Q: My 5 year old bichon frise has been getting chronic urinary tract infections and the vet told me now she has struvite crystals. He put her on a special prescription diet called C/D. My dog is gaining weight and is now itching really bad too. My vet said bichons are prone to getting bladder crystals and stones but I was wondering if there anything else I could do?
A: Yes, there is a lot you can do to help your bichon frise. Even if a breed is prone to getting certain problems, using holistic care you can help to prevent what might seem like the "inevitable". First and foremost, you need to get your dog on a healthy ph-balanced diet. When it comes to finding the right diet for your pet, one size does NOT fit all. Some guidelines though: avoid grains such as wheat, corn and oats and try to use novel protein foods such as venison or rabbit. A dietary consultation with a veterinary professional such as the telephone appointments offered through AskAriel.com is highly recommended especially when crystals are involved. This is because if you are not careful, what can happen is that a pet may have one type of urinary crystals---e.g. struvite and then by using either a prescription diet that is so acidic or the wrong diet, you can end up having your pet develop a different type of crystal, e.g. oxalate.
There are some supplements that would really help your bichon's tendency to get urinary tract infections. For starters, use Renelix Renelix helps clear toxins, accumulated gravel, protein and other sediments from the kidneys and urinary tract. We have consistently used this product with pets that have crystals in the urine and then retest them later and have had consistently positive results. Moreover, using a Probiotic and the Pet UTI Prevention Package is highly recommended.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Q: I have a 3 year old ShtZu that stays in the house all the time. She scratches herself all the time and her skin is dry and flaky like dandruff. What can I do for her?
A: Your dog could have BOTH food and environmental allergies. For starters, it is really important for you to use a pure and effective Omega 3 fatty acid supplement. We highly recommend Amazing Omegas to help with your dog's dry and flaky dandruff. Amazing Omegas can make your dog's coat soft and will help reduce the dandruff in just a few days. Omegas add a beautiful sheen to the coat and lubricate the skin. In addition, they reduce inflammation to help fight allergies.
You need to address your dog's food allergies as well. Be sure to look carefully at your pet's food label as it might contain grains such as corn or wheat. Also, chicken can be a big allergen too. You might want to consider a frozen raw food diet or a canned diet using a "novel protein" such as rabbit. Be sure to avoid key allergens such as wheat, corn, milk products, chicken and peanut butter. Dry food is not recommended for dogs with allergies as it can promote yeast overgrowth since many dogs don't digest it well.
To help your dog get some relief, I would highly recommend Ask Ariel's Pet Allergy and Skin Package. The Pet Allergy and Skin Package includes Proaller, Amazing Omegas and Notatum which work synergistically to reduce scratching, itching and infection. You might also want to include a Probiotic in your dog's regimen too as it helps support your dog's digestion, immune system and allergic response.
A: Your dog could have BOTH food and environmental allergies. For starters, it is really important for you to use a pure and effective Omega 3 fatty acid supplement. We highly recommend Amazing Omegas to help with your dog's dry and flaky dandruff. Amazing Omegas can make your dog's coat soft and will help reduce the dandruff in just a few days. Omegas add a beautiful sheen to the coat and lubricate the skin. In addition, they reduce inflammation to help fight allergies.
You need to address your dog's food allergies as well. Be sure to look carefully at your pet's food label as it might contain grains such as corn or wheat. Also, chicken can be a big allergen too. You might want to consider a frozen raw food diet or a canned diet using a "novel protein" such as rabbit. Be sure to avoid key allergens such as wheat, corn, milk products, chicken and peanut butter. Dry food is not recommended for dogs with allergies as it can promote yeast overgrowth since many dogs don't digest it well.
To help your dog get some relief, I would highly recommend Ask Ariel's Pet Allergy and Skin Package. The Pet Allergy and Skin Package includes Proaller, Amazing Omegas and Notatum which work synergistically to reduce scratching, itching and infection. You might also want to include a Probiotic in your dog's regimen too as it helps support your dog's digestion, immune system and allergic response.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The Doctor Is In! Convenient Holistic Veterinary Care By Phone
Dr. David Gordon, Holistic Veterinarian and Medical Director at VCA Arroyo Animal Hospital in Lake Forest, CA is now available for telephone consultations on Wednesday and Saturday mornings to help you with your pet. Dr. Gordon will review your pet's medical records and provide you with advice regarding the best conventional and holistic veterinary treatment options. This is an especially convenient way to receive medical advice if you have a very busy schedule or don't have access to a holistic veterinarian in your area. Dr. David A. Gordon has over 25 years of experience in veterinary medicine and is a member of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Veterinary Acupuncturists and the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society. Dr. Gordon has a special interest in acupuncture, orthopedic pet problems and holistic medical therapies and is dedicated to giving his patients the best that veterinary medicine can offer. Of course, he is an expert in general veterinary medicine too. Click here for more on Dr. Gordon's credentials
This 30 minute medical appointment is recommended if you:
1) Would like a second opinion about your pet's health condition or veterinary treatments
2) If your pet has unusual symptoms and a diagnoses is unclear
3) If your pet is not responding to conventional veterinary care and you would like an additional holistic medical perspective
4) A personalized, focused discussion of your pet's medical prognsosis without having to stress your pet with car transport
Please note that if you are seeking indepth dietary and/or supplement advice, than a combination appointment with both Dr. David Gordon and Susan Blake Davis, pet nutritionist is recommended.
30 minute consultation cost: $149
Click here to sign up now for a telephone consultation with Dr. David Gordon, holistic veterinarian
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Get Expert Advice on Pet Nutrition
FREE!
Meet Susan Blake Davis, a certified clinical nutritionist who provides holistic health consultations to pet owners nationwide, teaching them how food choices directly affect their pet’s health concerns. Susan is also on-staff at VCA Arroyo Animal Hospital. Stop by and learn about:
-What’s Really in Pet Food
-How Poor Digestion Can Lead to Allergies & Other Diseases
-Best Supplements to Keep Your Pet Healthy
-Benefits of a Raw Food Diet
Susan will be at The Dog Ranch Bed & Biscuit located at 20401 Sun Valley Drive in Laguna Beach to answer your questions and help you optimize your pet’s health on:
-Tuesday July 6th from 4 – 6 pm
-Wednesday July 14th from 4 – 6 pm
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
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.
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.
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
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