# A List of Lasts. What were we doing a year ago?



## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Rebel was having his last ear infection. The inside of his ear looked like a cauliflower. The vet said she had never seen worse. We were about to get rid of the drops, washes, q-tips, pills, and wipes.

He had licked the last giant hole in his leg or foot. No more biopsies, socks, wraps, muzzles, yuck, bitter apple, potions, lotions, ooze, and blood.

Snorkels had just had her last diet-related ER visit. No more IVs, subQ hydration, antibiotics, x-rays, pumpkin, green beans, olive oil, stool softener, enemas, laxatives, midnight races to the vet with her hanging her head over the edge of the seat puking on the floor. 

She was scheduled for her first laser therapy. We could ditch the steroids, anti-inflammatories, pain meds. No more laying in bed all day. No more standing with head to the ground. 

She had had her last ear infection. No more giant goopy wet ears, constant fighting of the meds, no more flap-flap-flapping her ears constantly.

Her enlarged heart had no idea it had seen the last of the processed proteins, carbs, flavors, and supplements which kept it from healing. No one could predict it would start shrinking soon.

I was doing my last search for a solution on the internet. I believe my search words were _dog food home cooked_. I had never heard of raw food for dogs, that bones were ok, that constipation could be controlled with organs. It was my last day of having no clue how to help my dogs. My last time to hold my dog and cry in frustration that I couldn't fix her. My last time to feel helpless. 

What a difference a year makes!

Where were you a year ago?


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

Looking for good deal on meat thats all I can remember from a year ago lol


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

I wish I could say we were doing better with our issues, but unfortunately Tux's allergies are just as bad as they were on kibble. They are environmental, so not a whole lot we can do. And this is the worst time of year for them. So we are still fighting the battle. We did see a holistic vet back in Dec and now have an all natural anti-histamine and probiotic, but right now I am shampooing his feet every other day with an antifungal shampoo to keep the yeast from getting as bad as it was back in Dec. 

But on a plus side, my dogs do have super soft coats, awesome teeth, and excellent energy levels!


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## IslandPaws4Raw (Sep 7, 2011)

What an amazing success for Rebel and Snorkles, and a huge relief for you. I'm sure you never dreamed of such a fantastic outcome. 

A year ago I was frustrated with Ari's tummy issues. Having to feed him copious amounts of kibble to keep him from looking like a starved thing....and dealing with the huge soft, smelly kibble poo. Kai's allergies were continually getting worse.

But I still didn't make the move towards raw until 4 months later. I wish I had done it sooner.


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## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

Well, let's see. One year ago Mateo was still in utero (born May 2). But I knew I was going to feed my new pup raw...

Good that you were able to reflect back on what was--- and the enormous strides your dogs have made on raw. Wow. You have a lot to be proud of, and to be thankful for.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

shellbell said:


> I wish I could say we were doing better with our issues, but unfortunately Tux's allergies are just as bad as they were on kibble. They are environmental, so not a whole lot we can do. And this is the worst time of year for them. So we are still fighting the battle. We did see a holistic vet back in Dec and now have an all natural anti-histamine and probiotic, but right now I am shampooing his feet every other day with an antifungal shampoo to keep the yeast from getting as bad as it was back in Dec.
> 
> But on a plus side, my dogs do have super soft coats, awesome teeth, and excellent energy levels!


Raw didn't fix everything for us either. But it's weird - snorkels had this horrible brown gunk running from her eyes and I had decided it was environmental. We were cleaning her face four times a day. When I read your post it dawned on me - I haven't cleaned her face for about a month. It seems to have just disappeared. I just took a look at her and her face is perfectly clean.

So maybe there is hope for Tux yet. I would have never dreamed it would take almost a year to help her eyes.

But we still fight constipation and of course she's never going to reverse her heart disease or arthritis. Rebel's not gonna grow hair, apparently. However, in the grand scheme of things raw has pretty much fixed everything it can fix except the constipation.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

NewYorkDogue said:


> Well, let's see. One year ago Mateo was still in utero (born May 2). But I knew I was going to feed my new pup raw...
> 
> Good that you were able to reflect back on what was--- and the enormous strides your dogs have made on raw. Wow. You have a lot to be proud of, and to be thankful for.


