Q: My 16 year old Tonkanese cat has trouble with digestion. He sometimes has small hard stools or diahrrea and/or vomiting. He primarily likes sea food. The Vet sold us Royal Canin for digestion health. I'm not so sure about the ingrediants. Do you think this is a good choice. (cat doesn't like it) any other suggestions for a food that would help him? Vet says it could develop into IBD. Thanks for your help
Barbara
A: Thank you so much for submitting a question. Your kitty's digestive problems are very common for senior cats. It seems that a lot of cats as they get older develop digestive problems which can include diarrhea, constipation, vomitting and discomfort. Many pet owners try the prescribed "prescription diet" from their veterinarians and the kitty doesn't want to eat it. Moreover, the prescription diets often contain ingredients such as corn, byproducts and other synthetic ingredients that may not be good for your cat.
What is hard for cat owners to understand is why their cat "suddenly" developed these issues. Most likely, the symptoms of diarrhea, poor digestion, vomitting, etc were evolving over time and now as a senior cat, it has become more apparent. What this means is that the general "inflammation" in the intestinal lining has been building and as your veterinarian mentioned, if untreated over time, can lead to intestinal lymphoma in cats. There are medications that can help but if possible and the symptoms are not too severe, starting with some supplements and a diet change is the best step.
The main issue is that you need to avoid poultry, sometimes seafood and most grains. You don't want to use a cat food that contains wheat gluten for example. All of these ingredients are hard for cats to digest and can be big allergens for cats. I am reluctant to recommend a specific brand as many of the high quality diets are very high in protein and depending upon your kitty's liver or kidney values, I would want to make some adjustments to the diet. In other words, if I recommended that you use Instinct rabbit by itself (which can work great for many cats), that may not be advisable for your kitty if the kidney values are even slightly elevated, which they often are in a 16 year old cat. Certainly adding some canned pumpkin to whatever diet you use will help add valuable fiber and helps regulate bowel motility.
Dietary changes alone, at this stage, will not be sufficient. It is very important that you also incorporate some natural nutrients into your cat's diet. In your situation, I would recommend using the Probiotic and using our IBD Kit. The Probiotic is highly purified, 3rd party tested and well tolerated by cats. It really helps to repopulate the bowel flora and most pet owners provide wonderful testimonials about how it reduces digestive symptoms and helps regulate their cat's bowel movements. The IBD Kit includes the Probiotic and really helps to heal inflammation and irritation that is causing the digestive symptoms.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Our dear Bob passed away yesterday. He just celebrated his 83rd birthday on June 5th. He made an incredible fight but the pneumonia and complications from open heart surgery were just too much for him.
Bob was a thoughtful, generous and caring person who took care of Selma, our mother for 38 years. They had a wonderful life together and enjoyed terrific times going on cruises, shopping and just being together. He could never do enough for Mom who was disabled with multiple sclerosis, diabetes and then later Alzheimers. His only concern was always what was best for Selma.
Bob was a wonderful father and stepfather and gave so much of himself. He was so kind to others in his community too and for years volunteered his time to bring in baked goods for the seniors in his apartment complex.
Bob suffered terribly as a result of the complications due to his surgery. We are so grateful he is at peace now and will miss him terribly. We love you Bob. You will live forever in our hearts!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
LaylaCanine Pancreatitis
"Layla is a 3 year old Yorkshire Terrier who was diagnosed with pancreatitis in October of 2008. Our vet wanted Layla to be put on canned prescription formula to manage this and I knew I couldn't do that because I didn't agree with the ingredients in these foods. I talked to a friend who had used Susan in the past for her Yorkie with great success. Our vet was quite sure that Layla's issues could not be managed with a home cooked diet but we were determined to try. From the moment I talked to Susan in our first consultation I knew that Layla was in good hands and that through her help, everything would be fine. Layla was put on a strict diet and along with Susan's LypoZyme and Probiotics. Layla's Spec numbers went from 740 (under 400 is considered normal) in October, down to 164 in February. Our family is beyond thankful to Susan and all that she has done to save our girl from a lifetime of horrible canned food. I recommend Susan to anyone I meet who is considering home cooking or who is dealing with a dog with health issues- I just can't say enough about how knowledgeable Susan is and how deeply she cares."
