this project going for the love of our pets. Please help now!

Current Projects

I'm on a life mission to help our beloved pets live long healthy lives and protect them from cancer. In 1999 I started these 30-year projects to study the benefits of feeding species appropriate food. The results from the first 15 years have been no short of amazing. I observed longer healthier lives and a dramatic reduction in cancer incidents.

3 current ongoing projects:

1. Research into extending the life of dogs.
2. Research into preventing cancer in dogs
3. Research into natural cancer cures for dog

Phase 1 - of my three 30-year research projects are coming to an end

For the last 15 years, I have researched and tested my findings and theories on my dogs and a small group of other dogs from around the world.  My findings are amazing and confirm everything I learned 15 years ago after carefully studying the digestive system of dogs. My intentions were not to expose any dog to something that could be harmful. I tested it all on my dogs and others willing to do the same.

I believe beyond any doubt that feeding a simple diet of raw meats, edible bones, and organ meats will promote a rock-solid immune system. The immune system is a dog's ultimate defense against diseases and premature aging. The result is a long healthy life way past what is the expected lifespan of most breeds fed commercial dog food.

Phase 2 - Build a case of solid, indisputable proof based on what I found out during my first 15 years, by adding 10,000 dogs and 5,000 cats to my project.

I need your help

I'm expanding my project to 10,000 dogs and 5000 cats, and I will follow each dog and cat until their last day, documenting their journey on a diet of raw meats and bones. These dogs and cats come from all parts of the world. They report to me once a year with a status update. As long as they are fed a diet of raw food they will be a part of this groundbreaking project.

Categories/types of raw feeding I track and document:

Home Made Raw Food

1. Prey Model Raw/Franken Prey
2. A Mix of Raw (often done in a bowl)
3. Barf

NOTE: Most people feed homemade raw food that they buy from different sources. Not everyone can make/prepare their own raw food. Many pre-made raw food companies have arrived on the market over that last few years. Below are the ones that I have accepted and track as a 'raw feeding type'. If you are feeding a commercial raw food diet that is not listed please select 'Mix of raw' as the raw feeding type (one the registration form). Then you can write in the description what type of raw food you feed and mention the manufacturer. If I get several others using the same brand I will create a category for it. 

Commercial raw food manufacturers that I track specifically (you do not have to feed these to participate):

USA

• K9 Nutrition (Raw pre-made)
• K 9 Karvings® (Raw pre-made): Website
• Darwins® (Pre-made raw): Website
• Stella and Chewy® (Pre-made raw): Website
• TruDog® (Pre-made raw): Website

Other countries

UK

1. Wolf Tucker (Raw and Pre-made raw): Website

Australia

Vets all Natural (Bruce Syme): Website

South Africa

Raw Gold: Website

Raw Necessities: Website

DOGGOBONE: Website

Norway

WOM: Website

New Zealand

Raw Essentials: Website

Just to make clear, you do not have to feed any of these brands to participate in this study. Any variation of a meat-based raw food is accepted. But if you feed one of these brands please select them under 'feeding type' (on the registration form).

Not participating yet? Register here.

If you are a manufacturer of pre-made raw food and would like to add dogs or cats that are fed your product, please contact me with your company's information (website is OK). You can use the blue 'question and feedback tab' on the right side of this webpage. 

Phase 3 - Opening Long Living Pets Rescue and Rehab Center. 

My ongoing study will include establishing a rescue and rehabilitation center called the Long Living PetsRescue and Rehab Center (LLPRRC). The Center will care for pets currently living in shelters and scheduled to be euthanized because they are declared unadoptable due to health reasons and the cost to treat them. These pets are not suited for adoption. LLPRRC will adopt these animals and provide them with compassionate care using natural modalities that I have seen work over the last 20 years.

An important part of this project is the intention to share my work and observations with pet owners worldwide through a 24/7 video feed. Each pet will have a webpage documenting every step in their recovery. In this way, I hope to inspire others to use my models for their own rescued pets and establish similar centers to replicate what we do at this center. My approach can be done and followed anywhere without expensive equipment. I will also provide full support to everyone who needs it through Long Living Pets Research Academy ( a learning center for naturopathic health care for dogs and cats). I have a vested interest in the results since this will become part of my research into chronic diseases in dogs and cats. All I ask for is for you to share the results caused by following my protocols. I also hope to learn about other successful approaches from participants in these studies. 

To learn more about the center please go here:https://llprf.org/long-living-pets-rescue-and-rehab-center/  

Invitation to participate

If you are interested in participating in any of these projects, please take a few minutes to register. There is no cost involved. If you are new to feeding raw and not sure how to get started, I have written a short book just for you. Included with this book is lifetime support from me. No book can cover every need of a dog. There is no 'one fit for all' diet. Dogs and cats come with different nutritional needs. This book will get you started on a safe raw food diet without making the process too complicated. When you have made the switch you have access to me for further help if needed. I'm also building a network of knowledgeable animal care professionals that I can refer you too if such service is required.  
More about it here

More about the research projects here

 To help support this research and other projects please visit: https://llprf.org

Why do big dogs die so early?

The average lifespan of a Great Dane is 6-8 years. To me, that never made any sense. Why would a small breed dog live longer than a large?

