A woman with an 18-year-old pet dog has revealed the secrets behind the pup's incredible longevity.
Mikaela Medina, from Chicago, Illinois, has been looking after Toto, the family dog and her beloved childhood pet, for the last two years.
The attorney, 30, insisted that the key to his advanced age is that he only eats organic rice, sleeps in a double bed and travels by stroller.
Toto reportedly has an 'exquisite' palate and will never eat kibble or normal dog treats.
Mikaela believes that 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 what they were eating - which included lots of Filipino dishes.
While Mikaela admits she does not have time to still feed Toto traditional dishes, she now makes him teriyaki or rotisserie chicken with organic jasmine rice that is made in his own personal rice cooker.
The Jack Russell Chihuahua is often mistaken for a puppy, despite being about to turn 18 on July 9, which Mikaela puts down to his high-quality diet - now including a daily dose of bone broth.
Not only does Toto have his own order at their local chain Jollibee's for when he is feeling particularly picky but he also sleeps on a full size double-bed and is taken everywhere in a stroller.
'His preference is organic, jasmine rice. I've tried basmati and long grain. I've tried everything [but he won't eat those],' Mikaela shared.
'He won't have express, minute rice in the microwave. It has to be in a rice cooker.
'He's very particular. 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 to his palate, he'll skip or not eat it. He'll go on hunger strike. He's a bit of a diva.
'We have our tips or tricks if he's not eating. You have to salt his fish so that the flavors will come out.
'If he's really not feeling the food you've given him, we have to take him to Panda Express or Jollibee's, which is a Filipino chain.
'He has his go-to order for that. We'll get him fried chicken and gravy and adobo rice. He has a very exquisite palette.'
Elaborating further about Toto's popularity, she added: 'I take him out in the stroller these days, because he doesn't walk as much, because he's getting older.
'Everyone's always like "oh my gosh, a puppy," but I'm like, "no, this is an old man."
'Everyone says he looks so young and spritely for his age.
'I think it's been the rice throughout these years keeping him young. He's very muscular for being old too.
'Not having too many processed foods and having bone broth - I think that's extended his life.'
As a puppy, Toto was treated to traditional Filipino dishes, eating 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 my childhood dog so my parents raised him initially.
'They were like, "we're not going to buy kibble for this dog." Two years ago, I moved to Chicago and brought him with me.
'I don't have time to cook my dog ethnic food so now it's more like rice and teriyaki chicken and rotisserie chicken.
'I've tried to feed him kibble. When we moved him out here I was like, "you're going to be a kibble dog," and he just 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 then he has a full size mattress next to my bed.
'He has his own blankets and steps to get into it, just to help him out. That's a big diva thing for him.'
The doting dog lover stated that in the last year Toto has even started rejecting normal dog treats - now only opting for turkey-flavored Chomp sticks from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.
'At Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, there are these turkey sticks called Chomp sticks.
'They're about $2 a pop. They're definitely not for dogs - they're for humans.
'A year ago I was eating one and I put it down for a second and turned around, when I looked back he'd gobbled it up. Since then, he's never looked back.
'He used to eat normal pepperoni dog treats, but now he only has these jerky sticks in the turkey flavor. He upgraded his palate - he is very refined.'
The dog-mom believes Toto's high-quality diet and pampered lifestyle has contributed to his puppy-like appearance in his old age - and is now encouraging other to take good care of their pets.
'He's so sweet and very gentle. But as he's gotten older, he's got a bit of an attitude,' Mikaela said.
'All my family love him so much. This is our first childhood dog. He's our only pet. He's our firstborn.
'The rice thing worked out for us and I do really think that's what has contributed to his longevity.
'My advice to other pet owners would be just to take good care of your pets and they will return the love.'
