Finally to the Vet - Blood Test

Yes. After 4 years, I finally brought Rossi gal in for her blood test. Yea, I know she is long overdue for her test. I'm guilty of procrastinating the inevitable. 

I know I have to get her checked at some point in time, but I really hate going to the vet.

My fat cat, Rubie, went along too for her test too. She has been with us for almost a year and has not been to the vet for any check (for the same reason).

Rossi gal's blood test results

I'm so glad that my Rossi gal cleared her blood test. :)  The vet said she is looking good, except for her skin.


Rossi is diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, a very common issue, according to the vet.

Since the day I took her home, she has been experiencing issues with the skin, fur loss...rashes...demodex.

She is especially affected by the weather and environment. When the weather gets hot, her rashes start popping out, only to subside when the weather gets better. Then when the environment is dusty, she also gets affected. It doesn't help that the haze is back now. Sighz.

Through Daddy and my observation, we do not think it's food-related. Now we know it's really not. Even if there is no cure for atopy, we will do our best to manage her condition.

The vet was saying, if we could move to somewhere with a cool climate, e.g. Australia, it would do good for her skin. I wish too, but not possible, yet.

What matters most now is, there is nothing wrong with her, other than her skin(something we have to work on). But all in all, she is a healthy gal. :)

I also did a comparison of her current test results against her results 4 years back. Her overall readings have improved significantly from her last test. :) I attribute this to her diet. I believe diet has played an important role in her well-being. 

Daddy & me believe too, that Dr Dobias' Green min has contributed to her health as well. She is into her 3rd jar of Green min now.

This also impressed upon me that we are on the right track for Rossi gal, what we have been doing for her. Daddy agrees. We will definitely continue in this direction for our darling.

Fat cat's blood test results

My fat cat, rubie, cleared her blood test too. :) I must say she is quite sturdy for a 10 year old gal. 

Other than having a higher BUN value, she is fine.

It's not a biggie. The vet just asked if we have been feeding her a lot of meat and advised us to reduce her meat intake. He told us to include some mashed pumpkin to her meals. Zzzzz.  

I simply smiled and looked away.

He is a nice vet, but I couldn't agree with him on this. Carnivores dun eat pumpkin. Neither is my fat cat getting any.

Till the next test. ;)

Signing off with a few fave photos of my darling & her nanny.

The Ear Infection Nightmare

In my last entry dated July 2013, I mentioned an upsetting issue that I hoped would be resolved.

It was a nightmare. At least to me, it was. I felt so stressed out and depressed over it. I couldn't talk or write about it, until now.

Rossi gal had an ear infection, which began in Oct 2012.  All along, she had a skin issue, but she didn't have a problem with her ears until that fateful day in Oct 2012. I noticed her left ear canal looking sore. Stupidly, I used the herbal ear wash to clean her ear and that's it. She scratched at her ear hard, resulting in her whole ear becoming bloody and very inflamed. Wrong move. I shouldn't have used the damn ear wash on her, it worsened her ear's condition. This also marked the beginning of the nightmare.

Between ears and skin, I would rather deal with the skin. At least, I can see her skin and target the rashes. But I was unable to delve deep into her ear canal. The ears are like an abyss to me. I feel so lost.

I got the vet to check out her left ear and she was diagnosed with a yeast infection. She was prescribed Surolan ear drops. As expected, it contains steroids and for this very reason, I refuse to use it on her. Actually, I just wanted a diagnosis of her ear from the vet, not the meds.

I tried to manage her ear infection on my own, using silver sol, internally & externally. I fed her silver sol, flushed her left ear and cleared out a lot of wax  daily for a long time. Her ear flap & lobe were also very flaky. I was also removing a lot of flakes & wiping her flap+lobe with silver sol daily. I used up many bottles of silver sol. But there was no improvement. Silver sol didn't work for her.

As time goes by, her ear's condition deteriorated. She was feeling very uncomfortable, shaking, rubbing & scratching her ear all the time. A lot of furs also fell out from her ear to the extent of being nearly bald. Her ear was so sore, till her canal became narrowed too. It really pained my heart to see her like this. I was very upset and angry with myself for my inability to improve her ear's condition. I blamed myself for what happened to her ear too.

The turning point came when I came across Dr. Dobias' blog on ear infections. In his entries, he wrote on the causes of ear infections and how to manage the ears naturally. One point in his blog that strike me was, excessive cleaning can cause ear infections and ears dun need to be cleaned frequently. He also listed down a step-by-step guide of the natural ear treatment. I decided to follow his advice of not cleaning the ears unnecessarily, as well as his steps in the ear treatment.

http://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014029-natural-treatment-of-ear-infections-in-dogs-part-1

http://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014025-ear-infections-in-dogs-natural-approach-to-treatment-part-2

I ordered the products that he listed in the steps of his natural ear treatment.  


