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ARF4Westies:
One Year Later By
Wendell Marumoto, Christine Swingle, and Jane Fink
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In
the Summer 1999 IMPRINT, we presented an article entitled RESTORING WESTIES TO
THE PHYSICAL HEALTH AND CONDITION FOR WHICH THEY WERE DESIGNED AND TO WHICH THEY
ARE ENTITLED. It dealt with our
embarking upon feeding our Westies a species-specific Appropriate Raw Food (ARF)
diet, the basic components of which are raw poultry and animal meaty bones.
We
did so because we became aware of extraordinary results in the betterment of the
health of dogs that were reported by people feeding ARF.
We also realized that for us to learn more about and better understand
ARF, we needed to exchange information with like-minded Westie owners and share
experiences to bolster our confidence and avoid pitfalls.
Therefore,
we started ARF4Westies, an Internet e-mail discussion list for Westie owners to
exchange information about "how to practice" and "benefit
from" ARF. We were pleasantly
surprised to find more than a few owners interested in feeding this diet – so
much so that ARF4Westies reached a membership of 100 in its 10th
month.
This
article will update you on what we have experienced and learned from feeding ARF
in the first year of ARF4Westies.
Part 1
THE
INFORMED CHOICE
By
Wendell Marumoto
Two profound and
meaningful lessons arose from our involvement with ARF and ARF4Westies during
its first year. The most exciting
and valuable was to see that ARF works! Because
it does, we believe that the life of one of our precious Westies has been
prolonged, if not saved.
Our
"plunge" into ARF was precipitated by a 10-year old manifesting an
allergy outbreak clearly resulting from an impaired immune system.
Battling this condition for several months with the usual treatments of
corticosteroids and antibiotic meds severely affected his quality of life
without bringing any relief. Our
next options, according to our vet, were to subject him to a highly toxic
chemical treatment that could measurably shorten his remaining life without
necessarily returning him to his former quality of life, or to euthanize him.
Neither was acceptable.
We
became aware of successful homeopathic treatments both to heal this condition
and to restore his immune system, which included the use of an environmental
diet (for which a high level of success was claimed).
Therefore, we plunged into ARF, virtually as a last resort.
He did not immediately heal, but his disposition and overall health
seemed to improve so markedly that, after only a week or so, we dropped kibbles
entirely for the rest of the Crowd as well and have never looked back.
As
we looked into reasons for the impairment to his immune system, it was not
difficult to conclude that the cumulative effect of being on a kibble-based diet
for 10 years had taken its toll. We
are gratified that while we had previously regarded occasional outbreaks of
allergic reactions as an “acceptable” health deviation of Westies, our first
experience with a greater manifestation of a health breakdown was nothing more
serious, such as an organ cancer. In
The Nature of Animal Healing, Martin Goldstein, DVM, states that he does
not consider an allergy as the cause of the symptoms it manifests.
He considers it the symptom itself – an indication that the immune
system is damaged.
We
are thankful that we were able to experience such damage repaired simply by a
change in diet. But more than that,
we are grateful to have witnessed that change in diet result in our older dogs
being rejuvenated, the entire Crowd having their teeth free from any tartar
accumulation, their breath becoming “kissing sweet”, their stool production
being reduced by 2/3, and our not having to visit our vet for over a year,
except for progesterone testing in connection with breeding.
And we are not
alone in giving such testimony. ARFers
regularly relate experiences with healings and rejuvenation that can only be the
result of changing over from a kibble-based diet.
(For a couple of extraordinary examples, see Part 4)
Our experience with ARF showed us the power of big bucks advertising.
Why had we gone along so long with giving our Crowd processed dog food, a
food whose nutrient component is entirely synthetic and may be in proportions
detrimental to the health of our dogs? What
would happen to our health if we ate only nutrition bars?
Wasn’t adding supplements, many of which were sold by the same
veterinarians who foisted on us kibbles that were touted to be the “complete
and balanced” food for our dogs, a clue that something didn’t add up?