Mateo will never have diet related arthritis or heart disease like Snorkels. Or rotten teeth. That is a big plus for him.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

So this is probably not where you were going with this thread, but dog food related, this is where I was last year:


























I started getting into couponing and stockpiling hardcore. Between my Petco discount, flat out free food, coupons, and our grand reopening (we got remodeled) I started stockpiling dog food. Yes, I know they aren't all the best foods. But, I always fed a rotation so a couple junk bags here and there were not a huge deal to me since they were free. 

Now a days, my couponing as become non existent because now that I don't work at Petco (in a rich community with no couponers to speak of) I don't get the good deals I get here at home (poor community of couponing vultures who clear the shelves). I get so pissed I have taken a break. That food is long gone. I do still have a bag of unopened California Naturals but I am going to save it for emergencies. When it gets down to the wire of expiration and I haven't used it I will donate it. I have no real medical benefits to speak of with the dogs being on raw but I think just the fact that a year ago they were eating mostly kibble and now fresh juicey meats is beneficial enough. Plus, I felt like chiming in 

@NEWYORKDOGUE LOL Mateo was in utero huh? Did you know you were going to get a mastiff then?


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## DeekenDog (Aug 29, 2011)

Happy Raw Anniversary! 

A year ago Deeken had been on raw for about a month. He was still on ground commercial raw but I was seeing an improvement in coat, teeth, and eye discharge. 

I am really starting to believe that it takes around a year for most adult dogs to fully transition. I noticed an improvement in coat suddenly at about 9 months in and I've heard other people say that they don't see the full benefits until well into raw. I do know that raw helped with Deeken's environmental allergies as did the addition of wild blueberries as they strengthened his immune system. Last year I did see some summer allergies but better than they had been in the past. Haven't seen any signs yet this year but we'll see how he is in a couple of months.


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## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

xellil said:


> Mateo will never have diet related arthritis or heart disease like Snorkels. Or rotten teeth. That is a big plus for him.


About the teeth-- I must get comments every other day about how white his teeth are. True, he's young, but even so. They are strikingly white and clean all the way to the back of his mouth... (btw, he opens his huge mouth a lot when he plays...).
_____________________________________________________________________________________

"@NEWYORKDOGUE LOL Mateo was in utero huh? Did you know you were going to get a mastiff then?"

Yes! I had wanted a Dogue de Bordeaux for many years. And I had been in contact with the breeder as well. Just was waiting for the right time, and the right parents. By the time I contacted the breeder for this litter, I was 4th in line for a male. Turns out my first choice was still available after the first 3 were chosen-- that's fate...


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

I do know that seven months in to raw, I am still seeing improvements from month to month. Just when I think coats can't get softer, or teeth whiter, they do! 

I totally think that it sounds reasonable to need to be on raw a whole year before starting to see the full effects. So I have hope that things with Tux's allergies could get better yet. And even if they don't, I definitely think they could be worse. I know a number of people with allergy dogs, who are in much worse shape than Tux, so I am thankful he is not as bad off as he could be.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

1 year ago today neither Lola nor Buster had even been born. Buster wouldn't even be conceived for several more months. I still had Heidi and Sam and would never have imagined that both would be gone in just a little around 2 months. They were eating Pedigree and I thought I was doing right by them. Back then I had never even heard of feeding dogs raw meat! It was after losing my 2 precious girls that I started researching everything especially food related. I am a better dog owner in every way today than I was a year ago. It hurts every day that Heidi and Sam did not get the benefit of all I have learned.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

1 year ago I was taking Ruby to the vet a few times every month for either allergy issues or stomach issues. April 1 is when she had that absolutely horrifying allergic reaction to the lepto vaccine and she swelled up and looked like a shar-pei with hives covering her entire body and having to be kept over night at the emergency clinic just in case. After that incident, she became sensitive to any kibble food I bought for her, couldnt eat any canned food, and randomly got allergic reactions from things that never bothered her before. After trying a home cooked diet in June, it was too much work (and her teeth started getting plaque),so after my irrational fear I switched to raw in August. Even today, I am still seeing more and more changes to feeding raw, and have not been to the vet since I made the switch. 

