Can I be honest? I’m a die-hard introvert. Small talk and social interactions are hard for me. I thrive on deep conversations, so, starting a blog and being “social” in front of the world is hard for me. This is Max and Co Pets, and I’m the human behind it, yours truly, Maylin. Putting all my insecurities aside, let me tell you a little about how and why we got started, and most importantly, why you should be here.
It all started with Max, our boxer. But every single dog we have ever had the honor to have in our lives has contributed to this. Bruno, Draco, Athena, Bailey, and Kobe. Yes, the last push we needed came from Max, but every single one of those souls that came before him shaped the dog mom I am now, and my heart will forever carry them.
Now, back to Max. He was kind and gentle. The kind of dog that just read your mind. As I sit here trying to describe him to you, my heart hurts as I realize I’m starting to lose the everyday memories of him. He was our shadow, our companion, the one waiting by the door every day we arrived home. We were greeted with his wiggle bum, the way boxers do, and it was the sweetest kind of love.
Max was only six years old when he passed away unexpectedly on September 30, 2018. A day that shook me to my core and is forever ingrained in me. My husband and I were out celebrating with friends, it was the week before their wedding. The kids were home with grandma and Max. We arrived home sometime after midnight and Max greeted us at the door. I remember this vividly. My oldest son was still up. I said hi to Max, wondered why he was still up and headed straight to the bathroom to change. That’s when I heard something happening in the kitchen. I rushed over and saw my son on the floor holding Max in his arms. My husband was with him. They were both holding Max and to be honest, the rest is a bit blurry. I stood there in shock as Max crossed over the rainbow bridge right before our eyes. It was surreal.
You see, Max was healthy, or so I thought. He was fed a raw diet when he was a puppy. Later, life got complicated, and I didn’t have the means and time to continue to do that, but I still made sure to feed him the highest-quality, low-carb kibble I could afford. During his entire life, he never showed signs of any illness. His teeth were in perfect condition, his coat was shiny. It was only three days before his passing, on my way out for work that Max followed me to the door and collapsed at my feet. He was stiff for a few minutes that seemed like an eternity, and then was back up on his feet like nothing had ever happened. I made a ton of calls that morning and did a lot of research. Everything I was hearing, and reading was pointing to a seizure. I was able to locate a veterinary neurologist to arrange an MRI. That was on a Friday. Max passed away on Saturday.
There were many regrets when we lost Max and we knew in our hearts that we could have done better by him. Since then, we had been trying to find a way to make a difference in the lives of other dogs. I have made it my mission to educate myself and share what I learn with other dog parents along the way. That is how I honor Max.
After his passing, I was left with so many questions, each of which I was determined to get answers for. Questions like:
- Did his nutrition contribute to his death?
- What caused his death?
- What could I have done differently?
The first thing I did is research the kibble that Max was eating. That led me to believe that Max’s passing was caused by canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) caused by a taurine deficiency. DCM is a heart condition that has been linked to “grain-free” dog food containing peas, lentils, other legumes, or potatoes as their main source of protein. Out of the dog food brands most frequently reported to the FDA in DCM-related cases, we found Max’s food to be one of them. This link is highly debatable, and I’m not here to argue for either side, simply sharing our story in the hopes it leads you to do your own research. What I initially thought was a seizure, I now believe was a fainting episode. If you are interested to learn more about DCM, I will be linking a few articles below.
This discovery is just one piece of the larger picture. My goal this lifetime is to collect as many pieces as I can. Our family has grown by two since Max. We welcomed Levi in March of 2019 and Luna a year later. They have filled our home with paw prints, hair, chaos, love, and many, many laughs and although we know the hole Max left will never be filled, we are grateful and honored we get to share our lives with these pups.
All this to say, I hope you join us in our journey of discovery. Max and Co Pets was born to improve the lives of dogs in every form we can. Our blog will be filled with information we ourselves are learning about dog health, dog nutrition, dog care, dog products, and dog lifestyle. Our storefront will carry the highest-quality products we can make and/or source. We hope you join the conversation!
Links to articles discussing DCM: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5. These are just a few. Please educate yourself and come to your own conclusions.