Dogs and Cats with Diabetes--Holistic Care for Pets

Pictured above is Maverick, 12 year old Miniature Pinscher mix and an Ask Ariel success story. Maverick has diabetes and nearly died from complications related to the disease and obesity. Maverick's scheduled a holistic nutrition consultation with Susan Davis, Certified Clinical Nutritionist and Dr. David Gordon, holistic veterinarian. We put Maverick on a high protein, all natural diet (some commercial food, some homemade) along with Lypozyme,  Power Probiotic and Kidney Health as well as some additional supplements for other health concerns. The new program helped Maverick so much that he was able to lose a substantial amount of weight, gained new energy and has been able to live a happy, active life using just a minimum amount of insulin.

Here is how the products help:

Lypozyme--Optimizes fat digestion and metabolism.

Power Probiotic--Many patients (human and pets) with diabetes have too much sugar in their bodies. This makes them more susceptible to infections, particularly urinary tract infections. The Probiotic is an excellent multi-strain formula that helps support a healthy immune function, providing much needed "good bacteria" to help fight infection. This product is extremely easy to give to cats by mixing in foods and is virtually tasteless.

Kidney Health--This powerful enzyme formula helps diabetic patients by enabling them to better absorb, digest and utilize the protein in their diet. We all know that protein helps to regulate our blood sugar and how important it is for regulating insulin/hunger. Ever noticed that when you eat a meal high in carbohydrates that you crave food shortly thereafter vs when you eat a meal with protein, you are much more balanced? Well, for pets with diabetes, this is especially important and the Kidney Health really helps.

We have many great reports from owners who have cats with diabetes as well as dogs with diabetes telling us how much better their pets are feeling using this protocol. We would also recommend using the Amazing Omegas as well.

Gypsy--Ravaged and Emaciated Shelter Dog Needs Donations

Pictured above is Gypsy, 1 1/2 year old Siberian Husky female who was just rescued by Husky Haven of Los Angeles from the South Central LA shelter. Gypsy is a virtual skeleton and was full of worms. Her abdomen has a bad rash and she has a skin condition on her back. The photo shows Gypsy is eating her first meal which consisted of Natures Variety Instinct rabbit to help her dermatological problems. She is extremely thin and very sick.

Poor Gypsy did not even know what a blankie was for. Rhonda saved her from South Central Shelter and her lifeless skeleton was placed in her car. Rhonda brought her back to her rescue facility (along with 4 other dogs) and gave Gypsy a blankie to sleep on. Gypsy instead went to sleep on the gravel instead. Rhonda had to coax her and show her what to do--poor doggie had never even known any type of human kindness such as a blanket!

Ask Ariel has donated food and supplements for Gypsy's care but much more is needed. Rich at Wildside Salmon donated many cases of Wildside salmon oil for pets and healthy Wildside salmon treats to Husky Haven. Many thanks to Wildside Salmon for their generosity.

If you would like to help Gypsy, please send a tax deductible donation to: Gypsy of Husky Haven, c/o Ariel Rescue, P.O. Box 723 Dana Point, CA 92629. If you live in the Los Angeles area and can donate any type of high quality dog food, towels, bedding or occassional time (to help care for the dogs), please contact Rhonda directly at huskyhavenofla@hotmail.com

Update on Daisy The Obese Labrador Retriever

Above are the latest pictures of Daisy, the obese Labrador Retriever that Ariel Rescue saved from the shelter. It is now just 3 weeks later and Daisy has lost----drum roll please---16 pounds!!!!! Yes--it is possible and it is safe. Daisy's progress is being closely managed by our veterinarian, who is carefully monitoring her bloodwork and healing process.

 When Karen, our dedicated head volunteer at Ariel Rescue first saved Daisy, she weighed 119 pounds at the Orange County Shelter. Daisy could barely move. Her neck was so fat that a collar was useless because her head was smaller than her neck. Karen got her the veterinary care she desperately needed too, as Daisy's thyroid was not functioning properly, her coat was like steel wool and she was full of yeast.

 Daisy has been using our Ask Ariel's Amazing Omegas, K9 Yeast Defense and Power Probiotic and she is now yeast free. She is following our Ask Ariel diet program and getting plenty of exercise. What is so significant about the pictures above is that Daisy is MOVING!!! Although poor Daisy was only 4 years old, she was so neglected and looked like a pot belly big. Her owners bred her nonetheless and her nipples were hanging down practically to the ground. Daisy is now a dog on the mend and it is all thanks to Karen, the wonderful caring volunteer at Ariel Rescue who is fostering Daisy. Daisy is now 103 pounds. It won't be long until Daisy breaks through the 100 pound mark and we will all cheer!!!!!

Pet Obesity--It's Time to Take Action Now!

