Testimony By Kim F: Levi's Story - Skin Issues & Aggression

Levi was eating a puppy diet from a pet store chain. We started noticing at 3 months that he would get very runny red eyes and loose stools. The vet suggested putting him on a food that did not contain chicken. We then switched to lamb. After a couple of months Levi started to get ear infections. And by that, I mean one after another. He had 6 infections over a one-year period despite the use of cleaners and avoidance of water. The vet just kept giving more and more antibiotics and steroids. This cost hundreds of dollars in vet visits. During this same period, I was also noticing small areas of hair loss on his body and small sores on his legs. The vet suggested these might be bug bites. 

At around 11-12 months of age Levi began to exhibit signs of aggression. It started around his food bowl, but quickly progressed. We hired a specialized trainer to come into the house and help us correct these issues. The aggression continued to progress and he began growling and biting at our oldest son. It seemed to only occur in the evenings around 8 pm. The trainer as well as the vet suggested rehoming him, as this was not something that we could fix and they were concerned for the children. This was not something we were interested in doing.

 At 13 months he was neutered. The procedure included shaving his under belly as he was cryptorchid (testicles inside). After the vet completed the surgery he suggested to me to change our food again because Levi had “horrible skin”. 5 days after the surgery Levi’s surgical incisions became infected. Again, we did a round of antibiotics. 

So, we switched to Salmon. This triggered an immediate allergic reaction. He developed hives after the first meal and spent the next 3 weeks licking the pads of his feet raw. He had to wear boots to be able to go for walks at that point. He never had salmon again. We spent the next 6 months working with the vet on an “allergy challenge” to see if we could come up with a food that was both safe and healthy for Levi to eat. We settled on an antiallergenic prescription diet. The cost was $426 a month. But things seemed to improve slightly. Fast forward to 4 months after starting the prescription diet and he started to show all of the above symptoms again. We noticed a big change in his demeanor. The vet told us that due to shortages (globally) that the supplier was likely forced to use different ingredients in the food. I didn’t know what to do. I felt that was our last option.

That is when the Vet tech gave me the card for a canine nutritionist. She was able to explain to us the cause of all these symptoms and teach us the role that the gut plays in maintaining Levi’s physical and emotional well-being. She helped us create a meal plan that included a raw diet and the introduction of the Leaky Gut Protocol. 

We started to notice the difference almost right away.  It took about 3 weeks for the paw licking to subside, his bathroom routine was more stable, his coat became a lot fuller, thicker and was shiny and soft. But the biggest difference was his emotional health. He was no longer the miserable pup he was before. He was full of energy and began to show more affection. My son was now able to play with him, pet him in the evening and anyone can now feed him without fear of aggression. Is it 100% perfect? No. he has his moments. But he has become the loving, happy pup that we had always hoped for.

I attribute this to not only our love and willingness to help him, but the help we received From Donna of Head to Tail Canine Nutrition, and the use of the Adored Beast Leaky Gut Protocol. He has gone from an unhealthy dog with little to no immune system to a pup that is full of life and love. Our son can now lay down and play with Levi without any concern for aggression. I cannot say how grateful I am to everyone involved for not giving up on him. I am so happy we were able to find a treatment for our boy and help him live a happy full life.