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“Having a place to go is a home. Having someone to love is a family. Having both is a blessing.” — Donna Hedges
Meet Arthur, a super sweet Yorkshire Terrier who was given a second chance at life, after being taken in from a puppy mill. Arthur was born on December 26, 2022 with a number of challenges. For example, he has microphthalmia (a small right eye) and an atrial septal defect, a heart condition that is currently controlled with medication.
Despite these obstacles, Arthur is a lively and sweet little dog. But, December 2023, his health deteriorated. Arthur began to vomit frequently, and some episodes contained traces of blood. He was lethargic and had a painful, distended abdomen. His diet consisted of Royal Canin Gastrointestinal, as he had always had a sensitive stomach, supplemented with sweet potatoes, chicken, and occasionally beef hide and chicken snacks.
Arthur, born on 26-12-2022, is a teacup Yorkie, Yorkshire Terrier.
Together with his brother Sam, they came to us after being taken from a puppy mill situation. They were 6 weeks old at the time.
It soon became clear that Arthur was the “problem child”. His right eye is not well developed, he can’t see anything with it. Eating was also often difficult, he often had to be hand-fed. Suffer from diarrhoea, then constipation, and quickly out of breath.
Fortunately, he grew well and was a wonderfully naughty teenager.
When he was about 11 months old, he suddenly started vomiting blood. Very scared and worried we went to the vet. There it became clear that he had an inflamed stomach lining and pancreatitis. Footage also showed that he has an enlarged heart. There appeared to be a hole between the left and right atrium. He has been given medication for this.
To prevent the stomach, intestine and pancreas problems from flaring up again, we started a tailor-made elimination diet with the help of Anneke Verweij, veterinarian. He gets fresh horse meat, supplemented with additives for a complete meal. Around the same time we also started with Acupuncture with Anneke for support.
Arthur responds very well to both interventions!! Not once again had vomiting blood and stools the way you want to see it.
Arthur is now almost 1.5 years old and is a sweet, affectionate and wonderfully playful dog. Exertion and heat are still points of attention because of his heart problem, but this is good to take into account. He sits comfortably in a dog cart when we take a long walk and has a cooling vest for the hot days.
We are very happy with the expert support and the personal approach. We hope to enjoy Arthur and his brothers for a long time to come (we also have a Jack Russel Terrier).
Tineke and Gesiena
To support Arthur’s gastrointestinal complaints, I switched Arthur to a tailor-made cooked food plan. Cooked food is often easier to digest for animals with a sensitive gastrointestinal tract than raw food or kibble. We have chosen new foods to rule out any hypersensitivity to food. This is because you build up a hypersensitivity/allergy. You have to eat something a number of times to become sensitive to it. If you now get a food with all new ingredients, then in theory you can’t be hypersensitive to it.
I opted for highly digestible ingredients and a lower fat content to further support his sensitive gastrointestinal tract. Extra fiber has been added as food for the good bacteria in the intestines. The content of vitamin B12 and folic acid is slightly increased because these are often lowered in gastrointestinal problems. Extra omega-3 fatty acids have been added because they have an anti-inflammatory effect. I also paid attention to the ratio between omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids so that this ratio remained in the anti-inflammatory range. The amount of salt has been monitored because of his heart problem. Finally, I added extra antioxidants to the diet.
In addition, we further supported Arthur with acupuncture treatments.
Arthur has improved tremendously on the new diet which pleases all of us! He doesn’t vomit anymore and his stools are good too. Of course, we will continue to keep a close eye on him and support him.
Arthur’s story shows how beautifully different therapies can work together. His story is a testimony to the importance of tailored, holistic approaches that combine nutrition, medical care and alternative therapies such as acupuncture.
With big thanks to Tineke and Gesiena who take care of Arthur and his brother so lovingly and do everything they can to ensure that they have a fantastic life!
By sharing Arthur’s story, we hope to inspire other pet owners to take an integrative approach and reflect on the profound impact that a well-balanced, fresh food diet can have on the health and happiness of our buddies.
Do you have any questions or comments after reading Arthur’s story? Feel free to send me a message, I’ll be happy to help you!
