Bone Treats Are Not Safe For Dogs

The FDA issued a warning against giving your dog bone treats citing numerous reports of health issues such as diarrhea, choking, vomiting, intestinal blockage and even death. Most bone treats for dogs are highly processed with chemicals and flavorings and even though our pets want them, please try to consider other safer alternatives. A better alternative is raw frozen bones. Many raw food manufacturers offer frozen bones but even these should still be supervised. While very nutritious, raw frozen bones can be problematic for some sensitive dogs because they are very fatty and can cause pancreatitis. The safest option is to take a plain sterilized bone or Kong ball and fill it with canned food or treats. You can freeze to make it more of a challenge.

Want to live longer? Get a Dog!

Ownership is associated with a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease and death, finds a new Swedish study in the journal Scientific Reports.

For people living alone, owning a dog can decrease their risk of death by 33% and their risk of cardiovascular related death by 36%, when compared to single individuals without a pet, according to the study. Chances of a heart attack were also found to be 11% lower.

Multi-person household owners also saw benefits, though to a lesser extent. Risk of death among these dog owners fell by 11% and their chances of cardiovascular death were 15% lower. But their risk of a heart attack was not reduced by owning a dog.

There is no better time to save a homeless dog from a shelter or rescue.  Dogs can change your life and bring so much magic into your home.

Natural Alternatives To Prescription Diets For Cats and Dogs

At some point in your pet’s life, your pet will develop a health condition and your vet will recommend a prescription diet. Prescription diets are scientifically formulated to provide the right balance of protein, fats, carbohydrates and nutrients to address that particular health condition. For example, if your pet has pancreatitis, the prescription diet will contain reduced fat to take the burden off the pancreas and ease digestion. While the overall strategy of the diets are effective in obtaining the desired goal (e.g. reduced pancreatic inflammation) the problem is......the ingredients.

What frequently happens is that while the goal of the treatment is successful, the pet then develops OTHER health issues related to the food.  For example, it's common for pets eating prescription diets to develop allergy symptoms and skin infections when they didn’t have them previously. Why? Because unfortunately the prescription diets are loaded with carbohydrates, grains and synthetic chemicals. Ingredients such as brewer’s rice, modified rice starch, egg product—what are these??? There isn’t one prescription diet that outshines another as they all contain similar fillers. What’s a pet owner to do? If your pet needs a special diet, you do have options for a natural food.

For over ten years, we at Ask Ariel offered holistic pet consultations at VCA hospitals and via telephone. With our extensive knowledge about pet nutrition we have formulated many diet plans using commercial brands that mirror the requirements of the prescription diets without using grains, chemicals or allergens. We welcome you to please visit our site www.AskAriel.com and if you include your pet’s diet on the order form at checkout with all of your pet’s current health issues, we can include a diet suggestion for your pet on the packing slip that comes with your product order.

How to Take the Perfect Holiday Photo of Your Pet

It’s an exciting time of year to go to the mailbox.  Instead of the usually bills and junk mail, there soon will be some lovely holiday cards. Everyone loves to hear from family and friends and it is especially exciting when a picture is included with the card. Since pets are family, it's nice to include our four-legged family members in our holiday cards.  Here are a few tips to getting a great photo of your best pal:

• Help your pet relax- Before the photo session begins give your pet lots of attention, let them play with a favorite toy or give them a treat. Making sure your pet is relaxed and in a good mood is your first step in getting a great picture.
• Get their attention- Obviously, for the best shot your pet needs to look at the camera. Try to get their attention by making an interesting sound (a squeaky toy often works well) but resist calling your pet's name or they may come running to you.
• Keep the props simple- A red bow around their neck, peeking through a wreath, sitting by a Christmas tree or playing in the snow all make great shots.
• Don’t use a flash- Flash photography and pets are a challenge, often the pet winds up with glaring eyes. Your cat or dog could also become startled and anxious from the flash. Use the manual settings on your camera to adjust lighting or choose to take the photos outside in the natural daylight.
• Take a selfie with your pet- Joining your pet in the photo will help them relax and create a fun, candid photo. For best results, hold the camera about a foot over your head and aim down, making sure to fill the frame with both you and your pet’s faces.
• Create the perfect holiday card- After you have “the” shot, make it the best photograph possible by using one the many photo editing applications to fix any imperfection. 
• As an alternative to taking the photo yourself, many rescues and charities offer Photos With Santa at a reasonable cost.  This gives you a great photo and helps save the life of a needy pet.

