Research into extending the lifespan of dogs and cats

Born and grew up around pets.

My name is Thomas Sandberg, CSAN, CCNC, ADDP. I am board certified as an Animal Naturopath and a Carnivore Nutritional Consultant by the American Council Of Animal Naturopathy. I am also a board certified Drugless Practitioner by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. 

 I have been around animals all my life. The first memory I have is of our Samoyed, Prince. My parents let Prince sleep next to me when I was an infant. Many people thought they were crazy, but this dog treated me as if I was his puppy and he was never a danger to me.

In the photo on the left, you see me at 14 days old with my grandmother, mother, and Prince. In the right photo, I'm one year old and you can see Prince doing what he did for many years: guarding and protecting me. If a stranger came too close to him, or me, he certainly let them know.

Prince was fed a diet of raw meats from the local butcher. He got fatty meats, liver, kidneys, hearts and parts humans did not buy. This was before the so called 'dog food' become popular. My mom can't remember ever seeing this in stores or at the vet's office.

My mission: Help dogs live longer healthier lives and reduce the risk of cancer in dogs.  

I was born in Norway and moved to the States in 1987. In Norway, we lived in the countryside and it was normal to feed the dogs raw meat from chickens, lambs, cows, and fish. I recall that the dogs seemed to live forever; my mother’s English setters lived into their late teens and were regularly fed dried fish (a very nutritious product that dates back to the Viking era). Prince was 19 when he died of old age.

My mom is the biggest animal lover I have ever encountered. She would rescue and feed any animal in need, from squirrels to deer, and we had turtles, birds, cats, and dogs as pets. So my interest in animals and their welfare is in my genes and has always been a large part of my life.

We walk twice a day, rain, snow or shine. After feeding them the right food I believe exercise is the most important aspect of a dog's life. Lack of exercise could lead to all sort of psychological issues with dogs. Dogs are simple creatures and do require very little in life; Good food, exercise and love. If you provide that you will have a wonderful companion for many years. 

The pack consist of 6 dogs and 2 cats. They are all raw fed and in great health.

Camelot - (Great Dane, born 2007) is the thinker of the pack. Having had a very rough start in life, he needs routine and he isn’t overly playful with the other dogs. He raised Odin, so they play together and he seems to have taken a shine to his new sister, Mia. Neither of them knows how to play with other dogs, so it is heartbreaking to watch them trying to figure it out, but we know they will become best friends at some point. Camelot loves nothing more than a good old ear rub at the end of the day. He never demands affection but once you start, he will pull your hand back with his paw again and again, so that you keep on petting him. He is a quiet and very loyal companion.

Odin (Great Dane, born 2011) is the jokester of the family. His head appears to be full of rocks, where brains should be. Life is just one big game to Odin. He has a habit of jumping straight up, about a foot or two in the air, before commencing play with the other dogs, which is a sight to behold in such a large dog. His favorite game is chase - but he is the one being chased by Mia and Elvis. He has the sweetest temperament and couldn’t be serious if he tried - but he would never try. He loves attention and isn’t too keen on any other dog getting attention in his presence. Oh yes, it is ALL about Odin :-)

Mocha (Miniature Dachshound, born 2005) is another one with a lot of heart.   She joins the pack for almost every walk and doesn’t seem to realize that she isn’t a Great Dane. She is very affectionate but don’t even think about stopping stroking her or she will put her head under your hand and demand more love. She is very expressive with her whole body and always happy. She jumps up and down and gets very excited when she knows she is going to be picked up. Her tail is in constant motion as she is constantly happy. She can walk as far as the bigger members of the pack and her favorite playmate is Freya the kitten.

Cinnamon (Miniature Dachshound, born 2002) is the old girl of the pack and as the eldest, she has earned her right to be Queen Bee - a role she fills well. You can tell she is from New York as she has New York style - she is very particular about where she sleeps and a New York attitude. She can’t do every walk with the pack as it is sometimes too cold and she gets a little tired and distracted and being deaf, she can sometimes be seen wandering in completely the opposite direction from the rest of the pack. She doesn’t care though - she’s from New York - she walks her own path. She likes nothing more than snuggling next to her human on the sofa in the evenings.

Thanks to Odin who, also goes by the moniker “the Kitten Finder”, we also have two cats in the family: Kiki (born 20012) and Freya (born 20013). Odin found both cats, as kittens about a year apart, in the dead of Winter, in the yard. Had he not found them, they would not have survived the night. Tom was worried about introducing Freya to Kiki but Kiki took to the role of mother like a pro. She has adopted Freya and they lie hugging each other all night long.

