Mountaintop Natural Pets

Be sure to check out FetchDog’s Memorial Day sale and get up to 75% Special Savings on 180 great items!

Get your Free Puppy Training lesson from the dog experts at FetchDog.com!

This week’s Puppy Training Lesson #1: SIT.

Source: Send2Press.org, September 15, 2009

Ask Ariel Your Pet Nutritionist (www.AskAriel.com) is hosting a pet nutrition and holistic veterinary care seminar “Natural Cures For Pets” to help save the lives of homeless pets. With the current economy, abandoned cats and dogs are entering shelters at an alarming rate and Ask Ariel is hoping the seminar will raise much needed funds to help save them. The pet nutrition and holistic veterinary care seminar will provide valuable tips to help pets live longer and healthier lives through holistic pet care using nutrition and natural pet supplements. Speakers are Dr. David Gordon, Medical Director, VCA Arroyo Animal Hospital and Susan Blake Davis, Pet Nutritionist and founder of Ask Ariel Your Pet Nutritionist.

“Natural Cures for Pets” will provide an overview of holistic veterinary care and teach pet owners about the best foods to feed their pets as well as how to use nutritional supplements for common pet health issues. The seminar will be held on Saturday, September 26th from 10 – 11:30 a.m. at VCA Arroyo Animal Hospital in Lake Forest, CA. Admission is a $15 donation to Ariel Rescue, an IRS approved 501 (c) (3) public charity that saves the lives of shelter dogs in impoverished communities. Seating is limited so please RSVP by email at askariel1@gmail.com or phone 949-499-9380.

Details about “Natural Cures For Pets” can be found on the Holistic Vet and Pet Nutrition Journal blog (www.askariel1.blogspot.com). Recent topics covered on the blog include natural treatments to treat kidney disease in cats, foods that contribute to allergies in dogs and holistic treatments for cats and dogs getting chronic urinary tract infections. Pet owners learn that many of these chronic pet health conditions can be caused by certain foods. For example, the common practice of giving dogs peanut butter can cause allergic reactions, yeast overgrowth and ear infections.

“Many pet owners are frustrated because their pets suffer with chronic health conditions such as endless scratching and itching, canine arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease; conditions where conventional veterinary care has offered limited options. Many of these pet health conditions can be successfully treated using holistic veterinary care including dietary changes, nutritional supplements and acupuncture,” says Susan Blake Davis.

Davis, along with Dr. David Gordon, holistic veterinarian, address a full range of pet health concerns on their blog “The Holistic Vet and Pet Nutrition Journal” (www.askariel1.blogspot.com). Pet owners can submit questions to the blog about their pet’s health problems. Advice is offered so that pet owners can understand their options from both a conventional and holistic veterinary standpoint. For example, owners that have senior dogs with arthritis may be giving their dogs daily pain medication without realizing the benefits their dogs can experience using joint support supplements. While medications may help with the dog’s pain management when necessary, the Holistic Vet and Pet Nutrition Journal explains how fish oil and other joint support supplements along with acupuncture and chiropractic, can help improve the dog’s mobility and quality of life overall. The popularity of The Holistic Vet and Pet Nutrition Journal as well as holistic pet Web sites such as www.AskAriel.com follow an ever-increasing trend by pet owners who are looking for answers beyond traditional veterinary care to improve their pet’s health and longevity.

100 percent of the proceeds from “Natural Cures For Pets” will be donated to Ariel Rescue, an IRS approved nonprofit charity whose mission is to save the lives of shelter dogs in impoverished communities. Since 1999, Ariel Rescue has saved the lives of over 1,200 dogs that would otherwise have been euthanized. Ariel Rescue volunteers rescue the dogs from animal shelters, bring them to the veterinarian and then feature the pets on www.petfinder.com.

For more information about Ask Ariel Your Pet Nutritionist, Ariel Rescue or Susan Blake Davis, CCN, pet nutritionist, please visit www.askariel.com or call 949-499-9380.

Valerian – the natural solution to help animals fight firework nerves

It may sound barking but valerian, a herbal remedy for anxiety and
sleeplessness, could be the perfect solution for calming the frazzled
nerves of cats and dogs this Fireworks Night.

This weekend fireworks displays will be taking place across the
country, causing many cats and dogs to experience high levels of fear,
anxiety and apprehension. Just as it is the herbal supplement of choice
for many anxious flyers, valerian could also help cats and dogs over
come their Fireworks Night nerves.

