Revolutionising Nutrition: Hendrix’s Journey to Optimal Health

While Hendrix the Weimaraner is now a happy, healthy, bouncy three year old dog, it wasn’t always this way. Michaela picked up Hendrix when he was just three months old. Within 24 hours it was very touch and go with Hendrix being admitted to a veterinary hospital for urgent gastrointestinal treatment.

Upon collecting Hendrix, her new puppy, from the breeder, Michaela noticed that he had diarrhoea. Arriving home, she attributed this to the anxiety of adjusting to a new environment and missing his litter mates. Hendrix appeared subdued, and Michaela assumed his quiet demeanour to be the result of the significant change in his circumstances, understanding that he was likely feeling anxious and overwhelmed.

Throughout that first night, there wasn’t a peep out of him. Hendrix remained completely silent. However, he continued to experience diarrhoea and wet his bed. Additionally, he showed no interest in eating or drinking. Concerned for his well-being, Mickaela took him to the vet the following morning.

Presenting with a very high temperature, the vet did all manner of tests and came up with a blank, all the tests returning negative. He was kept in for monitoring and fluids as it was suggested he had gastroenteritis. Hendrix was discharged five days later. Still very weak and still trembling, Michaela knew his body was fighting something. She returned with him to the vet hospital within the week, at this point he is four months old.

This time he tested positive to Parvovirus. He was given fluids, antibiotics and was monitored.

Hendrix went on to be admitted five times to the same vet hospital within his first year of life!

He was put on a dry food for sensitive digestion, given cooked chicken and rice, and Michaela also gave him sweet potato. Hendrix’s temperature shot up again at home, and he was trembling. Michaela questioned if it could be the dry food, but the vets said not. Throughout his second Christmas, Hendrix was extremely unwell. Their vet then stopped the chicken as they were convinced this was the issue and just fed the kibble. He seemed to improve.

Post antibiotics, Hendrix had loose stools so Michaela gave him pre and probiotics alongside milk thistle to help support his liver. Even though, the “pretend food” as she refers to the dry kibble, meant he didn’t have diarrhoea and seemed OK, he had a dull coat and was still not acting like a happy dog at all. Still, Michaela felt that she was failing her beautiful boy and would do whatever it took to get to the root of his medical issues.

It was suggested they take a biopsy of the gut and an endoscopy, which Michaela refused. Gut instinct told her to follow a different path. Being a fresh food eater herself, everything she was being told to feed Hendrix went against her deep seated values.

Michaela made a decision – she started to gradually introduce a mix of vegetables and fruit; broccoli, cucumber, carrots, blueberries etc into the dry food her vet had prescribed. She saw an immediate improvement to Hendrix both in the way he behaved and the way he looked. After two weeks of adding the various types of vegetables, Michaela started to add ProDog Raw’s Complete raw dog food and reduce the dry kibble, until within two weeks he was fully transitioned to raw. The change was immense, he was more energised, his stools were back to normal, and he had a shiny coat.

Now, at 14 months old, he was a far cry from his beginnings. He had gone from being an emaciated poorly puppy, with Michaela wondering if he’d survive, to a healthy, happy adult with a zest for life.

Discover more about transitioning to a raw food diet by reading our comprehensive guide, How to Switch to Raw Dog Food.

The next step for Hendrix was ProDog’s Digest. Micheala had tried other supplement brands but felt drawn to Digest because of what she described as the, “clean and carefully selected, natural ingredients that support his digestive system”. She went on to say,

ProDog Digest is a digestive conditioning supplement formulated to support gut health. Designed as a meal topper to make it easy to add to a dog’s food, the natural ingredients in Digest contain Marshmallow root, a herb rich in mucilage which is best known for its ability to support a healthy inflammatory response and maintain integrity of the gut lining.

Other key ingredients include chicory root to maintain a healthy gut flora and aid digestion, Liquorice root to help with inflammation, chia and pumpkin seeds for fibre and essential fatty acids, Chlorella for detox and prebiotic support and the master antioxidant, astataxanthin to help cleanse the digestive tract.

ProDog Nutritionist, Alison Frost explains:

“Digest is a great all round digestive support supplement, that provide natural prebiotics, anti-inflammatory intestinal herbs, and antioxidants chlorella and astataxanthin, which helps to cleanse the digestive system from unwanted toxins.”

Hendrix is now thriving and living his best life. He shares his home with Michaela’s husband, who works from a home office and takes breaks to go on walks with Hendrix. On weekends, the trio explores the picturesque Hertfordshire countryside or visits a doggy adventure park, engaging in playful sniffy games and frisbee sessions.

Michaela has learnt so much from her experience with Hendrix and is adept at understanding canine body language – she instantly knows how he feels. Hendrix is a resilient fellow and has come out of this experience amazingly well, being supported by his greatest advocate, Michaela.

If you have been touched by Hendrix and Michaela’s story and would like more information on how our dog supplements and raw food can benefit your dog, then contact us today. Our Canine Nutritionist, Alison Frost, is available to answer questions and assist you in choosing the right nutritional support for your dog.