Saturday, January 26, 2019

Noah's Miracle #Chewy Influencer

Let me give you some background on Noah so you can appreciate what has happened.
Back in 2012 Noah was the first to come down with the deadly infection that ran thru the pack. He eventually recovered but not without serious intestinal problems. He had severe colitis and for six years he took various meds and ate a special homemade food that his vet came up with.

Since 2012 Noah has had horrible runny stools, has  had trouble maintaining his weight, has been nervous and jumpy and nippy and he didn't sleep. He'd take quick little naps during the day but would jump up the minute I moved and worst of all, he paced all night. That meant that none of us got a good night's sleep. I asked Dr B about something to help him sleep but the various things we tried didn't work.

Early this month when Chewy sent us a list of items for review I chose one that I hadn't heard of with Noah in mind. The Honest Kitchen Perfect Form Herbal Digestive Dog & Cat Supplement is a green powder that you mix with water to form a paste. The description says that it's for dogs with irritable bowel syndrome, IBD, colitis or occasional digestive upset. It combats gas, firms up stools and soothes the GI tract. The ingredients are papaya leaf, plantain, slippery elm, organic pumpkin seed, pectin, papain and fennel.
 The Honest Kitchen uses only human grade ingredients and produces it's products in a human food facility. It never uses ingredients from China. I've liked their products in the past and decided to give this one a try for Noah. I never really expected it to change anything. Boy, was I wrong!!!
I started by mixing one teaspoon of the Honest Kitchen supplement with one teaspoon of water. Then I let Noah lick the paste off the spoon. He liked the taste. I gave it to him once a day. After the third day Rob and I both saw the change. Noah used to gobble his food and seemed to always be hungry. Now he was eating slowly and calmly and not trying to find crumbs left by the others.
Instead of having numerous messy poops during the day and night at odd hours, he was pooping after meals and at bedtime and his poops, while not normal, were substantially improved and mostly scoopable.

The thing that struck us both, because it was so unusual, was that Noah was sleeping. He slept thru the night without pacing and during the day he'd sleep so soundly that we'd have to wake him to go out with the pack. This was totally amazing.
Yesterday we visited Dr B and he was startled by the change in Noah. When we were there in November, he told me that Noah was too thin. His weight had dropped to 45 pounds and his bones were showing. Yesterday he weighed in at 51.5 pounds. He looked and felt better and Dr B said he's at a good weight for him. He even commented that Noah had put on some muscle in the shoulder area which at his age is unusual. Noah was calm and happy during his exam except at one point where the doc squeezed his colon area and it was tender. Noah let out a cry, so we still have some work to do.

I had taken the supplement with us to show to the vet and he agreed that it's making a big difference. He suggested using it twice a day and mixing it into Noah's food. He also suggested trying a quarter dose of magnesium daily.

It's obvious that this herbal Digestive Supplement has made a huge difference in Noah's life. The fact that he feels better is allowing him to sleep better, eat better and just be a happier, healthier dog. If your dog is having digestive issues, give this a try. It can't hurt and might even be as effective for you as it is for us.
Chewy sent us a can of Honest Kitchen Perfect Form Herbal Digestive Supplement at no cost to us in exchange for our honest review. I can't thank them enough for making us aware of this product.

Monday, January 21, 2019

I Lost My Best Friend

Fudge was a happy dog. He loved to spin and jump and be just a little naughty. Mostly he loved attention and he got it.
He came to us as a mate for Samba and did a fine job in producing nine puppies for me to spoil.
 He was a star pupil in his obedience class and went on to earn a title in Rally.
He wore silly clothes and hats without complaint.
 He loved water and delighted in getting himself and us soaked whenever possible.
He loved his pack mates and was especially tender with an aging Morgan.

