“Sophie passed at 15 years, 8 months of age. Pretty awesome considering that when she was 8 yrs old, the vets gave her less than a year! Even more surprising was that when she was 14 yrs old, we gave her another echocardiogram, and her valve damage had regressed!!!”
We absolutely adored Sophie. In addition to being cute as a bug, she was a walking entertainment center. She was so playful, yet sassy, with hilarious attitude! However, when she was 8 years old, one evening her lips and tongue turned blue, she fainted and lost control of her bladder.
One of many vet visits following her initial episode.
A Sobering Diagnosis
We rushed her to emergency, and then to Dr Jennifer Marshall at Edmonton Holistic Vet, and soon found out with an echocardiogram (cardiac ultrasound) that her heart murmur, formerly at a stage 1 out of 6, had quickly progressed to a 5 out of 6. Though we started her on heart meds, there wasn’t much hope held for her, as it was a condition common to her breed. (Sophie was a Morkie - a Maltese-Yorkie cross.) Dr. Marshall later said, given past experience, she estimated Sophie had approximately 3 months.
I remember when I got home saying impatiently to myself, “C’mon, Mr. Vitamin Man…Do something!” So I started reasoning, and concocting a formulation for Sophie.
Given that she had a heart condition, I focused first on her mitochondria, i.e. her energy generators, and this is what produced the name of the formula: Mitygen, i.e. “Mighty Generators”.
Designing Mitygen: The Formula for "Mighty Mitochondria"
I included co-enzyme Q10, and L-carnitine to generate energy that the heart needs 24/7, and I added PQQ to help generate more mitochondria. Then magnesium, not only because it is so essential for energy production, and heart function, but also because of the way Sophie had always literally dove “mouth-first” into green grass when going for walks. (Surprisingly, she would even growl when I would try to pull her away.) Being that chlorophyll is inherently very high in Magnesium, this connection made sense as far as a potential deficiency.
For General Wellbeing
Due to the lack of connective tissue in the diets of most domestic dogs, I also included collagen, for its necessity in the structure of a heart valve, and her joints. I further included the amino acid taurine for fluid regulation, probiotics for gut health, liver support for detoxification and regeneration, and sea vegetation for trace minerals, woefully deficient in most dogs’ diets.
Once the formula was arrived at, the next question was how to get it into her? So I made a paste out of the powder with a small amount of liverwurst. High fat, yes, but also a good medium for absorbing numerous of the ingredients. (After she got sick of the liverwurst, I would smear the mixed paste on small pieces of weiner, sausage or other meat…sometimes fish.)
It was only a few days before I started noticing a change. More sass, more spark, more bark, and more bounce. My family was skeptical at first, thinking I was just imagining it, but in a short time they had to agree that she was definitely more energetic, and functional. So, heartened with the results, I carried on.
Defying the Odds
I would give it to her daily, and sometimes every second day. Yet when I moved to every three days, I would notice a slow-down in her, so I didn’t often go this long without it. Even when I consistently gave it to her every second day, it didn’t seem the same, so I settled on 5-6 days a week, though I would have to watch how much magnesium she was getting as it would often loosen her stool.
At times the Mitygen would give her a major and obvious boost in energy and enthusiasm within just a few hours… to the point where there was no doubt for anyone in her space the effect it was having on her. She would become “zippy”, with vertical bounces and spins that would make everyone laugh! And she would play fight with us, with “woofs”, “grrrrs”, lunges and dodges.
Sophie carried on, and didn’t slow down much until her last year. On one visit when she was about 12 years old, the vet she saw, (who was substituting for Dr. Marshall), commented that she was acting like a puppy. Also, her heart got to the point where Dr. Marshall said if she didn’t know about her previous murmur, she wouldn’t notice that she had one.
Age 15
A Life Well-Lived
Sophie passed at 15 years, 8 months of age. Pretty awesome considering that when she was 8 yrs old, the vets gave her less than a year! Even more surprising was that when she was 14 yrs old, we gave her another echocardiogram, and her valve degeneration and heart deficits had regressed!!! This is largely unheard of with this type of heart condition, much less a dog that is 14 years old!
A Vet's Observations
Official diagnosis: MMVD (myxomatrous mitral valve degeneration) and compensatory cardiac muscle changes and heart remodeling.
Sophie’s journey didn’t only surprise those of us who loved her—it was also confirmed by her long-time veterinarian, Dr. Jennifer Marshall, who tracked Sophie’s condition over several years. She shared the following remarks
"It was extraordinary to see such profound and sustained reversal of congestive heart failure. Instead of just disease stabilization, Sophie showed marked improvement and sustained it for years." - Dr. Jennifer Marshal DVM, CHPV
Sophie's Legacy
We were so sorry to see her go, yet between the formula and medications we had managed to almost double her lifespan from the initial diagnosis, and more than that had kept her quality of life intact… her spark, her energy, her mood, her desire to go for walks, and play with her toys. She was a delight till the very end!
Late 2024; 15 years old.
Here’s to Sophie!
John Biggs BSc, NCP, OHP
Synergy Holistics, Founder and Formulator