I typically feed a mix of raw foods in a bowl. Below is a sample of what I feed Odin. I feel this gives me greater control over what I feed and it is easier for me to give a balanced variety of bones, meats, and organs. Some people will argue that I’m not mimicking the true Prey Model by feeding this way, but the only thing this type of feeding is missing is the tearing and ripping motion an animal would perform when fed larger pieces of meats with bones, like a whole chicken. I do feed leg quarters and breasts with bones at least 4-5 times a week so they are getting the benefits of chewing bones, which promotes clean teeth – in the last 12 years, I have never had the need to clean any of my dogs’ teeth so it’s working pretty well.

Fear of bacteria.

One of the most frequent reasons for not feeding raw is the fear of bacteria spreading around the house and making people sick. Some people cannot bring themselves to give a dog a huge piece of meat and bones because the dog will tear into it with its mouth, holding the meat with its paws, and later go running around and playing with their kids – the thought is just too much to handle. Some go to great extents to clean the area where their dog ate as well as cleaning the dog itself. This makes raw feeding a huge, time consuming task that many quit after a short time.

Feeding the way I do eliminates most of the above. When a dog gets used to being fed from a bowl, the dog will eat most of the meat from the bowl itself or in its immediate area; most dogs will only take the larger pieces of meats and bones out of the bowl. When they grab a piece that is larger than they can wolf down, they move away from their bowl and either drop the meat down for a moment to grab it in a different way or they move it around in their mouths, crushing the bones until they can swallow it. They will never move far from the bowl because if they think there may be more food there, they will, instinctively, not leave it unguarded. Therefore, you can limit the area any meat can come in contact with. Simply place a large towel under the bowl and you should be protected, and you can wash this towel as often as you feel you need to. I wash mine every other day or so and the dog towels are all one particular color so I never get these mixed in with my own.

Don’t underestimate the importance of the bowl. To a dog, the bowl represents a “food source”. This means that you can feed your dog anywhere you place the bowl. I travel quite a bit with my dogs and, as long as I feed them from the same bowl with the same towel underneath, they’re happy.

If you have any questions about this or other things related to raw feeding, please let me know.

Register for my project here

I sincerely thank everyone below for their donations to my projects. I appreciate your contributions more than I can describe. Unfortunately, I'm unable to get funding for these controversial projects. I have tried for six years. Therefore donations from animal lovers like you that appreciate what I do is what keeps me going. 

• Cornelia H
• Yvonne G
• Harold P
• Jeffrey P
• Jeffrey P
• Shelly M
• Jose F
• Christy W
• Matt S
• Jose F
• Shelly J
• LeighAnne P
• Agata G
• Robert F
• Vickie N
• Shirley B
• Jose F
• Beverly R
• Joy G
• Stephen E
• Renee H
• The Kubrick
• Jose F
• Sonia A
• Celine S
• Jose F
• Inglath C
• Lisa F
• Jose F
• Jennifer P
• Matt H
• Nathalia M
• Tobias R
• Jose F
• Halina M
• Agnes M
• Joy S
• Todd P
• Jennifer P
• David D
• Martha S
• Julie A
• Kathy Z
• Roberta J
• Dru T
• Patti M
• Michelle H
• Barbara B
• Junitta S
• Frances L
• Helena L
• Kristie K
• Amanda O
• Rachel O
• Rachel O
• Donna S
• Jaki R
• Susanne J
• Sheila D
• Kevin O (2nd donation)
• The Kubrick
• Kevin O
• Pamela S
• Ciara R
• Michael M (2nd donation)
• Colin B
• Maria F (2nd donation)
• Raul L
• Jim M
• Michael M
• Katrin P
• Maria F
• John M
• Julie A
• Cathie W
• Heather I
• Lee Anne G
• Jackie C
• Don F (2nd donation)
• Don F
• Lori S
• Robert L
• Kirsten W
• Veronica N
• Paula V
• Constance P
• Joan G (4th donation)
• Indigo Love
• Ronald G
• PoshDogKneeBrace.com
• Kristen S
• Ronald G
• Kersten S
• Ginger S
• Noelle P
• Alison T
• Sheila D
• Carole M
• Sarah R
• Joan G (3rd donation)
• Elizabeth L
• Susan J
• Joan D
• Tom S
• Annah K
• Joell
• Julie
• Lynette B
• Nicole
• KA
• Christina
• Cindy
• Francesca
• Stella and Kane
• Dave P
• Sampson and Stella
• Joan G

If you like to help and support these projects you can do that by donating to my non-profit organization. There is no minimum. Any donation is greatly appreciated and will help me keep these important studies going. I have 16 years more years to go :)

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart :-)

There are several ways you help this 30-year project stay alive for the next 15 years. 