Why had cancer, and especially cancers of organs that are the bulwark of
dogs’ immune systems, taken over as the number one cause of the death of dogs
– and at much earlier ages than fifty years ago?
As
we honestly tried to answer those questions and many related ones, it wasn’t
hard to make the shift in our mindset that was necessary to lead us to ARF.
The other
meaningful lesson was our coming to realize that ARF is not for everyone.
This is not to suggest, in any way, that we are of any mind other than
believing that ARF is, by far, the best diet for our canine companions.
What we mean, however, is that one should not attempt to practice ARF
without first fully understanding its ramifications, or at least understanding
that there are some significant ones.
As
Christine more fully explains in Part 2, feeding ARF is no trendy fad.
It is a serious matter.
Read
one or more of many books that have recently been published to understand the
pros and cons of feeding (i) a kibble-based diet on one end of the scale, (ii) a
“natural” or “environmental” diet (i.e. ARF) – a diet formulated to
represent or replicate the diet on which a species evolved – on the other, or
(iii) one of the many alternative diets in-between, including home-cooked, with
or without grains, dairy, etc., many requiring supplements to be added
correctly.
Before
one embarks on any diet to better the health of one’s dogs, one should develop
a solid foundation for understanding what one is dealing with.
The best way to start is to read books such as Natural
Nutrition for Dogs and Cats: The Ultimate Diet, by Kymythy Schultze, Give
Your Dog A Bone, by Ian Billinghurst, and The
Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, by CJ Puotinen.
Another
way is to join one of several email lists focusing on environmental diets that
can be found on the Internet.
With
such foundation, one will come to understand that, at one end of the scale, the
feeding of kibbles, while convenient, comes with almost certain lifetime health
risks. At the other end of the
scale, with an ARF diet, one is confronted with minimal risks, mostly of a
transient nature. With a fuller
understanding of its advantages, such risks become further minimized.
In between, there are many alternatives.
Each has its problems and advantages.
Part
2
No
Trendy Fad Fed Here
By
Christine Swingle
The
Next Generation(s)
No,
it’s not a Star Trek spin off. My
second generation of “naturally reared” puppies is with their new and
special guardians. I say special,
because being a natural rearing/holistic breeder, I seek out potential, health
conscious guardians who will believe in the commitment to continue to feed a
species-Appropriate Raw Food (ARF) diet as
well as practice other natural rearing philosophies.
I explain that guardianship involves not only spiritual and psychological
well being, but also the responsibility to continue to give their Westie the
best opportunities for long-term physical good health.
For me, that’s proven to mean natural rearing ways.
Potential guardians go through an intensive interview process and if a
match is made, they are sent home to read The Ultimate Diet: Natural
Nutrition for Dogs and Cats, by Kymythy Schultze.
They also receive as a gift, The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care,
by CJ Puotinen. My mentoring and
support continues for the Westie’s lifetime.
I mention this because I spend many hours talking about, and guiding new
guardians to information and facts that they need to read and study before they
go home with their puppy. With this
knowledge, they make informed decisions and choices.
The greatest amount of time is spent on why and how to feed appropriate
raw foods, because this is not something that should be done casually or
blindly. This I make very clear.
Christie
Keith, a Deerhound guardian and breeder, who has fed raw for over 13 years,
states in her article, Natural Diet: “Don’t Just Do It”:
“It’s a diet formulated to mimic or reproduce the diet on which a
species evolved.” I am quite
serious when I say that feeding a raw food diet is no trendy fad.
Bell-bottoms were a fad and mini-skirts were a fad, however, good health
is not a fad and I believe, as many do, that good health begins within.
You are what you eat.
It’s that simple. Will you
be healthier if you eat lots of “dead” processed and chemical laden foods or
if you indulge your diet with plenty of “live” wholesome fresh foods, raw
vegetables, fruits, etc.? A diet of
raw meat and bones for dogs is what nature provided for dogs and has been around
a lot longer than scientifically developed processed dog food products.