Also, before raw, her wrinkles would always get infections, or lose hair, and get downright dirty and gunky, now I clean her wrinkles maybe once a week with a damp paper towel and then dry them, and there really isnt much there. Before raw I would always have to use ointments on her wrinkles because they would get bald and really red/irritated once in a while, and one time her nose wrinkle was even oozing, it was pretty bad. 

Ahhh how times have changed


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## mischiefgrrl (Oct 28, 2010)

Two years ago I was nearly where you were with Tanis and his horrible skin/ear conditions. One year ago I was at the vet with Tanis and baby Tiffa getting glowing reviews on their health. Tanis was only 6 months into the PMR diet and had the vets in awe of how healthy he was. They're due for their annual checkup and immunization updates in the next few weeks so I can't wait to show off how well they are doing.


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## AveryandAudrey (Sep 20, 2010)

Avery was doing good on raw as was Audrey, I didnt have sophia yet and being that she came from an abuser I dont want to know her life a year ago. But I was searching for meats and doing research, about the same as now with one less dog. And living in a small apartment which Avery didnt enjoy.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

One year ago I took an impromptu road trip up to Idaho/Montana with Linsey (Corgipaws) to look at a litter of Dane babies (Braxton). 










Along the way we stopped by the Idaho house (we live here now) just to check on things :wink:


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

Amazing what can happen in a year. BTW, those brindle babies...OMG. 

I am a brindle freak.


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

I year ago, I didn't have Tucker yet. He was only a few weeks old.

I was not allowed/able to feed raw. I had just moved into my uncles house. As for Annie, She hated to eat and was skin and bones. She ate Taste Of the Wild. Every variety. Every bowl full was topped with something. Usually either ranch dressing, canned fish, bacon drippings, melted PB, yogurt, cottage cheese, gravy, canned dog, eggs,... you get the idea. It was a fight to get her to eat at all. Now she loves to eat. She wants her food every day. She eats it right up. She is even getting a little chunky  (she is getting cut back to 1.5lbs from 2lbs). Annie's mouth was full of tumors. Her gums were almost 80% covering her teeth. Today her tumors are much smaller, some are even gone! Also, 3/4 of her teeth are uncovered!

Annie was started on raw at 7 years. I'm hopeing I can avoid a lot of problems by starting Tucker at 11 months.


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## BoxerParty (Nov 9, 2011)

A year ago today, I picked Malcolm up from the breeder!

Here's his wee wrinkle face on that day:









My best friend was in town visiting so that she could meet him!

The rest of life was less awesome: I was finishing up my MA thesis, and being outright abused by my thesis supervisor. I had a job I hated and unreasonable bosses who blamed their failures on me.

BUT, a year later:

I've moved clear across the country. 
I've finished my first year of law school.
I've got two gorgeous puppies whom I adore!
And I've been feeding raw for nearly 8 months.

Love it!


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## Donna Little (May 31, 2011)

One year ago I was starting my research on raw, mostly for Toby and Tommy. I didn't know it yet but Toby was going to be rushed to the vet gasping for breath and nearly dead on May 1st and I was going to switch him to raw as a last ditch effort to save his life. I gave him his first raw meal the next day and it's been a fantastic journey ever since. He's still hanging in there and is doing well even with all of his health issues. 
I was able to get Tommy to eat with enthusiasm for the last few months of his life for the first time and even though I lost him last July I know he enjoyed his meals every day after starting raw. 
I also don't think Madison would still be with me if I hadn't switched her. She'll be 18 in a few days and is still cruising along with no particular health issues. 
I didn't have Nat yet but she was at the humane society still steadily losing hair and had skin that looked like a scaly snake. Now she's as soft as a baby's behind and LOVES her food. 
So a year ago today no one at my house had eaten their first raw meal yet but we are about to have our first anniversary so YAY to that! :thumb:


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

let's see.

a year ago, i think i was trying to figure out why bubba was going bald. either that or i was already trying barf to give him back his fur.

i believe that it takes a year to transition, from all of the dogs i've seen pass my way here and on other lists.

two years later, last month, my dogs are awesome, other than a few warts on bubba.

malia, we think we've added a few years to her life with the entrance of a pug and a raw diet. 

i'm learning about vaccinations, supplements, and i'm reluctantly leaving a life of traditional medicine to embrace a life of nutrition for both dogs and humans and homeopathy, naturopathy, and other disciplines for myself and my dogs.

