Halloween Safety Tips For Pets

Please follow these important precautions to ensure that you and your your pets have a safe and happy holiday!

1) Keep candy (chocolate is toxic) away from pesky paws! Many of our pets display amazing dexterity to reach those delicious sweet treats. Gum and diet candies are also toxic if they contain Xylitol. Xylitol can have fast, fatal consequences because it can cause a precipitous drop in blood sugar (acute hypoglycemia) and/or liver failure. It is easy to leave a pack of gum sitting out on the counter or on the car seat. Doublecheck before bedtime to make sure that the candy and gum has been stored in a secure cabinet in all rooms!

2) Watch out for Jack O'Lanterns and burning candles. Pets can easily knock them over, starting a fire. Electrical cords can be fun for a puppy to chew on. Be extra vigilant about keeping an eye out for your pet's location and activities.

3) Keep all cats (particularly black cats) and shy, nervous dogs safely inside a room away from the noise. Doorbells and excited trick-or-treaters can be very scary to them.

4) If your dog is happy greeting guests (and may even like to dress up!), then be sure to hold your dog firmly on a leash when you open the door. Masks and costumes can be very confusing to pets. Even a very calm dog might snap if a scary figure in a dark costume rapidly approaches them and the dog feels threatened.

5) Be sure all pets are fed and walked before trick-or-treaters arrive.

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Feeding Pets Twice A Day Helps Their Digestion and Blood Sugar Regulation

For optimal health, it’s best to feed pets at least twice a day in portioned meals. This helps to regulate their blood sugar, improve digestion and overall health. If you free-feed, especially in a multiple pet household, there is a possibility that one pet may eat more than another which can lead to obesity. With a little time and patience, pets will get accustomed to a regular feeding schedule. Leaving out a few snacks or a small amount of dry food during the day while you are gone is ok, but save the larger portion of food for regular feeding schedules.

If your cat or dog has diabetes, it is important to feed them a high protein diet. Using Lypozyme and Power Probiotic will help improve digestion and metabolism. The Power Probiotic is very important because pets with diabetes are especially prone to urinary infections.

Labratory Tests (Blood and Urine) Are Essential to Pet Health

Have you brought your pet into the veterinarian for an annual check-up? Plan ahead before the holiday rush and bring your pet in for annual blood and laboratory tests as well as a complete health and dental exam. A visit to the vet is not just for vaccinations. Also, be sure to request a fecal exam too. Many pets can have worms, parasites and giardia without symptoms. These are highly contagious to other pets.

Before the holidays come upon us, be sure to have your pet completely checked out. Disease sets in long before you see the symptoms. For example, kidney disease doesn't even show up as abnormal on your pet's blood test (values are Creatitine, BUN and phosphorous) until your pet has lost 75% kidney function. Discovering problems at their initial stages is the key to keeping your pets happy and healthy. Be proactive about your pet's good health. Early detection of common health problems such as elevated liver enzymes, kidney disease, and diabetes will help ensure you will have lots of extra time to spend with your beloved pet.

Warning Signs: When To Take Your Cat or Dog To the Veterinarian

Dr. David Gordon, Holistic Veterinarian
VCA Arroyo Animal Hospital
Lake Forest, CA





Many times a phone call to the veterinarian is all that is needed. However, these warning signs warrant an immediate visit. If your cat or dog shows any of the following, please take your pet to the veterinarian right away.

· Any eye trauma

· Blood in urine or stool

· Vomiting or diarrhea--more than 1 instance

· Pet is lethargic, listless

· Insect bites (a small bite can cause a severe reaction)

· Limping

· Swollen stomach

· Punctures and abrasions (fur can hide a much deeper wound)

· Snake bites

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Puppy with Demodex Mange Gets New "Leash" on Life

Annie was in big trouble. She was at the Orange County Animal Care Center, which is a high-kill shelter in Orange, California. Annie was being kept in isolation because she had tested positive for Demodectic Mange. All dogs have demodectic mange, but their healthy immune systems keep it under control.

Annie's immune system was compromised because of the stress of having to survive on the streets. She was four months old when she was brought to the shelter. The shelter had her listed as a male, and they had named her "Comet". She was not up for adoption to the general public. She had fur loss on her face and on her front legs.

Ariel Rescue saw that she needed our help! An Ariel Rescue volunteer was allowed to visit with "him". The kennel attendant had been told not to touch the dog and only to let the Ariel Rescue volunteer go into the kennel to visit with "him". The volunteer saw that "Comet" was just a sweet puppy, so the volunteer went to adopt "him". The volunteer was told that "Comet" could not stay at the shelter to be neutered; "he" had to be removed from the shelter immediately.

The volunteer took "Comet" to the vet to be examined. Imagine the volunteer's surprise when they found out that "Comet" was a female! New name -- "Annie". The vet said that they should wait a few weeks before Annie could be spayed, to give Annie's immune system a chance to improve.

