This is my Brittany, Dixon. He was the inspiration for Pets by Nature and for all it represents. From the time I first got Dixon at 8 weeks of age, he had a terrible digestive system. He was always vomiting and had constant diarrhea. During his first few months with me, he failed to thrive, growing smaller and frailer each week while his litter-mate, Mason, grew tall and strong. Over the first three years, I tried all the high-end, natural dog foods, never finding anything that resulted in consistent improvement. Dixon developed a chronic urinary pH imbalance, often resulting in crystals in his urine. This made urination extremely painful and he often had accidents in the house. Vets prescribed high doses of Vitamin C for the pH imbalance, but this exacerbated his loose bowels. In addition to these problems, he experienced chronic ear infections, anal sac problems, and was eventually diagnosed as having hypothyroidism. He gained enormous amounts of weight, tipping the scales at a whopping 62 pounds (which for a small-boned Brittany is quite obese). His hair was dull and came out in handfuls and at the young age of 3 he was lethargic and seemed to have no zest for life. Something had to change. This was a beautiful, vibrant dog, loving and devoted, with the most charming disposition I had ever seen and he deserved better than I was giving him.

Scouring the Internet for answers, I found dog lists devoted to natural diets for canines. I joined several of them and began talking to everyone from the States to Sweden, Canada to Australia. Books were recommended and I purchased them all. After four months of intensive research, I was ready to begin a new era for Dixon. At the time, I was a volunteer and foster parent for a Bichon rescue, Small Paws Rescue, and I had one long-term rescue Bichon living with me as well as several short term Bichons that came and went each month or so. Even the abused and neglected rescue dogs had better constitutions than my well-loved and cared for boy. I settled on a basic raw diet consisting mainly of raw chicken bones, with quantities of vegetables put through a juicer to break them down. I bought a $5.00 kitchen scale and calculated 2% of Dixon's ideal body weight (which I decided was 45 pounds instead of his current 62) and measured out some meals. I was ready to go.

Even though I had done the research and was convinced that this raw diet was a viable option, I still suffered from the old conditioning about giving dogs bones. I remember vividly the first night of the new diet. I placed Dixon's and Shredder's (the Bichon from Hell - that's a long story for another day) dinners down and watched as they gobbled up raw chicken wings, veggies, and a dollop of natural yogurt. They were ecstatic and surely thought I had lost my mind and they had gone to heaven. I then followed them around all night waiting for them to keel over, convinced I had killed them. When, surprisingly, they were still alive the next day, we repeated the exercise. Each day I became a little less apprehensive about the decision I had made. Shredder adapted to the new diet with no problems whatsoever. Dixon experienced 2 weeks of intense detoxification symptoms. Luckily, my research and the support of the list groups had prepared me for these symptoms and I did not panic. As if on cue, 2 weeks to the day after starting the new diet, the detox symptoms faded and things settled down. Dixon's stools were consistently firm (not to mention considerably smaller than they had been on any processed dog food).

I began the diet in August of 2001. As Dixon ate more and more vegetables on a regular basis, I discontinued his Vitamin C supplements. Over the first few months I began to notice subtle differences. The brown tartar on his teeth seemed to be disappearing. He was looking leaner. His coat was getting shinier. I was pleased overall, but because I saw him every day I failed to notice the extent of the changes. That Christmas, we had a visit from out-of-State family members who hadn't seen Dixon since the previous Christmas. They were, to a person, astounded at the change in him. Everyone who saw him exclaimed that he was a "different dog" and asked what in the world I had done to him. It was through their eyes that I finally acknowledged the enormity of the improvement in my dog. He was truly a new animal. The next spring I had a complete thyroid panel done and the results showed that I could cut Dixon's thyroid medication in half. His thyroid was functioning better than it had in years. (Over the next 7 years, we would twice more cut his thyroid meds in half.) During the first year on his raw diet, Dixon gradually lost weight and went from 62 pounds to a healthy 47 which he maintained for the rest of his life. His urine pH was in perfect balance and he never had another problem with urinary stones. He never had another ear infection. Prior to the raw diet I was cleaning his ears every other day. In the following 7 years I never cleaned them - there was simply no need. There was no wax or bacteria build up. They were clean and clear every day. His teeth became and stayed blindingly white. His coat was rich and deep and shiny and he shed hardly a hair. His energy level was off the scales and he acted like the puppy his previous health problems never allowed him to be.

My vet went from seeing Dixon at least once a month to seeing him only once a year for routine checkups. Every time I took Dixon in, my vet would comment on his incredible good health and would affirm that she rarely saw a dog such as Dixon with absolutely no chronic problems - no allergies, no hot spots, no ear or eye problems, no anal sac problems, perfect stools and urine levels. Except for his extremely low maintenance dose of thyroid meds, Dixon was the picture of perfect health. I am blessed to have a vet who is experienced in both Western and Eastern medicine and who not only supports raw diets, modified vaccination protocols and holistic health care, but encourages it. Dixon was her poster-child for the benefits of a healthy raw diet and she delighted in watching him thrive over the years.

During the years Dixon was on the raw diet, we varied it and changed it and revised it to include the most variety possible, while avoiding the foods that did not agree with him. The best part about a raw diet is the ability to modify it immediately if he began to slip, even for a day, into old digestive problems. Stools slightly soft or loose? A couple spoonfuls of canned pumpkin and a slightly higher ratio of bones to veggies and he was better in 24 hours. Stools too hard? A little less bones for dinner and a nice bedtime treat of toast and banana and he was good as new in the morning.

Laura Murphy
In appreciation of Dixon and his longsuffering, trusting, indomitable spirit.