A Bonded Pair of Kittens Leads To a Healthier Cat

Kittens are high energy, curious and crave constant stimulation. Kittens are active at night and a single kitten may awaken you with jumping, pouncing and other hunting behavior. However, two kittens will occupy each other by finding interesting shadows to chase and games to play until they finally tire and fall asleep, too. Kittens who are able to remain with one of their littermates or a similarly-aged companion tend to be healthier and happier, and in the long run, better socialized pets.  If you are looking to get a kitten or cat in the future, adopting a pair will be a healthier and happier life for both you and your pets.

Thank you to @myfosterkittens for letting sharing these great photos with us!

Have a question about your cat?   Email us at support@askariel.com

How To Find Pet Nutrition Advice on Instagram

Join us now on Instagram! Be sure to follow @Ask.Ariel for cute pet pictures, videos and pet health tips.
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Have a question about your pet? Ask Ariel's supplements have been used in veterinary hospitals since 2005.  Send an email to support@askariel.com and our pet nutrition experts will be happy to assist you.  Please know we cannot provide veterinary advice but will be happy to include links to articles about how to treat a variety of pet conditions using natural supplements along with diet changes.

Special Needs Dog With MegaEsophagus Is a Happy Dog!

Meet Wrangler!  He is feeling so happy all dressed up for Easter. Wrangler is a special needs dog rescued by the wonderful Leashes of Love Rescue, Inc. who saved him even though he has a life threatening condition. His awesome Mommy Gina Gina Gould gives him 24 hour care so that he can live a happy life with lots of love! Wrangler has a feeding tube in his tummy because if he aspirates the food he could suffocate. But in spite of all this, he lives a wonderful life playing and hanging out with his family and doggie friends. Just wanting to say thanks to ALL the wonderful rescuers who dedicate their time, money, love and energy helping pets like Wrangler and saving the lives of so many animals that would otherwise perish!

Pet Fooled--Investigative Documentary About What's Really In Pet Food

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Do you really know what's in your pet's food? Are the ingredients in there because they are good for your pet or because the pet food industry has "sold" you on what your pet should eat?  Buyer Beware: Good advertising does not equal good ingredients.  In fact some of the best pet foods may be from brands you might not be familiar with because these smaller companies invest in quality ingredients and not in large scale promotions.  Marketing in the pet food industry can be especially deceptive and is made to appeal to you the consumer---making it easy, affordable and convenient for you to keep buying the food--regardless of whether or not it is actually good for your pet.  You might unknowingly be giving your pet treats and food that contains harmful ingredients even though the label might say "all-natural" "precisely balanced" or "nourishing". 

Pet Fooled is a new investigative documentary about the the pet food industry. The inspiration for the investigative documentary, Pet Fooled (co-produced by Kohl Harrington and Michael Fossat) came from a passing comment made by Fossat’s groomer suggesting his dog’s itchy skin could be diet-related. The comment lead them on a six year journey of research and production that lead to an eye opening 71 minute film.  The film features everything from heartbreaking stories of pet owners who lost their pets from tainted jerky treats, examples of misleading information from pet food companies and pet industry lobbyist groups, and valuable information from holistic veterinarians. To view the movie, Pet Fooled is now available on most digital platforms (e.g., itunes, netflix, Hulu, Vimeo, Xbox, Amazon, etc.)

What To Do If Your Dog Lies Down While You Are Out On A Walk

You are walking along and your dog decides he has had enough and lies down and won’t move. What to do? If it is a sudden onset, see if you observe anything new with your pet's gait, limping, holding up a paw, panting excessively, abnormal breathing?   Do what you can to slowly bring your pet home and contact your vet right away.  if your pet is too sick to go back home, see if you can get emergency help from a neighbor or passerby.    A sudden onset of a pet not wanting to walk can be a sign of an injury or your pet not feeling well, especially in an older pet.   The most common veterinary problems that can lead to this behavior are knee problems, torn ligaments, excessive fatigue (or heat), heart issues and arthritis (especially in older dogs).  

Your veterinarian will examine your dog, take XRAYS and make a diagnoses.  Many times it could just be a sign that your dog has arthritis, a temporary injury or hip dysplasia.  But, it can be something more serious such as a disc injury or even cancer which will require further testing.   Sometimes medications are needed initially to relieve your pet's discomfort.  However, if it is due to arthritis, soft-tissue injury, then ArthroStride can reduce inflammation and help your pet get moving again.  

On occasion, some dogs may not want to go on a walk for behavioral reasons.  This can occur if the dog is carried most of the time, is afraid of something or had a negative experience on a walk (a dog bit or attacked them).  You can try coaxing your dog by taking them to a new environment to walk, using treats and building up their confidence over time.  Professional trainers are also helpful in this situation and can provide many tips as well. 

3 Good Reasons Not To Shave Your Double-Coated Dog

As the weather is warming up, we just wanted to remind everyone about the harmful effects of shaving your double-coated dog. Some popular double-coated breeds include German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Siberian Huskies.  Most experts do not recommend shaving your double-coated, which is one that has a soft undercoat (which sheds twice a year) and an outer coat which will only grow to a certain length. 

Contrary to popular belief, shaving your double-coated dog does NOT make them cooler.  Dogs do not have a large network of sweat glands to regulate their body temperature during hot weather.  They only have them in the pads of their feet.  Most of their cooling takes place through panting.  So instead of helping your dog feel better, shaving   can have permanent long-term consequences affecting their health.

3 Good Reasons Not to Shave your Double-Coated Dog

*The undercoat protects the skin from sunburn, sun exposure (increasing the risk of skin cancer) and bug bites.

*The coat provides insulation in the winter and allows air to circulate and cool the dog in the hot summer.

*Shaving can permanently damage the dog’s coat and it may never return to normal.

For a more indepth discussion, please visit our prior article on this topic

Probiotics Help Rescue Dogs Find Loving Homes

Throw Back Thursday--Rescue dog Spirit pictured here in front of PETsMART about 15 years ago. I rescued him from a high kill shelter in Los Angeles and brought him to our adoption fair in Orange County. Spirit was having digestive issues and loose stool making it hard to place him. My experience in dog rescue helped me to gain knowledge about the value of holistic care for pets. In the rescue world, it is much harder to find homes for big dogs than small ones. All of our Ariel Rescue dogs were taken to the veterinarian for a full exam before adopting them out, but a big dog with loose stool was a deal breaker. Knowing about the value of probiotics for humans, we gave the probiotics a try. Success! Spirit found a loving home and we started using probiotics with the rescue dogs. A few years later Ask Ariel was founded and we developed our Power Probiotic based on these wonderful results. .#rescuedogs #naturaldog #petnutrition #doglovers #rescuedogsofinstagram #petsupplements #petsupplies