Bunny is our Golden Retriver, a delight!

This is her story:

• June 05 - I went to the breeder in Desert Hot Springs and chose Bunny from a litter of 7 pups. We had them hold her for a week and then we picked her up and brought her home with us. She had her first check up a week later and we found she had major ear infections.
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• July 05 - Microchip implant
• September 05 - Titer tests came back, she was well protected for parvo/distemper. She got puppy rabies shot.
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• October 05 - Clicker Training
• May 06 - Vet burned her vulva area. I took her in for a spot on her stomach and before I knew it (they had her in the back room) they brought her out and showed me the vulva area where they had shaved her and chemically burned her. They said she was infected...... This went on for weeks, trying to recover and repair from her burns. It turned out the original area might have been a flea bite and her allergic reaction to fleas. and pyoderma as a secondary condition to what might be the primary source; food allergy or fleas?
• June 06 - We brought home a 6 yr old female (Ripple, now called Maggie) to be a companion.
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• June 06 - Elbow troubles seroma, the vet aspirated it and it went away in a week.
• September 06 - Anal glands expressed with out my consent
• November 07 - TPLO on her right knee. The surgeon pointed out that she has an inverted vulva!!!
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• August 2009 - TPLO on her left knee
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• December 2009 - Fractured her left patella
• April 2010 - I started cooking her homemade meals.
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• Summary:
  1. She has been treated for skin issues since May 06 with the first flea bite and then the trauma to the vulva area.
  2. Ear infections since we got her.
  3. Major injury to a most sensitive area of the body at the hands of an incompetent vet.
  4. She started on a special diet October 07 to heal leaky gut..
  5. Never could quite get her all healed, started cooking for her April 2010 and many of the issues are gone now. In fact, her frantic behavior has calmed down too. That makes so much sense, she was being fed the best diet I knew to feed for her condition but it still was only a high carb (converts to sugar) diet. We know that creates hyper behavior. Poor dear, all that high energy was not her fault.



• Update August 31, 2010:

  My greatest teacher: Bunny, her continuing story.

  Taking the holistic route can really allow the body to heal, but it takes time and IF I knew then, what I know now, I could have saved ALOT of money and aggravation!!!

  Bottom line is: Get on a Good Food Plan. We are what we eat, etc…..

  So, what is a good food plan? There are many, and it's a jungle to navigate through. It's not one size fits all and so much of what you hear in the main stream news is bunk. Scientifically engineered diets are the worst. Whole, real food is the fuel our bodies need. It doesn't have to be hard or expensive. Looking back, I could have served Bunny organic Lobster and Kobe beef everyday of her life and avoided the costly vet bills and expensive medications.

  Perseverance is vital to being able to make successful changes in the symptoms and conditions of ill health. Determination plays a huge role, you have to be dedicated and have the capacity to forge ahead when faced with delays and set backs. You also need to have the patience to fine tune things. A role I have defined as "Health Detective".

  For over at least 3 years of Bunny's now 5 year life, she has had skin issues. She was seen by the best dermatologist in the area, the best holistic veterinarian, a nutritionist up north and now another veterinarian and teacher in the Midwest. We have tried everything, the best that Western, allopathic medicine has to offer, TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbs, and homeopathic remedies. Some progress was made over the past couple of years, but not until this April (2010) when I began to home cook all of her food did the real, healing, restorative, changes start to take place.

  Breakthrough: Some of her behavior issues, such as her constant over stimulation and high - energy have softened, her skin is better, her ability to focus has improved, her muscle mass is increasing, and I know that her body finally has a fighting chance to restore itself to good homeostasis and balance.

  After feeding her a completely homemade diet for two months I noticed she was still not quite right. She was waking up and urgently running outside to eat grass. I spoke to my mentor and teacher of Canine Nutrition, a holistic veterinarian and she suggested running a Fur Analysis. I was aware of the procedure from my Metabolic Typing Advisor training, but had no idea what I was about to find was going to be so valuable.

  The test showed that Bunny's system was toxic with mercury and aluminum. And it indicated that her mineral levels were out of balance to a huge degree. Previous blood tests had hinted at that too, but no one gave them any weight. It was clear now that the low levels of calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese probably explain her low, long term energy capacity. I was always stumped as to why she would fade out on walks and at the parades. She would just lie down all of a sudden. Rest for a few minutes and then be ready to go again, but repeat the process over and over. She has really high energy, but for only short periods. I look for all of this to change in about 6 months now that I have her on whole food supplements that will provide the right mix to support her deficiencies.

  The whole food supplements I am using are a combination of the Veterinarian branch of Standard Process and the human side as well. I am using supplements to support her liver, fat mobility, calcium, magnesium and manganese, vitamin B8, immune support, detoxification and pain. I am even using the same supplement; Antronex which I use for my own allergies and sinus problems. This has reduced the need for antihistamines dramatically. She rarely chews her feet anymore.

  I am anxiously awaiting the end of September when I can re- run the Fur Analysis and see how the values have changed. It's already evident in her behavior that she feels better ~ hooray!!! and a giant sigh of relief.

• Update: September 2011

  After years of working with Dr. Ava Frick, being mentored by her; we are still struggling to fix this dog! Her pH levels are too high, so I am in the process of trying to lower them. The theory is that the yeast will not be able to live in a "balanced" pH. Let's hope so. Nothing else has ever gotten rid the yeat after all these years.

I offer fur analysis service in my practice now and am sending off my own hair sample for analysis next week. If any of you want more information, just contact me directly. I am excited to be able to have this tool to use and assist us in making our dogs lives better.