Scrappy the Dog
As I sit here writing this testimonial for Dr Chrissie Mason, I am patting my dearly beloved dog, Scrappy. (He stands or sits by my side when I work at the computer.) On April 29 he will be 15 years old!
It was December of 1993, when Scrappy, 8 months old, began a slow decline. For no apparent reason, he began scratching his eyes until he ulcerated the corneas, biting and chewing his skin until raw and bloody and scraping his face on the ground when he walked. He began not sleeping and whimpered in pain all the time.
This once beautiful Bichon Frise had to wear 2 tea-shirts, an E-collar and socks every day to lessen the damage of his scraping and chewing. At the onset of these behaviors, I brought him to the veterinarian. I rushed him to one vet visit to the next. He was put on valium, steroids, allergy medication and creams. I eventually sought out a second, third and forth opinion. All four vets advised that I "put him down". The vet bills were costing me on average about $200.00 a week. By September 1994, I had spent over $7000.00, was constantly worried about Scrappy and not getting any sleep.
In September 1994, reality finally set in. I not only couldn't afford the bills, but also Scrappy was not getting any better. I knew I had to end his misery. One day, as I was wearily walking through a local pet store looking for that last "miracle cream", an article advertised on the cover of "PetDogs" Magazine caught my eye. I purchased the magazine and without delay started reading the article called "The Laughing Dog that Didn't", written by Catherine O' Driscoll. I read and re-read the article "Oh MY God, "I thought" This is Scrappy." The animal Nutritionist that had treated Kei, the Akita in the article, was Dr. Chrissie Mason from England .
I called Dr. Mason the next day and also wrote her a long letter. This began the beginning of Scrappy's recovery.
Chrissie Mason saved my dog's life. Of course, Dr. Mason, or Chrissie, as I call her after many years of correspondence, would say that "I saved my dog's life". In reality, it was a team effort of trust and commitment. Chrissie and I sent each other over 100 faxes during the next year and spoke on the phone several times. She sent me "remedies" to counteract what was poisoning from his puppy vaccination, a condition called vaccinosis. (Scrappy has never been vaccinated again). Even with the cost of phone calls, faxing and remedies from England , the cost was pennies compared to the thousands I had spent the previous year.
I will always be indebted to Chrissie. I hold her in the highest regard. Her expertise, support and immeasurable skill have given Scrappy and my family all these years together. He is quite a "momma's dog" with a personality that can't compare to any other dog.
