I am so grateful for Amanda. She has a big heart and was so helpful to me and my poodle Dancy recently when his life was hanging in the balance. On Sept. 18, 2011, Dancy got extremely ill. I found him lying in the front flower bed under some shrubs, I believe he was trying to go off to die. He had been vomiting and was extremely weak. I took him to the vet, where he was diagnosed with pancreatitis and placed on IV fluids and pain medication. After x-rays and bloodwork, the vet also diagnosed him with heart failure, kidney failure, liver failure and fluid in the lungs. The vet stated that he had never seen a dog with that much wrong with it at one time. He said that he was in total organ failure and placed him on a heart medicine and diuretics. He said that his heart murmur was so bad (Grade IV) that it sounded just like running water, no distinctive heart tones were audible. He said that Dancy could just drop dead from a heart attack any moment. He did not think that he would survive. After 3 days in the hospital, and no improvement, the vet sent him home for the evening with the instructions that we should bring him back to the hospital the next morning. His reasoning was that Dancy was so depressed that he felt it would be better for him to be home with his family, rather than being left unattended at the animal hospital overnight. They sent him home with a bottle of heart pills and diuretics and told me that they would reimburse me if I didn’t use them. I knew then that they didn’t expect him to live through the night. Dancy was so ill that he would not hold his head up, I had to carry him to the car.

After I arrived home, I knew I had to make a decision. It didn’t seem reasonable to me to give him a diuretic as he had been vomiting and dehydrated. I knew the diuretic would kill him. So, I decided at that point NOT to give him the diuretic nor the heart medication. I use natural healing methods (herbs, hydrotherapy) for my family members, so I thought I would try that. That is when I discovered Caninehearthealth.com. It was basically the same program that I have used on myself. The website was so detailed and I began to feel hopeful when I read the testimonials. I actually had the herbal remedies at home as I use these things all the time. So, I started with the hydrotherapy and herbal remedies that evening. I called and left a message and soon afterward Amanda called me back and she was absolutely wonderful! She even sent me a very lengthy and detailed email on making some herbal diuretics. She agreed with me on my reluctance to use the heart medication and diuretic from the vet. I took that as a confirmation that I had made the right decision. So, I phoned the vet the next morning and told them that I had just decided to keep him at home, because if he was just going to die anyway I would rather him be home in his own bed surrounded by his family. Besides, I believed that he would die for certain if I carried him back to the vet. I had to syringe feed Dancy all his food as he had no appetite at all and was still vomiting. He was so weak that I could not put him in the tub for hydrotherapy, so I improvised by using a hot washcloth with a hot water bottle alternating with an ice pack. I did this over the heart/pancreas area, and the kidney area 2-3 times per day. I also gave the herbal formulas a minimum of 16 times per day.

It was very labor intensive, but Dancy is such a sweet, little dog and I just felt like I had to give him a chance. Besides, I had spent $400+ for those 3 days at the vet, and I couldn’t bear to spend that amount of money in this tough economy and then still end up with a dead dog.

It was a full 2 weeks before Dancy would take any food on his own. But, he was up and about and getting stronger everyday. At this point I took him back to the vet so that they could see his progress. They were shocked when I handed them the bottles holding the diuretic and heart medication and told them that I never used any of it. I detailed what I had done. They were amazed. By 3 weeks, Dancy was eating like a pig and running and jumping again, and fighting with his rat terrier brother!

It is now 10/27/2011. Dancy looks and acts healthier than I have ever seen him. He has a great appetite, no coughing, no vomiting and he is pooping and urinating normally. I can hear heart tones through my stethoscope. And honestly, the murmur is not very significant. This dog runs, barks, jumps on the bed, and has sparkling eyes and a nice coat. I know this sounds too good to be true, but I give you my word that it is the truth. The vet mentioned that I ought to come and have more blood work done and x-rays to check his progress, but why would I do that? I might consider it if they wanted to do it for free, but I refuse to spend more money in a place that didn’t help. The proof is in the poodle. He is happily enjoying life again: lying out in the sunshine chewing on a raw deer bone and barking at the neighbor dogs.

Again, I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to Amanda. The LORD used her to guide me to the truth. I am so grateful. So, if you are out there and skeptical, but you have a sick pet….GO FOR IT!!!!!
You will be so glad that you did.

Lisa Mccarter

Olive Branch, MS