Testimonial Interview #8: Carlee Holden & Nahla
About
Name: Carlee Holden
Dog: Almost 13 years (passed)
Breed: English Bulldog
Was Eating: Acana Pacifica
Testimonial
Hi guys! I wanted to share my story of Nahla and myself. Even though she passed away in December, you guys have been a huge part of our story! Nahla was our first baby and we had her at 10 weeks old and we just lost her in December at almost 13 years old! We've been feeding her Acana since she was 1 years old finding out that she had so many allergies and we've been with Tail Blazers forever! We were also a part of the pride parade and won a few of those! They'll always be a part of our story with our baby girl! I just want you to know how special you guys are in my heart and that every time I look at pictures, you're always a part of those memories! You always greeted Nahla with excitement which ever pet owner just loves!! Nahla was my best friend and the best dog that I've ever had! I miss her with every part of my being every single day of my life. Life is not the same without her, although I have beautiful memories to look back on and I'm so grateful for that.
Read below for Nahla's full story:
Interview
1. Tell me about Nahla. What were some of Nahla’s favourite activities?
We got her at 10 weeks as a young pup. She loved to swim and chew on sticks. She had the biggest life jacket we could find as she would sink like a rock otherwise. She was very food motivated but was very limited on her treats due to allergies. She loved car rides and camping. She also loved her human kid; she was 7 when we had our daughter. She loved her humans and was a big part of everyone's life.
2. What led to her being diagnosed with allergies?
Early on she had a slice of orange, her eyes swelled shut and got massive hives. With any type of protein, she looked like a porcupine from her hair sticking up from hives. We went back and forth with nutritionists, vets and naturopaths. I worked closely with my dog owner friends trying to avoid medication. I started working at Doggytopia and had lots of fellow staff members that were into dog nutrition. We all started working together to figure out what food would be best. We stuck with Acana at around 2 years old. The fish and duck worked well, but too much duck would cause chronic yeast infections. Acana Pacifica was her sweet spot. At the same time, she had developed low-grade epilepsy for the rest of her life, we weren't sure what triggered that. Once I figured out Tail Blazers stocked the Acana, we've been there ever since!
3. What was prescribed?
We didn't do any allergy medication, but we had prednisone if she had an anaphylactic situation. We maybe had to give it to her about 5 times due to accidental ingestions. Otherwise, it was only the Acana Pacifica and duck that she would have.
4. When did you visit Tail Blazers? What were some recommendations made by Tail Blazers?
The only location [in Kelowna] was at K. L. O. at that time, as Glenmore hadn't opened yet. When I found out they sold Acana I went in at only half the size they are now. I spoke with the owners and they were super helpful. I was there for Acana and they were understanding of my choices after speaking about my situation. As she got older, they started recommending the Grizzly joint supplements around 5 years old. We went for seaweed teeth cleaning that we added to her rotation. We were easily swayed into helping her holistically which was super helpful for her wellbeing.
5. What meds + supplements was she taking?
She ended up developing an autoimmune disease, since she would break out from other dog’s pee. My holistic friend helped me figure it out. She would get really sticky spots on her skin, hair would fall out and skin would turn black. We couldn’t bring her out near other dog’s pee so she spent a lot of time with us. She also had chronic interdigital cysts between her toes. We spent a lot of time with the vet for this - we had to get her on antibiotics, ointments and medicated shampoos. Until the end, her tried and true was the Acana Pacifica and Grizzly Joint, everything from Tail Blazers!
6. Do you have any current pets?
Our new 5 month old girl - Birdie – we were told she is a golden retriever. A rescue from Okanagan Humane Society. Puppies are a lot! She's a good girl and has come into Tail Blazers a few times already. We're now doing Canadian Naturals as she's a bigger breed and trialing different proteins with her. She came from a bad situation as they were abandoned and malnourished.
7. Anything else you want to share?
Everybody is just super supportive at Tail Blazers! They go with what you're comfortable with, and not super pushy. You get treated like family, it's a very nice environment. We will be with them until I leave this earth! They would do a fashion show for pride week, I entered Nahla two years in a row and she won first place both times! She first was a rainbow with a cloud, then a rainbow with a unicorn.
Send your stories on how we have helped your pet to info@tailblazerspets.com