Louie suffers from Intestinal Lymphangiectasia and Rabies Vaccine-Induced Ischemic Dermatopathy. Louie's detailed story and information about both conditions can be found at savelouie.blogspot.com .

The Story: One year ago, Louie the Chinese Crested was diagnosed with an intestinal disease called lymphangiectasia.

Intestinal lymphangiectasia is a disease that interferes with the body's ability to process fats and proteins. Untreated, the disease results in a slow wasting away, as the body robs protein from muscle tissue to compensate for what it can no longer absorb through the intestines. Extreme weight loss, malnourishment, weakness, lethargy, and, eventually, death, are the inevitable outcomes of untreated disease.

With treatment, the disease can sometimes be managed, and some dogs do quite well. A cornerstone of treatment is an extremely low-fat diet. For some dogs, a switch to a very low fat food is all that is needed.

Others require a bit more, and still others do not make it.

By the time Louie had been diagnosed with this disease, he had already tried numerous low-fat diets in an effort to treat recurring pancreatitis. None of these diets agreed with him, and his health continued to deteriorate, until he finally came to a point at which he needed to be carried from his bed to the back yard for potty or the kitchen for food. Otherwise, He remained in his bed all day, no longer strong enough to even get up and follow his mom around as he used to do.

Once he was diagnosed with lymphangiectasia, the vet prescribed Royal Canin Digestive Low Fat canned food. This food was different from other low fat foods he had tried, in that the protein source in this food is fish.

Within a week, Louie's energy level had clearly begun to improve. His skin, which had become filled with blemishes and blackheads from the malnourishment brought on by the disease, began to clear. Within a month, he was up walking around again, and, although there were a few setbacks during which it seemed the prescription diet was not agreeing with him, he continued to improve.

During these setbacks, numerous other foods were tried, including a homecooked diet with various kinds of fish, but none of these diets worked out for him. Returning to the Royal Canin Digestive Low Fat Canned product always brought relief again.

It took about six months to get Louie's condition stabilized, and a year later he is healthy, energetic, playful, and almost completely back to his normal, wonderful, affectionate self. I am extremely grateful to Royal Canin for making this food that has almost literally brought him back from the dead.

Sounds like a great success story so far. Keep reading.

A few weeks ago I placed an order with his vet for two cases of the Royal Canin Digestive Low Fat canned prescription diet. A few days after picking it up, I discovered while reading on the internet that Royal Canin has changed the formula for this prescription food.

It is no longer a fish based product, but is now being made with pork and chicken, two foods that I know he has not done well with in the past.

Luckily for us, the two cases I received from his vet contain the old formula. When that is gone, however, I do not know what I will do. (Update: Thanks to the food drive, I now have more of this food on the way).

I am, right now, on a desperate mission to find a food that Louie can eat in order to keep him alive. If I am not able to find something that he can eat, he will die.

I have been told that the Royal Canin company is sometimes responsive to customer requests and concerns, and so I have created this website to tell Louie's story to the world and to ask you to send letters to the Royal Canin protesting the change and requesting that they tell us exaclty what kind of fish was in the product they have discontinued so that I can make it for him myself.

Louie and I sincerely appreciate your help.

- Laura Sterner (aka Louie's Mom)

"Thank you all for helping me. "