The Pluss Family, Feb. 2009, Canada
Visit AskAriel.com for more information on digestive disorders
Canine Liver Cancer
In April 2008, our 10-year-old dog, Teddy, a Chow Chow rescue, was diagnosed with a liver tumor. Our vet did not know if it was cancer at the time. As Teddy’s tumor grew, he was able to be tested, and cancer was confirmed. We were told he was too old for conventional treatment and, as his cancer progressed, to simply keep him comfortable. The vet had no hope for his recovery from canine liver cancer.
Our family decided to treat Teddy’s liver cancer condition with a holistic approach. We found Susan Davis through her website. We scheduled a phone consult, and the surprising results began. Susan customized a diet and supplement plan for Teddy, and we saw a marked difference in just two weeks. His overall health continued to improve.
We chose to have Teddy living with canine cancer instead of dying with cancer. He lost his brave battle on January 8, 2010. Teddy’s vet felt it was a miracle that he survived for so long. Our family knows that it was a miracle, thanks to Susan. We were blessed to have found her. She made it possible for us to have extended time with our wonderful Teddy.
Susan and her team are professional, well-informed, caring, and most responsive. The ability to consult with Susan by phone and e-mail is extremely convenient. We highly recommend her services, particularly when pets are young, to start them off on a healthy, all-natural diet.
–The Nardoni Family 2010
Learn More About AskAriel's Cancer Support
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Q: Hello. I have a 1 year old Lab Mix who just recently (beginning of April) was diagnosed with oral papillomavirus. She had 4 warts removed by laser and the rest were crushed. Her mouth healed and then about 2.5 weeks later, the warts showed up again. This time, there are more in quantity but aren't as big. Last week she had about 20 of them crushed to try and stimulate her immune system, but with her "nonexistent" immune system it hasn't seemed to help. I don't want to spend money on another surgery to have them removed then to come back again. Is there anything that you can suggest to help treat these warts? Portraits By Courtney
A: Courtney,
So sorry you have been through so much with your young dog. It really sounds like your dog has a weak immune system and definitely using an improved diet and supplement regimen would really help. When people or pets get chronic infections, it is a sign the body is having trouble defending itself. This is often due to the fact that the body is fighting many "fires" at once and the immune system is depleted. One of the most common reasons in dogs that the immune system gets weak is almost always the diet and the fact the dog is eating foods he or she is allergic to. For example, it is very common for dogs to get chronic ear infections and chronic urinary tract infections as a result of eating chicken which for some dogs is a very high allergen food. What you want to do is be sure your dog is on a grain-free, hypoallergenic diet with plenty of omega fatty acids such as Amazing Omegas. In addition, the following anti-viral supplements found on www.askariel.com would also help: Quentans, Olive Leaf Extract and Samento. Immune Harmony would be especially helpful as well as it modulates (not overstimluates) the immune system.
A: Courtney,
So sorry you have been through so much with your young dog. It really sounds like your dog has a weak immune system and definitely using an improved diet and supplement regimen would really help. When people or pets get chronic infections, it is a sign the body is having trouble defending itself. This is often due to the fact that the body is fighting many "fires" at once and the immune system is depleted. One of the most common reasons in dogs that the immune system gets weak is almost always the diet and the fact the dog is eating foods he or she is allergic to. For example, it is very common for dogs to get chronic ear infections and chronic urinary tract infections as a result of eating chicken which for some dogs is a very high allergen food. What you want to do is be sure your dog is on a grain-free, hypoallergenic diet with plenty of omega fatty acids such as Amazing Omegas. In addition, the following anti-viral supplements found on www.askariel.com would also help: Quentans, Olive Leaf Extract and Samento. Immune Harmony would be especially helpful as well as it modulates (not overstimluates) the immune system.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Q: have a 9 year old dog who is showing signs of arthritis. i want to put her on your supplements and also look at her diet. she has been on vegetarian dog food her whole life and i'm wondering how can i switch to homemade, possibly raw, but mostly vegetarian food for her (maybe i can add some fish, but mostly use nuts?) i'm not sure where to turn for recipes.
