Athos, our German Shepherd, came to us as a "medical placement" from Battersea because he is elderly (12+ years old), and he has colitis. The colitis caused him great discomfort and, as is typical of colitis sufferers, he alternated between constipation and diarrhoea, often resulting in spontaneous bowel evacuation. He was on a very specific diet when he came to us which seemed to keep the condition under control - trouble was, the diet wasn't doing anything at all in sustaining general good health and we weren't happy with the idea of feeding him the two brands of tinned food for the rest of his life. Also, I always prefer to get to the root of the problem and fix it, rather than just control the symptoms.
We have been feeding our dogs unprocessed food (mostly raw, with cooked vegetables, etc) and various supplements since 2007, and we have found that this diet performs miracles regarding the reversal of many canine health issues, including mobility problems. So we wanted to feed Athos on this healthier diet as well (Athos also suffers from hip dysplasia). The change-over allowed us to experience (oh what joy! - not) exactly what happens when a dog with colitis is fully symptomatic and we had to come up with a solution to his problem very quickly!
Turns out, yet again, that the "old ways" are the best. We gave him food grade diatomaceous earth (sometimes called "Fuller's Earth") in his food and the constipation and diarrhoea stopped immediately. Athos also seemed to be a lot more comfortable, which was made evident by his increased energy and playfulness. He just looked happier. His fur is now softer, and he's managed to put on a little weight so he now looks very healthy and strong.
Another great thing about giving diatomaceous earth to dogs is that their stools become very easy to clean up - neat packages with less smell. (Hope you're not eating your breakfast while reading this).
We gave Athos and Bryn a tablespoon of D.E. twice a day for a couple of months, then changed the regime to two tablespoons in their evening meal only.
Athos was fully symptomatic in October and was given his first doses of D.E. then. Since October, he hasn't had a single "accident" and his bowel movements are regular and normal in texture. We can now feed him absolutely anything without any ill effects.
And...both Bryn and Athos used to suffer from severe, room-clearing, noxious and nauseating flatulence. I am very happy indeed to report that this problem has disappeared also, although it took a while longer to go than their other symptoms of digestion problems. But it was well worth the wait!
No comments:
Post a Comment