If one decides to switch their Westie from kibbles to raw foods, then it
is vitally important that you read, study, ask questions and understand just
what you are doing before you commit to giving that first raw chicken neck.
Feeding Raw Foods is Serious
Business and Takes Commitment
Feeding raw was
pretty simple once I understood the concept.
Today, controlling the quality of foods I feed my Westies gives me great
satisfaction. Knowing they are
eating what God and his “research” department – nature – intended, gives
me greater satisfaction, especially as I witness my Westies’ hearty appetites,
sound condition and glowing well being. However,
feeding raw is not for everyone to practice.
Once you have gathered and studied all the facts about ARF and you still
can’t, don’t want to, or don’t believe in feeding raw, that’s your
choice. I also expect folks to
respect my choice to feed raw, for I have also done, and continue to do my
homework. You can never stop
learning.
Feeding
raw foods has its variations, depending on the beliefs of those doing the
feeding. Some guardians follow the
basic raw meat and raw meaty bone, (some vegetables) diet of Dr. Ian
Billinghurst, author of Give Your Dog A Bone and Growing Pups With
Bones. Other guardians
incorporate some cooked grains, legumes or cereals in meals on occasion, along
with some dairy as per Dr. Richard Pitcairn, author of Natural Health for
Dogs and Cats. Some feed only
raw, others a mix of raw and cooked. In
my opinion, better can be prepared in the kitchen than what comes out of a bag
or can. As long as the guardian has
done the homework beforehand and the dog is thriving with good condition, health
and well-being, preferences are just that. For
those of us who feed an ARF diet to our dogs, we accept the commitment and see
the rewards. Along with my
practicing other natural rearing philosophies, I have witnessed the positive
differences in my puppies and geriatric Westies over the years, but the real
results are generations away. However,
to feed raw is to also accept responsibilities.
My advice is if you don’t do your homework and understand fully what
feeding raw is all about and don’t commit 100%, then don’t do it.
Feeding raw can be disastrous to your Westie if not understood and
practiced correctly.
The
Way of Their Cousins and Ancestors
Dogs
are mainly carnivores. I think that
statement is more accurate than saying they are omnivores, as some people
insist. While they do eat some plant
material, the majority of their diet should consist of raw meats, raw meaty
bones, some vegetables and extras. In
1993, the scientific community officially designated the wolf and the dog as the
same species (Canis lupus). L. David
Mech, internationally renowned research biologist and wolf specialist with over
30 years of research in the field, states in his book, The Way of The Wolf:
“How would you like to have a wolf in your home?
Chances are you already do. The
civilized model comes as a dog. But
delve deep into any dog’s genes, and you will find a wolf.
This is not merely word play. The
dog is, in every way, really a domesticated wolf…both animals have the same
digestive system specialized to use meat and fat.”
I
doubt Mr. Mech has ever seen a wolf eat kibbles and so, when feeding ARF, we try
to keep in mind how to build a prey animal in the kitchen.
As Kymythy Schultze states in her book, “a well-thought out raw food
meal provides a vast variety of usable nutrients, including: vitamins A, the
B’s, C, D, E, F, K, P, T, U, amino acids/protein, carbohydrates, biflavonoids,
betacarotene, calcium, coenzymes Q10, copper, essential fatty acids, folic acid,
iron, phytochemicals, phosphorous…” to name but a few.
Personally, I’d rather provide my Westies nutrients from live foods
instead of what gets thrown into commercially processed foods.
Please,
Do It Gradually!