I started Rossi gal on a 2-month liver cleanse (Livton Complex), while giving her Green Min concurrently. At the end of the cleanse, I started to give her zyflamend (an anti-inflammatory supp) & continuing Green Min. After 1+month on zyflamend, I added on Zn Otic (a natural ear solution).

His ear treatment works for Rossi gal. It takes time and a lot of patience, but it works! Her ear infection has persisted over a year and finally, things are looking up. I'm overjoyed to see the significant improvements in her left ear and so grateful to Dr Dobias' blog that has helped her so much.

Thank God for Dr Dobias! I like his perspective, which is so different from the conventional point of view. His approach is natural & gentle, working from the inside out, rather than loading the body with meds. I personally find Dr Dobias' blog very insightful & his methods are definitely worth a shot.  

I have taken pictures of her left ear to monitor the progress, as follows:

This is the very first pic I took, though the infection started in 2012. 
It was inflamed, swollen & flaky with black pigmentation spread out on her flap.
The skin on her flap was hard & rough. Eventually, alot of the furs around her ear dropped off too. 

 

 

The latest pic taken of her ear. Looking so much better. :)

Overall view, Before and After:

The inflammation & swollenness have significantly subsided, the flakiness has reduced alot, the black pigmentation is fading off, the skin on her flap has softened & smoothened out and more furs are growing out.  

The journey was not an easy one. It took so long for Rossi gal's ear to see improvements. I was so worried that her ear was not gonna heal.  By looking at her ear then, I really felt hopeless. Thank God this wasn't the case! Thank God that her ear is on the road to recovery. Hoping to see her nice pink ear back soon. ^_^

At the same time, I will also keep up with the supps & do whatever is necessary to maintain the condition of her ear. Seriously, I do not want to go through the nightmare again.

Silver Sol for Her Ear

On Saturday morning, I noticed Rossi gal's left inner ear red and swollen. I think it could be her scratching her ear that caused this.

Immediately, I soaked a cotton wool with Silver Sol and gently pressed it against the affected area. I also cleaned the area with the Sol.

I repeated this soaking, pressing & cleaning several times for the rest of the Saturday, as well as on Sunday. And this morning, I saw improvements to her ear. :)

As shown in the After pic, the red and swollen area has subsided.

I will continue her on the Sol for another few days, just to ensure the area heals properly. Not as frequent as I did over the weekend, probably just 2-3 times a day.

I'm glad I kept a bottle of Silver Sol readily available. Never know when I would need it for my darling. :)

Brushing my Darling

Brushing my darling's furs is a daily routine. To me, it is akin to brushing my teeth everyday. It is an essential activity in her time-table.

I believe that other than diet, supplements and grooming products, the regular brushing of furs also helps to contribute to a nice & healthy coat.

The act of brushing might seem like a simple process, but it does brings about a number of benefits, which include; prevents entangles & matts, removes dead skin cells, loose furs & dirt, stimulates & distributes the skin's natural oils, controls shedding, enables the pawrent to discover skin conditions like hot spots & lumps and also, promotes bonding between the pawrent & furkid.

Brush for brushing her furs & Comb for combing her ear fringe

I enjoy brushing my darling and she enjoys being brushed too. She would lie her body relaxingly on my lap as I brush her. I like the feeling of having her warm little body spread across my lap. It warms my heart. This is our exclusive time together, where we quietly enjoy each other's company. It is a mutually satisfying experience for us both.

I do encourage pawrents, who have not been brushing their furkids, to pick up that brush and start brushing.  

Journey to Recovery: Missy, the Mini Poodle

Thanks Quennie, for letting me share Missy's story. :)

I would like to share the story of Missy, the mini poodle and her journey to recovery here. 

Through her story, I have witnessed once again, how the raw diet can benefit & improve a dog's health. The amazing effects of going raw. What more can I say? :)

Missy's owner has done wonderfully for her. She has never given up on Missy and seeked ways to help her. The best thing she has done for Missy is, giving her a raw diet. I'm so happy that Missy is doing well now and moving towards recovery. Way to go!

Missy's Story
In a nutshell: Missy was diagnosed with Demodectic Mange during November 2011. Conventional treatment was prescribed to her by the vet, but it did not seem to improve her condition. Eventually, her owner stopped the treatment. She put Missy on a raw diet. After a month on raw, Missy's condition saw significant improvement.

The full story: http://www.squidoo.com/missy-my-mini-poodle

An Update: Before & After

An update:

Before  

This picture is taken in year 2009. During this time, she had Demodectic Mange / Demodex and was still on kibbles. Evidently, eating kibbles did not help her one bit.  

