This is MY story and how I showed my humans all about being SCENTS-ABLE…snuggle in like ME for the journey!
When I first came to live with my forever humans I was a total mess – but not bepaws of anything I had done. While I know my own story my humans don’t know my beginnings. All they know is that I was in the hands of some humans that didn’t even take very good care of themselves so I was of course even less of a concern.
By a total mess I mean I was VERY skinny, not well and mom said very stinky. My humans made lots of mistakes in the beginning bepaws they had never had a rescue and had never dealt with such “baggage” as I had. I was only 4 months old but I had lived a lifetime by then.
The first day was the hardest bepaws I was so hungry and also very scared. I got a bath right away and that was even scarier! Then, Mom fed me too much at once and it wasn’t pretty is all I can say. She was still feeding that junk in a bag back then too but I really taught her well over the years, WOOF!
After that first night (Saturday) Mom wasn’t sure she wanted to keep me – that made me very sad. It wasn’t my fault I was having poop messes and also bad dreams. She was just out of practice after not having a dog for nearly a year and not having worked in a vet clinic in a while. The good news is that she was smacked upside the head figuratively by a very good friend and from that day forward we became the very BEST of friends…I knew it was all in God’s design for her AND me! She said to me that Monday morning, “What say you Shadrach (that’s what they named me bepaws to them Shadow didn’t make sense and I had come through a fiery trial for sure) that we just start over and begin anew? That we make this work because after all we think you deserve that. I apologize for being such an idiot. You aren’t Fridge (her previous dog who was a Golden Retriever) you are your own special, unique self and I want to learn all about you and how to help you have a good life.” I said YES the only way a dog can – with drool and a happy tail wag, WOOF!
FINALLY I was going to be loved! I can tell you no one could have loved me more than she and Dad!!
They learned to feed me first small meals until my tummy adjusted to eating regular meals, then they were able to give me bigger meals less often. Eventually they also started feeding me REAL dog’s food – raw meat, bones and organs because I AM a carnivore after all! I taught Mom all about the toxins that make us AND humans sick – Dad hipped her a lot too since he is such a common sense kind of guy. But mostly I taught her everything and inspired her to do LOTS of research and of course then apply what she learned. She even started blogging, writing books, and then she went back to school to become an animal naturopath all bepaws of ME…but I am jumping ahead a bit.
Soon no matter what she did – she only knew conventional care as a former veterinary technician – I began to decline again. I was often sick with one thing or another but mostly with my lungs and digestion – and later my joints (hint: those ALL point to IMMUNE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION). She learned all about the REAL way the immune system functions thanks to ME of course. I was her constant muse and inspiration!
I need to digress and say I know this is all below the wellness line, but this part isn’t part of my oily story so paw-lease bear with me…
One day Mom started to notice I had a funny bald patch on my skin. First it started only on one side…then it progressed to each side of my body in long strips. She could not figure out why. We took a trip to my veterinarian – he was a nice guy but he was baffled as well. So he prescribed antibiotics for my skin to take internally and apply externally even though he found nothing wrong with me. Within a day I was reacting to the antibiotics and sicker than …a dog. I was so sick my humans rushed me to emergency care in the middle of the night. Mom forgot to brush her hair (she had been sound asleep but Dad woke her up in a panic) even though Dad tried to tell her to wear a hat or something. She thought he was nuts so off we went to the emergency hospital. She later learned she had to have appeared to look like Cruella de Vil of 101 Dalmatians movie fame due to her hair and her panicked demeanor – which with her always translates into looking angry!
They had to leave me there and I was NOT happy. I was VERY scared again. Mom had said she’d NEVER leave me alone but she did! She suffered for it though as she and Dad barely slept they told me. Well I have news for them, neither did I. I got poked, prodded and manhandled most of the night. When they picked me up first thing in the morning and had their bank account assaulted yet again, I was even sicker bepaws the hospital gave me even MORE antibiotics and they didn’t treat me very nice either. I had poop all down my backside bepaws I got scared. And then they put my catheter in my back leg and tied it on too tight so my leg was very swollen. My regular veterinarian wasn’t happy at all with them and my current state. Mom was even less so especially since NO ONE could figure out what was wrong with me – even after all that trauma I had to suffer in the process.
You see this crisis is what brought her to the conclusion that if my health was going to be restored it was up to HER (and Dad) since SHE and DAD decided to bring me home to live with them. I was THEIR responsibility. So that is why she REALLY went back to school to learn. She had decided she had to help others learn too so animals could stop being harmed.
