Henry was a local celebrity. As a lecturer, teacher, and scholar, he had a “prove it to me scientifically” mentality. Fencer was a lovable, devoted, twelve-year-old tan and black shepherd mix who had been with Henry since he was a puppy. Fencer had developed a giant tumor at the bridge of his nose that protruded between his eyes and swelled to the size of a baseball. As if that weren’t enough, poor Fencer had also developed arthritis, which was only worsened by the extra ten pounds he carried with him. His low energy level was easy to account for.
Several local veterinarians proclaimed that there was nothing they could do to make Fencer better. The tumor, which festered continuously causing him partial blindness, was too large and Fencer was too old for the operation anyway. The diagnosis was grim: Fencer couldn’t be cured, so he should be put to sleep.
Henry asked us if we could help. He was ready to abandon the scientific community’s prognosis and take a leap of faith. Fencer had always been fed typical grocery store food loaded with chemicals, fillers, and by-products. Oh, those crunchy little morsels, filled with salty faux cheese and little artificial meat-like-looking things; (they have to be the worst!) Our distraught friend was ready to do anything it took to help his comrade, so we designed an entirely new, homemade food plan for Fencer, and as soon as it was implemented, the changes came quickly. It’s amazing how positively an animal’s body can respond when given the right nutritional support.
Initially, we put Fencer on a brief fast of just the broth from our chicken stew. His weight began to drop, which made it easier for him to walk. We gradually added in more solids and several natural supplements, and over the course of the next eight weeks we all marveled at something we never dreamed possible. Fencer’s tumor began to shrink measurably each week (from about four and a half inches in diameter to finally about half an inch). It stopped oozing, his vision improved rapidly, and he regained both energy and spunk.
We also made sunshine and exercise a part of Henry and Fencer’s new routine. We gave them a second chance that no one thought possible. Henry was grateful to experience the quality of life his best friend regained, and Fencer lived out the next four years with no obvious disease symptoms. Fencer taught us that it’s never too late to eat well.