 After  

This picture is taken in Dec 2011. At this time, she has been on raw for 1½ years. This is my Rossi gal now.

 The previous post: Pictures of Rossi gal - Before & After Raw

A short Food Rant

I realise many individuals are bent on feeding their dogs pet food. They are convinced that pet food provide the most balanced and optimal nutrition for their dogs. The marketing done by the pet food industry is indeed successful. 

However, they do not understand the negative effects that pet food could have on their dogs. Outwardly, the dog might seem ok on the food, but inwardly, the dog could be deteriorating. By the time, the owner realises something is wrong with his/her dog, it might be too late.  

This is an insightful video about pet food. It's a 40+ minutes video, abit lengthy, but definitely worth a watch. If you are feeding pet food, I do urge you to watch it.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IopTd7aC4sM&feature=share

I have also been reading untrue & ridiculous stuff on raw written by individuals, who are not even raw feeders and dun understand what raw is about. They have no right to comment on something they do not understand and have no experience with. I think they should just shut it.

Some time back, someone feeding commercial pre-made raw, tried to educate me on the dangers of feeding raw chicken bones. Well, one who feeds commercial pre-made raw (& idolizes vets) is not qualified to teach me about raw. Commercial pre-made raw and DIY raw (Barf & Prey model) are very different. FYI: Rossi gal is on DIY raw. This someone should shut it too. I would suggest this someone read up, get the facts right and stop talking nonsense.

The Turmeric Remedy

Recently, I noticed a protruding bump on the side of Rossi gal's vulva. For a few days, it was there. I tried cleaning it and applying some cream on it, but it didnt go away. I thought it looked like a cyst of some sort. It also seemed strange that it grew on such an awkward place; her vulva. @_@

The bump on her vulva, discovered on monday, 10 Oct '11.

Instead of rushing her to the vet immediately (as I know some would), I decided to monitor the bump for a while and do some reading up to learn more about cysts.

In the process of doing so, I came to learn about the use of turmeric as a cyst remedy in the Earth Clinic webby. I read about the experiences shared by owners, whose dogs have cysts that have seen improvements and good results when they added turmeric to their food on a daily basis for a period of time. Afterwhich, they continued their dogs on a maintenance dosage when their cysts have healed.  

http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/turmeric.html

I decided to give the turmeric remedy a shot. Anyway, I have been putting a small dash of turmeric to Rossi gal' meals every now and then. All I have to do is increase the dosage of turmeric and add it her food daily.

I began adding 1/8 tsp of turmeric to her food everyday, starting from Friday, 
14 Oct' 11. 

In a week's time, on the night of Thursday, 20 Oct' 11,
the bump was spotted with Pus and it 'burst' later that night.

 This was taken on the next morning, Friday, 21 Oct' 11,
the bump had subsided significantly.

The latest picture that is taken this morning, Sunday, 23 Oct' 11,
the bump is healing nicely.

Turmeric has worked well for Rossi gal's bump. It took some time and some patience for the remedy to take effect, but it's worth the wait. :>   

I will definitely be continuing her on turmeric. For Rossi gal, it is a must-have in her diet, not just because it helped in healing her bump, but also for its beneficial properties. Organic turmeric powder

Sidetrack:

I'm not one who goes running to the vet straightaway for every single thing under the sun, for eg.diarrhea, vomitting or constipation.

I do not consult vets for nutritional advice, as I do not think they are the best people to seek advice from, for some reason. I do not think they could advise me too. 

I know my Rossi gal best and I can take care of her nutritional needs. I am her best nutritionist.

I do not believe every meal I give must be 'Balanced'. I believe balance in the diet is achieved over time. I do think the word, 'Balance' is over-emphasized by some. To me, 'Balance' is a concept instilled by the pet food industry, which I used to believe in, but Not anymore. Seriously, do we ourselves achieve 'Balance' in each and every meal we eat? Something to think about.  

I couldnt stand those who hang on to every word that comes out from their vet's mouth like their lives depended on it. @x@ Zzzzzz..... 

I do not believe in rushing my gal to the vet in the middle of the night just cos she had some diarrhea or vomitting, which could probably be resolved at home.

A couple of months back, Rossi gal had diarrhea that lasted more than a week, to be exact, two weeks. I didnt rush her to the vet like a crazy fellow. Instead, I monitored her condition and resolved her issue naturally. An episode of tummy upset 

However, I'm not saying, not to go to the vet when it is absolutely necessary. What I'm saying is, I do not believe in going to the vet blindly for just about anything and everything. Instead, I would practise my common sense and discernment on whether a trip to the vet is warranted.

A vet clinic is not a place where I wanna step into for no good reason. It's not a playground for having fun or socialization.  