He also took on the job of training the new puppies.
Mostly, he stayed by my side wherever I was and no matter what I was doing. He slept under the desk when I was on the computer. He sat beside me as I read or knit on the sofa and he slept next to my side of the bed.
The stroke he suffered three years ago left him with spinal damage and in the last few years he's struggled with  increasingly weak lower back and rear legs. Supplements and pain meds helped but the damage grew worse as time went on. We tried to help by putting up gates to keep him from falling down stairs and putting towels on the front steps during bad weather to prevent slipping.
 During the worst times I had a harness for his hips so I could give him some extra help but he wanted to do it himself. It took him a lot of effort and extra time to negotiate the six steps to the porch, but he did it several times a day.
Around Thanksgiving we noticed that he was growing weaker and it was too difficult for him to walk to the garage to eat with the other dogs, so we started feeding him in the living room by himself. He still had a good appetite. We knew that our time together was limited.
Lately Fudge has been sleeping more and getting up or down he would groan, so we knew it was painful. Still he wanted to be part of the group and we tried to accommodate him.
On Friday Fudge had a really good day. He walked to the garage to eat with his pack. Then he climbed the front steps with little effort. He spent the day playing with his toys and rolling on his back, kicking his legs in the air. In the evening he climbed onto the couch to sit with me as I knit.
We went to bed at our usual time but during the night it was as if someone threw a switch. When we got up Fudge couldn't get up by himself. When I helped him up, he couldn't stand alone, he had to lean on us. We managed to get him outside but he couldn't begin to climb the steps. He recognized me but he was  disoriented. He didn't remember how to eat and any food I gave him dribbled out of his mouth. Fudge wasn't there anymore, just a confused old dog in Fudge's body.
I called Dr B and he met us at the clinic so we could all say goodbye together. I sure hope there's an endless supply of sprinkles at the Rainbow Bridge because my sweet Fudge boy loves them.
 Goodbye my sweet Fudgie dog. I will love you forever.

Saturday, January 19, 2019

Fudge

 Fudge
 Deerpark's Chocolate Legacy R N
 February 14, 2005 - January 19, 2019















Monday, January 14, 2019

A Little Bragging

I just want to share a couple items I made before Christmas. They were gifts, so I didn't post them just in case. Here's a little reindeer for a young lady.
This foxy fox was for another little lady.
This was for the foxy mama of the above  little lady.
And here's a French Bulldog for someone owned by and loved by that breed.
 
Ok, brag over.

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Getting In Shape #Chewy Influencer

Our Chewy reviews this month are going to be a little different than usual. Generally I order items that everyone can try and whether it's food or treats, each dog gets to sample them. This month I ordered items specifically for individuals. The first item we're reviewing is for Sydney.
Syd has always been an active dog. She loves to run, jump and dig. Especially dig! She's always stayed slim and muscular, but recently I've noticed that Syd has been gaining weight. She not fat, but doesn't look slim and muscular.
 She's six years old now, the age where thyroid symptoms often show up, so she'll soon visit Dr B for a blood test. In the meantime I cut back the amount of food she gets at each meal, but I haven't noticed any change in her waistline.
When Chewy sent their list of review items I was pleased to see Natural Balance Original Ultra Whole Body Health Reduced Calorie Chicken, Salmon & Duck Formula Canned Dog Food. It seemed like a perfect food for Syd to try. It's formulated for adult dogs, with fewer calories. It's made with multiple animal protein sources and added vitamin A and B12.
Syd is a picky eater, so she gets a little topper on her kibble to entice her to eat. This food mixed into her kibble received her approval and she doesn't know she's getting diet food. She just thinks it tastes good.
I'll watch her diet, encourage her activities and possibly treat her thyroid. Somehow we'll get Syd back into top condition.
  Chewy sent us a case of Natural Balance Reduced Calorie food at no cost to us in exchange for our honest review. This morning I gave Fudge a spoonful mixed with his kibble and from the way he attacked it, I'd say this food is a winner.

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Running Late

Hi Everybody,
We're still here even though our secretary hasn't been keeping our blog up to date. Still, we didn't want to skip an important event.
Last Saturday, the 5th, was Sebastian's eighth birthday. Of course we helped him celebrate.
Our New Year resolution is to blog more often. So far we haven't done a very good job, but we're working at it.
Your pal, Fudge

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Good Wishes For 2019

Hi Everybody,
Last night Mom and Dad had some of this.
And they had some of this.
Today we'll get those little shrimpy tails mixed with our dinner.

It was a quiet night without a lot of boomers and we're all happy about that.

We all want to wish all of you a safe, peaceful and healthy new year.
Your pal, Fudge and all the rest of the pack