Food as Medicine

I'm amazed at (I know...cliched) " how fast time flies".  It's February 2, 2014-Ground Hog's Day.  It even feels like the I'm living like Bill Murray in the movie Ground Hog's Day.  Everyday is the same; but for me, invariably different.  

After my last post about Buddy, he got sick.  

Very sick.  

He started with an abscess and was lame for a long time and he was in so much pain I wanted to cry for him.  This nasty toxic bubble in his hoof traveled from his left foot to his right foot--just how does that happen?  He was treated with several poultices and sported a silver duct tape hoof (hooves) for weeks.  

 

The pain in his foot was so bad, it took me nearly an hour to walk him out of his stall--movement is necessary to keep circulation going.

The sequence of photos show how sick he became in a few weeks.  He was lying down much of the time; he was hurting so badly.  

I hate nasty, toxic abscesses. 

 

Then one day, I saw lumps all over his body.  I was getting very concerned at this new complication.

Buddy's vet gave him an injection of an antibiotic and cleaned his multiple abscesses that were bursting all over his legs. 

It was horrific.

After three weeks of antibiotics by mouth he was feeling better.

During his illness, I did a lot of research on why and how, etc.  I traced it back to him being put on a popular grain and after researching it, I discovered in it's list of ingredients that besides sugar, this grain has rubber stabilizers in it.  

What??

Why would they put rubber stabilizers in horse feed?

It causes cancer.  Tumors.  Auto-Immune problems.

 His abscesses started right about the same time he was started on this feed.

Many horse owners use this product and I can't say for certain if it caused his auto-immune system to malfunction, but it's my belief, there was a connection.

There's an Ayurvedic proverb that says:

When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use.

When diet is correct,

medicine is of no need.

He came back to life.  

He was moving again and seemed to be free of pain.  

The abscesses had all blown and my Buddy was on the mend.

I improved his diet with a natural grain without any toxins in it.

I added herbs and chia seeds.

Garlic powder--although it's said to not be great.. I don't know.  It helps him.

He's on a great supplement and has free-feeding hay and minerals 24/7.

 Buddy has been free of pain and abscess free so far this year of 2014!

Yes!