Meanwhile Annie was being fostered by an Ariel Rescue volunteer. Annie was given very healthy food to eat. Susan Davis, the nutritionist of AskAriel.com, recommended that Annie be given the supplements Amazing Omegas, Power Probiotic and NotaSAN capsules, to help boost her immune system and get her skin and coat back into good condition.

What a difference a month makes! Annie's skin and coat have improved dramatically. Annie was able to be spayed and she bounced back nicely from the surgery. Annie, now named Lexi, got to go to her "forever home"! Instead of her life being in danger at the high-kill shelter, she is now safe, completely healthly and most of all, well-loved, living with her new "brother", and her new mom. Lexi is now the happy little puppy that she deserves to be!

Question about Dog With Chronic Kidney Failure

Q: My 10 year old dog has, in the last couple of months been diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. Her last two blood tests showed very high platelet counts and the vets do not seem to know why this is. Can you throw any light on this please?

A: Thank you for taking the time to submit a question on our blog. So sorry to hear your dog was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. Dr. Gordon reviewed your question but needed to see your dog's complete blood results and medical history before he could make an opinion about this. There could be other issues going on beyond kidney disease and he would need to evaluate your pet in a much more comprehensive way. Dr. David Gordon is a holistic veterinarian who is available by telephone consultation through www.AskAriel.com

One blood disorder that is quite common to see in dogs with chronic kidney failure (CRF) is anemia. This can occur very slowly over time as the kidneys start to decline. For anemia in cats and dogs, we recommend our pet anemia package This package has been very helpful for pets with a variety of blood disorders, helps overall health and would be worth considering.

Are You Unknowingly Giving Your Pet Antibiotics?

Are you using a Tear-Stain Product that contains antibiotics? You may not even realize that you are! Do not resort to tear-stain eliminators such as Angel's Eyes. What most pet owners don't realize when using products like this is that you are giving your pet a DAILY DOSE OF ANTIBIOTICS unknowingly. Angel's eyes and other similar products contain cattle antibiotics. Long-term use of antibiotics can have many serious consequences, not to mention, perpetuating the tear stain problem by causing yeast overgrowth and further reducing your dog's immune system.

It is essential to use Power Probiotic for your dog to help your pet feel better. Power Probiotic contains Lactoferrin. Lactoferrin has been shown to be a natural antibacterial agent and is found in tears.

Many light colored dogs develop tear stains under the eye. Breeds such as maltese , poodles and chihuahas may have their beautiful faces discolored with unsightly dark stains below the eyes. Even large pets such as yellow labradors may have dark brown stains under the eyes. Tear stains are not just cosmetic and may be a health concern that you need to address. You can eliminate tear stains naturally by doing the following.......

First, be sure to check with your veterinarian! Some dogs have a genetic predisposition and could be born with an abnormality in tear ducts or have developed blocked tear ducts. Be sure there isn't some type of structural defect, infection or inflammation. If your veterinarian rules out these conditions, then the next step is to address the problem from a natural standpoint: change the diet and add a few supplements to enhance your pet's skin and coat.

Many times pets have excessive tear staining due to allergies (food & environmental), digestive problems, yeast and/or poor diet. They generally have other conditions that accompany the tear stains such as bad breath, gas, tummy gurgling, loose stools or vomiting. These are all signs of poor digestion and a problem with the pet's food. Be sure you are using a grain-free diet---no grains such as oats, corn, wheat, gluten as these can be potential allergens for your pet. Some protein sources such as poultry can be a problem too. Watch those treats---many contain "hidden" allergens such as peanut butter or sugary carbohydrates such as molasses which promote yeast and bacteria overgrowth.

Power Probiotic is the first line of defense for tear stains and good digestive health. Power Probiotic is a 3rd party tested, multi-strain powerful immune booster that is very easy to administer to cats and dogs. Simply open the capsule of this tasteless formula and sprinkle on your pet's food. Even some of the pickiest cats have tolerated this on their food. Power Probiotic contains Lactoferrin. Lactoferrin has been shown to be a natural antibacterial agent and is found in tears. In addition, if your dog has any digestive issues, use a digestive enzyme such as Soothing Digestive Relief or Lypozyme. This will help the bad breath and digestive problems.

Treatment For The Eyes Using an all-natural product to gently cleanse the area underneath the idea will help cosmetically. Argentyn drops are a highly purified colloidal silver that can be put directly in the eye (for a few weeks) and/or given daily as a natural source of antibacterial support.

Allergies? Finally, if your dog has any signs of paw licking, genital licking, ear infections, allergies, it is important to use some basic allergy support supplements. AllerEase, Pet Allergy and Skin Package or K9 Yeast Defense (works best to use a combination) will help.


Click here to view Ask Ariel's Allergies, Skin and Coat Products