From Solo to So Healthy!
Solo was one of those really memorable father’s day gifts that Ginger gave Gary one year. After receiving a call from a good friend who always seemed to be rescuing some animal or another, Ginger was convinced that this stray dog’s street life should come to a halt and his days of reckless panhandling were over.
At three months old, her big, goofy, black lab puppy mix weighed in at a whopping twenty-five pounds and was proving to be a real hooligan. Solo loved chasing squirrels and other varmints from the yard, and while they had hoped he would grow into a very large and adept watchdog someday, he surprised them with a gentleness that melted their hearts. Ginger never expected that their new, lively playmate came fully equipped with a slew of health problems either, so when the vet told them Solo’s immune system was severely compromised, it shook them up badly. He found hookworm, tapeworm, and whipworm; then he pointed out it was the demodectic mange causing the excessive hair loss above his eyes. The constant peeing around the house was further explained to them as a severe urinary tract infection. The vet shared that the allopathic or conventional protocol would normally include an aggressive program of antibiotics and a highly toxic pesticide dip to combat the mange. He hesitated to treat Solo with chemicals because of how low his immune system was and decided to take a more conservative (and holistic) approach. Solo was a long way from being healthy, and the vet felt he needed to be stabilized with better food and mega doses of vitamins first. They all breathed a heavy sigh of relief when their vet suggested they start with supplements before treating the mange.
Most people’s first inclinations are to race to treat symptoms with a pill or a drug, but Ginger had learned about the power of vitamins, in conjunction with diet and other naturopathic remedies. They agreed on a program of homemade chicken stew, 5,000 mg of vitamin C a day, (broken into four doses) and three fresh cloves of garlic to help expel worms. The vitamin C was prescribed specifically to boost the immune system, provide antioxidants, and help rid the body of toxins he had either inherited or acquired. During a trip to the health food store, Ginger even found a soothing topical salve made from beeswax and herbs and decided it couldn’t hurt to apply it directly to the infected area around the eyes. (I’ll be giving you the recipe for the salve in the November Newsletter coming up!). The vet anticipated improvement over the course of four to six months and asked for reports back bi-weekly.
Ginger and Gary noticed Solo improving almost immediately. The program of healthy foods and vitamins had a profound effect on his entire body. Within two weeks the tapeworms appeared to be gone. The hair above his eyes began to grow back and the chronic peeing and straining became a thing of the past. Solo’s coat grew so dramatically shiny they describe it as blue/black iridescent and he blossomed into a most magnificent creature. Six weeks later, even the vet was amazed that Solo had become a picture of health and needed no further
treatments. The blood work was perfect and he passed all tests. Great health is unmistakable; great health is totally achievable. A picture of health is painted with wisdom.
