Fish oil is not just for people
Last Updated Aug 2007
Dear Dr. Sears,
A wonderful thing is happening at our house. I read "The Omega Rx Zone" about
three months ago. My husband and I are taking the oils and are both noticing good
changes. I no longer rely on Advil to get through a day with what I suppose is
arthritis. The story I wish to tell is of our 8-year-old dog -- a beautiful Akita
named Azumah.
He had been diagnosed with VKH syndrome -- a disease in which the immune system
attacks the pigment-producing cells in the body (melanocytes). Symptoms of VKH
syndrome include uveitis, depigmentation (whitening) of the hair and skin, and
crusting of the nose, lips, eyelids, and ear tips. Treatment for VKH syndrome
includes the use of topical and systemic steroids or other drugs that suppress the
immune system. Aggressive treatment can help control this difficult disease to
reduce the likelihood that secondary glaucoma and retinal detachments will occur.
Approximately a year and a half ago, his doctor remarked that our dog was the only
dog with this disease that he had been able to keep in remission. We always gave
him 50 mg of Immuran twice weekly, but I wondered if it might also have something
to do with his food -- Abady dog food contains fish oil. When I read your book,
Azumah had been failing for about two years. He had developed a retching cough
that might occur 20 times in a day. His fur was so thin people asked if we shaved
him. He had no undercoat left. He was stiff and lethargic and had no flesh on top
of his head -- just bones pushing against his skin even though he had not lost
weight.
Though not overweight, he had lost muscle. His ears were crusted, and a dark
scabby crust was starting to cover his legs and part of his chest. The ears had
been crusted for two years, and his skin was fragile. The slightest thing could
make it bleed. His lips had lost a lot of pigmentation, and red fur was replacing
the gray on his muzzle. His skin did not smell good, and his former plume tail was
skinny. People would ask what breed he was because he didn't really look like an
Akita any more.
Last fall we dug a hole to bury him because we did not think he would make it
through the winter. However, his beautiful disposition remained intact.
I began to think, after reading your book, that the fish oil in his lifelong diet
(which also included a good amount of high quality animal protein) could have been
responsible for his better than usual response to this genetic disease. Since we
had nothing to lose, I started him on four capsules daily of the Omega Rx
pharmaceutical-grade fish oil -- two in the a.m. and p.m. Within three days we saw
some difference. The crust on his ears began to disappear first. Then his fur,
including the undercoat, began to grow in beautifully. The crust is almost gone
from his legs, and his chest skin is clear. Flesh has returned to the top of his
head, and muscles have come back all over his body and especially noticeable on his
neck. His lips and nose are shiny and black again, and the skin is no longer
fragile.
He has lost most of his stiffness, and his gait is now fluid. He plays with our
other dogs a lot and chases squirrels just for fun. His face looks so different --
younger and happier with bright eyes. After 10 weeks the changes are still
noticeable on a daily basis. Just this week we realized his horrible coughing
sound has left entirely! We last heard it five days ago!
Denise Baxter