CJ
Puotinen states in her book, “Dogs who have been fed grain-based foods their
whole lives, have weak digestive systems. It
is difficult for dogs to produce the quantity of amylase enzyme necessary for
carbohydrate digestion and assimilation; the proteins in grains are less
digestible than animal proteins; foreign, nonnutritive protein and carbohydrate
particles irritate and weaken the immune system, often resulting in allergies
and chronic immune problems; and the demand for amylase so stresses the pancreas
that Dr. Russell Swift and others believe grain consumption is a likely cause of
diabetes, pancreatitis and other digestive tract disorders.” When
switching kibble fed dogs to raw it must therefore be done gradually.
Depending on the dog, the switch could take days or months.
Don’t rush it. While I have
seen the vast majority of Westies regain their digestive health, some don’t.
A wonderful mix of high concentrations of hydrochloric acid in their
digestive juices, along with an abundance of beneficial bacteria to complement a
short digestive system, makes digesting meat and bones quite natural for dogs.
That’s
another reason why ARFers are not fearful of the words E. coli, salmonella, etc.
when feeding raw meats to dogs with healthy digestive systems.
That’s the key, a healthy digestive system.
There are many forms of bacteria in the world.
Stop and think about all the gross things our dogs get into outside and
then proceed to eat. Sure, on
occasion a dog gets sick, but for the vast majority of dogs, well, they don’t
even skip a beat. I’ve come to the
conclusion that, as a society, we are so brainwashed to fear all bacteria.
Just look at all the new and improved chemical cleaners that get pitched
to consumers. Gotta kill those bugs!
Put it into perspective and stop the anthropomorphous thinking. They’re
dogs, not people! Humans aren’t
designed to eat raw meats and bones. Our
digestive system is quite long compared to the short digestive system of the
dog. Their digestive system is the
same as it was millions of years ago when their ancestors were roaming around.
Despite domestication, the ability to digest raw meats and bones is still
there, even if the opportunity is not.
Is
feeding an all meat diet unhealthy? Absolutely,
and educated ARFers know that. Meat
is high in phosphorous and phosphorous is necessary to calcium metabolism in the
body. Calcium is needed for the
utilization of phosphorous and Vitamins A, C and D.
Nature provides a perfect way to balance everything out, if the animal is
fed raw foods correctly. That is why
the bones are just as important as the meat.
The Holistic Guide for A Healthy Dog, by Wendy Volhard and Dr.
Kerry Brown, does an excellent job of explaining the teamwork of vitamins and
minerals. Wolves do not exist on
meat diets alone. ARFers know the
importance of feeding a variety of raw muscle and organ meats, raw meaty bones,
veggies and some extras. When
feeding raw, we understand why variety is essential.
Even when it comes to feeding vegetables, we know that dogs cannot digest
cellulose and so to give dogs the opportunity to utilize the nutrients in
veggies, the cellulose cells must be broken down.
This intermediate step consists of grinding, grating, or putting
vegetables through a blender or juicer and using the pulp.
Raw eggs (including the ground up raw shell), which should be organic or
free-range or minus antibiotics and growth hormones, also provide excellent
nutrients. Extra treats include
nuts, fruits, homemade wholesome dog biscuits, etc.
ARFers don’t get caught up in “percentages.”
We do know that feeding a vast variety of foods each week gives our dogs
the right balance of nutrients, and it shows.
Do you eat 100% balanced meals all the time?
I trust Mother Nature to know better than science because she’s been
around a lot longer than nutritionists and scientists and she doesn’t care
about the profit line.
Where’s
the Beef?
The
biggest challenge for ARFers is to find affordable, organically raised,
free-range or “cleaner” meats and bones.
As a general rule, meats in the supermarket come from cramped feedlot
raised animals that are given antibiotics, growth hormones and steroids, among
other things. This comes through in
the meat, even if it’s cooked. I
am now seeing many supermarkets carry free-range or cleaner raised poultry
(minus antibiotics) as well as organic and hormone and drug free eggs.
Naturally, those foods are targeted for human consumption but do nicely
for dog consumption, too. There are
local butchers, farms, etc. that also provide “cleaner” foods.
