2022 New Year's Resolutions For Your Pets

It’s Not Too Late… For 2022 New Year's Resolutions for Your Pet

Ask Ariel is passionate about pet nutrition and holistic care.  It is our goal to provide you with valuable pet nutrition information and effective natural supplements to keep your pets happy and healthy. 

Here are a few simple resolutions for your pet's good health.

1) Diet - Are you feeding your pets the right food? Review your pet’s current diet. Foods could be contributing to your pet's health issues (i.e. digestive issues, skin problems or autoimmune disease).  

2) Exercise- Is your pet getting enough exercise? Try to add an extra walk for your dog or addiitonal playtime for your kitty. It's good for you and your pet!

3) Vet visit - Has your pet had a recent vet checkup and dental exam? A visit to the vet can be stressful and expensive.  But, making that visit happen can end up saving you money because vet bills tend to be less the sooner a condition is diagnosed and certainly it's much better for your pet.  

Spend more time with your pet. Time flies and they never live as long as we want them to. Take just a few extra moments every day to hug them, kiss them and thank them for all the wonderful joy they bring into your life and your home.  

Set a goal to make 2022 the best year yet for your pet! At Ask Ariel, we want to do all we can to support you in achieving these healthy New Year's Resolutions.  

 

Why Do Vets Use Ultrasounds For Pets?

 

What Is An Ultrasound? Why Do Vets Use Them?

Pets can’t tell us what they are feeling or where it hurts. It can be challenging to diagnose certain health conditions in cats and dogs. Lab work can only provide so much information and imaging may be necessary for an accurate diagnosis. X-rays are a mainstay of veterinary practices, as they are fairly inexpensive and quick. An ultrasound examination is the second most common form of imaging in a veterinary setting. This non-invasive technique can provide a 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional moving picture of your pet’s internal organs.

Why would a vet need an ultrasound? Pets with chronic digestive problems, abnormal bloodwork, or masses found during physical exams are great candidates for ultrasounds. An ultrasound can help a vet to get a much clearer picture of your pet's internal organs than with an x-ray. It is also very useful in determining changes to the organs and in detecting cysts and tumors. Ultrasound waves are completely safe. A narrow beam of high-frequency sound waves is passed from the probe through the body and creates echoes that convert to an image on the screen. The main downside is that most pets will need to be shaved in the area where the ultrasound probe is used. That is usually the pet's belly.

Many veterinary hospitals have portable ultrasound machines. The procedure is more costly than x-rays, but can provide invaluable information about what is going on inside your cat or dog. Here are just a few of the reasons why your vet may suggest an ultrasound:

• Lack of appetite

• Unexplained weight loss

• Chronic digestive problems (vomiting, diarrhea, constipation)

• Fluid in the chest and/or abdomen

• Abnormal results of blood work or x-rays

• A mass detected during a physical exam

An ultrasound is generally recommended when x-rays alone do not provide enough information. The procedure can help to provide a quicker and definitive diagnosis, which means that your cat or dog can get the right treatment sooner.

For more pet health tips, please visit AskAriel.com

Keep Your Pet Moving This Winter

 

No matter what time of year, your pet needs exercise and their joints can take a pounding as they run, jump and play. For some pets, at different times in their lives, these activities can cause joint pain. This can be especially true during the cold winter months, although it is important to keep them moving to keep their joints lubricated. The pain may stem from injury, normal wear and tear, genetic conditions such as hip and elbow dysplasia, cancer, or arthritis. 

 

Often the signs your pet is in pain may be very subtle and easily missed. It is important to try to observe your pet’s behavior regularly, as early intervention can be the key to keeping them moving and pain-free.

 

Signs to Watch for:

 

Limping- it perhaps is the most common and often the first sign your pet is in pain. You may see your pet hesitate to sit down and/or get up favoring one or more limbs.

Reluctance to Move- Pets will often hesitate to engage in activities if they feel pain, even if the activity is one in which they once enjoyed.  They may not want to climb up to their favorite spot or climb up the stairs.

Increased Fatigue- Pain can zap your pet’s energy and they may become tired more easily.

Licking, Chewing, and/or Biting a Specific Area-  Pets may often lick and chew  creating skin irritation in an area that hurts them.  This is their way to attempt to “heal” the area and get some relief from pain.

Increased Irritability- A pet may not be able to tolerate being touched in a certain area. This sensitivity (due to the pain) can cause them (even if usually very easy-going) to become more aggressive to people and other pets.  

Please be sure to bring your pet to the veterinarian if your pet is displaying any of these signs to determine the cause.

 

What to do:

Depending upon the test results, your veterinarian will advise you on the best course of action. Sometimes surgical repair is the best option. For older pets, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications are usually prescribed. These medications should be used sparingly, however, as over time, they can impact liver and kidney function.