5 Tips To Ease Your Pet's Holiday Stress

The holiday season is here and with it comes a whirlwind of activities. Your plans may include hosting parties and family gatherings or traveling across the miles to see family and friends. As you enjoy the season’s activities,  it is easy to let routines slip. Unbeknownst to you, this change of routine might be causing your pet to experience stress and anxiety. Pets are creatures of habit and notice far more than you think!  This is often why pet owners end up spending some holiday time at the emergency veterinary hospital.  You might notice that your pet displays nervous hyperactivity, excessive chewing, irritability, accidents in the house or  physical symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.   By anticipating the stress that can come with the holidays, you can plan ahead, keep your pet's routine as normal as possible and hopefully avoid any mishaps.  

You can help ease your pet’s stress during the holidays with these 5 simple tips:

Stick to your routine - Try to maintain your pet's normal routine as much as possible.  Our pets are creatures of habit and they may become anxious if there is a sudden change in their feeding schedule, exercise routine, bedtime or place to sleep (ex:  when Aunt Bessie takes over the guest room where you dog likes to sleep).

Make sure to maintain your regular exercise schedule - Exercise can help release energy and reduce anxiety. It will also release endorphins to help with restlessness and irritability.  Using Psystabil can help too. It is a natural calming formula that can help your pet “cope” better with triggers that cause anxiety.

Give your pet plenty of attention - We all get busy during the holiday season, but remembering to give your pet extra attention can go a long way to helping your pet feel calm and safe.

Provide a safe space - Regardless if you are traveling or having guests in your home, it important for your pet to have a safe place. Try to plan and determine the best location especially if your pet is used to relaxing in an area where guests will now be residing. 

Plan Ahead With Treats And Don't Change Their Diet - While it is tempting to give your pet a “treat” during the holidays, it can also cause a lot of unwanted problems and result in an emergency veterinary visit.  Be careful about where desserts and goodies are stored.  Keep trash tightly closed.  It's so easy for pets to get into things when you are busy entertaining guests.   Plan ahead with treats so that you have ample supply of your pet's regular treats on hand.  Keep Soothing Digestive Relief and Power Probiotic  on hand.  These formulas provide immediate relief for discomfort and help with diarrhea, indigestion, tummy rumbling and soft stool.

How To Give Supplements To Your Cat

Ask Ariel supplements are made with the highest quality ingredients.  They don't contain artificial flavorings, sugars or fillers.  This ensures that your pet will get the best results and won't have any harmful reactions to the chemicals and fillers used to make a lot of pet supplements.  But, one common question is  if this isn't a flavored paste or tablet, "how can I get my cat to take your supplements?"  Many cats are finicky (some small dogs too) and won't eat anything different that is on their food.  So here is how in 3 easy steps:

Step 1:  Determine how much of each supplement you need to use and combine supplements together.  Open the capsules and pour out the desired amount into a bowl.

Step 2:  Take the back end off your syringe and fill about half way with water, broth or "soupy liquid pet food".  Squirt this into the bowl with the powder.  Mix until the powder is dissolved in the liquid.

Step 3:  Syringe the mixture back up and into your cat's mouth.

Please note these simple instructions apply strictly to Ask Ariel supplements for cats.  Many medications and other vitamins may not be able to be combined.  Please always check with your veterinarian about the correct way to administer medications.

SAMe Is Essential When Giving Dogs NSAIDs For Pain

Is your dog taking NSAIDs? (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories). If so, use Special SAMe along with it to support liver detoxification and mobility.

Often when dogs age, especially medium and large size dogs, they develop painful elbow and hip dysplasia. We highly recommend using the Arthritis Kit and Ultra-Flex for all senior dogs to help with pain and inflammation associated with these age-related conditions.  If your pet's pain has advanced, your vet may prescribe Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs).  These medications can provide temporary relief but should be used sparingly along with the supplements as they can affect your dog's liver and kidneys.   Many NSAIDs are processed through the liver, so using Special SAMe is especially important.  Special SAMe (S-denosylmethionine for Dogs) is scientifically proven to support liver detoxification and help with arthritis and mobility.  It is an excellent companion product to give your dog if you are using a NSAID drug such as Rimadyl, Deramax, Meloxicam, etc.