That's all I'm gonna say. :P

An Episode of Tummy Upset

Rossi gal had an episode of tummy upset lately. Loose, runny poo. She was also having some gas. I couldnt quite put a hand to the cause, for she was eating pretty much her usual stuff.

Maybe I overfed her? Maybe I went abit 'too far' on variety in a short space of time and its a bit too much for her tummy to take? Maybe this...Maybe that...Well, I can't really figure it out.  

The wonderful thing was throughout, she remained her usual greedy and playful self. Her poo frequency and amount were pretty much the same, except the poo texture were a mixture of softness+runniness.

Her tummy upset lasted for more than a week, but I didnt think to bring her to the vet. Most likely, things like anti-diarrhoea meds, deworming meds and anti-biotics would be prescribed to her. I didnt like any of them at all and didnt think these meds were the solution to her tummy issue. I wanted her to heal with natural ways. Besides, as mentioned above, she was still acting normally.   

Most vets would also likely attribute her tummy upset to raw and advise me against feeding her raw, followed by instructions to give her a bland diet of boiled chicken/egg and rice. And I will never think of feeding rice or any cooked stuff to her. To me, these are inappropriate foods. She is on raw. Her body is meant for digesting raw, not cooked foods.     

Well, for one, I know raw is not the cause of her tummy issue, as in raw is not right for her or she shouldnt be eating raw (as vets would say), No. She has been on raw for more than a year and it has benefitted her health so much. I wouldnt blame raw or stop it simply cos of a tummy upset. Dogs on other types of diets can get tummy upsets too and they still stick to their same diet, ya.

Being raw fed doesn't mean nil issues or won't ever get sick. This is an unrealistic expectation. Raw is not some miracle diet. No diet is miracle for that matter.

So, what did I do for her tummy issue?

The very first thing I did was fast her. It was very difficult, cos she was always gazing at me with those pitiful eyes wanting food. But I had to do it for her sake. I fasted her for one meal, while giving her about half the usual portion for her next meal. I did this for about 3 days. (I could only manage a partial fast for her. A full fast is honestly too much for me and her to take.)  

After that, I increased her bone content by giving her a bone meal in the morning and about half the usual portion for her second meal at nite. I'm hoping the added bone content can help in firming up her poo.

During this time, I also stopped giving her organs and removed all the fats and skin on the meats & bones. I only gave her lamb meat, lamb rack and chicken wings+drums.  

Throughout the time, I also gave her manuka honey, followed by probiotics, then carbon pills (one by one in consecutive order. I went on to the next one when the previous one didnt work out.).

However, there seems to be little improvement. Though her poo seemed less runny, it was still loose+wet and she still had gas.

Up till this point, I was still racking my brains and busy contemplating on how I could help her. Then all of a sudden, I recalled a herbal remedy kept in her cabinet and thought it might do her tummy some good. I decided to give it a shot.

Parasite Dr. is the remedy. I have given it to Rossi gal a few times for its blood cleansing and digestive health supporting+balancing properties. During her switch to a raw, I have also given it to her and it helped in easing her into raw. (*I use it on an 'as-needed' basis. I dun use it regularly. The last time I used it, was during her switch to raw more than a year back.)

As per the Native Remedies webby, Parasite Dr. has these uses:

Cleanses and detoxifies the blood

Promotes digestive health and detoxification

Calms and soothes the digestive system

Supports correct balance of intestinal flora

Supports immune system functioning

I went ahead to administer Parasite Dr. on her, twice a day, with half a capsule of contents added and mixed with her food each time. 

Just a couple of doses later, her gas went off and her poo began to take form and firm up. I was so happy! Finally, I saw signs that she was heading towards recovery. I continued her on it for the next 2-3 days...and she recovered. Thank God. :)

Her poo is nice and firm now. No more loose or runny poo. I also proceed to increase back her food quantity gradually.

My purpose of this post is to share about Rossi gal's tummy issue, my approach in helping her and how she recovered, as well as my personal beliefs/views.

Parasite Dr. works well for her, but it does not mean it will work the same for others. Every dog is different. Please do research to understand more before attempting anything.

What I did for her, might not be deemed acceptable. Some might feel I should have taken her to the vet. Some might feel I shouldnt be administering any sort of remedy on my own, be it natural or herbal. Some might feel there is a better way than what I have done. But whatever it is, it doesnt matter what anyone thinks. Most importantly, Rossi gal got well.

I persist in my own beliefs on what is best for her too, for I know her best.

Hot, Cold and Neutral Meats

Came across this article in one of my emails and would like to share it here.

