DIXON'S STORY

This is Dixon, my 8 year old neutered Brittany. He is 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. Over the first few months, he failed to thrive, growing smaller and frailer each week while his littermate, Mason, grew tall and strong. Over the first three years, I tried all the high-end, natural dog foods, never really 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. On top of 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 have 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 first year he gradually lost weight and went from 62 pounds to a healthy 47 where he remains to this day. His urine pH is in perfect balance and he has not had a problem with crystals in the years since we switched his diet. He has also not had a single ear infection. Prior to the raw diet I was cleaning his ears every other day. Now I never clean them - there is simply no need. There is no wax or bacteria build up. They are clean and clear every day. His teeth are blindingly white. His coat is rich and deep and shiny and he sheds hardly a hair. His energy level is off the scales and he acts like the puppy his previous health problems never allowed him to be.

My vet is constantly amazed. He sees him only once a year now for routine checkups and there is never anything for him to do. Every time I take Dixon in, my vet comments on his incredible good health and says he rarely sees 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 is the picture of perfect health.

During the years Dixon has been on the raw diet, we have varied it and changed it and revised it to include the most variety possible, while avoiding the foods that do not agree with him. The best part about a raw diet is the ability to modify it immediately if he begins 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's better in 24 hours. Too hard? A little less bones for dinner and a nice bedtime treat of toast and banana and he's good as new in the morning.

I am convinced, without a shadow of a doubt, that changing Dixon from processed dog food to a natural raw diet saved not only the quality of his life, but quite possibly his very life itself. I have successfully fed raw to every rescue and foster dog that has crossed my path with never a bad experience, even if they were only staying with me for a few days. Even when friends ask me to dog sit they do it knowing I will feed raw while their dogs are with me. Some continue it - some do not. But no one who knows me and who has met Dixon can dispute the miracle of a natural diet. Dixon is finally the dog he was always meant to be. He finally has a healthy body in which to house his exuberant, loving, and loyal spirit. With all the shelter volunteering and rescue work I have done in my life, it is Dixon's transformation that I consider my greatest success. He is a great dog. He deserves a great life. And now he has it.

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