Our toy poodle Kona was diagnosed with a liver condition (MVD) in December 2008. We switched her to a commercial food designed for dogs with liver disorders. I was concerned that with a compromised liver she would be less able to deal with potential risks so I started making food for her. My vet pointed out that I should be giving her a balanced diet and recommended Hilary’s Blend. Hilary provided a custom recipe for Kona that incorporated catfish, cheese and tofu as the protein sources. A year and a half later Kona is thriving. She has gone from 81/2 lbs to a healthy 10 lbs. Her coat is thicker and she has tons of energy. She can go for a 10 km hike, chasing her ball the whole way, and still want to play. I feel better having control over her diet and knowing Kona that the recipe ensures complete nutrition for her liver condition. I have total confidence that her home cooked diet will keep her feeling healthy and give her as long a life as possible without creating unnecessary complications.

For the last two months, I’ve been feeding my dog Olive Peabody the Vegetarian Diabetic 1 recipe from the Complete and Balanced recipe book. It has literally been a life saver.

When we moved to a new city at the end of June, Olive got extremely sick. At first I thought she had stopped eating because she was stressed out from the move. When she continued to refuse food, I took her to my wonderful veterinarian. He diagnosed Olive with diabetes. It had reached medical crisis because she hadn’t been eating. After she was hospitalized for a couple of days, I brought her home with cans of commercial brand prescription diet food for diabetic dogs. She refused to eat both brands “Olive Peabody” offered by the animal hospital. Getting her to eat again was critical in bringing her out of the medical crisis. After trying to cajole her into eating the canned food and even force feeding her for several days, I asked my veterinarian about a home-made diet. After speaking with Hilary, he recommended I feed the Vegetarian Diabetic Recipe along with Hilary’s Blend supplement. Olive loves the peanut butter and tomato sauce recipe! She has never been a great eater, but now the food disappears as soon as I put down her plate. Once she started eating regularly again, we could get her glucose levels stabilized. Now I think she’s healthier than she’s ever been. The Complete & Balanced cookbook and Hilary’s Blend supplement are a big part of that. I cannot express how grateful I am.

Tessa was a pleasure except for one thing – she scratched non-stop. It was painful to watch and unbearable for her. Her itching and subsequent scratching was continual; she slept on our bed – we could not sleep at night for an entire year. She had dry skin, “brillo pad” hair, constantly chewed her paws, and had dandruff everywhere. Tuffs of hair were everywhere as a reminder of her misery. We tried prednisone, antihistamines, special veterinary diets, shampoos, sprays, and other drugs; we even gave her Ivermectin shots because we thought she had mites.

Tessa was only 6 months old and i didn’t have the heart to keep her on heavy medications. I started reading everything I could about human and dog allergies. I made several changes that had a beneficial effect – I noticed that if I took a “sham Wow” and damped it, wiped her off with it, I could eliminate dust and pollen after walks. I changed her flea medication because I noticed increased scratching after application. I did a blood test, found out she was allergic to chicken and oatmeal. I had been bathing her in oatmeal shampoo – recommended as a skin conditioner. I had noticed she scratched more after shampooing and couldn’t figure out why – I had no idea she might be allergic to oatmeal!

I started home cooking, eliminated all the food items that showed up in her blood test, and picked one protein source and one carbohydrate. I took copious notes and literally documented everything. I was told that it takes 3 months for an allergen (e.g ., chicken) to leave the body so, I had to be patient. I started with duck and potato, then went to fish and rice, etc. and slowly built up the repertoire of food items. I eliminated all raw hides, bones, treats, etc.

After 3 months, I saw a change. Then, after each month – I noted bigger changes. Now over a year later: her skin is completely clear, no dandruff, her coat is glossy and soft. She does not have ear or eye infections. She has stopped scratching. I was “readying” myself this spring as the pollens came bursting out (we back onto an oak ridge and have a lot of plant life) but there’s been no scratching this year. I understand now, that when you reduce the allergens in the food, you reduce the total allergen threshold. As a result, Tessa is completely fine with the pollens this year. Even though her blood test showed that she is allergic to some weed, grass and tree pollens, she isn’t scratching at all.