Supplements Help Silver Persian Cat With Kidney Disease

"Meet Sophie a 4 lb ball of awesomeness. Sophie is a 7 yr old Silver Persian cat with kidney disease. She seemed to be doing fine, living her best life with a don’t care attitude until one night she had a series of seizures, needless to say we were quite scared watching this happen. We got her in the vet first thing in the morning and she was diagnosed with late stage 3 early stage 4 kidney disease, we were devastated. We took her in for a second opinion, same diagnosis. Now it was time to understand what this meant to our family and how to help Soph with her quality of life. That is when I found Ask Ariel, while not a silver bullet it was a homeopathic approach to help our girl out. It was exactly what we needed, we started using the Renelix, Kidney Health, Omega 3 and Power Probiotic products along with a transition to a 100% wet food diet and within 2 weeks we had our “OLD” Sophie back, that is when we realized that we did not truly understand how long she had been fighting this problem. At her 6 week follow-up she seemed to have settled into a late stage 2 to early stage 3 level of kidney disease, while Kidney Disease is not curable, I really believe that these products are help our girl get back to living her best life. 3 months later she is maintaining weight, has a very healthy appetite, tons energy, sparkling blue eyes and most of all back to being her awesome self."

Craig-AZ

Pets Have Anxiety Especially Around The Holidays! Here's How You Can Help Them

 

Did you know? Dogs and cats can experience holiday anxiety just like people do? Cats and dogs are creatures of habit. Some pets may just naturally be more skittish, while others may have difficulty with changes to their routine that often occurs during the holiday season. Simple changes in your work schedule or bringing a guest to the house can affect some sensitive pets. Some breeds may be more genetically inclined to need a companion and have difficulty being alone. Rescued animals may have endured hardships before they came into our lives and may have developed fearful behaviors as a result. Regardless of the reason, anxiety and stress can affect your pet’s health, so it’s important to do all you can to help them feel safe and comfortable.  Ask Ariel offers several calming supplements for dogs and cats with anxiety.   (PSY-Stabil) along with Happy Paws Drops and a consistent routine (e.g. regular feeding and exercise times) can greatly improve your pet’s quality of life and keep them calm during the holidays. 

What Is The Difference Between IV vs. SubQ Fluid Therapy For Pets?

Many pet owners what the difference is between IV fluid therapy vs subcutaneous fluid therapy (subq therapy).  Fluid therapy helps because when pets have kidney disease, their kidneys are not able to flush out toxins as efficiently as they did before.  Veterinarians often recommend fluid therapy to keep the pet hydrated and help the kidneys flush out toxins.  This can be done through IV fluids or subcutaneous fluids (under the skin).

At your veterinarian's office, IV Fluids are administered by injecting the fluid directly into your pet's vein.  IV fluid therapy can bring fast relief and help pets feel better quickly.  IV fluid therapy can be  stressful for pets and expensive.  Thus, an alternative is to do subcutaneous fluid therapy at home.  

While that might sound scary, many pet owners (even those afraid of needles) can be easily trained by their veterinarian's office.  It might be a little awkard at first, but most pets, even skittish cats, will relax if you are relaxed as well.   Pets generally feel much better after fluid therapy and will often eat and play once they have been hydrated.   To learn more about the pros and cons of IV fluid therapy vs Subcutaneous fluid therapy for your dog or cat's kidney disease, please click here. 

Ask Ariel Annual Halloween Toy Contest Going On NOW-- Still Time To Enter And Vote!

                     

                    

We have had some fabulous entries in this year's Halloween Toy contest. We would love to feature your pet too! There is still time to enter. 

Visit our Facebook page to enter. 

Ask Ariel’s Annual Halloween Toy Contest is going on NOW - No Purchase Necessary!

Please join the fun and enter your pet in our Halloween Toy Contest! It's easy!
Prizes: 1 Grand Prize Winners (valued at over $150) plus 4 Halloween Toy Winners
Here is how to enter to win:

1) Post A Photo of Your Pet (s) on Ask Ariel's Facebook page

2) Include a comment about how any of our products, newsletter, or nutrition information has helped your special pet(s)

3) Be sure to vote for your favorites and ask your family and friends to visit our Facebook page and vote too. 

3) Email us at support@askariel.com so we can contact you if you win!

Enter between now and Friday, October 29th, 9 am Pacific Time when the contest ends. Winners will be announced Friday, October 29th at 12:00 pm PT.

Contest Qualifications: Winners must be 21 years of age and a US resident. In order to qualify, the photo must include a comment about how Ask Ariel's products, newsletter, or nutrition information have helped your pet and only one entry per household. 

This contest is not endorsed, sponsored, or administered by Facebook.