Woman with an 18-YEAR-OLD pet dog reveals the secrets behind the pup’s incredible longevity

A woman with an 18-year-old dog has revealed the secrets behind the pup’s incredible longevity.

Mikaela Medina, of Chicago, Illinois, has been caring for Toto, the family dog ​​and her beloved childhood pet, for the past two years.

The lawyer, 30, stressed that the key to his old age is that he eats only organic rice, sleeps in a double bed and travels by stroller.

Toto reportedly has an ‘excellent’ palate and will never eat kibble or normal dog treats.

Mikaela believes Toto’s taste for the finer things began when the family first adopted him.

Her parents refused to buy him kibble and instead fed him whatever they had for dinner – which included many Filipino dishes.

Mikaela admits she no longer has time to feed Toto traditional dishes, but she now makes him teriyaki or roast chicken with organic jasmine rice that he makes himself in his own rice cooker.

The Jack Russell Chihuahua is often mistaken for a puppy, even though he is about to turn 18 on July 9. Mikaela attributes this to his high-quality diet, which now also includes a daily serving of bone broth.

Not only does Toto have his own order from their local chain Jollibee’s in case he’s particularly picky, but he also sleeps on a large double bed and is taken everywhere in a stroller.

‘He prefers organic jasmine rice. I’ve tried basmati and long grain. I’ve tried everything [but he won’t eat those]’, Mikaela said.

‘He won’t have express, minute rice in the microwave. It has to go in a rice cooker.

‘He’s very special. I don’t eat rice that often, so it’s just his rice cooker.’

Mikaela continued: ‘If the food is not to his liking or taste, he will skip it or not eat it. He will go on hunger strike. He is a bit of a diva.

‘We have our tips or tricks if he doesn’t eat. You need to salt his fish so that the flavors come out.

“If he really isn’t feeling the food you gave him, we should take him to Panda Express or Jollibee’s, a Philippine chain.

‘He has his regular order for that. We get him fried chicken with gravy and adobo rice. He has a very refined palette.’

Elaborating on Toto’s popularity, she added: ‘I take him in the stroller these days because he doesn’t walk as much anymore and he’s getting older.

“Everyone always says, ‘Oh my God, a puppy,’ but I say, ‘No, this is an old man.’

‘Everyone says he looks so young and vibrant for his age.

“I think it’s the rice that’s kept him young all these years. He’s also very muscular because he’s old.

“I think because he doesn’t eat too much processed food and drinks bone broth, he lives longer.”

As a puppy, Toto was treated to traditional Filipino dishes: he ate adobo, a mix of meat or seafood with vegetables and soy sauce, and tinola, a chicken-based dish made with papaya.

Mikaela said: ‘He’s been my dog ​​since I was little, so my parents raised him initially.

“They said something like, ‘We’re not going to buy kibble for this dog.’ Two years ago I moved to Chicago and took him with me.

‘I don’t have time to cook ethnic food for my dog, so now I eat more rice with teriyaki chicken and fried chicken.

“I tried feeding him kibble. When we brought him here, I thought, ‘You’re going to be a kibble dog,’ and he looked at it like it was pebbles in his bowl. He doesn’t know what to do with it.”

When Toto moved to Chicago with Mikaela, he upgraded from a dog bed and now sleeps in a double bed.

Mikaela said, “I have my own bed and he has a big mattress next to my bed.

“He has his own blankets and steps to get in there, just to help him out. That’s a big diva thing for him.”

According to the enthusiastic dog lover, Toto has even refused normal dog treats for the past year. He now only chooses turkey-flavored Chomp sticks from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.

At Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods they sell turkey sticks called Chomp sticks.

“They’re about two dollars a piece. They’re definitely not for dogs; they’re for people.

“A year ago I ate one and I put it down for a second and turned around. When I looked back, he had eaten it. He hasn’t looked back since.”

“He used to eat regular dog treats with pepperoni, but now he only has turkey jerky sticks. He has upgraded his taste – he is very refined.”

The dog mom is convinced that Toto’s high-quality diet and pampered lifestyle contributed to his puppy-like appearance in old age. She now encourages others to take good care of their pets.

“He’s so sweet and very gentle. But as he’s gotten older, he’s developed a certain attitude,” Mikaela said.

“My whole family loves him so much. This is our first child’s dog. He is our only pet. He is our first born.

“The rice problem worked for us and I really think that contributed to its longevity.

“My advice to other pet owners is to just take good care of your pet and they will return the love they have for you.”