Chinese Medicine: Using Food to Cure Disease
by Robert Mueller

There seems to be evidence that the traditional Chinese diet is a healthy one. The various studies that have been conducted by Oxford university, Cornell University and several others have recently found that eating habits of the Chinese have produced far less obesity than the average American diet, though they consume more calories daily (per pound of body weight). I contend that the reason is the excess consumption of carbohydrates relating to the amount of "junk food" that our culture tends to eat.

Unfortunately, we feed our pets the same way we feed ourselves. I am referring to the grain-based processed pet foods that the majority of our household pets consume.

Is it any wonder why 40% of our pets today are obese?

Traditional Chinese medicine has long recognized the important connection between food and good health. The Chinese have learned that certain foods have healing properties and can be used to replace traditional medical treatments. Specific foods will often be recommended as part of the treatment plan for certain disorders.

 Yang ---------------------------------- Yin

   Hot < Warm < Neutral < Cool < Cold

According to Chinese medicine, every food has a different "temperature". Some foods are considered "hot" while others are classified as "cold". It's all about balance - Yin and Yang. Balancing the body's yin and yang by consuming foods with the proper "temperature" can effectively treat the disease and correct the imbalance the body is suffering from.

Holistic veterinarians will often look to Chinese medicine when treating idiopathic diseases that have no definitive cause. When a condition in the body is caused by an inflammation (allergies), the vet will usually recommend feeding the animal a cooling food to counteract the condition, such as duck or turkey. Hot foods like chicken and lamb may aggravate an inflamed condition and will normally be removed from the pet's diet completely. Other ingredients that can also cool the body are bananas, cucumber, kelp, lettuce and oranges.

The following are examples of hot, cold and neutral proteins (1) :

HOT: Beef Kidney, Chicken, Chicken Egg Yolk, Ham, Lamb Kidney, Lamb Liver, Lobster, Mutton, Pheasant, Prawn, Shrimp, Venison

COLD: Alligator, Clam, Cod, Conch, Crab, Duck, Egg White, Oyster, Rabbit (raised), Scallop, Shark, Turkey, Turtle

NEUTRAL: Beef, Carp, Catfish, Goose, Mackerel, Pigeon, Pork, Quail, Salmon, Sardines, Tripe, Tuna, Wild Rabbit

The Chinese philosopy is to use frugality, simplicity and balance to effectively treat the condition - a lesson we all need to learn!

(1) List supplied by the Chi Institute website: www.chi-institute.com

Robert Mueller, BSc, Pharm. is a registered pharmacist and has been formulating raw diets for more than thirty years. Recognized as one of the early pioneers in promoting raw foods to pets, Rob's history of developing and promoting raw meat diets has exposed him to dogs, cats, and zoo carnivores worldwide. He is also the author of the book Living Enzymes: The World's Best Kept Pet Food Secret. Rob and his wife love to travel with their dog, Ubi - a sheltie/beagle mix.

From: Barf World, "The Intelligent Pet" e-zine, December 8, 2010, Volume 1, Issue 8.

An Update

This is an update to my earlier blog post, The Thyroid Test (& A New Discovery). 

A Short Recap
Some thinning was noted at the front sides of Rossi gal's body, so me and daddy brought her to see Dr Ly for a thyroid test to ensure it was not a thyroid-related issue. Her thyroid results were fine. Dr. Ly then suggested that it could be a hormonal-imbalance problem, resulting from her early spay. (She was spayed at exactly 6 months of age.) He prescribed a natural progesterone cream made from Mexican Wild Yam to see if it could help her and advised us to apply a tiny amount on her every alternate day.

Update
I only used the progesterone cream twice and stopped after that, as Rossi gal was feeling kinda irritated on the areas where I applied the cream.

Besides, I didnt want to rely on the cream for Rossi gal, especially if this was for long-term...it just didnt feel quite right to me somehow. 

I decided to look into her diet. I wanted to see if there was any way I could improve her thinning condition through her diet instead. 

Subsequently, when I was reading some stuff online, I happened to chance upon an owner sharing about her dog, who was also experiencing some hair thinning. It was quite similar to what Rossi gal was going through.Then someone suggested that this owner could try increasing her dog's red meat intake to see if it could help her dog, as red meats are high in nutritional value.

Red meat nutrition 

I decided to try this out. Besides, Rossi gal also does well on red meats. 

I proceeded to increase her red meat intake, making it the main part of her diet. Eventually, I also switched her meats over to organic/grassfed/game ones. I made slight adjustments to her supplement intake as well. 

Over weeks, I maintained her on this routine.

It was not immediate. It was over a span of time. I started to notice her thinning areas were "not as thin" as before. Gradually, her thinning areas were beginning to cover up with hair.

I'm not really sure if the increase in her red meat intake had a part in helping her thinning issue...I'm just happy that she was getting better with time.

