When Sheriff Tom, our Miniature Schnauzer came to live with us, we had no idea how much he would change our lives. His little spirit was an inspiration from the moment he arrived. Curious, funny, energetic, loving, and full of life, he made us laugh every day. It broke our hearts when food allergies began to rob him of his vitality and joy when only a few months old. (Don't worry, it has a happy ending : )
The source of his problems were a mystery to us, so we began what turned into YEARS of vet visits, medications, tests, injections, and products. Our medicine cabinet had a staggering collection of medicated shampoos and itch relief products. No matter what we tried, prescription or otherwise, he grew worse and worse.
As a puppy, it began with what I can best describe as colitis. Many a night were spent following the poor lad around the backyard as he strained to poo, only to have a small amount of unpleasantness to show for it. He suffered from gas, and tummy pains. Then his eyes became murky and itchy.
My first instincts about this condition proved out to be right in the end, but it was a rough and miserable road we traveled before I came to this realization. My first instinct what that it was a food issue. Something in Tom's food was causing it. I thought so because it was so central, at that time, to his digestive system. So we began a LONG haul through the best and most promising of dog foods we could find. And still his condition worsened. It became cause for celebration in our home when Sheriff Tom produced a solid, normal log. LOL. I know those of you who have experienced this problem can relate.
Next went his skin. A skin issue may sound minor compared to a full fledged digestive illness, but I assure you the skin issue was the worst. He developed lesions all over his body. Not one part of his little body was spared. The lesions developed secondary infections, yeast infections, and bacterial infections. He itched so badly I am almost in tears writing this, even though he is now well and happy.
To combat the itching and secondary infections, he was on a cocktail of medications from antihistamines to antibiotics to drugs to combat yeast. Over the course of time we treated his skin topically with every suggested product our veterinarian or pet supply store. Every day we fought for this boy. Every day we fought for some quality of life for him. What kept us going was his spirit, his love of life, love of us, and ours for him. He clearly wanted to fight too, so we fought on.
Though the medications could at times back off certain symptoms, they often caused other symptoms that were equal or worse than what they were intended to cure. Antibiotics, for example, did back off the infections on the skin, but caused their own itching and swelling, and allowed the yeast to grow. It was a seemingly endless cycle of ups and downs, with Tommy caught right in the middle.
As our journey through the dog foods continued, I sometimes noticed improvements in him, but they were often short-lived. When trying new foods, new proteins etc, you must stay with the program for weeks if not months to see if the new diet will help. If the food seemed to be promising I would do this, but often the result of the new food was so devastating to him, I had to pull him right off.
During this time the vets were telling us that only a small amount of dogs are actually allergic to food. Most of our problems, they said, were contact or inhaled allergies. They said he must always be treated with one of the major brand topic flea protections. Of course, I applied them as directed, yet I often noticed his sores worsened when I did.
As more and more meds, treatments, ointments and other products entered his world, I became increasingly at a loss as to what was of help, and what was not. I spent hours a day scouring the internet for any information, any shred of hope that we could end the cycle of suffering and give our boy his life back.
I should point out at this time that Tommy still had a wonderful life. He hiked, played, ran, charmed, and otherwise moved through life like our little Sheriff. He itched like a maniac and had tummy troubles, but was still able to a lot of fun.
But one birthday something changed. I always take photos of him on his birthday for his photo album. When I looked at the photos of the year eveything changed, I saw a different look on his face. He looked tired, he looked sad, he looked pitiful. That's when I said.... enough!
I pulled him off every single pill, ointment, spray, powder, flea product, and dog food we had. I began to make his food myself. We bathed and conditioned his skin with only one shampoo we found that we all agreed had at least not HURT him.
I began to study the eating habits of wolves, and dogs in the wild. A new world opened up to me, the world of species appropriate diets. At the time I could find little on the subject. Most were not written for lay persons, so I poured through texts meant for scientists and absorbed what I could from them. I watched nature programs to see the way packs ate.
Somehow I was able to break away from the belief that large dog food manufacturers knew what my dog should eat. In fact, I discovered that their first interest was profit, and not the health of my dog. I was appalled at what I found in the ingredients list, and the degree to which many of those ingredients were bad for my Tom.
I recalled some elders I knew telling me that "back in their day", dogs never got sick like that. I began asking the elders what they fed their dog who lived so long and was never sick a day. They were often feeding raw foods, scrap foods, but foods that more closely mimicked what wild dog packs and wolves eat.
The first time I gave raw food to my dog, bones included, I was filled with apprehension. He'll puncture his intestines, he'll choke, he'll slice his throat, he'll get food poisoning. I was filled with fear, yet I followed my instinct and fed him what I felt nature intended.
I had so much to learn, and even more to UNlearn. But this time, every step I took showed up in my boys improved health. Gone were his days of getting worse! As the species appropriate diet evolved in our home, and my skill grew, his skin lesions disappeared, he finally attained normal digestive funtion, and his youthful glow and energy returned.
As my instinct had suggested when he was under one year of age, it WAS the food! He had developed some environmental sensitivities as well, but when the diet was brought into balance, all the other sensitivities became either very minor, or absent.
I believe allergies are like a stack of dominoes. If one goes over, they touch the one next to them. Finally the entire stack goes down. If your dog has food sensitivity that is left untreated, it touches off other immune factors and sooner or later you have a catastrophe on your hands. Once the dominoes start to go, you are playing catch-up.
Today Sheriff Tom is a happy, healthy boy, and the proud owner of his own company, Sheriff Tom for Pets. We are dedicated to providing the products to others that gave Sheriff Tom his health.
www.sherifftom.com
Have a great day, Posse Pals!
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