It’s not a perfect world, and while feeding organically raised meats,
veggies and eggs are ideal, they can be difficult to get and cost may be
prohibitive. When all is said and
done, we do the best we can. ARFers
may pay a little more than what a bag of kibble costs, but we save in the long
run because we don’t go to our veterinarian nearly at all and that means our
Westies are staying healthy. Forget
the cost of dental cleanings, too. A
raw meaty bone is nature’s toothbrush and as Dr. Beverly Cappel-King was
quoted in CJ Puotinen’s book, “You can always tell a bone-chewing dog; they
have the whitest, strongest, cleanest teeth.”
How often do you have to take your dog in for a dental cleaning, which
includes anesthesia? I never have
to.
When
feeding a variety of raw foods, supplements should not be necessary.
However, we live in a polluted world.
We supplement the diet because vitamins and minerals are inadequately
represented in fresh foods because of loss during storage and cooking, soil
depletion and forced-growing methods. There
has also been a decrease in the ability of plants to take up essential minerals
from the soil because of acid rain. I
add vitamins E and C as well as a high-quality seaweed mineral food, and a
variety of oils (i.e. flaxseed, olive) to meals.
If supplements are added, it is important to know why you are giving
them, and what the correct dosage is. Be
aware that there are so many inferior products on the market today, you need to
research and investigate before using supplements.
You want to be sure that what you give will be beneficial and not
detrimental, but also to know the quality is of the highest standard.
Simplicity is the rule of thumb. Too
much supplementation is not always better.
The support of
practicing ARFers is very beneficial to people deciding to switch to feeding raw
foods. Good places to start are by
visiting websites like www.arf4westies.info or
www.naturalrearing.com
where we gladly offer our experience and share information and research.
The
Future Is In Our Hands!
The
AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) has listed cancer as the leading
cause of death in dogs and cats today. Personally,
I believe that disease and ill health is epidemic in dogs today, compared to 35
years ago, and I ask why? Do we
blame it all on the polluted world we live in?
I did an unscientific count of the memorial ads for Westies that were
placed in the IMPRINT for the last 5 years and the average age was only 13-1/2
years young. I know people whose
dogs have died at age 8, 9 and 11 due to cancer.
This is not old age for little dogs, in my opinion.
I keep asking these questions: if processed dog foods are so
scientifically nutritious for a healthy immune system (as advertised by the pet
food industry); if vaccinations are supposed to strengthen our dogs’ immunity
to disease (according to most veterinarians); if drugs and flea/tick/heartworm
products are so safe (as touted by the pharmaceutical companies), why is there
so much poor health in dogs today? The
silence is always deafening but the cash register rings loud and clear.
Will
feeding a raw food diet guarantee good
health for your Westie today or that your Westie will never succumb to cancer,
immune-mediated diseases, dry eye, an ear infection, allergies, whelping
problems, etc. during its lifetime? In
my opinion, no. Nothing is
guaranteed except death and taxes. What
I personally guarantee my new puppy guardians is that their Westie will have a
greater opportunity at long-term good health if natural rearing ways and feeding
ARF are continued. That being said,
in reality, we have to realize that there are many factors that dictate whether
a dog’s immune and digestive systems are going to be truly healthy or not.
Yes, what we feed is very important.
However, the success of good health begins at the doorstep of those of us
who breed dogs. Veterinarians,
advertisers and pharmaceutical companies also need to stand up and be counted.
Are the brood bitches and stud dogs genetically healthy to begin with? For
example, a brood bitch that has to be on antibiotics before she’s bred is not
healthy, in my opinion. Should she
be bred? What are we doing to
address better long-term health for our dogs so that they can stay free and
clear of disease and illness? Or, do
we wait to see if they succumb to disease and illness and accept it as fate
because we have no control? Are the
answers in more drugs, diagnostic treatments, vaccines, etc. or are the answers
so simple we don’t see them? Our
choices today will prove out in the generations to come.