personally, a year ago this month, i had a stroke. mild, but still a stroke. 

this year, life is better and worse.

my goal is to make it a year without something going wrong.

i'd like to see malia live longer, too. i know i joke about killing her so i can get a puppy, but i hope everyone knows i don't mean it. 

i can live vicariously through the puppies here. 

all in all, last year and every year has been a learning experience, both spiritually, nutritionally, medically....and i wouldn't trade a day of knowing all of you....and your dogs and sharing our journeys.

and bubba now has his fur. in all of its glory.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I couldn't even say the words about Hunter because he is so easy so we just kept a puppy. Now for sure Hunter will live to 15 or so and just be a giant lump of fur on my sofa for the next two years! Though I would never wish my boy gone. I do know exactly how you feel


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Donna Little said:


> I also don't think Madison would still be with me if I hadn't switched her. She'll be 18 in a few days and is still cruising along with no particular health issues.


Maddie is my hero and her life is the goal I have for Snorkels. She and Snorkels even look alot alike. They definitely have the same eyes. 

I want to be able to say Snorkels made it to 18. Our last dog lived until 17 but he didn't have the history of Snorkels.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

my honey thinks malia would be gone by now had we not switched her to raw.

the tiny bit of arthritis she has comes from her running around as a baby and a young adult, and bubba and the treadmill and walking every day as an old lady.

i've watched her go from sleeping all day to having a bounce to her step.

i can't predict life and death, but certainly the quality of her life from then until now has been 1000 times better...and it really started to show last year.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

magicre said:


> my honey thinks malia would be gone by now had we not switched her to raw.
> 
> the tiny bit of arthritis she has comes from her running around as a baby and a young adult, and bubba and the treadmill and walking every day as an old lady.
> 
> ...


you are so right - I hope for longevity but I don't want Snorkels to live miserable until she's 20. Quality is so much more important than quantity. And raw has definitely done its job there.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

this was a good thread, nikie.....


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

wolfsnaps88 said:


> Amazing what can happen in a year. BTW, those brindle babies...OMG.
> 
> I am a brindle freak.


Brindle fix.

Flynn's first straight lure course.


One year ago Piper was already on raw (started her in March), and Flynn was nowhere in sight. We never had health issues, I just was certain we could do better then processed food. We are in the process of getting our cats on raw. One will eat little bits here and there, so it's progressing....


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## Neeko (Aug 11, 2010)

One year ago, on April 28, 2011 we officially adopted and brought Bruce home.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

Neeko said:


> One year ago, on April 28, 2011 we officially adopted and brought Bruce home.


love your blog....


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## Eswmom (Jul 24, 2011)

One year ago I was researching raw and came here. I'm not around much anymore but I now have two incredibly healthy dogs both raw fed, adding two "grand dogs" this weekend living with me for the summer. One will be raw fed one is on TOTW I'm researching finding a Newfoundland for our future and thankfully all is well. Nice to see some familiar names and paws and many new ones too.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

Eswmom said:


> One year ago I was researching raw and came here. I'm not around much anymore but I now have two incredibly healthy dogs both raw fed, adding two "grand dogs" this weekend living with me for the summer. One will be raw fed one is on TOTW I'm researching finding a Newfoundland for our future and thankfully all is well. Nice to see some familiar names and paws and many new ones too.


i'm glad things are working out for you....nice to see you 

and here you are with two wonderfully fed raw dogs. this makes my heart sing.


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## frogdog (Aug 10, 2011)

A year ago was when Yogi's food and environmental allergens arose...so, the months to come were vet visits, endless research, desperately trying to find a food he liked that also did not have a negative effect...oh yes, let's don't forget all the money spent. After, several months of researching (why it took that long :doh came across PMR...*WOW*, what a godsend.

Since starting raw Yogi has only experienced two allergy breakouts...
1) trial test of raw pork...found out he's definitely allergic to pork in every form
2) pollen season

His immune system is much stronger...last year he was unable to go out of the house for any amount of time except to use the bathroom due to his environmental allergies being so severe...now, no problems and no meds. :amen:

An added bonus...he does not detest his food, enjoys it...absolutely *LOVES* it! eace:


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