Pictured above is our most recent rescue dog Daisy who has been the victim of animal abuse. Why animal abuse you might say? Well......Daisy when first rescued weighed in nearly 40 pounds heavier than she should weigh AND she was so overweight, she could barely move her neck. She couldn't wear a collar because it would fall off due to the fact that her head was smaller than her neck. It took Daisy nearly 45 minutes to WALK ONE BLOCK! Yet, Daisy is a purebred 4 year old labrador retriever who should be running free and chasing around in the yard. Instead, what did her owners do? FED HER....all day long and on top of that, they bred her as well. Daisy was gasping for air just to take a few steps. Her coat was like steel wool and she looked like a pot bellied pig with her nipples hanging down so low, they nearly touched the ground. This is a disgusting example of how people can take a beautiful dog and terribly neglect it--literally ruining the poor dog's life. Her owners now had a problem--they sold all of Daisy's puppies, but what to do with her? So they decided to take her to the pound to euthanize her---all because of their own abuse! Fortunately, the shelter by law had to wait 2 days in which time Karen, our dedicated volunteer at Ariel Rescue saved her. She took Daisy to the veterinarian and we had her bloodwork done. Daisy's thyroid and other blood values were not functioning properly. Within 10 days, Karen has already trimmed 9 pounds from Daisy (pictured above after losing the weight) and her coat is now improving as well. She still has 30 pounds to go and we will be tracking her progress. We will all cheer for Daisy as she makes this incredible recovery, thanks to the incredible dedication of Karen and Ariel Rescue volunteers.

Many people don't realize the effect that obesity can have on their pets. It is not just a physical appearance issue. It is a very serious health concern. Obesity is linked to heart disease, cancer, liver disease, diabetes, joint problems--the list goes on and on. Giving your pet that extra biscuit which you might think is just a little treat, can pack on pounds year after year. Over 60% of pets in the United States are obese. Shower your pets with love and attention--go on a walk--play with them, please, please remember, just like you, your pets are what they eat!

Abandoned Husky Gets a New Leash on Life!

Pictured above is beautiful Sasha who was rescued by Ariel Rescue in the nick of time. Sasha is a 6 year old Siberian Husky who was found as a stray in a lower income neighborhood. She was brought to the Orange County Shelter. This sweet, lovely girl was so gentle and kind and ever so cuddly! But, the shelter found a mass on her back. Unfortunately, shelter dogs are put to sleep very quickly when something like this is discovered. Karen, our head volunteer at Ariel Rescue rushed to save her. We took her to the veterinarian and had the mass aspirated. It turned out to be an infected hair follicle---not cancer!!! We had Sasha's teeth cleaned, removed the mass and gave her a beauty bath. Poor Sasha was so filthy it took several baths to get the dirt out. Her fur had looked brown on the legs when it actually is white! Sasha was adopted by a lovely couple who had another Siberian husky and are very familiar with the breed.

If you are interested in adopting a Siberian Husky, please contact Rhonda at Husky Haven of La at www.huskyhavenofla.org

Dogs With Arthritis Slowing Down

Many dogs start slowing down with age, limping or showing signs of difficulty getting up and down. The effects can come on gradually and it is sometimes difficult to recognize until the problem becomes very obvious. It is important that you take your pet to the veterinarian for an examination. Quite commonly, your dog may be diagnosed with arthritis if the problem has come on gradually with age. In an effort to promote quality of life and keep the dog comfortable, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) will often be prescribed. Examples are Rimadyl, Metacam and Deramaxx to name a few. While these medications are helpful for chronic pain management, they do have side effects especially affecting the liver. This is why your veterinarian will often recommend that if your pet is using NSAIDs that your dog get a blood test every so often to check your dog's liver values. While NSAIDs can be very helpful and even critical for some pets that are in chronic pain, for most pets, there are holistic alternatives that should be tried first and/or in conjunction with their use.

It is essential to use Arthrosoothe For Pets to help your pet feel better. Arthrosoothe For Pets is the most comprehensive arthritis product available.

Many of our clients are confused about these medications and somehow think that because their dog is no longer limping or in pain, that the joint or limb problem has been cured. This is not at all the case--in fact, it is quite the contrary. The medication is actually reducing inflammation which is giving temporary pain relief.

To really help support your dog's long-term pain, mobility and joints, you need to use vitamins and nutritional supplements that are proven to help. Many minerals such as calcium, nutraceuticals such as glucosamine and herbs such as turmeric and boswelia have been shown to help. It is important to find combination formulas that contain a comprehensive mixture of vitamins, herbs and nutraceuticals such as Arthrosoothe For Pets, Special SAMe and Chinese herbal formulas such as Mobility 2 will also help. Omega 3 fish oils such as Amazing Omegas help reduce inflammation and provide valuable nutrients to the joints as well. Many times using these nutritional formulas can be enough that the dog may only require NSAIDs after heavy exercise.
It is important that you use these formulas, if possible, as your dog starts to age, rather than waiting until the arthritis has set in. But, it is never too late to start with them and they can certainly be beneficial to use in addition to using NSAIDs. Many clients report that they were able to greatly reduce the frequency of using NSAIDs on their dog because of the benefits achieved from using these nutritional supplements.

Finally, acupuncture and chiropractic for dogs are also very important considerations. Ariel (pictured above at age 14) was able to run and jump at 14 years of age because of her weekly chiropractic and acupuncture treatments with Dr. David Gordon, holistic veterinarian. Dr. Gordon performs both acupuncture and chiropractic at VCA Arroyo Animal Hospital in Lake Forest, California as well as stem cell surgery. We offer combination appointments which also include a nutrition consultation and supplements for optimal support. For more information about our services, please visit www.AskAriel.com If you live outside of the Southern California area, you can find a veterinarian who performs acupuncture in your area by going to http://www.aava.org

Mother's Day Tribute--Mother of the Year

Please watch this incredible story from CBS News entitled "Mother of the Year". This is a short video which is a real tear jerker! See animals, especially shelter animals at their best. Watch Lilly the dog nursing baby kittens. What a wondeful, heartwarming story. Enjoy!

Click here: YouTube - Mother of the Year