Bessie digs the new tax year

She has been getting stronger and stronger. We found her digging up the garden today. Great for fans of a dog enjoying life. Not so good for the shrub lovers out there. Her breath is good and she is wagging the tail around a bit. Lovely to see. Apparently there is another source of nutrition being launched soon and we are going to see if Bessie gets into that little gem too.

Winter is passing us by

And Bessie is transforming. This isnt a miracle, of course. But it is lovely to see her happier and more comfortable. We have gone to extra effort and helped her aches and pains with an electric blanket and I think the weather being albeit colder, is at least a bit dyer and that may have helped too. Anyway, she is eating like a horse and has a heap more energy. Her coat is wonderfully soft, however, there are signs of irritation again, so we have bathed and brushed her and hope that any leftover parasites will have done a runner for the neighbours pug.
The change in her enthusiasm for food has in fact meant she has put on a couple of pounds in weight. The extra weight probably isnt helping any joint issues she may have but in reality her happiness is probably more important to her and us over her mobility given her age.
I saw Helen last week and told her the great news. She did explain too, that they are about to launch Essential Ingredients - a supplement which gets sprinkled across any dog food and which again adds further goodness and healthiness to your dog's diet. Magic.

A week into it!

Bessie is eating heaps and appears more bouncey. She was groomed at the weekend and looks fantastic. Interestingly the lovely lady that grooms her noticed that Bessie's breath was much sweeter. After talking about the diet, we thought this may be down to the garlic and vegetables that are ever-present in most of the dishes.
I dont think there has been a huge change in her mobility but she does seem much happier. Her stools seem to pop out regularly and upon reflection are probably less of a struggle than they were on her former, heavily biscuit based diet.
In all honesty, there may be a bit of a placebo effect here but we are amazed at her love of the food and the obvious change in her energy levels. I understand there are some key ingredients that ensure its popularity - including ground liver. Its a bit of a shame Bessie cant tell us how she is feeling and stop all of this speculation!
If she carries on like this.....we will be shouting about Heart & Bowl from the rooftops. The groomer is already interested in sampling it with some of her other clients.
Well done Helen. So far so good.
We will take some more pictures over the next day or so.

Meet Bessie

Bessie is the most wonderful tempered and beautiful 15 year old dog. She is a suspected cross between an Old English Sheepdog and a Golden Retriever.
She also has had a few health problems. Her skin has become increasingly messy with both eczema and blocked glands - causing noticeable irritations. Her back legs are tired and bothered by arthritis and she is partially deaf and blind.
Injections have helped her health and she seems to largely get by albeit she often appears tired and flat.
A dear friend, Helen, has recently started a new business preparing wholefood solutions for dogs. These are prepared in an industrial kitchen and then frozen for distribution and sale. I wont talk up the product yet until we see some results. If you want to know more you should visit www.heartandbowl.com.au
We have just started feeding Bessie with the new designer diet and are eagerly watching to see whether there is any changes in her well-being over the course of the next few weeks.
After 4 days of the diet she is already seemingly more buoyant and jolly. She is rolling around in the garden and has got her voice back - barking at the unwelcome postie who still insists on delivering an armful of tedious bills.