One day when Mom was doing LOTS of research, she found this ancient healing arts site. Don Slepian (he’s a musician), was a founding member there. He called her after she left him a message and they talked for a while. Mom wasn’t interested a bit in essential oils. Her experience with them had been less than savory bepaws she had only experienced health food store stuff and besides, she didn’t want a “remedy” fix, she wanted a “cause” fix. She wasn’t taking ANY chances on anything hurting me ever again if she had any say about it! Besides, she was already using another network marketing whole food supplement with me and didn’t think she needed anything else in the supplement department to support my total body wellness regimen.
Don was very kind and said he’d gift her the two animal products (quality essential oil infused pet shampoo & ointment just as support, not as a “remedy fix“, whew!) Mom opened them right away when she received them in the mail…she was VERY surprised by the strength of the scent. Not a “perfume” scent but a GOOD, deep, rich scent. She began calling the ointment “Truly Patchouli” hehe as it smelled strong to her having never experienced such pure, therapeutic, essential oil products before. I SNIFFED it DEEPLY. That amused her even more and also intrigued her very much. Every time she went to get the ointment to apply she’d ask me if I wanted my Truly Patchouli– which I always did. I was teaching her, WOOF! Did you know that back in ancient times that anyone who had possession of patchouli was considered wealthy? Just as a side note, the scent and color (a couple of ingredients changed) of these two products have changed but not the efficiency of them!
Now back to my story…
Guess who figured out what was affecting my skin? Dad. Yep, he connected the dots – he is VERY good at connecting dots. He never just memorizes them as humans are taught to do in school. That doesn’t sound like very sound education to me. Anyway I digress hehe…I liked to lean up against things as my photos reveal. I leaned on everything but especially against furniture and walls. Mom had just recently repainted all our walls. It apparently was very toxic paint (many brands are in fact very toxic) as my skin was revealing. Once they quit allowing me to lean up against the walls, my skin was restored to its former beautiful, blue brindle luster! The animal products simply supported my body as it restored itself!
Mom’s journey into whole health had begun in earnest, she was blogging, writing, studying, applying, and sharing – this was all before blogging was so popular too! People used to think she was saying “dogging” bepaws they didn’t know what “blogging” was unless they were tech people. No matter, it sure got her writing noticed quick, WOOF! I was happy bepaws she wanted to help other dogs too not just me. I’m glad my suffering brought knowledge so others could forgo that.
Mom got so involved and it is what helped me all along the way to Be as Well as I could be given the epigenetic causes. It encouraged Mom to learn all about essential oils and a toxic chemical free lifestyle. ALL bepaws of ME, a Neapolitan Mastiff! Fancy that humans, WOOF!
Weekly raindrop massage, daily sniffing and application of various essential oils and blends to support my various organ system needs changed my life and my humans’ as well.
“When I was first introduced to Young Living, the company was younger, growing and evolving. I didn’t join for me, I joined for my dog. Yes, that’s right my dog – I am an animal lover after all and always have been. He was a very special boy and because of him, I began my focused, true journey into whole health. I’d dabbled before, but Shadrach changed all of that and I am forever grateful to God for putting this special boy in my life. I felt he deserved the best I could possibly give him and I KNOW I did when I chose Young Living as our wellness vehicle. If Shadrach could talk, he would concur. I know he enjoyed the oils and his weekly raindrop massage.” ~Kim Bloomer, VND, ND
From Dr. Kim:
Shadrach passed away on April 5, 2011, but he inspires me to this day! He is the reason I even began this journey into natural, whole health and all because of this amazing dog and his SCENTS-able nose!
Kim Bloomer, V.N.D., N.D. is an animal naturopath as well as being certified in small animal nutrition, with years of experience in animal wellness. Dr. Kim is a published author, writer, blogger, host of the DOGgone Truth podcast. Dr. Kim offers Animal Naturopathy Mentoring and Courses. Subscribe to her DOGgone Newsletter for updates or to her blog via email. Copyright ©2005-2024 Aspenbloom Pet Care, Dr. Kim Bloomer, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the Author/Publisher. This article is intended to be educational. However, it is not intended to be a substitute for diagnosis or treatment from a qualified animal health professional. Dr. Kim Bloomer and Aspenbloom Pet Care, do not assume any legal responsibility for misuse of the products discussed in this article. The only essential oils referenced on this website are Young Living.