I now home cook complete and balanced recipes using HILARY’S BLEND supplement and I am not using any drugs at all. Tessa is a new dog – it’s unreal! I wish everyone knew about this because I understand that many dogs are put to sleep due to allergies – what a tragedy !!! On my many walks, trips to the park, and pet stores, I have met more and more people who are at their “wits end” due to their beloved pets continual ear/eye infections, biting paws, scratching, “hot spot” skin sores, etc. I tell all of them “Tessa’s story” – I hope this helps other owners whose dogs have these kinds of problems.

Lily-Rose, my 8 year old Lab mix was drinking so much water, I knew something was wrong. After blood and urine tests, my veterinarian confirmed the diagnosis I dreaded: Diabetes Mellitus! She would need daily insulin shots and a new diet. The challenge was finding a kibble that would be appropriate for a diabetic dog but that was also hypoallergenic because Lily also had severe food allergies. Having trouble finding something that worked, I mentioned to my veterinarian that I would be interested in home-cooked food for Lily but was unsure about what foods to give her, the amount and especially, how to know if it was a well-balanced diet. She referred me to the «Complete and Balanced» website (www.completeandbalanced.com). As soon as I started “Lilly-Rose” reading the website, I knew I was at the right place. I explained Lily’s situation to Hilary and she was able to make two custom recipes that fitted Lily’s special needs perfectly. Since I’ve been giving her Hilary’s recipe, Lily-Rose is doing great. Within 2 weeks her coat became very shiny, her teeth became whiter and no more bad breath or gas! Lily doesn’t scratch from the allergies anymore and although she still has diabetes, we were able to reduce the amount of her daily insulin considerably. That is amazing! I am so grateful and so relieved. Once a week I make a big batch of food that will last a whole week, I put it into individual portions and freeze them. It’s so easy and the peace of mind knowing that I am feeding her appropriately is wonderful! I highly recommend Hilary’s recipes and Hilary’s Blend supplement if you want to be sure you are doing the right thing for your dog. Thanks again Hilary!

We brought James Bond our Boston Terrier into our home when he was 8 weeks old. We noticed right away something was wrong. He was extremely bloated, very gassy and his bowel movements were not normal. We took him to the veterinarian’s the same week to figure out what was wrong. Our veterinarian ruled out the possibility of worms or parasites. Testing showed everything was negative. Our veterinarian suggested we switch his puppy food to a veterinary brand for sensitive Bond … James Bond” stomachs. So we did. A week went by and he seemed to be getting worse. So back to the veterinarian we went. Our veterinarian diagnosed him with gastroenteritis so he was put on an anti-biotic (metronidazole) to help make him comfortable. It seemed to help him out a little bit but not enough to completely rid him of his symptoms. When the prescription was finished James Bond was back to feeling bloated and uncomfortable again. We did not want to continue medicating our poor little puppy. There had to be another way.

We then decided, along with the help of our veterinarian, we would make homemade food for James. Dr. Carol gave us a copy of Hilary Watson’s Complete & Balanced cookbook and a jar of HILARY’S BLEND supplement. This was the best thing that could have happened to James Bond. The very first recipe we tried, Puppy Recipe #9 was the cure! His symptoms disappeared completely. We had a bouncy 11 week old puppy, with the added bonus of his coat changing from being dull and flakey to it being extremely shiny.

People say our dog is spoiled. We say if spoiling your dog is feeding him the best food possible then yes we spoil our dog. We have continued spoiling him with homemade food and will continue for the rest of his life. He is now 1 and 1/2, he is eating his homemade adult food and loving every bite. James Bond thanks Hilary Watson from the bottom of his heart for sharing her recipes with us.

Yuki is our beloved 7-year-old Bichon. At age 2 she started showing signs of food and plant sensitivity. She had chronic ear infections. She was put on a daily dosage of prednisone. This gave her relief but when the dosage was reduced, she would chew at her paws. We tried several commercial pet foods, even Hill’s formula as recommended by her Vet. None of these foods gave her any relief. I was determined to get her off the prednisone but she was in agony, constantly chewing at her paws. They were red and raw. She was anxious and very unhappy.

