Please Say A Prayer For Bobby

Pictured above is Robert Weinstein and Selma Koletsky--two beloved "friends" of Ask Ariel Your Pet Nutritionist. Bobby is making the fight of his life right now at 82 years of age. For about 15 years, Bobby has been struggling to breathe due to some problems with his lungs but he took his supplements faithfully and has been doing so well. He and Selma were taking regular trips to Vegas and having the time of their lives. A few weeks ago, Bobby knew something was wrong. He couldn't breathe and the medications and supplements were no longer helping. He was rushed to the emergency three times over the past few weeks and then had open heart surgery this week. Everything was going fine and he was showing a little improvement each day and then last night around midnight, he had a setback. He was struggling to breathe and an infection was in his lungs. He is now heavily sedated with a breathing tube as the doctors fight to save him. It is amazing how complex that open heart surgery is and all that is involved. If he didn't have the surgery though, he wouldn't have a chance because his artery was completely blocked.

I am so sorry that I haven't been keeping up with the blog as I usually do but these last few weeks have been so terribly stressful. My pets seem to know Mom is upset and have been worrying too. I know the power of prayer can be amazing and hope if you read this, you can send some well wishes for my dear Bobby. With gratitude, Susan Blake Davis

Golden Retriever Had UTIs and Yeast and is Now Better!

"Bella is our fourth and most sensitive Golden Retriever. She developed chronic UTI's and yeast on her skin. We have always fed Bella premium dog food since she was a puppy. After many expensive tests, medications and possible surgery to correct her problems , we found Susan Davis. We have had nothing but good results. Susan directed us to better health and happiness for Bella with her knowledge and expertise. As my husband so simply put it "she's fixed"!!!!! Thank you Susan." Steve and Valarie Bick

Cat with advanced chronic renal failure CRF--Can holistic supplements help?

Q: Hello,I have a 4yr old domestic short hair calico. She has advanced stage crf.I am giving her sub-Qs with vitamins(200ml per day) Amphogel(2ml),Enacard(2.5mg)Clavamox(62.5mg),and anti-nausea meds and I switched her to a raw diet according to Anita Frazier's Natural Cat.She isn't eating and seems to be anemic.Is there any product that you offer that will make any difference at this point in the game? I have also looked into kidney transplant and discovered that it is out of our financial range. Please answer as soon as you can if you think that there is something I can still do to save her.

A: So very sorry your kitty is so sick. And....especially at such a young age. Most of the cats with advanced chronic renal failure (CRF) are elderly cats. It is very common for cats to have some degree of renal insufficiency as they age but having a young kitty be diagnosed with this condition must have been devastating for you.

Cats with kidney disease need a reduced protein, reduced phosphorous diet. Without reviewing your cat's specific laboratory tests and history, it would be very difficult for me to assess what your cat's prognosis is. However, what I would say is that I have seen some miracles using the holistic plan for CRF kitties that Dr. Gordon and I provide. Many clients come to us with cats near death and we have had some success. It requires a complete holistic plan using our fluid recommendations, supplements, diet plan, acupuncture, etc.

In terms of products, for anemia, you can try Renelix and Marrow Plus (there are additional conventional veterinary treatments available as well). The Kidney Terrain, Kidney Health and Purrfect Pet CoQ10 are the most commonly ordered products for cats. Recently, we had a young rescue kitty that had been abused (from a horrible "hoarding" environment with little access to water) who suffered with advanced CRF. Pierre's laboratory tests (BUN, phosphorous, Creatinine) were extremely high and the prognosis was poor. The owner was considering putting Pierre down and then scheduled a combination appointment with Dr. Gordon and I via telephone. Here is a recent email we received 6 months following our consultation:

"Hate to bother you on a Sunday, but I just wanted to tell you Pierre is acting as he did before he was sick!! This morning he is up and about, not hiding anywhere, following me everywhere, and up in the window watching outside and getting excited when he sees the doves come to the feeder outside the window. I have been hydrating him every day, and keeping on track with my schedule of supplements & meds. You just don’t know how happy it makes us to see him acting so normal today, he acts as if he feels really good.

Thanks you so much, everyday shows improvement."