Before: Both sides of Rossi gal's body were thinning, but I only took the pic of the thinning on her right side. This was taken on 3 Feb'11. (The thinning on the left side of her body was quite similar to her right side.)

The thinning on the right side of her body

After: Below are two pics that I have taken on 11 May'11. They show both sides of Rossi gal's body that used to have visible thinning. Now both her sides look fine. :) 

Right side of her Body

Left Side of her body

The Thyroid Test (& A New Discovery)

Lately, daddy & I have noticed some thinning at the front sides of Rossi gal's body and we were getting very concerned about this. In fact, I was feeling very depressed over this.  

After her bald patch recovered, I was so relieved and had thought the worst was over. After this ordeal, I thought it would be easier for me to maintain her health through diet and natural supps. Then the thinning issue came up.

There were 3 things I suspected that could have led to the thinning:

1) 'Relapse' of Demodectic Mange
But then again, hair have already regrown and covered the big bald patch on her body. The hair on Her tail used to be very bare and thin with patches of hair loss. Now the hair on her tail has regrown too. She has quite a bushy tail now, compared to before. Other smaller bald areas like her thighs have signs of hair re-growing too, though slow.

Furthermore, her raw diet and the other immune-boosting supps I give her, should help in keeping her Mange under control. (Mange is a immune system-related condition.) So what's with the thinning?  

2) The 'Antibiotics+Hormones Free' Chicken 
I give Rossi gal a mix of organic and 'antibiotics+hormones free' chicken, but between the two, I give more of the latter. I used to think 'anti-biotic+hormone free' is quite as good as organic, cos the butcher referred to them as 'they are not certified organic only.' 

But recently, I realised how very wrong I am. (Thanks to *Iris for your detailed sharing on the vital differences between them & Thanks to *Regina for sharing your experience on feeding them. Thanks for showing me the 'light'.)

I had always attributed Rossi gal's increased scratching, outbreak & softer poo to her super sensitive skin. I had always thought the farming, sodium level etc of this chicken were fine, since I had read from its website that they use "special" farming methods. How very wrong I am! Ignorant me! I wondered if the damn chicken contributed to her thinning. So much for free of antibiotics+hormones. Scam.  

So from now on, no more of this so called 'antibiotic+hormone free' chicken (& their eggs) for Rossi gal. Ban them! I will only use organic chicken(& eggs) now.

3) Thyroid
Last, but not least, it's the thyroid. One of the symptoms of a Hypothyroidism, is hair loss. She is exhibiting this symptom in particular, but not the other symptoms I have read about. However, I would not know if she is having a thyroid issue, unless I take her to do a thyroid test. 

Thus, I made the appointment with her vet for the thyroid test. This was also a test that we missed out during her blood test last year. I needed to know if her thinning was due to her thyroid. Then from there, I can know how to help her more effectively.

The Thyroid Test
We waited two hours from our appointment time before we saw her vet. When he saw Rossi gal, he commented that her furs were nice and pretty, one of the positive results from going raw. He emphasized to us Never to change from raw and to stick to raw all the way. 

(Sidetrack: With all the rubbish I had been reading from kibble supporters, I told him that there are people who do not believe in raw. He looked up at me and said, "That's ok. It's here. Look at the Japanese. They eat raw foods and they live long lives. Breast cancers in Japan are very little too." Words from an enlightened vet, how very rare here. This is for the kibble supporters : Wake up! Dump those damn biscuits and give your dogs some Real Meat!)  

We proceeded to show him the thinning sides and expressed our concerns. He examined her and said, her body looked fine, except for the thinning, which was not normal. He agreed that this could be a sign of a low thyroid. Blood was then drawn from Rossi gal for the test and we waited about 20 minutes for the result.

The result:

As per the result of her thyroid test (T4), her thyroid is fine. However, he still suggested to put her on a low dose of natural thyroid supplement. (*We had informed him at the start of the consultation that we did not want any medications. We were looking into natural treatment options/supplements, which he agreed.)

Natural Thyroid Supplement,'Thyroid Activator'.
It's a herbal supplement meant for humans.

The List of Ingredients

I was really glad that Rossi gal did not have a thyroid problem. But what's wrong? The vet was baffled too. I asked if high sodium levels in food could cause thinning, but he said that functioning kidneys will be able to filter the sodium out through urination. Then I asked if it could be genetics, he said it's possible. Oh, he did not attribute it to the relapse of her mange.

With this, we went out to the waiting area.

A New Discovery

Just as my mind was exploring ways of how I could help Rossi gal in this case, the vet suddenly came out of his room and beckoned us to go in again. I got a scare. I was thinking, could there be anything seriously wrong with Rossi gal that he discovered at the last minute?  

