The Last Update for this Blog

It's taken me awhile to feel ready enough to post this update and I'm sure I'll get very emotional while typing it.  Ziggy passed away on May 12, 2014 of an abdomenal tumor.  He would have been 13 years old today.

I still struggle every day with the guilt of not having this health issue checked more carefully.  Every vet would tell me 'wow he's a fat boy, he needs some exercise'.  But his abdomen was always extended on one side and he would have shortness of breath easily when I would try to push him a little beyond our little daily outings.

Even in the weeks leading up to his passing, we made an emergency visit to the clinic which required an overnight stay and cost over $1000, and we saw a cardiologist at Blue Pearl's recommendation which cost another $500.  They looked at his chest and lungs to try and find out why he was having breathing difficulties but never looked far enough to find this giant tumor getting ready to burst.

It breaks my heart that in spite of all that I did for him... the healthy food, the homeopathy, etc., he still died a frightening death (drowning in your own internal bleeding is not a pleasant way to go) and I could do nothing to help his suffering.  Here I am crying now, I knew this would happen.

I blame so many for his suffering.  The puppy mills who crank out sick animals for profit, the vets who pushed antibiotics, steroids and vaccines for years which only band-aided the symptoms but caused his health to worsen.  The pet food companies that create the junk food (if you can even call it 'food') that is not even remotely biologically appropriate for pets.

I had to educate myself in so many areas of health in order to care for this dog in the way that he deserved.  He was so gentle and sweet and did not deserve the pain and suffering that plagued him for most of his life.  No animal deserves that.

The good thing that came out of this experience was learning about what is really in the mainstream food supply.  Not just pet food but ALL food.  It's horrifying that we are being sickened and poisoned with artificial ingredients, GMO's, growth hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and so many other things not intended for the human body so that the food companies can profit and control what people eat by causing food addictions.  This is why the US has the highest rates of cancer, obesity, autism, ADHD, depression, etc in the world.   It's like people don't even have the basic right to be healthy.

If you really want to be healthy, you have to seriously go out of your way to educate yourself because the food industry hides this information and most doctors won't inform their patients because A: They are not trained in nutritional health, and B: They get kickbacks from the pharmaceutical companies to prescribe drugs to keep you on the merry-go-round of illness so they can make selfish, greedy profits.

No one is going to look after your health but you.  No one.  Fortunately, there are a quite a growing number of advocates out there now who are standing up against the establishment and making their voices heard and working tirelessly for YOUR health rights.  They should be supported and appreciated for what they are doing for you.  The first one I have to mention is Vani Hari, aka "The Food Babe".  She is quite the force to be reckoned with and has already successfully convinced companies such as Kraft, Subway and Chik-Fil-A to remove dangerous chemicals from some of their products.  At the very least, you can visit her website (www.foodbabe.com) and see what she is doing for you (and maybe even show some appreciation).

With almost 10 years of research, I have been able to get my own health on the right track.  When I started learning what is being put into our food, I was appalled and disgusted.  Once it sunk in, I started thinking "how dare they poison me without my consent!".  Everyone should be saying this and everyone should be fighting back and taking control.  No one has the right to take control over your body and your health.  And your children are helpless because they eat what the adults feed them.  They cannot make their own choices.  Everyone has the right to good health and should not have to be suspicious of the food that they eat.

So now I choose to take control and let my own voice be heard on a bigger platform.  I am still working on the details of a plan but eventually I will join the advocates because some of us must take a stand and be brave enough to speak out against this tyranny.  The more voices that speak, the louder we will become and the more we will be heard.  Will you stand up for your rights?

In closing, I will say that Ziggy was a shining light in my life and inspired me to be a leader and not a follower.  He will always be alive in my heart.

Annestacey

New Improvements

Ziggy is doing much better.  The previous episode only lasted about 24 hours and cleared right up.  His skin looks wonderful.  Hair is growing back.  The ears are producing a bit of crusty flakes but doesn't appear to be infection.  The eye is improving all the time.  I am using the cod liver oil at least once a day and it is really helping.  He is much more active and playing with toys.  He's like a puppy again.  I'm very happy with his progress.

Bleeding Foot and Wet Ears

This morning when I took Ziggy out for his walk, he was limping and so I tried to check his pads to see if there was anything stuck in them and then his foot suddenly started bleeding like crazy.  He was upset and wanted to get back in the stroller so I brought him back inside immediately.  I used a warm wash cloth to try and blot the area but this was obviously painful so then I just used the cloth to squish water onto the area so I could see what was going on.  I think it was just another "bleeder".  I gave him some traumeel in water to alleviate pain, wrapped the foot in a soft cloth and went to work.