For the past 20 years, I have conducted extensive research in an attempt to find an answer to this. My conclusion is not surprising, and it makes total sense. Dogs need the food they are designed for and altering this can severely compromise their health. The larger the dog is, the more affected it is by unhealthy food.

The so-called “dog food” that is sold by many different manufacturers is not suitable for a dog’s digestive system and does not supply them with enough nutrients to sustain a long, healthy life. This is particularly damaging to large and giant dog breeds since they require a greater quantity of nutritious food than smaller dogs do. Since large breed dogs eat more, they ingest more of the bad food and less of the good.

Dogs are carnivores; therefore, the only food they can properly digest, metabolize, and utilize is raw meat. This is a fact. There are still some people who do not agree that dogs are carnivores, but that opinion is based on a lack of knowledge or misinformation. I know the majority of dog owners accept this fact but, if you disagree, then my approach to extending the lifespan of large and giant breed dogs will be hard to accept.

A carnivore gets most of its nutrients from raw meats (80%), bones (10%), and some organ meats (10%), with supplements used to complete the nutritional requirements. Together, they fulfill a dog’s nutritional needs to sustain a strong immune system that protects against diseases and promotes healthy organs, bones, and joints.

There are many books written about raw feeding, and I have read most of them. The problem I’ve found with the majority of these is that they complicate raw feeding to such a degree that many dog owners find it too difficult to follow. I believe feeding raw can be very simple, so I wrote a book about it. The main issue for most is balanced food. I believe this is the wrong way to look at it. Balance happens from within the body. The cells know what they need and if we feed a variety of meats and organs we will fulfill this need. The body will balance itself. This to me makes total sense since everybody (animals and humans) have different needs and we have no way of knowing what that is or even attempt to balance the food we feed and be right in every case. So forget balanced food, help the body to work that out by providing the proper resources. 

I currently have two Great Danes; one is 12 years old and the other is 7 (as of Dec 2019). I have fed my Great Danes this way since 2000. Every year, my dogs undergo a full medical check-up and each year, without exception, they have been 100% healthy.

I have decided to wait to the end of the study before I published any results. I will, however, share trends based on the data that I collect during this time. Two trends I see clearly are longer lifespan and a drastic reduction in the number of chronic diseases, including cancer. 

One of my goals is to double the average lifespan of giant breeds like Great Danes. My approach should work well for all breeds of dog, large or small.

I believe that

• Giant breed dogs can live into their mid-teens.
• Large breed dogs can live into their late teens - early 20s
• Mid-size breed dogs can live into their early 20s to mid-20s
• Small breed dogs can live into their mid-20s to late 20s 

There are two things you need to do:

1) Feed raw, natural food. I use a very easy to follow a meal plan and you can get everything from your local grocery store but, for better prices, seek out local butchers and local raw feeding groups that buy in bulk.

2) Add a few supplements. The supplements are meant to ensure that your dog gets all the nutrients he/she needs. If you feed a good balanced raw food diet with enough organ meats you may skip supplements. 

For those of you who are new to raw food or who are skeptical of it, please read these articles about the many myths regarding feeding raw food to dogs.

What made me such an expert?

Well, as I mentioned earlier I have studied and practiced raw feeding for over 20 years. I rescue Great Danes and currently have 2; Odin is three 7 years old and Camelot is 12 (as of Jan 2019). I'm also a board certified animal naturopath. I have a practice where I help pet owners with dogs and cats wanting to apply natural modalities to kepp their pets healthy. You can learn more here: The Animal Naturopath.

I was born in Norway and grew up in a farming area. I noticed early on that the farmers fed their dogs raw meat from chickens, cows and pigs. Sometimes entire live chickens were given to the dogs; reindeer and moose meat were also common sources of food. Several of these dogs, which were larger breeds like German Shepherds and Norwegian Elk Hounds, lived into their late teens and early 20s.

When I started feeding my dogs raw food in 2000, most people thought I was crazy, especially when I fed them chicken wings. Explaining that raw bones are soft and harmless to dogs did not change many people’s opinions. It still amazes me how many people are misinformed about this. Interestingly, I received the most resistance from veterinarians to the point that they even refused to handle my dogs. This has changed dramatically over the years and many vets are now recommending raw food to their clients.

The most common misconceptions are:

• Bones are dangerous to dogs
• Salmonella can make a dog sick
• Dogs have changed over time and adapted to more human-like foods
• Dogs are omnivores not carnivores
• Raw meat and bones will make dogs aggressive
• Raw food is not balance
• Raw feeding is too complicated

I agree somewhat with the last point, raw feeding has been made complicated by some people. Those following the Barf Model (raw meats, bones, veggies and fruits) often have a hard time maintaining it, whereas the Prey Model (raw meats and bones) is much simpler and I have simplified it even further for people who prefer to feed their dogs from a bowl. I call it Raw in a Bowl. This is a good way of getting started and comfortable with the idea of feeding a balanced raw food diet. 

The idea is to get started, take the first step into raw feeding, that's what is important. Soon you will gain knowledge and become confident that raw food is good for your dog. This will be evident just watching your dog improve in many areas like; better coat, increased muscle mass, a calmer demeanor, smaller poop, cleaner teeth, less gas, less dog odor, plus much more. Thes confirmations will encourage you to explore other variations of raw feeding like 'prey model raw' and 'Franken prey'. 

Example of a raw food meal in a bowl.

Register to participate