Hootie on Raw
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| Hootie's story was originally posted by Gayle Koehler on the Naturally Grey list (on Yahoo Groups) on June 26, 2007 and it illustrated the marvelous results that can happen with the change of diet. Gayle has given me permission to reprint her experience here. |
Hootie on Raw
I just want to say a great big "Thank You!" to this "Raw" group. My Hootie has been on raw for about six
weeks now - maybe less, maybe more. You are not going to believe what I am going to tell you.
He had the beginning of cataracts in both eyes. His gums were bleeding with teeth yellow and crusted
with tartar (some of them), even though I brushed his teeth and had them cleaned by the vet. He slept all
day, every day. He would walk 3 miles with me, though. He never wanted to eat at all. He has been
underweight for 2 years - I just could not interest him in food. The vet changed his diet many times
(every one had melamine, it seems) I spent hundreds of dollars on lab tests and thyroid and gastric pills
of all sorts. He had bloody stools sometimes. But the most difficult thing for me was his hair. He had
lost it all except on his topside and down the fronts of his legs. I searched and searched for an answer.
Then there was the food recall and a big "ah-ha" for me. Most of his foods were contaminated - even the
$2.00 per can food, that the vet recommended!
I found this list. I had encouragement from list members who emailed me privately. Even though I did a
gradual change-over, Hootie threw the new food up. I was scared. But I kept telling myself and everyone
else that "raw" was still better than melamine! I read about the enzymes (Prozyme plus) and bought
them. He stopped throwing up. He began to wait in the kitchen for food.
Did you hear me? He began to wait in the kitchen for food !!!!!!!!!
He ate with great relish! He looked happy. He began to smile for the first time. He started get up with
me in the morning. He started running around the yard.. He started getting into trouble! Digging.
Tearing out plants. Chasing squirrels. Cruising the counter. He even lay outside on a rug for the very
first time, soaking in the sun. He bowed at some other dogs and wagged his tail and romped around
with them. He raced with dogs at the dog park (he won --they were dwarf dogs, though - still, he won.)
And guess what? His teeth are beautiful - very white and perfect! They were not cleaned, either. His
cataracts are gone - finis. He has gained a little weight, so no one is asking me if he just "came off the
track."
AND HIS HAIR IS GROWING IN!
At first there were strange little tufts of hair "thither-and-yon" about his body. I thought more hair was
falling out indiscriminately. I kept looking at his skin with a magnifying glass (oh yes, he had had skin
biopsies, too and sores removed, all without exact diagnosis.) Then, there appeared soft little bumps on
his legs and sides that were fuzzy. And then, one morning! Wah lah! Hair!!!!!! Tiny little hairs in a row -
growing all over him! Down his legs, down his sides, on his groin. The newer hair is now getting longer
than his older hair,so he looks sort of scruffy -- all the new hair is longer.
Hootie today is nothing like the Hootie of yesterday. He is an entirely different dog. His personality is
different. His looks are different. I am getting to know my new lad. And very handsome he is, too.
All I can say is "thank you" from the bottom of my heart and from the bottom of Hootie's stomach.
I read these posts faithfully every day. There is always a new question relevant to Hootie. I learn
something every time.
May God richly bless each and every one of you. I was losing him slowly along with all my discretionary
money (I am retired on a slim pension.) We are a happy "jumpin' around" family now!
Gayle and Hootie in Saginaw, MI
Not to mention: Mona Lisa the Rat Terrier (also on Raw)
Gertrude the cat (also on raw)
Lucy the Bantee (also on raw)
THANKS!
(I plan to shoot another photo in a few weeks, after the hair is more visible and more fully covered - a
progress report, so to speak!)
I just want to say a great big "Thank You!" to this "Raw" group. My Hootie has been on raw for about six
weeks now - maybe less, maybe more. You are not going to believe what I am going to tell you.
He had the beginning of cataracts in both eyes. His gums were bleeding with teeth yellow and crusted
with tartar (some of them), even though I brushed his teeth and had them cleaned by the vet. He slept all
day, every day. He would walk 3 miles with me, though. He never wanted to eat at all. He has been
underweight for 2 years - I just could not interest him in food. The vet changed his diet many times
(every one had melamine, it seems) I spent hundreds of dollars on lab tests and thyroid and gastric pills
of all sorts. He had bloody stools sometimes. But the most difficult thing for me was his hair. He had
lost it all except on his topside and down the fronts of his legs. I searched and searched for an answer.
