Case-study: Mia's story
Mia struggled for years with severe diarrhea, weight loss, recurrent eye and ear infections, and fungal infections on her paws, requiring ongoing medication and repeated veterinary hospitalizations. This is her story.
A medical professional’s experience with a homemade diet
This is Mia’s story, told by her owner, Silje, a medical doctor in Norway. Mia has followed a structured elimination diet for three months. The sub-headings have been added for clarity, but the narrative below is an accurate and faithful representation of Silje’s own words, describing Mia’s long-standing health challenges and the changes observed during dietary intervention.
Before the diet: years of unexplained symptoms
Mia is a 9-year-old Cocker Spaniel who for a long time struggled with food intolerance, suffering from severe diarrhea and weight loss. She was also affected by eye infections, ear infections, and fungal infections on her paws, and required frequent medication. In addition, she had several hospitalizations at a veterinary clinic due to dehydration, but no specific cause for her symptoms was ever identified. Eventually, we were pushed into a corner where the only food she could tolerate was an anallergenic prescription diet, which was actually intended for short-term use and consisted of denatured chicken proteins. Her coat became drier and drier, and she shed excessively.
Discovering a different approach to feeding
We happened to come across Evighetshundens article about natural dog feeding in the Norwegian Kennel Clubs magazine, "Hundesport". Initially, we were afraid to experiment with Mia’s diet, but we were reassured by the high professional standard, with clear references supporting all recommendations and statements. We had a consultation with Ayla and subsequently received a tailored elimination diet for Mia, along with a plan to gradually rebuild her normal gut microbiota.
Early changes: tolerance without relapse
Already in the first week, we saw that Mia, for the first time in years, tolerated the food she was given. We had expected diarrhea, but after the first eight weeks she had experienced no new gastrointestinal issues. On the contrary, her eyes improved, and we decided to try discontinuing her eye medication. Her ears also became much better and no longer had the inflamed smell they had had for a long time. Due to her weight loss, we needed to adjust the caloric level of the diet, and we received quick and excellent support from Ayla regarding this.
Eyes, ears, skin, and medication use
Over the following weeks, we tested additional protein sources, and the results have been overwhelming. She is now alert, playful, smells wonderful, has stopped all medications, and has a shiny, beautiful coat. We feel as though we have turned the clock back to when she was 4–5 years old and in excellent shape. We have gained good control over the preparation of her food, and with such positive results, the extra time spent cooking feels like a very small sacrifice. We have been able to ask Ayla questions throughout the process, and it has felt safe and reassuring.
Where we are now
Now only the final phase of testing remains before we put together a maintenance diet, but already we have come much further than we ever dared hope. This feels incredibly meaningful and definitely worth both the cost and the effort. The support throughout has been fast and highly competent, and we cannot praise Evighetshunden enough. ### Silje, S.M (medical doctor) and Mia
The recipe
The same elimination framework and recipe that Mia followed is available inside Evighetshundens Kjøkken — designed so other dog owners can follow the process safely, step by step.