The first thing he said to us was, "Rossi gal is spayed, right?" I told him, yes, at exactly 6 months of age. He then indicated that this could possibly be the problem.

He explained that Mother Nature has put in place the organs for a good reason. But mainly to prevent unwanted litters, vets do their part by sterilizing. There are vets who went as far as to sterilise at very young ages. He gave the example of women in menopause experiencing symptoms like thinning hair and weight gain etc. This was definitely something we did not expect.

Therefore, what Rossi gal was experiencing, could possibly be a hormonal problem (or 'lack of hormones' for her case). She was spayed before her first heat. We spayed her based on the advice of another vet whom we consulted at that time. She insisted this was the best time to do it. I was also looking at the benefits like lowered risk of female cancers, so I went ahead to spay her. I really believed it was the best thing for her at that time. 

(I'm wondering too, if her sensitive skin and hot spots, could possibly be partly or a large part due to her hormones.)

The vet then prescribed Rossi gal a natural progesterone cream made from Mexican Wild Yam to see if it could help her.(http://circulartimes.org/Wild%20Yam%20Extract.htm) He told us to apply a tiny amount on her every alternate day.





*Sighz* with *Fingers Crossed* 

Rossi gal's Review & Wellness Check

Last weekend, Daddy and I brought Rossi gal for a review and health check at ARVC. Since the last visit months back when Dr. Ly recommended us to switch to raw, we had not been back to see him, until now.

At the same time, I also wanted to do a blood test and heartworm test for Rossi gal. I had wanted to do these two tests during May this year when she did her first (& last) annual vacc at another vet clinic. But this particular vet was very reluctant to do both tests on her.

For the heartworm test, he said that as long as Rossi gal was on the heartworm meds, it was not necessary to do it. Then for the blood test, he said that it was not recommended unless the furkid exhibited symptons of illness and also, most of the time his clients did not request for the blood tests if the physical examination was fine. He said blood tests were "uncommon" and very costly. Well, I did not insist on the two tests, cos the only reason I went to this clinic for the vaccination was because it offered the 5-in-1 vaccine.

What makes him so sure the heartworm meds will definitely work? Whether or not Rossi gal is on heartworm meds, the test should still be done to ensure the meds are working right? That's why there is this heartworm test available at the clinics for furkids to be tested.

For the blood test, expensive, yes, but this is not a factor to me . "Uncommon"? I don't really think so. I believe there are people out there who request blood tests for their furkids. Blood test to be done ONLY when the furkid show symptoms of illness? Oh dear, would'nt this be too late for furkid? Would'nt it be so much better to just do the test and catch signs of illness in advance? Chances of healing are also higher when illness is detected earlier. Well, there is not a single doubt that this will be the First and the Last time I step into this place.

The Review & Wellness Check
The appointment with Dr. Ly was on Saturday, 4.30PM. We waited more than an hour after the appointment time before we saw him. As Dr. Ly was still caught up with a patient, one of his assistants started us off by asking us for our purpose of consultation and some general questions on Rossi gal's health.

When we told her we wanted to do the heartworm test, the first question she asked was, if Rossi was on any heartworm meds. I answered 'Yes' almost immediately. When she enquired about the specific heartworm meds Rossi gal was taking, I answered 'Revolution' in a heartbeat. Yes, I totally Lied. Rossi gal have not been on any heartworm meds for a long time. As I didnt want to give her the chance to educate me on the dangers in not giving her the meds, I have decided not to tell the truth.

Then she went on  to advise that actually the heartworm test did not need to be done, since she was on the meds. But I insisted on doing it and she said nothing more.

The moment Dr. Ly stepped into the room, she updated him on the purpose of our visit and highlighted the heartworm test+the monthly revolution Rossi gal was on. I held my breath. In my heart, I was thinking, not again..don't tell me Dr. Ly was going to say the heartworm test is not needed..But to my great relief, Dr. Ly did not say this. Instead, without a question, he told his assistant to that he will do the Wellness Check (which consists of general health check, blood test and heartworm test) for Rossi gal. Finally, Rossi gal got to do the tests!

Dr. Ly looked at Rossi gal's bald patch where it used to be and was pleased that hair had grown back. I told him this was the result of 4 months on raw. He smiled and commented, "Raw is good, right?" Daddy and I nodded in full agreement. He emphasized for us to stick to raw diet for Rossi gal, as she's clearly doing well on raw.

The only thing that baffled us about her re-grown hair was that the hair was mostly white in colour. Yes, her colours are a mixture of black and white with a touch of tan. But the hair on her back is mainly black, but the re-grown hair is white..hmm...Dr. Ly joked that we needed to get some black dye to make the hairs black. However, the white hairs are not an issue to us. For us, the most important thing is, her bald patch is gone. :)

He did an overall physical check on her and said she's doing very well. Then he proceeded to draw some blood from her right hind leg for the tests. We were advised the results would be ready in about 15 minutes. But we gathered that we would have to wait longer than this, as he was also attending to another patient in the next room. It was fine for us.