At lunchtime, he was up and walking around so he was definitely feeling better.  The blood is still stained and clotted on his foot but I'm letting him lick his wounds and deal with it himself for now.  Maybe tomorrow he will be feeling better enough to let me clean it up.

I noticed this morning he also has wetness in the ears and cleaning them with a cotton ball shows yellow but I do not smell any infection.  I'm hoping this is just his body responding to the remedy and flushing out more junk.

The strange part is that this foot has never bled before.  This was the back right foot and previously it was always the front left foot. 

I'll post again in the next day or so.

A Setback This Week

Ziggy was looking and feeling really great last week.  This week is a bit different.  He's licking his feet a lot and this morning I noticed a new bleeding sore on his front left foot... which is the same place he got the previous cysts removed back in Virginia.

The eye isn't too bad but the ears are generating dry crusty stuff.  I clean the inner ear flaps each morning with a warm washcloth and soap.  And I've been using the Zymox cleaners here and there.

The skin around the neck, armpits and legs are still improving so that's good news.  Back left foot is having issues with sticky nail beds but I massaged it with coconut oil this morning so hopefully that will help.

I think that the feet seem to get worse when his hair is growing out.  I scheduled a grooming appt for this week but she had to cancel so I'm trying to get that rescheduled.

I'm giving the remedy dose weekly and hoping he will start improving again.  Everything else seems to be ok (eating, drinking, pooping).

Will post more this weekend.

Ziggy's Lunch

Here is a video of me making Ziggy's lunch.


http://youtu.be/x_FrUXuU57k

Here is a video of Ziggy eating his lunch.
http://youtu.be/tn8iOLUypHI

More Frequent Posting on Ziggy's Progress

I gave another dose of the Pulsatilla remedy over the weekend.  Not seeing anything negative but his skin is slowly improving so I'm hoping we are on the upswing now.

Each morning, I lay him out on his back and examine the under-carriage skin.  Two months ago, it used to be wet and sticky and took a good cleaning with soap and water to get it all off.  His skin is looking so good now.  Last week it was a little moist but this week it's feeling soft and supple.  I do the cleaning anyway for preventive maintenance and powder the skin to prevent chafing since there is no fur in these areas. 

I'm focusing more now on the feet, nails, pads and between the toes.  It's definitely better but still room for improvement.  I need to do more massaging with coconut oil on the feet but this works best after a bath so I think it's reserved for weekends.

The ears are doing much better... a little powdery/flaky stuff that does ok with a quick wipe of a damp washcloth.  Using the Zymox ear cleaner every 2-3 days now instead of every day.

The eye is doing much better but I am following Dr Robin's advice and dropping the cod liver oil twice per day (along with the additional lubricants).

Overall, I am very excited about Ziggy's progress.  It's been years since he's looked and felt this good.  He's playing with his toys every night now whereas he used to just lay around and sleep because he didn't feel well.

I am going to continue with the remedy about once per week to see if there is more improvement and will try to post more often because it helps me to keep better tabs on his progress.

Thanks for reading!

Improvement with New Homeopathic Vet

So... it's been a while since I've posted.  We relocated from Tampa to Clearwater in August 2013 and also started seeing a new homeopathic vet in Brooksville, FL.  Her name is Robin Cannizzaro and she is really awesome.  I've listed her site on my link list (Wholistic Veterinary Care).  She gave us a remedy of Pulsatilla and it's been an interesting experience.

At first, Ziggy's condition worsened which is ok and to be expected.  Then during the move to Clearwater, I stopped the dosing so I could focus on packing and moving.  After we moved to Clearwater, he started doing better.  Skin and ears started secreting less junk and I also started mini-cleaning sessions every morning.

This month (September), gave another dose (per Robin's recommendation) and he is still doing well and looks like some skin lesions are drying up and crusting over... very good.  He seems to be less sensitive to the heat than before.  He can be out in the heat of the day without panting and going into a mild panic like he always did before.  This is very good improvement.

I suspect that we are experiencing less pesticides and environmental toxins in this community than the one I left in Tampa.  That could have something to do with the rapid improvement.  I don't know for sure.

We have a follow-up appointment tomorrow to see Robin.  Will post more later.

Ziggy's Third Week of Recovery

There have been a few bumps in the road.  Ziggy decided that he doesn't always like to eat bones.  But when he doesn't eat them, he suffers from diarrhea.  So I've started adding a little powdered bone meal to each slice of raw chicken (folded inside of a thin slice) so he's getting the bone that he needs in his diet.  It takes some extra time in meal preparation but it's not so bad... at least I'm not cooking boatloads of chicken and veggies and all the mashing and mixing and freezer storing.