Natural
rearing breeders believe the following play a vital role in the health issues
facing dogs today:
-
vaccinations and overvaccinating
-
using flea/tick and heartworm products that contain toxic
chemicals
-
feeding a “non-species” diet of processed grains and cereals,
chemical preservatives
-
the over-use of steroids, antibiotics and other drugs
-
not giving dogs regular exercise, sunshine, fresh air, and
playtime for psychological good health
Don’t kid
yourself. These are only the more
obvious factors that determine the long-term health and well being of our
Westies. I firmly believe that as
breeders and guardians, we can see the day when allergies are rare or
eliminated, when cancer is “uncommon” and not “common” as it is today
and when our Westies live, on an average, to 18+ years of age.
A pipe dream? I don’t think
so. It has taken many generations to
get to where dogs are today and it will take even more to get dogs back to the
health they once had and deserve. I
can’t say it enough – good health begins from within.
I encourage everyone to keep an open mind and seek the truthful facts to
learn and then make your choices. Then
live with them for they will be the choices for your Westies.
Change isn’t so bad when you understand and believe, and find out that
it can be better…just like Jane, Becky and Mike did.
Part
3
WHAT
A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
By
Jane Fink
This
past February, I marked two significant dates that changed my life and certainly
my dogs' lives forever. The first
being the one year anniversary of my Greyhound's death, a victim of
hemangiosarcoma, the other being the one year anniversary of my introduction to
Appropriate Raw Foods (ARF), a "new" way of feeding our animals using
whole, raw foods such as meat, bones, organs, vegetables and fruits.
I mention my Greyhound's death again because her death is what finally
led me to say ENOUGH to cancer and other diseases, and explore means by which I
could restore my animals to the health they so rightfully deserve.
March 19, 1999
was the last day my dogs ate "dog food" and I have to say, this past
year has been one of intense discovery and pure joy.
I did not go into ARF blindly. I
researched the diet before I felt confident enough to try it.
I read the books by Billinghurst, Schultze, Pitcairn and Levy and
searched websites devoted to raw feeding. Of
course I learned as I went along. I
discovered that my Westie who suffers from chronic pancreatitis cannot
effectively digest grains or the fat in lamb.
Hindsight being 20/20, I clearly see now why she was so irritable and
lethargic on processed lamb and rice dog foods.
I ended up eliminating grains from the diet of all my dogs because grain
is an insoluble protein and could possibly be a factor in why so many Westies
vomit bile and have rumbling stomachs. All
I know is that once the grains were gone, my dogs perked up.
People worry about the lack of carbohydrates when grains are omitted, but
dogs get their energy from fat.
After
I became accustomed to the practice of feeding my dogs raw meat and bones, along
with certain fruits, vegetables, organ meats, fish, eggs and a bit of dairy, I
began to examine my own diet and the diet of my six felines.
With the help of The New Natural Cat by Anitra Frazier, I have
successfully converted four of my six cats to some form of raw.
It wasn't hard, because before they lived with me they were barn cats,
scavenging my field for mice and other tasty critters, so they were already
quite adapted to raw. Then it
happened, as I scoured the produce section for "doggie vegetables"
each week, I decided it was time to take a keen interest in changing my own
diet. As a result, I have lost ten
pounds!
I
can hardly describe the pure joy of watching one's own beloved dogs transform
into healthy, vibrant creatures right before your very eyes.
After the initial short detoxification period, while the dogs' systems
became accustomed to REAL food, they began to blossom with good health.
They began to muscle up, lose flab, and grow thick coats.
Allergies decreased and activity levels increased, especially in the
two ten
year olds. The ones who had the
awful habit of eating feces in the yard no longer snacked, they were getting
everything they needed from the food, finally!
I have since learned that dogs who are fed kibble (dry food) have a much
greater tendency to eat feces than dogs fed any other way, and some dogs who are
fed kibble drink enormous amounts of water.
It is amazing how the water consumption slows down when dogs are fed raw.