As most of you know, I started this project 16 years ago because I wanted our beloved pets to live longer healthier lives. I managed and financed it by myself. It was manageable these first 16 years. After seeing the amazing results I achieved with a limited number of dogs (80) I had to ramp it up to 3000 dogs so my findings have more weight to it. I'm not sure if I thought that through since it has put a load on my free time which is zero right now. My goal is 5000 dogs and 2000 cats. 

I have also received more requests for help from pet owners that have dogs with cancer. More pets than ever get cancer now. Such a horrible reality. I know we can reduce this dramatically by implementing proper prevention starting with feeding the right food. 

If you have time and interested in being a part of this one-of-a-kind study as a volunteer I would appreciate help with:

Proofreading.

My Norwegian brain never switched over to perfect English grammar. It's not funny, but I now write and speak two languages rather poorly. 

It would be great to have someone check my web pages, blogs and other things I ramble on with. 

Re-write my research papers.

I always research areas related to pet health. I find most of the material online. These have to be rewritten into my words into articles and blog posts. I need help with this too. 

Join my tribe!

We have a tribe of volunteers that help me with different projects. If you are an animal lover and want to get involved please go here:

https://longlivingpets.com/join-the-tribe

Promoting my research project

I still need more dogs and cats. Ask anyone you know that feed a raw food diet to support this study by registering their pet(s). You can send them to my registration page.

Promoting Long Living Pets Research Foundation, Inc *

This is a charitable 501c3organization. I set this up to help fund all my research projects and the new cancer research/treatment center I'm setting up

I really need to come up with ways to fund this project, and all ideas are welcome.  

One is to donate directly to my campaign.  If you know of any dog lovers able to donate, please encourage them to do so.

https://llprf.org/donate/

Support through PayPal*

 I have a PayPal link that you can send money through. It goes directly to my research and cancer support and is tax deductible. 

Amazon Gift Card*

I use Amazon for many different products I use and a Gift Card from them is always welcome. My amazon email account is: tom(at)tcr3(dot)com

You can purchase a gift card here

* Free with Donations 

I will send you my eBook (download) for any donation over $20 (the value of the book). Just make sure I have your email address. I will also add my Cancer Prevention Protocol that I have very good results with. 

Cancer research 

I don't like to promote this and give the impression that I can cure cancer. I have however over the years helped many using protocols I have developed from my experiences. I am still fine tuning these protocols based on new discoveries. This is what I like to focus more of my time on since I know I can save many pets. Once again time is the problem. Donations will make me able to allocate more time to help these unfortunate pets. 

 Thanks again to everyone that support my efforts to make our beloved pets live longer and end cancer in pets. 

The  Future

I know at some point I will have this funded properly to take on employees and pay them. I have plans to expand this study and also open a private research center here on my property. I will take in dogs and cats with cancer and treat them with the help of my veterinarian using my natural protocols. I will share these with the public and educate them so they can apply the same protocols for their pets suffering from cancer and for cancer prevention. This needs major funding and I'm currently working on this.

If you want more information please contact me: Contact

Thomas Sandberg

Newsletter subscription

I'm starting a news letter to share my ideas about raw feeding, cancer prevention and cures. I hope this will be informative and helpful to you so you can keep your pet for a long time and not having to deal with nasty diseases like cancer.  

I'm overwhelmed with my projects and the time it takes to keep these going so any contributions would be more than welcome. 

Calling all animal lovers who want to make a difference.

Become a part of history. This is the largest and longest study of dogs and cats into raw feeding. This is an unique opportunity to become a part of a study that documents the effects of raw feeding. 

I have reached a point where my projects will soon become unmanageable. I could sure use some help! I spend most of my day helping pets with cancer, and when time allows, entering new participants into my study. My goal is to add 10,000 dogs and 5,000 cats in 2017. I will document their lives on a raw food diet.

I also see a need to promote raw feeding in a different way. There is too much false information out there, and this makes it very confusing for new raw feeders to take the first step and begin raw feeding their pets. I want to end this confusion.

My research will document the benefits of raw feeding, and over time, it will gain traction as more valuable results come out of this 30-year study. In the meantime, I believe that we can do so much more. 

For a long time now, I have wanted to create a special tribe of highly dedicated animal lovers who want to make a difference, and I have finally decided to start one. If you join now, you will have the option to give your input on what to call this group. 

I am looking for people who understand that the way we handle pet care today is not beneficial to our pets. With over 50% of our dogs getting cancer, something is seriously wrong! As you know, pets today suffer from many other diseases too. This is unacceptable to me, and if you feel the same way, please join me in my effort to change this. We need to take action now! If you agree, I hope that you will consider joining this tribe. I know that you are out there; I see you on the forums of which I am a member. You have the passion and desire to help pet owners provide the best life possible for their pets. Do you feel like me sometimes, and wonder: “Am I making any difference? Are people listening?”