The herbal remedy, which is extracted from the roots of a riverside
plant, was used by ancient Greeks for its calming properties and
continues to be popular today as it helps relax the body without any of
the side effects associated with pharmaceutical sedatives such as
valium. And pet owners today are increasingly seeing the benefits as
they realise that when it comes to calming down Fluffy, valerian really
is the cat’s whiskers.

Valerian has a long history of clinical trials which have demonstrated
that taking standardised valerian can help to relax and aid sleep
naturally in the short term.

Dosage

One 300mg valerian tablet is sufficient for a medium sized dog. For
small dogs and cats, give them half a tablet and for larger dogs two
tablets.

Dog expert Cesar Millan says it’s a mistake to humanize dogs.

Source: By Jeanne Huff, McClatchy Newspapers

BOISE, Idaho — “Oh, isn’t he cute? My little smootchie-wootchy!” Some women talk baby-talk to their boyfriend or husband.

Some folks talk baby-talk to, well, babies.

And some of us talk baby-talk — to our animals.

“You shouldn’t use the D-word, as far as we’re concerned,” Diane Turner said. Turner is the proud owner of a pug named Madison, and, as the local pug meet-up group organizer, she’s speaking for the entire pug-owner world.

“Madison is my baby, and that’s the beginning and end of everything.”

So, what’s wrong with this picture? Some experts say that humanizing your pet — anthropomorphism — is just not the right relationship.

“People humanize dogs and don’t understand their psychology as pack animals,” Cesar Millan, also known as the Dog Whisperer, said on his Web site. Millan has made a business — and a small fortune — by helping people live happily with problem dogs. He’s been known to turn a nonstop barker/biter into a pussycat in a matter of 30 minutes.

“I begin by showing the dog that I am the pack leader,” Millan said. “I fulfill the dog’s need through exercise, which is walking the dog in the correct way. I give the dog rules, boundaries, and limitations … and then affection.” Millan said that especially in America, dog owners tend to overdo it on doggy love. They “give affection, affection, and more affection, when what the dog really needs is exercise, discipline — and then affection.” Turner contends that, at least for her pug Madison — and any other pug for that matter — the outpouring of affection is in no way detrimental.

“She is our baby; they’re part of the family and have the consideration anyone else in the family has. They send (Madison) cards, she sends cards, gives and receives Christmas presents.

“They’re obviously not human,” Turner acknowledged, a bit begrudgingly, “but that doesn’t make them any less a member of the family.” And, she adds, it’s not that Madison runs roughshod over the household. Turner believes in disciplining Madison — but more as you would discipline a child.

Millan says, though, that treating dogs like people can cause problems and, more often than not, it just doesn’t work.

“Many of my clients call their dog their soul mate or their baby, but the dog tears up the furniture and drags them all over the neighborhood on a walk,” he said. “The client pleads with the dog to behave, cajoles the dog, and offers her treats with no change in the dog’s behavior.”

Dogs are animals, Millan said, and they respond to calm-assertive leadership — “not emotional arguments or negotiations.” Dogs have found themselves in an odd predicament by living with humans, he said. In the wild, canines don’t need humans to achieve balance. They have a pack leader, work for food, and travel with the pack.

But when we bring them into our world, “We need to help them achieve balance by fulfilling their needs as nature intended them to be.” Millan’s formula: “exercise, then discipline, and finally, affection.”

“As the human pack leader, you must set rules, boundaries, and limitations and always project a calm-assertive energy.” By adhering to his formula, Millan said, you’ll be able to connect with your dog in a deeper way.

On the other hand, pug owner Turner said there’s no need to restrict affection.

“Madison has rules, she knows she has limitations. And she is very apologetic when she knows that she’s done something wrong. She comes and gives me kisses — just like a child would do.”

One of my absolute favorite spots to look for ANY kind of dog book!

I am constantly searching the internet and more for any resources I can find on dog training, behavior, health and more. Over the years Ive compiled lists and lists of information waiting for that “one day” when someone will benefit from my findings. Having said that, below is a list of great dog magazines.

I can honestly say that if I can recommend any ONE magazine relating to canine health to dog owners, I would suggest the Whole Dog Journal. This incredible resources is like my bible when it comes to canine health and Ive saved and treasured every issue

And then of course when it comes to Agility, no one beats Clean Run

Below is a list of some more great magazines for dog lovers & owners!

* Whole Dog Journal

*Animal Wellness Magazine

* Clean Run

* Dog Fancy

* Dog World

* AKC Gazette

* Dogs In Canada

* Front ‘n’ Finish

* Off-Lead

* Fetch The Paper

* Pet Life

* Match Show Bulletin

* Animal Health Newsletter (Cornell University)

* Our Animals (ASPCA)

* Dog Sports Magazine