I was pacing up and down the room, while Daddy tried to calm me down. Yes, no doubt Rossi gal is doing fine, but a blood test would reveal more specific aspects that could not be detected physically.

Half an hour later, Dr. Ly came in with the results. The first thing he said, was her blood test results were good and heartworm test was negative, except that based on the results, her immune system was a little bit on the low, but he said that this was not an issue. We just needed to work on boosting it up with supplements like Sang Hwang Lingzhi.

I believe her immune system can be boosted up in time to come. Actually, she is just a 0.1 short of the acceptable range. I know her immune system has improved from before, as evidenced by the re-growth of her hair. Demodectic Mange is immune system related, if her immune system is still very poor, her bald patch will still remain. Dr. Ly had also told us in one of our visits that  no hair re-growth for her case, was a sign of a very poor immune system.

Before we left, he also said that Rossi gal will continue to do well, as long as we keep up with what we are doing for her now. This further confirms I'm on the right track in what I'm doing for Rossi gal.

I will continue her in the "chemical-free" (no heartworm/deworm+tick & flea meds, no annual vacc & no processed food+treats) route.

Pictures of Rossi gal - Before & After Raw

As mentioned in my earlier blog entry entitled Hope, I will be posting up pictures of Rossi gal's bald patch Before and After she went on the Raw Diet.

Just to recap (as "Hope" is a lengthy post), Rossi gal's hair fell out due to Demodectic Mange, leaving a big, glaring bald patch on her body. The bald patch had been there for over a year. Despite visits to different vets, change of diet from Kibbles to Homecooked and many supplements, nothing helped her hair regrow. These vets did not diagnose her condition accurately too, until I brought her to Dr Ly of ARVC. Finally, Dr Ly made the right diagnosis of Demodectic Mange. But he was not optimistic about her hair regrowing. In fact, he told me that he did not think any hair was going to grow back as her hair follicles were dead. However, he recommended that I change Rossi gal to a raw diet and see if it can help her.

I have read up about Raw even before he made the recommedation, but just couldnt bring myself to start her on Raw due to the usual fears of bacteria, choking on bones etc etc. But after Dr Ly said to go Raw, I knew in my heart, for Rossi gal's sake, I must overcome all my fears and go ahead to do it. So I did it, I switched Rossi gal to Raw.

She was deemed a "Hopeless Case". Daddy and I were mentally accepting 'the fact' that her bald patch was here to stay. The turning point came after she was switched to Raw. We started to witness hair regrowing and covering up her bald patch gradually. Raw turned out to be the best thing I have done for my precious Rossi gal.

Now, here goes the pictures:

The Close-Up Views

The Bald Patch Before Raw
(*This bald patch became bigger than what is shown in the above picture later on, due to more hair that fell out, but I didnt manage to take any close-up pics of this. Thus, the above pic is the only close-up pic I have of her bald patch before raw.)

1 Month After Raw

2 Months After Raw

3 Months After Raw

4 Months After Raw
(Picture taken yesterday)

The Overall Views 

Rossi gal Before Raw

Rossi gal After Raw

Bone-Brushing

This is great news for Rossi gal.

I have eliminated the use of toothpaste and toothbrush for brushing Rossi gal's teeth. Besides this, I have also done away with the dental solution that I used to add into her drinking water to keep her breath fresh and teeth clean. Off they go!

Who needs them when the raw meaty bone (RMB) is doing a beautiful job of maintaining her dental health? The bone grinding+crunching serves as the brushing function, while the meat tearing helps in exercising her jaws. Any tartar that might stick on the teeth is gone with the bone experience. The result is a full set of healthy, strong and pearly white teeth.

Rossi gal has never liked me brushing her teeth with toothbrush. She merely tolerated me doing so. In short, she hated toothbrushing. So this is great news for her. Mummy not using the brush on her again. She can bone-brush her teeth with her favorite meaty bones now, ya. ~_~

The dental solution, I never thought much of it when I added it to her drinking water previously. But as time went by, I began to question the need as well as the safety in doing so. For some reason, the solution started to feel, look & smell more and  more like a chemical solution to me. For one, there were a couple of ingredients which sounded like chemicals to me. Then there were also some terms used, which I couldnt be sure what they really meant.

So, the dental solution got a permanent new home in the dumpster. As for the toothpaste and toothbrush, I'm thinking of using them to clean the taps in my toilets..hmm..not a bad idea. ;p