Raw feeding rules state that you should not feed just chicken so I am also feeding the frozen raw venison and frozen raw lamb (which is a ground mix of meat, organs and bone).  He really likes it and it makes lunchtime feeding easier for me.  For dinner he gets actual raw meat with bones from the supermarket (organic/free-range) which includes both chicken and red meat.  I'm considering pork but cannot find organic and I'm concerned about parasites in pork so I'm holding back on that for now.

I noticed this week that when cleaning his ear, instead of yellow gunky stuff coming out, it's dry and flaky.  It seems that his body is maybe finally pushing all the remaining toxins out and I'm hoping the ear is going to finally clear up.  Will post more on this later.

He smells really clean and wonderful instead of yeasty.  I love that and so I give him lots of kisses because he smells so good!  His energy level has increased.  He likes to play more often and also he seems to be more tolerant of hot weather.  He will actually stand out in the sun in the middle of the day smelling the bushes instead of panting and trying to run for cover in panic mode.

He is behaving more like a real dog and not a sick child.  I'm very pleased with results so far and will continue on the raw diet.

Ziggy's First Week Recovery

I am so amazed at how fast Ziggy is recovering after only one week on the raw diet. I started doing a 50/50 combination of cooked/raw but after more research, I found that when switching to the raw diet, there is no need to transition. So around mid-week I just simply stopped feeding him the cooked food and went strictly raw.

I've noticed a few interesting changes in him. First... he smells wonderful. He used to smell yeasty most of the time but now he smells like a clean, healthy dog. It's a very pleasant smell. He's also drinking more water, his poop is more solid and he is behaving more like a normal dog than a sick child.

He seems to look forward to meals and he enjoys the tearing of meat off the bones and crunching up the bones. I wish I had known years ago what a true raw diet would do for him.   He has suffered so much and I've spent so much money on vets and medications.  He is really just beginning to live a happy healthy life.   By changing his diet, I'm hoping that I can extend his life substantially.

I have stopped the homeopathic remedy for now because I want to see what the raw diet will do for him.  If he continues to have minor allergy issues, then I will start him back on the remedy and see what happens.

I have purchased a detox solution for him and hoping that it will help push the remaining toxins out of his body so he can make a full recovery.  I just received it in the mail today and will be starting it this weekend along with a probiotic to get the good bacteria into his system.

Here is a video of Ziggy's first raw chicken:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3iqsiKyCFA

New Attempt at the Raw Diet

I was doing research on essential oils for dogs and ran across this interesting website with an article that reiterates the importance of having a dog with allergies on a raw diet.  Here is the link that talks about yeast infections in dogs:  http://www.thewholedog.org/ArtYeast.html.  This article also states that it's best not to feed vegetables because dogs really do not need them.  But if you want to feed veggies, certain ones should be avoided (the ones I feed Ziggy).  So I am changing over to a very very small amount of dark leafy greens with the majority of his meals being fresh/frozen raw meat.


I just started the new diet this Memorial Day weekend and I'm already seeing some improvement in his skin.  I packaged up various meats in the freezer and will be mixing different ones based on his dietary needs.  I found some really good videos on how to prepare raw foods (listed below) that I have decided are good resources for my research for Ziggy.


Raw model prey diet - Rottweiler puppies 6 weeks old 
Short brief description of a raw meal prepaired for 2 Rottweiler puppies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHSwB1rZdng
A list of what we feed is on our page here:
http://vdrrottweilerbreeders.com/prey_raw_diet_rottweiler.html


Raw Feeding Basics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDtliKYQ0IM&feature=fvwrel

My Raw Dog Kyia (for fun and amusement)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiqvM5QLjFc

Shih Tzu eating RAW diet (educational and fun to watch)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vahd4Gwa8dA&feature=related

So far Ziggy is doing very well on his new diet and loves it.  I'm doing a 50/50 mix of cooked and raw because he has been eating my home-cooked diet for years and I want to make sure he is transitioned properly as to avoid upsetting his digestive system.

Here is a picture of his lunch today:
Cooked chicken and veggies, raw lamb meat and raw chicken livers.

Another really good website I found exposes the myths about feeding raw:

http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html

Here is Ziggy's first raw chicken leg... enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3iqsiKyCFA

Relocation to Florida

I have accepted a new job so Ziggy and I have relocated to Tampa, Florida.  Most of my stuff went on a moving truck but I also rented a small u-haul trailer and towed my immediate things so I have all the kitchen, bath and bedroom things all setup and ready until the moving truck arrives.  I noticed that Ziggy's skin condition started clearing up within 24 hours of arriving in the Florida environment.  I have stopped his homeopathic remedies at least temporarily so I can see what his skin is going to do and then maybe restart it again later if necessary.  I will keep him on the thyroid medicine.

