Picture of Dr Anuska Viljoen

Dr Anuska Viljoen

BVSc(Hons) VetMFHom MRCVS

10 years YOUNGER on her RAW diet

Marc Coetzer and his beloved mixed breed, Pumpkin, have been inseparable for over 14 years. Needless to say, when Marc noticed a large tumor developing on Pumpkin’s belly, he was devastated. All he wanted was for his girl to have the best chance of a high quality life over her remaining years..

Marc had heard about a Vet in the neighboring town, who had helped other cancer patients. He decided to pay Simply Vets a visit, to get an opinion…

The initial consult

Pumpkin walked in to Dr Anuska’s consulting room very slowly and timidly. Her breathing was labored, her eyes drooped and she looked terribly sad. The situation became even worse for Marc when, following an x-ray, he was told that Pumpkin also had a large, inoperable mass in her chest. But despite the initial shock, Marc was determined, and he and Pumpkin embarked on a transformational journey of healing.

Two years later…

Thanks to Mark’s love and dedication, Pumpkin’s life has improved dramatically. Where she used to take over 40 breaths per minute, at rest, her breathing stabilised at 16 breaths per minute within six months of treatment. What used to be continuous nightly snoring occurs infrequently now, and her sleep apnoea episodes have vanished.

Her fatty lumps have almost all gone, she lost about 12% of her body weight, she has much more energy – and even her cataracts have improved!

Having had her numerous pendulous mammary tumours removed, only one tumour recurred within a few months, post-surgery. This has remained stable for the last eight months. Dr Anuska explains that the body will exteriorise the internal cancers and that as long as this tumour remains stable, it would be better to leave it be, but monitor it.

With a combination of supplements for her liver, her heart, her joints and her cancer, as well as a series of homotoxicological injections and homeopathic remedies specifically chosen for her individual needs, she has transformed into the energetic bouncy and happy dog she used to be, many years before. It hasn’t all been easy, though.

A change in diet

Dr Anuska explained to Marc that cancers feed on carbohydrate rich foods, and are aggravated by processed food. As long as Pumpkin continued to eat her Kibble diet, she would probably not improve much. Problem was, Pumpkin would have nothing to do with the raw food that she was prescribed. She had never been crazy about food, but this strange smelling raw stuff… that was just too much to ask! Even if it was cooked to release the smells and flavors to entice her.

So Marc had to start off by mixing a teaspoon of raw with a high quality, grain-free kibble, daily. This she ate with long teeth, only after a long period of giving Marc the very sad “you don’t love me, Dad” eyes. As hard as it was for Marc, he persevered.

It took almost a month to increase from 1 tsp raw per day, to about 3 tsp raw. Once she progressed to about 1/3 of her food being raw, the transition became much easier. The more raw food she was eating, the healthier she became – and she seemed to know it.

It took over three months to change her whole meal to raw feeding. Marc noticed was that she started to enjoy her meals a lot more, and now she can’t wait for her food! Marc has never seen her eat with such enthusiasm.

Thanks to raw…

One of the primary benefits, a year down the line, is that her liver enzymes, which were very high initially, have come down to normal. Another huge benefit is that her blood is no longer milky, with the inability to metabolise fat. Physiologically, Pumpkin is 10 years younger. Marc is delighted that he persevered through the tough transition period, and Pumpkin is even more so! See for yourself.

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