There is nothing wrong with the dogs;
it's just that they get plenty of fluid from the food, the natural way.
This
past year has not been without worry. Two
of my cats tested positive for the feline leukemia virus and my Westie, Piper,
had a cancer scare. Last autumn, I
treated myself to a fabulous book called The Nature of Animal Healing, by
renowned holistic veterinarian, Dr. Martin Goldstein.
I recommend it to anyone who is remotely interested in holistic medicine.
When my cats were first diagnosed, I could not understand how they could
be positive for the disease. Those
two had been strictly indoor cats their whole lives, were tested three different
times over the years and were negative, had not been around the other cats (the
farm cats were all negative), and had received yearly shots.... then I read
where the vaccine can actually cause the disease.
In Goldstein's book there was a recipe for a raw liver drink that had
gotten many cats into remission, so I made it, the cats drank it, and within six
weeks both cats were in remission. Mind
you, this only after two conventional vets threw their hands in the air and said
there was no hope. The blood work
proved otherwise and could not be disputed.
In
January of this year, I discovered a lump on the shoulder of Piper, my ten year
old. A needle biopsy confirmed mast
cells. The vet advised me to go home
and research mast cell cancer. I
could not believe it! Was I living
on nuclear waste? Four cancers in
four years! The news about mast cell
cancer was not good, so I put a call in to my holistic vet in the next state,
and she assured me that through alternative methods they could give Piper a
fairly decent prognosis. What really
spurred me on was knowing that Piper had almost a solid year of healthy eating
in her favor, and if she did have cancer, she was at least in a better position
to fight it this year than she would have been last year.
Following a ten-day wait for test results after the excision of the
tumors (another was found in her armpit), my prayers were answered.
Piper did not have mast cell cancer.
The tumors were simple lipomas, fatty cysts.
Here
is what I have learned over a year's time feeding my dogs ARF.
I have learned that real food is only slightly more expensive than
kibble, though hardly more time consuming. Vet
visits go down, happy dogs go up! Pests
(fleas, ticks) aren't as attracted to abundantly healthy dogs as others.
Stool samples and blood work I had done on all the dogs about halfway
through the year showed no unusual changes in their chemistry, in fact many
things looked much better. Breath
smells great. And blueberries don't
change one bit during the digestive process.
It
has been a very good year.
Part
4
TWO
REMARKABLE PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
We
would like to share with you posts relating to two personal experiences reported
by members of ARF4Westies to the List. These
posts are remarkable from the standpoint of similarity in the disorders dealt
with, as well as the extraordinary results obtained by the reporters.
They would, indeed, be “miraculous” if they could not be explained by
knowledge gained by the authors and members of ARF4Westies from recognized
publications and their own and shared experiences.
The
first two posts are by Becky Neff (Twin Oaks), a respected veteran in the Westie
show world. The first was written on
March 20, 1999
, when ARF4Westies was just one week old, in response to a request for its
members (and especially long-time ARF practitioners) to let the budding List
know of benefits they had observed from practicing ARF.
Becky wrote,
I
have been on the ARF diet for some time. I
have seen it do some pretty amazing things.
What started me on this post is that I had gotten back a puppy bitch that
was sold as a show prospect. She was
gone from my house for about 2 years. During
that time, I had many calls from her owner stating "She has such bad
allergies, she can't go outside without having her ears swell up and blood pour
out. She can't grow hair as it is
all scratched out, her skin is greasy, etc."
I tried to get her to return the bitch, but she always had some reason
why she couldn't. Finally the middle
of November in 1997, she returned her. Or
rather her husband brought her back, gave me a small bag of medicine and left.
Never said good-bye, we'll miss her, or anything.
Needless
to say, she was a mess. No hair at
all on her body, swollen and infected skin and ears and terribly afraid.
To make a long story short, with the help of a wonderful chiropractor
(that is a story for another post) and the ARF diet, today she is allergy free,
thick luxurious coat, extremely showy and I am getting her ready for the ring.