Definition of a tribe: a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader.

In our tribe, our goal is to improve the health of our pets by educating pet owners on information that we have deemed well-documented, and more importantly, harmless to our pets when used in a responsible way.

The issue I see is that we all want to help and make a difference, but individually, we can only do so much. The strength of any message or cause lies in numbers. When I see someone post a question on these forums, and people with great knowledge respond repeatedly with the same solutions, that — to me, at least — appears powerful and convincing.

The strength of any message or cause lies in numbers

I never ask anyone to believe me when I voice my opinions on these forums. I encourage pet owners who are asking questions about their dog’s or cat’s health to do their research. I often guide them to sources I trust so that they can read and make up their opinions. Many do their research and scan the internet for information, but there are two sides to this. The internet is a fantastic source of good information, but it also contains a great deal of bad information. How does someone new to raw feeding — someone who is curious about treating their pets with natural remedies, and has questions about vaccinations, flea treatments, and heart worm medications — sort this all out? It is not easy! The internet is full of contradictions and misinformation.

I would like to create a source for all this, a source that people can trust because it is vetted by knowledgeable people. I would like to have a group of pet owners who can help me conduct research on the protocols, products, and natural treatment options found online. As a group, we will validate and vote on what we recommend, and create an archive of resources that pet owners can access and study.

That is one important project that I would like to start.

Others are:

1. A monthly newsletter featuring the benefits of raw feeding and using natural protocols to prevent common diseases and health conditions. Inform people that there are alternatives to drugs and medication when it comes to preventing and treating common health issues. One important aspect of this is to educate pet owners on why the current symptom-based healthcare model is not working. I am not out to bash anyone, but I would like to share information on effective treatment and prevention methods that are proven to be healthy for dogs and cats. The problem we run into is that very little research, and very few studies, are conducted on natural products. Sorting out what is trustworthy reporting and what is not is a major challenge.

My study is starting to produce some very interesting observational results. I try to collect as much information as possible in each case in order to make my study as trustworthy as possible without being scientific. I think that there is tremendous value in these cases, and my goal is to eventually get funded in order to upgrade to true scientific studies. Most scientific studies stem from of observational studies that indicated strong trends of consistent, replicable results. Most of my cases can be replicated as well. This will also be a unique opportunity for you to get access to what work on when it comes to protocols, products, and cancer treatment options. I generally do not share this. 

2. Promote my study and encourage more pet owners to join me with their pets. Become a recruiter. It is all about numbers. As I mentioned earlier, I want to follow a pool of 10,000 dogs and 5,000 cats. If this study produces consistent longer lives and a dramatic reduction in cancer rates, then something is going on, and someone will take notice. It will be impossible to ignore these findings.

3. Help create Facebook campaigns that promote raw feeding. I will pay for these. I'm referring to 'poster ads' with catchy slogans. 

4. Help make raw feeding videos, help with Q&A-type webinars.

5. Help with writing, rewriting, and proofreading.

I am planning on using a software called Basecamp where we can collaborate as a tribe. It is a project-type software that makes managing multiple projects easy. After I approve your application, I will invite you to join. I encourage pet owners from all over the world to participate. I would love to see an international tribe.

I hope that we can have weekly or monthly video conferences where we get to know each other and brainstorm ideas. My goal is to become a close-knit group of good friends, and to stay together for a long time. The goal is to become the best online resource for raw feeding.

I am in the process of exploring funding options for my research, including a research center on my property. In this proposal, I have included compensation for contributors. At this time, I cannot compensate anyone for their contributions, but I hope to change this once I receive proper funding. I am asking for a lot, I know, but I also know that some of you will do this for the cause, without asking for anything in return. Eventually, I will be able to thank those people and compensate them. I am confident that as my study grows and gains notoriety, funds will increase, and I will be able to share this with you.

If you believe in my cause and would like to support this tribe, and join the fight for our beloved pets’ health and longevity, please fill out an application, and I will get back to you with more information. I would like to talk to everyone who is interested on the phone, or using voice Skype if you live outside the U.S., Canada or Mexico.

LINK TO APPLICATION

(This is a secure form. All information stays with me)  

I wish you all the best and look forward to hearing from you.

Thomas Sandberg

Founder of Long Living Pets Research Projects

2000-2030

Your feedback is very important to me

Please take a minute to fill out the feedback form about our meeting. 

LINK TO THE FORM

Thank you so much for giving me your feedback!

Thomas Sandberg