While we wish all of our clients' cats could fare as well as Pierre, by doing all you can to help your kitty, at least you know you tried. Many pet owners feel dismayed after their pet's pass that they could have done more so it is important to try, even when the odds may not seem in your favor. We have seen pets turn for the better substantially after following our holistic protocols..

Head Tremors--Holistic Pet Care Helped!

Pictured above is my boy Bleu, a 6 year old Siberian husky who is full of energy. Today is the 3 month anniversary of Bleu's last head tremor which is truly amazing and a testimonial to the power of holistic pet care!!! A canine head tremor is very frightening to witness, especially the first time. It is very common in certain breeds such as Doberman Pinschers and Bulldogs but can occur in any breed. Essentially, the dog has involuntary bobbing of his head and it shakes uncontrollably--very upsetting for the dog and owner.

It is essential to use K9 Digestive Enzymes for your pet to make him or her feel better. K9 Digestive Enzymes are critical for the proper absorption of nutrients and for maintaining pet health.

In June, during a busy time of year, Bleu walked over to me after a long day and his head was bobbing. At first, I thought he was just anxious or nervous. But as the head tremor continued, I quickly realized he had no control--his head would not stop bobbing. He looked just like one of those bobbing dog toys. What was also odd was that he was completely conscious, looking straight at me and yet it was as though his head had a mind of its own. It went away, to my relief after a few minutes and I thought it was just all the stress--after all, we just had a slab leak following a houseful of guests for my stepdaughter's graduation.

Three weeks later, it happened again. This time, no stress in the household. Then, the intervals started getting shorter. I researched online, had lots of tests done--nothing. I found out that this involuntary head tremor might be somehow related to either abnormal calcium fluctuations or low blood sugar--both conditions that can give a dog or person "the shakes" or tremors. In my initial attempts to control the situation, we saw a slight improvement in that the tremors, which had been coming more frequently were stabilizing, but they were still coming. However, as time progressed and I stuck religiously to his supplement and diet regimen, the tremors stopped. We did not use medication (there is no medication for this) but consistently using calcium, parathyroid support, a hypoallergenic diet and K9 Digestive Enzymes.  When one night I didn't give him his K9 Digestive Enzymes,  he had a tremor the next morning. What this told me was that consistency was everything. This is the same with treating pets that have diabetes or epilepsy--timing and consistency in giving food and supplements is critical.

It also shows that even when there is no hope, there are answers in holistic veterinary care that might not occur with conventional veterinary care. My understanding is that many pet owners who have pets with this condition have spent thousands of dollars on testing and just like in our case, the tests find nothing. What I can say in Bleu's case, is that the results speak for themselves. If anyone you know ever encounters this head tremors or head bobbing or even other neurological conditions such as epilepsy, please encourage them to schedule a telephone appointment with the nutritionist, Susan Davis.  I will be happy to help.

Cat With Oxalate Stones and Chronic UTIs

Q: About this topic, I am having a similar problem with my 8 year old male cat, but he had oxalate stones earlier this year, and surgery to remove them, and is now on Hills C/D and has had chronic UTI's only since being on this food. I want to switch him off to a grain free quality food (like Wellness) but am concerned if this would cause new oxalate stones to form. The effectiveness of Hills C/D has not been proven to me yet - although he has not had additional oxalate stones. Any advice?

A: Diet is an extremely important factor when a pet is developing stones or chronic UTIs. Grains and food allergies can greatly contribute. Once a pet has required surgery for stones however, this is a very serious matter that should be handled by a veterinary professional. Most likely it is the corn and grains contained in the Hills C/D that is causing your kitty to get the UTIs and I would highly recommend ordering our PET UTI Prevention Kit for starters. In addition, we have had proven success using Renelix to help pets with crystals and stones. Many clients with crystals use our diet protocols along with Renelix and retest with the crystals no longer present. As far as diet, I would need to work with you in the context of a telephone or inperson appointment to help you develop the appropriate diet for your kitty. To help you select the best diet, a comprehensive discussion regarding his medical history, food preferences and laboratory tests would need to be done so that you could be sure the diet selected is the right one for your kitty.