I am 100% committed to this diet. My
vet was in shock.
Then, on
July 1, 1999
, Becky posted the following update.
When
this list first started, we were asked to post the benefits of this diet.
I wrote about a beautiful bitch that I had returned to me due to
horrendous skin problems and chronic ear infections.
She was placed on ARF, flaxseed oil, vit C and lots of love.
Not only did she blossom, but is now in a new home.
This is an update on her condition.
"Katie,"
has been on this diet for almost a year. Her
skin is totally healed, no more itches. Ear
infections are a thing of the past. She
now has soooo much hair that her new family keeps telling me to make it stop
growing. It is almost impossible to
remember the skinny, bald little girl whose ears were so infected that both were
swollen shut. (I shudder to even
think of such.) She is almost ring
ready and if I can get her away from her new family long enough, I want to show
her. I know she will finish quickly,
but more importantly, she is so beautiful now that her previous owner would
never believe it if not seen. The
new family is so amazed that they are purchasing a 7-month-old puppy boy for
show. Naturally he is already ARF
through and through. Thank God I
found this diet for her. I truly
believe she would have died if not rescued.
Recently,
Mike Sanders, Editor of the newsletter for the Westie Foundation of
America
, wrote:
I'll
try to make this short but at the same time express the impact of what happened
here yesterday.
Two
of my sporting dog friends spent the weekend with me approximately a year ago.
At the time my Scarlet had been suffering for nearly a year with an ailment that
was unidentified after spending thousands of dollars on visits to dermatology
specialists here in Nashville and "abroad" (as far away as Knoxville).
After making the rounds, Scarlet was finally diagnosed as autoimmune by
my vet and he approved the raw foods approach but cautioned that it would take a
considerable period of time to repair her advanced condition.
When
my friends saw Scarlet the first time they burst into tears at her horrid
condition which at the time was represented by no hair; thick, elephant-like,
black, crusty, smelly, "yeasty" skin; constant scratching; lethargic
demeanor; and a wasted away frame even though she ate a serving suitable for
three Westies. When I explained that
I had placed Scarlet on a raw, natural diet I was accused of being cruel and
ignorant and that "I better get her on a decent diet such as d/d or I would
be sorry". The entire weekend
was miserable as they kept crying over her and accusing me of being negligent
(as sympathetic as they were they would not touch her).
Scarlet and I both ignored them.
Recently
when the AKC Gazette's article on nutrition was published and it stated that
"under no circumstances should the autoimmune dog be placed on a raw
diet", I received many "I told you so" phone calls and the
sporting dog friends even made copies and sent them to me in the mail.
The copies were quite impressive in that the above quote was circled in
red several times.
Yesterday
the sporting dog friends came back for the first time in a year to spend the
evening with me. While we were
sitting upstairs with terriers and cats climbing over my friends, one of the
friends asked, "Where's Scarlet - did you put her to sleep"?
I just started laughing and said, "she's in your lap".
The friends began crying once again as Scarlet is now covered with hair,
fat, and wild as a buck. The friends
were amazed and we spent hours talking about what could have caused this
miraculous change of events. They
finally realized that it was truly the diet as there were no other treatments
except for a WEEKLY 5 mg prednisone tablet that while not desirable is necessary
in Scarlet's case. My vet (who
supports me 1,000% with the ARF diet) explained to me once that when Scarlet
became extremely inflamed outside (skin) that I needed to realize that she was
just as inflamed inside in her internal organs (something I never realized
before) and that the prednisone was necessary to relieve and prevent the
internal inflammation as well as the external inflammation.
Our goal is zero pred but we'll accept the weekly dose for now.
Meanwhile
the friends are budding converts after a year of persecution and accusations.
It was worth the year long attacks to be vindicated in the end.
Scarlet was a little more impressed this time, as they were willing to
touch her now that she is approaching a complete recovery.