A friend recommended Dr Bartlett to me. He understood Yuki’s agony and suggested Yuki see a dermatologist. He also told me about Hilary’s “Yaki” Blend Supplement. I was determined to give her a ‘pure’ diet in an attempt to minimize her food allergies but we were concerned about the nutrition level of this diet. I emailed Hilary about Yuki’s allergies and diet and was thrilled at her immediate response. I tried Yuki on the Limited Antigen Fish 4. Yuki loved the food change but seemed hungry more often, now eating 4 times per day instead of 2. I emailed Hilary and again I received an immediate response. Hilary customized a recipe with some additional suggestions for Yuki.

Between the dermatologist and her new nutritional diet, I am thrilled to say that we now have a very
happy, relaxed, and healthy little girl again. We are now sleeping at night !!!

Thank you so much Hilary.

I have always been interested in nutrition and I love Hilary’s Complete & Balanced cook Positive book because it has so many healthy recipes.

My boy Traveler is 6 years old and has had terrible stools ranging from gravy to mashed potato consistency all his life. He had multiple fecal exams and I tried every good grade dog food on the market. Nothing worked. After two days on one of the high fiber recipes in Hilary’s book, a miracle happened. I couldn’t Belgian Malinois “Traveler” believe the wonderful stools I was picking up! Besides that, he’s crazy about the food and looks so much better after a month of eating it.

The book is full of nutritional information and every recipe has a complete listing of vitamin, mineral, protein, fat, calories and fiber, so you know what your dog is getting. HILARY’S BLEND supplement covers any missing elements, especially minerals that the food lacks, making it a complete and balanced meal.

How lucky to have heard of Hilary Watson and her supplement, and especially what a gift to communicate with her. I have a Husky 3 1/2 years called Maelo. He was suffering from IBD for 7-8 months and couldn’t tolerate any food. Historically, he has always been difficult with his food. He would suddenly stop eating. He was placed on medication (prednisone). Maelo’s system is very, very sensitive. The medication helped his diarrhea but it caused many problems with digestion. He drank constantly. He always had his heart in his throat. We had to give antacids. So I decided to stop the prednisone treatment under the medical supervision of the internal medicine specialists at the Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire at St Hyacinthe. Eventually I managed to control his bowel movements with digestive enzymes, but the digestive problems were still present and so was the inflammation, according to blood tests.

That’s when I heard about Hilary Watson. I contacted her about my Maelo and she formulated a low fibre, limited antigen recipe based on ground beef and boiled potatoes, along with HILARY’S BLEND supplement. The change was almost instantaneous. He is happy to eat and all the digestive problems have disappeared. Recent blood tests done at the end of March are perfect and show no more inflammation. Regarding his coat, he is simply gorgeous. The vet told me he had never seen a Husky with a coat as beautiful.

Thank you Hilary for creating this recipe and for the supplement but also, thank you for your helpfulness and for your immense generosity.

On my own behalf, and on behalf of Maelo, thanks!

Léo is a little Shih-Tzu, now three years old. He began scratching at 10 months old. At the first visit to the vet, nothing was found wrong with his skin. I was told it was probably allergies – environmental and/or food allergies. As he scratched so much, we began allergy shots, and I was told to change his food. I tried every kibble on the market, nothing seemed to help. My vet suggested a home-made limited antigen diet. So I began to cook for my little dog. He was feeling better, nice fur, no more vomiting … it was time to add a vitamin-mineral supplement to his diet. He reacted badly to every one I tried (and I tried a lot). He would begin to vomit again … One day, my vet spoke to me about HILARY’S BLEND supplement and the recipe book! One recipe was almost identical to the recipe Léo was eating (novel protein). And here was a supplement to fulfill all his needs! I was so excited and happy!

Since then, (now 8 months) Léo is doing very well with HILARY’S BLEND supplement. He has a lot of energy! And he is always happy to eat! (he was a very picky eater before). As he was allergic to fish oil, Hilary suggested we replace cod liver oil in the recipe with another oil and supplement with vitamin A and D to complete his needs. I wouldn’t change anything as I am so happy with the results! And Léo too!