Bleu--One Year Anniversary of His Adoption

Today is November 1st and is the one year anniversary of our adoption of Bleu, our white Siberian Husky. I remember vividly how hard it was to get another dog and how initially it was so tough to bond with him. But, in looking back now, I realize it was a great decision to adopt when we did. We had just lost our Tessie to hemangiosarcoma and watched her waste away in those final days. We decided to adopt Bleu just a few weeks after Tessie died when we learned he had been waiting for a family to adopt him for over 2 1/2 years.

When Ariel had died, we waited a long time to get another dog and it wasn't until Tessie was in such desperate need as a foster dog, that we decided to take in another pet months later. It is a personal choice whether to get another pet sooner or later following the death of a beloved family member. I remember that I felt so disloyal to Ariel in thinking about another pet and that somehow it would take away from her memory. That did not end up being the case at all--I loved each of them so much and they both made a profound impact on our lives.

The one thing I do know was that both times we lost a pet, it was so empty and sad in our home without one. The loneliness was so profound and I dwelled on the last few weeks prior to their death obsessing and wondering if there might have been something else I could have done. This is a natural feeling and all good pet owners feel this way. But, now, after seeing wonderful pet owners lose treasured pets every day in my profession, I have to say, that it is the circle of life and we each have a certain amount of time to live and then sadly it is over. And so....there are so many homeless, abandoned, needy pets out there, if you have love in your heart but are still mourning the loss of your pet, you may want to reconsider helping make the life of one of these pets better while you can.

When Tessie died, I was devastated because we had only three short years. She had suffered such a hard life prior to our rescuing her, there was no escaping her past. I felt as though I were ripped off, but then after getting Bleu, I did realize what a noble gift it was for Tessie to make room for Bleu who also desperately needed a loving home. Bleu was advertised on http://www.petfinder.com/ as a "special needs" dog who suffered from an unusual pancreatic disorder and the rescuer stated that the "time and expense giving him a special diet and supplements would be well worth it because his exceptional temperament would outweigh the extra effort". The rescuer could not have been more right. We fell in love with our Bleu and he has brought so much joy into our lives. He really did need a pet nutritionist to help him with his health care and he has been nothing but a gift to us. He is a happy, fun loving dog that makes us laugh each and every day. He howls with delight when we take him to Doggie Care--so much so that my husband and I leave each other messages with his howling antics. He helped us forget the pain and loss with Tessie and move on with our lives. This year, we made beautiful photo frames, one for each of my special girls memorializing all that they had meant to us. We will never forget them and no other dog will ever replace them. They will go on in our hearts forever but with the help of Bleu, we were able to move forward and feel the joy of having a beloved pet with whom to share a beautiful life.

Cat with Chronic Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Q: About this topic (pets with chronic UTIS), I am having a similar problem with my 8 year old male cat, but he had oxalate stones earlier this year, and surgery to remove them, and is now on Hills C/D and has had chronic UTI's only since being on this food. I want to switch him off to a grain free quality food (like Wellness) but am concerned if this would cause new oxalate stones to form. The effectiveness of Hills C/D has not been proven to me yet - although he has not had additional oxalate stones. Any advice?

Y: We have had exceptional success helping cats and dogs prevent UTIs and stone development but it requires a complete holistic program involving dietary changes AND supplements---they go hand in hand. There is a lot you can do to help your cat using a hypoallergenic, low carbohydrate diet. Good nutrition can greatly help but you also need to get your cat on a regular supplement regime to ensure that the UTIs do not reoccur. There is not a simple answer to address the diet and supplements since typical programs for preventing UTIs include supplements such as cranberry that might acidify the urine and calcium oxalate stones grow in an acidic environment so you need to be VERY CAREFUL. Also, some pets have a tendency to get stones and so switching to a diet that prevents oxalate stones might then result in the formation of struvite stones. The secret is finding a balance and identifying the foods your kitty is allergic to. Also, there are supplements that would help regardless. These include Renelix, Amazing Omegas and Probiotic.

As far as the diet, I would need to work with you in detail to discuss the foods you can try and use based on your kitty's preferences. There is not one diet you can readily use and ideally some homemade food should be mixed in. You are right to be cautious and concerned as just using any commercial diet, including Hills C/D will not be the perfect answer--a more comprehensive approach is needed. Thus, a consultation via inperson or telephone appointment is recommended.