Mauzer's Journey

Excerpt from Dr Karen Becker's; The Forever Dog.

Chapter 5: The Triple Threat - How stress, isolation and lack of physical activity affect us all

"Mauzer had chronic diarrhoea. For a year I brought her to a local vet who ran every test under the sun and found nothing. It always felt like guesswork. Every time I left the office I had a different type of kibble and more medications to try and firm up her poop. Nothing worked. I felt like they were treating her symptoms and not finding the cause. After the last appointment I remember driving home with a $60.00 bag of kangaroo kibble and wondering, 'What if it's the food causing the problem?'

"A friend of a friend recommended seeing Dr Becker. I wasn't sure because she was over an hour's drive away and I heard she was not a 'typical' vet. Then Mauzer started pooping undigested kibble and blood; it was coming out of her like a firehose. She lost seven pounds in a week, and I thought she might not make it. I made an appointment, because perhaps an atypical approach was just what she needed. Dr Becker walked in, sat on the floor, and Mauzer crawled in her lap. I knew we were in the right place. Nothing they had tried had worked. Dr Becker diagnosed her with malabsorption, after a blood test.

"Dr Becker talked to me about feeding a raw diet. Real food made sense. She also went on supplements to help her recover from her malabsorption. Within days her poop was normal and she started gaining weight. No more blood. She was no longer lethargic. Then I started rotating between buffalo, venison and turkey proteins she hadn't had before. The variety didn't upset her system, it healed it. I used frozen blueberries for treats, I would also set aside a little of what I was making for myself for dinner to add to her dinner All fresh and healthy. Her coat changed from dull to shiny. She was more energetic. Her eyes were bright. She thrived. Thousands...

I had spent thousands chasing a problem that started with what I was feeding her. Ironically, food caused the problem, and food also cured her."

Mauzer's positive transformation reflects what many other dogs experience with attention to diet. There's no doubt that Mauzer's diet ws stressing her body. Reducing that metabolic stress helped turn things around. Although stress comes in many different forms, it has a single result what its relentless; ill health. [...]