A: While giving dogs vegetables is highly recommended, nuts or soy as the primary sources of protein for a dog is not. Dogs need some animal protein. This can be a very tough issue for people who are vegetarians as you may not want to have any type of meat protein in the house. However, if you were to consider what your dog might eat "if in the wild", nuts would not be the top food on the list. Fish is an excellent option though and you can try eggs as well. It should be a balanced diet however, not a "do it yourself" as there is a risk you could be giving your dog an imbalanced diet, even though you have the kindest of intentions.
There are some supplements that will greatly help your dog's arthritis. For starters, I would highly recommend the Dog Arthritis Package on www.askariel.com The package includes three key products for arthritis: 1) Amazing Omegas which is a highly purified fish oil product for dogs, 2) Amazing Arthrosoothe which contains key herbs for joint pain including MSM, boswelia, green lipped mussel as well as glucosamine and 3) Curcumin complex for pets--which greatly reduces inflammation and pain. In addition, you might want to consider Collagenex 2 which is a simple, easy to use formula that relieves joint pain in 7-10 days and is backed by considerable research.
A: While giving dogs vegetables is highly recommended, nuts or soy as the primary sources of protein for a dog is not. Dogs need some animal protein. This can be a very tough issue for people who are vegetarians as you may not want to have any type of meat protein in the house. However, if you were to consider what your dog might eat "if in the wild", nuts would not be the top food on the list. Fish is an excellent option though and you can try eggs as well. It should be a balanced diet however, not a "do it yourself" as there is a risk you could be giving your dog an imbalanced diet, even though you have the kindest of intentions.
There are some supplements that will greatly help your dog's arthritis. For starters, I would highly recommend the Dog Arthritis Package on www.askariel.com The package includes three key products for arthritis: 1) Amazing Omegas which is a highly purified fish oil product for dogs, 2) Amazing Arthrosoothe which contains key herbs for joint pain including MSM, boswelia, green lipped mussel as well as glucosamine and 3) Curcumin complex for pets--which greatly reduces inflammation and pain. In addition, you might want to consider Collagenex 2 which is a simple, easy to use formula that relieves joint pain in 7-10 days and is backed by considerable research.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Q: My 5yr old dog (Trixie) has gotten some sort of an infection. She has a yellowish vaginal discharge with a slight smell to it. I have an appointment with her vet set up but was just wondering if it is safe to give her some Echineacha and goldenseal to help her fight the infection in the mean time, while we are waiting to see the vet? I have seen it in various products on the market, but wanted to make sure that it was safe to be given to a dog and what the approximate dosage would be. She is approximately 62lbs if that helps. Thank you very much for your time.
A: As ironic as it may be for all of us pet Moms, our female dogs can get many of the same ailments as we do, including vaginal yeast infections, urinary tract infections and discharge. I am glad you took Trixie to the veterinarian and hope she is feeling better. Here are some suggestions. First of all, it is really important to get Trixie started on a high quality Probiotic. I highly recommend Ask Ariel's Power Probiotic for Pets It is an excellent multi-strain formula and is a good value as well. Most probiotics for people and pets are not manufactured in such a way that they even do what they promise to perform. In order for a Probiotic to work, it needs to be in a form that can survive the stomach acid and guaranteed potency at the time of USE (not manufacture). This particular Probiotic has been third party tested in high temperatures and still holds up at 97%. In any case, a Probiotic will help to repopulate the good flora for Trixie. We have good bacteria that live in our intestinal tract and help us fight disease. They are very important for our immune system. When we take antibiotics, it can lower our immunity by killing off all the good bacteria as well as the bad bacterial overgrowth. That is why we often see people and pets getting repeat infections, especially after taking several rounds of antibiotics.