Thyroid Meds and Wild Oil of Oregano

Dr Gabriel had a thyroid panel done and decided to put Ziggy on thyroid medication.  At 6 weeks we have to blood test and possibly adjust the dosage but so far I have seen a lot of improvement.  The skin is doing better, not completely healed but a lot better.  I'm still giving the homeopathic meds from Dr Gabriel and Dr Loops (Graph).  I have also started using Wild Oregano Oil by dabbing it on his skin with a cotton ball and letting him lick it off my finger.  It's a really good antibacterial and antifungal so I think it can help.  Lots of great information on it here:  http://www.wildoiloforegano.com/

Preliminary Results of Homeopathic Remedies

I'm noticing that on the nights he takes Calc, he breaks out the next day and on the nights he takes Graph, he clears up the next day.  I'm watching this more closely to be sure it's an accurate assessment.

Added Second Homeopathic Treatment

Ziggy had some improvement on the first homeopathic remedy and the nzymes product but I decided to add the next set of remedies provided by Dr Loops (Graph LM/3 and Calc-C 30C).  I started them on Saturday Dec 3rd.  I've noticed some yeasty stuff in one ear so I've had to clean that more.  Also the bleeding foot has returned.  The bleeding foot started when we were in Virginia and the doctor there did surgery and removed two cysts from his foot but stated that it would probably return since it's related to his allergies.  It did return within a few months but then stopped when we were in Florida for 7 months.  It has returned after 2 months in Pennsylvania.

I don't know if this indicates the cysts are returning or if it's the homepathic remedies helping to push the toxins out of his body.  I'm going to wait another week and make a second appt at the VCA Animal Healing Center for a follow-up visit.

Improvement with New Homeopathic Remedy

Dr Loops sent two remedies: Graph LM/3 and Calc-C 30C.  Before receiving them, I had to quickly find a local vet to replace Banfield and found the VCA Animal Healing Center.  Dr Gabriel is recommending a full thyroid panel but also prepared a homeopathic remedy consisting of galium-heel/lamioflur/hespar/traumeel.  I'm giving Ziggy 5 drops 3 times per day.  Started that on Monday evening. Today is Saturday and he is doing much better.  The skin seems to be healing and drying out.  The ears are clear.  He sleeps through the night better without the breathing problems.  Dr Gabriel also recommended an enzyme kit from Nzymes.com which I just received and will be starting Ziggy on it this weekend.

I feel that I should wait and not give Dr Loops remedies just yet.  Otherwise, I won't know which remedies are having which effects.  Dr Gabriel is also interested in knowing what Dr Loops is sending so I want to go by her recommendation as well.

The Nzymes website has a list of foods that yeasty dogs can eat.  I'm considering trying out one of the dog foods they are recommending but I think I will ask Dr Gabriel about that as well and maybe it's better if I wait for this skin issue to finish clearing up before changing his diet.

Skin Issues that Will Not Heal

This latest round of skin breakouts are not healing up even though he is on medication.  I have to wash his skin every morning with the Malapet/Malaseb shampoo and everyday by mid-afternoon he's breaking out and smelling yeasty again.  It's ongoing and I don't know what to do to resolve it.  This infection is on both back legs and under the front left armpit.  Here are latest pics.

Pennsylvania Allergies

We're in Yardley, PA now and Ziggy's allergies have gone crazy again.  We have Banfield here so I was able to get him right in to a vet who had instant access to his medical records.  She's very nice and I like her a lot.  She put him on Ketoconazole but that wasn't enough to solve the problem so I had to go back and get him on an antibiotic.  I hate doing that but it's the only thing I can do to get this under control.  He was itching and biting and licking all thru the night and totally miserable.  I may have to reconnect with Dr Loops and try the homeopathic option again.

Doing Better on Prednisone

Ziggy's skin and ear issues have greatly improved by staying on a low dose of prednisone.  He takes a small 5 mg tablet every other day with lunch.  I really prefer natural remedies as opposed to pharmaceuticals but in this case, it keeps him stable, more happy and keeps my vet bills down.  So I will continue that for now and post more updates later.

Eye Issue

The grooming shop where I take Ziggy for grooming damaged his cornea with a flea treatment (that I'm not entirely sure he needed) so had to put him on a few eye ointments and some meds to clear that up.  He's doing much better now and the eye is healed up.

Latest Health Update

The doctor at Banfield put Ziggy on fluconazole for the skin infections.  It helps a lot but after it's done, the infections usually come back. 

He got an eye infection this past week (the blue eye) and the brown eye is not making enough tears.  So we're doing artificial tears in the brown eye and some ointment in the blue eye - Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates and Dexamethasone Ophthalmic Ointment USP (I swear that's the name of it!).

I decided to remove the corn from his diet because it's a grain and also any corn that is not organic is GMO which can aggravate (and cause) allergies so we don't need any of that.  I've also switched from turkey back to chicken and added some new veggies (see the new chicken diet page).