So many of you are aware that Harry unexpectedly got seriously ill a couple of weeks ago.
He just wasnt himself, was shaking and stopped eating. He had a very high temperature which my vets were unable to reduce. They X-rayed and scanned him and he had a mass on his lungs so was referred to the Specialist Vets, Anderson Moores. They diagnosed him with pneumonia, ran bloods and are still investigating why this happened.
One of the thoughts was that he had Acid Reflux for some reason and this had caused it. They do want him in to check his stomach once he is better. They think this as they believe they caught sight of a dark area at the bottom of his stomach. He is on Anti-biotics still and is having a further X-rays in 2 weeks to check the pneumonia has cleared up before they can do any further investigations.
As most people know they recommend feeding their diet food but I just couldnt do this. I like to know exactly what I am feeding my dogs and I like to adapt their diets to their specific needs.
I am currently studying Nutrition so I would like to try to help him in the meantime just in case this is the case. In order to make him more comfortable and hopefully mean that he does not need any further treatment.
With Dogs with serious Acid Reflux, it is recommended that you slightly cook your food. This is gentler on the stomach. Reading further about their suspicions for Harrys condition, and the fact that his food may struggle to get from his stomach to his intestines, I am also blending the food.
I thought I would share with you what I am currently doing to help him.
Firstly, as soon as he came back from the vets, I have been giving him Proflax Liver Love – I felt along with the anesthetic and the continued medication, it is good to give his liver a little help to detox. He did have a slightly raised Liver reading aswell. I also, as I wasnt prepared, started him on Eden Dog Food Tins, as I believe these are one of the best Commercial Wet Foods, on the market. However they wanted me to keep an eye on the colour of his Poop and I have no idea what colour it should be when eating Eden. Within 2 days I started to cook his food, with little thought but I just wanted to take back some control. I used the DAF Boneless minces, as you cannot cook food with bones in.
I added Broccoli which is a great pre-biotic and has lots of nutritional benefits, such as providing Calcium, Vitamin C – a great antioxident, Vitamins A, B6, B12, D, E and K and so much more. Broccoli is my go to veg. I also add Sweet Potato as along with other health benefits, Sweet Potato promotes Gut health.
I made Bone Broth using some of the Raw Bones that we currently stock, especially the bones from The Dogs Butcher. Nutrients from bone broth can also help with digestion and gut health, and immune system function. I also bought some Kefir as this is a great pro-biotic. I add this to my dogs Goats Milk that I give them in the evening.
I am not the most organised person, with so much going on, especially with Christmas around the corner so although I was trying to do my best, I ran out of cooked food. I pulled myself together and cooked up a massive amount of food and portioned them out. 
This batch also has Curly Kale, Fresh Garlic and Fresh Ginger. I also added liver to it, along with making a batch of Liver Cake, which I make with the whole egg including the egg shell.
Im back today making another batch up, which included Butternut Squask, also great for Gut Health.
At the moment I am still researching cooking a fresh diet that gives my boy everything he needs, but I believe that what I am currently doing is balanced for him and definately easier for him to digest. I am also adding Dorwest Keepers Mix alongside Proflax Tummy Tastic.
This afternoon I am putting Lungs and Heart in the dehydrator to use as treats. He is partial to treats when we are out on walks.
PLEASE SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE WHEN PUTTING TOGETHER A FRESH DIET FOR YOUR DOG.
If you do want any advice about what you are currently feeding your dog please do get in touch.
