"This is Blue Dream, he’s around 7, going on 8, years old. We found each other at a park when he was about 8 months old. I wasn’t planning on keeping him, & after a few weeks of not being claimed by anyone, I found a family at the dog park that wanted him. He left with them, but within no time, he escaped from their house, and found his way back to me. The mom of the family said, “I think he’s actually your dog!” And, well, we’ve been soulmates ever since! Shortly after we reunited, I had to take him to the vet because he regurgitated everything he ingested. The vet diagnosed him with Mega-Esophagus, and was highly concerned about it. However, Blue’s so brilliant, energetic, and strong, I knew that it wasn’t going to hold him back.
The conventional medicine options were not an appealing route for us to take, so I did a lot of research on alternative care. I learned right away about grinding up his dry kibble in a blender & mixing it w/liquid as well as others who use the ‘Bailey Chair’ when feeding. Blue much preferred to just stand up while eating though, and it’s worked excellent over the years. Mega-Esophagus can be a bit tricky though because from our experience, Blue can go months with no issues whatsoever, and then all of a sudden, he’ll have a rough day - coughing like a goose, & spitting up his water, due to the congestion & what seems like air bubbles in his chest/throat. Gentle massage and a burping/tapping technique work great, & he really appreciates it.
A few months back, in February, he started to suffer from what appeared to be GERD/Acid Reflux. He was smacking his lips, his breath was very foul when typically his mouth is quite clean/fresh, his tummy was gurgling, and his stool was incredibly strong. He was not a happy camper, and I was a very worried Dad! I quickly started to research again, and came across Licorice, Chlorella, and L-Glutamine, which all sounded quite promising. While trying to figure out how I’d go about giving them to him, I stumbled upon the AskAriel website page & a product called Gastro ULC. I immediately knew it was fate.
It described the exact symptoms that Blue was suffering from as well as the ingredients I had been considering. Although I initially chose the K9 Digestive Enzymes as a combo, AskAriel’s customer support quickly came to the rescue by advising LypoZyme instead, as the former contains HCL, which can irritate the esophagus. I hadn’t initially seen the LypoZyme, and was so incredibly grateful to them for looking out for him with this switch up. Blue perked up a bit when I told him that his supplements were on the way, & he was super eager to open the box when it arrived.
Along with his supplements, we received some nutrition/diet tips that we jumped on right away. I researched each option given, and really liked the Primal brand’s ‘build a bowl’ choices. Rabbit, I’ve learned, is a ‘cooling’ food, which can help alleviate inflammation, so I picked up some Raw Patties, with Goat Milk for the probiotics, ginger, & turmeric it has. The Gastro ULC & LypoZyme are easy peasy to add to his food, and Blue’s turn around literally happened after the first day of having them. Plus, he’s head over paws on the yummy new food additions.
I honestly can’t believe how quickly the GERD ceased with no more smacking, stinkiness, &/or spitting up, as his esophagus has been golden. Also, his energy is full on puppy status again! I’ve just placed his re-order, and have added the Power Probiotics to keep his digestion/absorption on point.
AskAriel, it really does mean the world to us to have found you. You are the Angel to our Blue Angel, and we cannot thank you enough!" Jasper, NM