Then there was the food recall and a big "ah-ha" for me. Most of his foods were contaminated - even the
$2.00 per can food, that the vet recommended!
I found this list. I had encouragement from list members who emailed me privately. Even though I did a
gradual change-over, Hootie threw the new food up. I was scared. But I kept telling myself and everyone
else that "raw" was still better than melamine! I read about the enzymes (Prozyme plus) and bought
them. He stopped throwing up. He began to wait in the kitchen for food.
Did you hear me? He began to wait in the kitchen for food !!!!!!!!!
He ate with great relish! He looked happy. He began to smile for the first time. He started get up with
me in the morning. He started running around the yard.. He started getting into trouble! Digging.
Tearing out plants. Chasing squirrels. Cruising the counter. He even lay outside on a rug for the very
first time, soaking in the sun. He bowed at some other dogs and wagged his tail and romped around
with them. He raced with dogs at the dog park (he won --they were dwarf dogs, though - still, he won.)
And guess what? His teeth are beautiful - very white and perfect! They were not cleaned, either. His
cataracts are gone - finis. He has gained a little weight, so no one is asking me if he just "came off the
track."
AND HIS HAIR IS GROWING IN!
At first there were strange little tufts of hair "thither-and-yon" about his body. I thought more hair was
falling out indiscriminately. I kept looking at his skin with a magnifying glass (oh yes, he had had skin
biopsies, too and sores removed, all without exact diagnosis.) Then, there appeared soft little bumps on
his legs and sides that were fuzzy. And then, one morning! Wah lah! Hair!!!!!! Tiny little hairs in a row -
growing all over him! Down his legs, down his sides, on his groin. The newer hair is now getting longer
than his older hair,so he looks sort of scruffy -- all the new hair is longer.
Hootie today is nothing like the Hootie of yesterday. He is an entirely different dog. His personality is
different. His looks are different. I am getting to know my new lad. And very handsome he is, too.
All I can say is "thank you" from the bottom of my heart and from the bottom of Hootie's stomach.
I read these posts faithfully every day. There is always a new question relevant to Hootie. I learn
something every time.
May God richly bless each and every one of you. I was losing him slowly along with all my discretionary
money (I am retired on a slim pension.) We are a happy "jumpin' around" family now!
Gayle and Hootie in Saginaw, MI
Not to mention: Mona Lisa the Rat Terrier (also on Raw)
Gertrude the cat (also on raw)
Lucy the Bantee (also on raw)
THANKS!
(I plan to shoot another photo in a few weeks, after the hair is more visible and more fully covered - a
progress report, so to speak!)
Gayle & Hootie
| Hootie April 2007 (before) |
| Hootie - September 2008 (after) |
Update from Gayle 9/11/08
I don't know if this photo shows it
very well, but Hootie had no hair
on his sides or butt before -
none. He now has hair there. It
is not thick like on his back, but
he does have hair where, before,
there was hairless greasy skin
with sores. He still does not
have hair on his belly. His teeth
are nice, too, but one of them in
the back has tartar, so they will
still have to be cleaned. But they
were thick with tarter before this.
The vet asked me how I had
cleaned them. I said: bones.
When I go to the dog park,
people who have not seen him
for a while, really notice how nice
his skin and hair are, his activity
level (he is acting like a puppy)
and weight gain. Before, he
would refuse to eat for days.
Besides raw chicken with bones,
reduced in price beef, and beef
and chicken livers, he gets raw
carrots, broccoli and peas,
cooked brown rice and oatmeal
patties with ground veggies that I
bake in a fry pan with eggs,
vitamins, digestive enzymes and
yogurt.
He is a beautiful big loving boy.
I don't know if this photo shows it
very well, but Hootie had no hair
on his sides or butt before -
none. He now has hair there. It
is not thick like on his back, but
he does have hair where, before,
there was hairless greasy skin
with sores. He still does not
have hair on his belly. His teeth
are nice, too, but one of them in
the back has tartar, so they will
still have to be cleaned. But they
were thick with tarter before this.
The vet asked me how I had
cleaned them. I said: bones.
When I go to the dog park,
people who have not seen him
for a while, really notice how nice
his skin and hair are, his activity
level (he is acting like a puppy)
and weight gain. Before, he
would refuse to eat for days.
Besides raw chicken with bones,
reduced in price beef, and beef
and chicken livers, he gets raw
carrots, broccoli and peas,
cooked brown rice and oatmeal
patties with ground veggies that I
bake in a fry pan with eggs,
vitamins, digestive enzymes and
yogurt.
He is a beautiful big loving boy.