Georgie (or Curious George) as her devoted Mum affectionately calls her, is the sweetest rescue German Shepherd who sat in a rescue centre for so long that she was destined to be put to sleep until her wonderful Mum stepped in and rescued her. Read her remarkable story below!
When Georgie arrived home however from being kennelled; her skin was itchy and she would develop thick scabbing under her fur. She would also lose patches of fur and large sores would appear, raw and bleeding. It was awful. What ensued was 3 years of constant vet visits, multiple biopsies, steroids, antibiotics, allergy medications and topical ointments."
"I have attached pictures of some of Georgie's sores that she had when she first arrived home (they are rather graphic, I'm afraid - see below). During this time I also tried every type of kibble that the vets recommended (single protein / grain free / anallergenic etc). I had asked the vets severally about a vegan diet and they did not seem to approve.
The prednisone and antibiotics effectively healed Georgie's sores however within a week of stopping the medicine the sores would reappear. I did not enjoy giving Georgie prednisone in particular, as it totally changed her personality from a dog who enjoyed food to a dog that became intensely hungry and obsessive over food 24/7.
Eventually I was told by the vets that Georgie would need to be on prednisone for the rest of her life. I was told point blank that if I chose not to administer the steroids, I was directly responsible for causing Georgie to suffer.
I decided to take Georgie's health into my own hands and extensively researched plant based feeding whereby I discovered Dr Arielle's work. I transitioned Georgie onto a plant based diet under Dr Arielle's nutritional guidance and within 2 months all sores, scabbing and fistulas had healed over. The itching had subsided and in subsequent months Georgie's fur grew back thicker and softer than ever.
At the time, this dramatic health improvement seemed miraculous. Today (1 year later) I understand the science behind plant-based feeding comprehensively and it is clear that what took place was not a miracle, it was not magic and it was not exceptional. Since going plant-based Georgie has not had a single large sore develop on her body AT ALL.
Feeding a dog a nutritionally complete, wholefood diet will inevitably improve skin, stomach and joint health. These positive changes are attainable for all pet owners who wish to maximise the health of their beloved companion animals.
She is still a bit itchy and sometimes gets very tiny metacarpal/metatarsal fistulas for which I apply a topical ointment as/when needed. I believe these issues are likely caused by environmental allergens and also using CLX wipes help. However as a whole her skin is 1000% better than what it was.
I also think that her new vegan diet has helped maintain a very healthy body weight which of course is really important considering her hip/elbow dysplasia and osteoarthritis. The vet was quite shocked at how well Georgie is moving about despite the severity of the osteoarthritis as seen on the CT scans."
“You really have been our rock Arielle!!! I do feel that Georgie and I are extremely privileged to have found you. I only wish I had discovered your work sooner! I hope that Georgie and I can serve as a beacon of hope and positivity for all pet owners who wish to give their dogs longer and healthier lives.” - Taz and Georgie