The yellowish discharge can either be due to an overgrowth of yeast, bacteria or inflammatory cells as result of a urinary tract infection (UTI). Regardless, the Probiotic will help to rebalance the flora and help Trixie to fight future infections. Even if you used antibiotics this time, it is very important to start on the probiotic as many times, the infection will recur. Other supplements that will help with the yellowish vaginal discharge are K9 Yeast Defense and Notatum. If your dog has been on antibiotics, this kills all the good bacteria along with the bad. Good bacteria is needed to help your dog fight another infection. In addition, when the immune system is weak, it creates an environment where yeast and bad bacteria can quickly overgrow. Using the K9 Yeast Defense, Notatum and Power Probiotic all together can help strengthen your dog's immune system and promote a healthy growth of good flora so that your dog is protected from future infections.
In addition to Power Probiotic, I would also recommend using a grain-free diet as many times dogs get urinary and vaginal infections from too much sugar in the diet. Most of the commercial diets contain wheat, corn, oats, and even some supplements contain molasses. Take a look at the protein percentage as for a 5 year old active dog, it should definitely be higher than the low 20s which is where many of the cereal-based dog kibbles are. Even hypoallergenic diets that use potatoes instead of corn and grains are too high in carbohydrates, creating an environment which helps bacteria and yeast to overgrow. It is best to use hypoallergenic, grain-free diets (non-chicken based) for dogs and cats that are prone to UTIs and vaginal infections.
A: As ironic as it may be for all of us pet Moms, our female dogs can get many of the same ailments as we do, including vaginal yeast infections, urinary tract infections and discharge. I am glad you took Trixie to the veterinarian and hope she is feeling better. Here are some suggestions. First of all, it is really important to get Trixie started on a high quality Probiotic. I highly recommend Ask Ariel's Power Probiotic for Pets It is an excellent multi-strain formula and is a good value as well. Most probiotics for people and pets are not manufactured in such a way that they even do what they promise to perform. In order for a Probiotic to work, it needs to be in a form that can survive the stomach acid and guaranteed potency at the time of USE (not manufacture). This particular Probiotic has been third party tested in high temperatures and still holds up at 97%. In any case, a Probiotic will help to repopulate the good flora for Trixie. We have good bacteria that live in our intestinal tract and help us fight disease. They are very important for our immune system. When we take antibiotics, it can lower our immunity by killing off all the good bacteria as well as the bad bacterial overgrowth. That is why we often see people and pets getting repeat infections, especially after taking several rounds of antibiotics.
The yellowish discharge can either be due to an overgrowth of yeast, bacteria or inflammatory cells as result of a urinary tract infection (UTI). Regardless, the Probiotic will help to rebalance the flora and help Trixie to fight future infections. Even if you used antibiotics this time, it is very important to start on the probiotic as many times, the infection will recur. Other supplements that will help with the yellowish vaginal discharge are K9 Yeast Defense and Notatum. If your dog has been on antibiotics, this kills all the good bacteria along with the bad. Good bacteria is needed to help your dog fight another infection. In addition, when the immune system is weak, it creates an environment where yeast and bad bacteria can quickly overgrow. Using the K9 Yeast Defense, Notatum and Power Probiotic all together can help strengthen your dog's immune system and promote a healthy growth of good flora so that your dog is protected from future infections.
In addition to Power Probiotic, I would also recommend using a grain-free diet as many times dogs get urinary and vaginal infections from too much sugar in the diet. Most of the commercial diets contain wheat, corn, oats, and even some supplements contain molasses. Take a look at the protein percentage as for a 5 year old active dog, it should definitely be higher than the low 20s which is where many of the cereal-based dog kibbles are. Even hypoallergenic diets that use potatoes instead of corn and grains are too high in carbohydrates, creating an environment which helps bacteria and yeast to overgrow. It is best to use hypoallergenic, grain-free diets (non-chicken based) for dogs and cats that are prone to UTIs and vaginal infections.
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