Case Report for “Bailey” Allin

Bailey is an 8.5 yr old M/N Golden Retriever who came down with generalised lymphadenopathy (prescapular LN 7 cm x 4 cm in size), and was diagnosed with multicentric lymphoma by FNA and pathology. At the onset of his cancer he was 78lbs and a body condition of 3/5 (ideal). He had no other illness at that time, except underlying atopy (which was controlled with serum allergy injections for previous 2 yrs.) and gastric hypomotility (controlled with Metoclopramide 5 mg q12h). He was borderline anaemic, but otherwise non-clinical for lymphoma.

He started on the Madison-Wisconsin chemotherapy protocol November 11, 2009, under the guidance of Dr. Kevin Finora. Over the next 2 weeks he developed cancer cachexia, lost about 8 lbs and went to a body condition score of 1.5-2/5. He looked like a skeleton in Golden Retriever fur. He usually maintained on 2.75 cups/day of “Bailey Hills Prescription Diet j/d. I had increased him to 6 cups daily, plus 2 eggs and Hills Prescription Diet n/d canned. He still lost 4lbs per week. He had no energy, was not playful and seemed depressed. His lymphadenopathy responded within one week of treatment and his lymph nodes returned to normal. At this point, he became anorexic and was fading away.

I started cooking a custom home-made recipe by Hilary Watson on November 28th, 2009 (see recipe on next page) and, although transitioning slowly, Bailey had more energy within 3 days of starting the new diet. Over the next 4 weeks this dog put all his former weight back on and an extra 5 lbs. His temporal muscles filled back out to normal, and he returned to a happy, active, spunky golden retriever with a coat that has never been this shiny and smooth.

Dr. Finora could not believe that the initially progressive anaemia of chronic disease was no longer progressive and has even improved to the point where it is almost back to normal not even a month into the diet. He says that normally cancer dogs on chemotherapy do not regenerate until the chemotherapy is completed.

I truly feel that Bailey would have been euthanised due to quality of life and wasting away towards the end of November had he not had this nutrition change and dramatic response. I owe Hilary a lot for helping my dog get back to his normal active, happy self.

Submitted by:

Tasha my 7 year old Sheltie has suffered from digestive problems for years. Thanks to Hilary Watson’s cookbook “Complete & Balanced: 101 Healthy Home-made Meals for Dogs” and HILARY’S BLEND supplement, Tasha is now enjoying and thriving on very digestible and delicious home-cooked meals. The recipe book is meticulously put together, easy to follow and definitely worth purchasing. Tasha suggests you try her favourite – Recipe R10 – Beef and Potatoes on page 78.

I decided to feed my four dogs HILARY’S BLEND supplement with the Complete & Balanced recipes after starting to learn more about nutrition in university. I had been feeding a home cooked food developed by another company for a couple of years, but realized I might not be meeting all of my dogs’ nutritional needs. Having a few dogs means affordability is also important. I find HILARY’S BLEND supplement and recipes to be comparable or better in terms of expense compared to other high quality feeds. My dogs love the recipes, their coats are shiny, and their weights are stable. They have enough energy to compete in disc dog competitions and skijor for fun in the winter. I am very happy feeding HILARY’S BLEND supplement and Hilary’s Complete & Balanced recipes.

When I got my French bulldog puppy, Crouton, I wanted to feed him a home-prepared diet right from the start. As a veterinary technician of 20 years, I know that when preparing a homemade diet, it’s important to provide complete and balanced nutrition. Knowing how critical the initial growth period is and how important it is to get the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio right, I started Crouton on Hilary’s Puppy Recipes and HILARY’S BLEND supplement when he was 9 weeks old. Now at 16 months, Crouton is a happy, healthy adult who is enjoying Hilary’s Adult recipes. Crouton loves his food and I love knowing exactly what he is eating and that his meals are providing him with complete and balanced nutrition.

Thank goodness for HILARY’S BLEND supplement – and the Complete & Balanced cookbook! Hilary offers a convenient and easy guide to feeding your dog. This was a very welcome change after months of frustration trying to research home made meals. Although we have only been using the recipes/supplement for a few weeks, two of our golden retrievers (3 1/2 & 2 1 /2) have shown overwhelming improvement in their energy levels. Also, their coats are amazingly beautiful. We are currently in the beginner stages of introducing the menu to our 9 month old puppy.

The immense research and development of HILARY’S BLEND supplement and Complete & Balanced cookbook has given us the peace of mind we were hoping for. Nothing but the best for our boys!