Memorial for Two Cherished Dogs

                               Guy Richardson with Sparky and Kona

It is so hard to lose a beloved pet but especially difficult during the holidays.  Guy and Jimmy said goodbye to their precious Sparky on Wed. November 27, 2013 which was the day before Thanksgiving.  Here is Guy Richardson's wonderful recollections of his two cherished dogs which are pictured with him.  

Kona – Born on Halloween 1994, we discovered Kona at age 7 weeks in a pet store on December 26 – the only puppy that did not get sold for Christmas. So he became our best Christmas present ever. Kona  truly enjoyed his role as Chief of Security. Kona was 100% effective; never a break in or burglary. And that bark! There was a front security door that Kona loved to sit near when the front door was open for ventilation. Those coming up the drive couldn’t see Kona behind the security door, but nobody could ignore his bark once he became aware of them. Kona was the most fun Frisbee partner one could ever have. Total enthusiasm retrieving the disc with every throw without ever tiring. Everybody loved watching Kona play Frisbee with his Daddy at the park. And of course the countless hikes. When his Daddy found out from his doctor that hiking was the best workout for him, he began a 3-hike a week regimen that not only got Daddy in shape but allowed for the best bonding ever with his beloved Kona. Kona’s extreme hip dysplasia diagnosed at age 10 slowed him down, but never diminished his love of hiking with Daddy. Even though there may have been some pain involved, he wanted to be on every single hike which kept him in shape up age 15. Kona hiked with his Daddy until about six weeks before his passing in January of 2010.

Sparky –We met Sparky when he was age 7 when the renters across the street got him from the pound. It was love at first sight! We loved Sparky and he loved us – we just knew. Sparky began jumping their fence and coming over to our house. We wound up having cell numbers for everyone that lived over there to notify them when we found Sparky at our house. If we were gone and the front door was open, our dog Kona would be on the other side of the security door and they would commune with each other. That’s when they became buddies; Sparky and Kona really loved each other. Then on February 6, 2007, those neighbors came to our door with Sparky asking if we wanted him because they had to move to an apartment that did not allow pets. We joyously accepted and Sparky’s loving sweetness was ours to enjoy every day. Sparky loved every human he encountered and his sweetness is irreplaceable. Sparky was insistent on sleeping on our bed every night – all 55 pounds of him. He was having it no other way and we could not resist. Sparky and Kona became wonderful hiking buddies when Daddy took them along for hikes three times every week. After we said goodbye to Kona in January 2010, Sparky was diagnosed with Spinal Arthritis in February 2011. Soon after, Sparky needed help getting in the back seat. He’d put his front paws up on the floor board and Daddy would lift him by the rear hips; Sparky then put his front paws up the seat and Daddy moved his rear paws into position on the seat. The last couple of years of his life, Daddy had to have Sparky’s seat belt harness on him so he could lift him in.

Arthritis in Dogs--NSAIDS and Joint Support Supplements

If your dog has been diagnosed with arthritis, is slowing down with age, limping or showing signs of difficulty getting up and down, it is important that you take your pet to the veterinarian for an examination. Quite commonly, your dog may be diagnosed with arthritis. 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. 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.  We have had excellent success using Special SAMe along with the ArthroStride.   It is absolutely essential to use the Special SAMe if your dog has been using NSAIDs as long term use can compromise liver health.  Special SAMe is scientifically proven to help with arthritis and is a vital antioxidant to support the liver.  The ArthroStride includes key nutrients such as Curcumin and Omega 3s along with herbs such as bowelia and glucosamine to improve mobility and joint health. The Omega 3 fish oils found in Amazing Omegas help reduce inflammation and are derived from sardines and anchovies and are at a much more therapeutic level than salmon or other fish oils for pets. 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 was able to run and jump at 14 years of age because of her weekly chiropractic and acupuncture treatments. To find a veterinarian who performs acupuncture in your area, go to www.ahvma.org

14 1/2 Year Old Dog With Arthritis Goes Hiking Now!

"I attribute the happy, active life that my age 14½ Lab/Shepherd mix, Kona (photo attached), enjoys today to the compassionate and professional assistance that Susan Blake Davis and Ask Ariel have provided over the last four years. I came to Susan in 2005 because my then-age-ten 80 lb. pet seemed like he was fading and even "on his way out". He couldn't jump up onto the back seat of my SUV and was taking Rimadyl for his hip pain/degeneration. He had become increasingly listless and just moving around seemed too much for him to bear.

The fantastic suggestions that Susan provided began showing results right away and Kona started a steady path towards a fuller, happier expression of himself. I have used the products she recommended (ArthroStride, K9 CurcuMagic) every day for the last four years and just placed another order so Kona does not run out. I believe in these products and couldn't imagine being without them.

Today, we go on very aggressive uphill hikes three times weekly. Kona always brings up the rear on the way up and is in pain with every step, but he wouldn't miss a single step for the world! He studies my every move when he thinks I'm putting my hiking clothes on and once I go for my hiking shoes (the final clue!), he goes ballistic. His excitement is more than he can contain and is ecstatic all the way up the trail and back.

I am so grateful to Susan and Ask Ariel for giving me my beloved Kona's life force back and all the comfort we have given each other during the last four years. Thank you so much, Susan. What you gave us is precious and irreplaceable."

Guy Richardson, Los Angeles, CA