Love Pets? Join The Fun With Our Valentine Toy Sweepstakes

Valentine Toy Sweepstakes

Valentine's Day is the best day to show how much your love your pet!  Beginning February 1st through Valentine's Day, Ask Ariel will give away one free cat or dog toy each day to a lucky winner!  Ask Ariel will randomly choose  the winner each day.  Here is all you need to do to enter in our Valentine Toy Sweepstakes:

1) Follow us on either Facebook or Instagram

If you haven't been following us, there is no better time as we will be posting daily tips to keep your pet happy and healthy!

2) Post a photo of your special Valentine pet(s) on either our Facebook page or tag us on Facebook or Instagram

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

Eligibility:  Winners must be adults over 21 years of age and US residents only.  

Each day we will randomly choose a winner and post a photo of their special Valentine pet(s)!  So start following us now and enter to win.  Can't wait to begin the fun and share our mutual love for animals all around!

Many Cats and Dogs Are Allergic to Poultry (chicken, turkey, etc)

DID YOU KNOW.... poultry is a big allergen for both dogs and cats. Pets can have digestive problems such as vomiting and diarrhea or skin problems, itching and scratching

You may want to take a closer look at what you are feeding your pet. Poultry is one of the most common ingredients in pet food. However, poultry allergies in dogs and cats is a big problem. Even if your pet is not allergic to poultry per se, your cat or dog could be intolerant of it. Poultry is a common food allergy for allergic pets in the same way that dairy can be for many allergic people. It can cause a great deal of inflammation, which in turn weakens the immune system.

What's a pet owner to do? Most pets love chicken & turkey .......Sure, you want to spoil your pet, but try taking a ride on the wild side and look into some exotic flavors such as rabbit or venison. There are lots of tasty freeze dried, raw and canned options. 

 Please limit or avoid dry food as it is much harder to digest and can contribute to yeast overgrowth and digestive problems. Dry food is not an ideal option for cats since they are not great water drinkers and can benefit from a high moisture diet to prevent urinary tract problems.  

Join us now on Instagram! Be sure to follow @Ask.Ariel for cute pet pictures, videos and pet health tips.
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Are You Feeding Your Cat The Ingredients They Need?

Cat owners often select their pet's  food  based on the packaging, company advertising or recommendations from another cat lover, rather than the actual ingredients on the label.  Cats are carnivores and need meat to survive.  The ideal diet to fulfill a cat’s dietary needs are raw frozen diets as they are the most natural to what a cat might eat in the wild.  What are raw frozen diets?  Click here to learn more in this article: Pros and Cons of Feeding Your Dog or Cat a Raw Food Diet Cats need enzymes, meat and other  essential nutrients that cannot be converted within their bodies and they must consume  from animal tissues.  These nutrients include Vitamin A, Niacin, Arginine, Taurine, Felinine, protein and arachidonic acid. 

Unfortunately most cat foods are a long way away from containing the type of ingredients that can help a cat flourish.  This is due to a variety of reasons but primarily cost.  By mixing in wheat gluten for example, the perceived protein level of the cat food is elevated.  By adding in carbohydrates such as grains, peas, flours, etc, the product is less costly.  By adding in food dyes and manipulating the shapes of the treats, they are appealing to you as the owner, rather than what is actually healthy food for your cat.  

However,  another key reason why cat food ingredients don't resemble what a cat really needs is because cats can be very finicky.   Being finicky has helped cats survive by avoiding poisonous or tainted food as they have a capability to taste bitter flavors easily.  However, many pet food manufacturers have tricked cats using less then nutritious ingredients by adding artificial flavors, salt and even sugar to their food and treats, resulting in a cat craving foods that aren't nutritious for them.

How can you as the pet owner help your kitty eat the right foods?  Don't fall for the tricks!  Read the label!  Primary ingredients in cat food should be meat, fish or poultry.  Additional ingredients should be names you can pronounce and are familiar to you.  Keep the ingredients simple and avoid grains, fillers, chemicals and food dyes. If you find that your cat's food isn't meeting the standards you would like, it may be a challenge to convert your cat to a healthier diet.  Your kitty may resist at first, but stick with it.  Start with just the smallest amount of the new food mixed into the old food and slowly, slowly you can convince your cat that it is good.  Try not to get discouraged.  There will definitely be a nutritious food you can find to keep your cat healthy without compromising on taste!

For more healthy pet tips, follow us on www.instagram.com/ask.ariel

Tips To Help Your Dog Lose Weight

Dennis Before

Dennis Now

Pet nutrition is very important to us at Askariel.com, That is why this story caught our attention.   Brooke Burton, rescued her miniature dachshund Dennis at a weight of 56 pounds!   He now weighs a trim 12 pounds.  The message that diet and exercise can work to improve your pet’s health is undeniable.  See the Today article to learn about Dennis’ journey. Burton has also joined forces with Ohio State University to form Dennis’ Legacy, which is a nonprofit venture whose mission is to “support nutritional education and care of obese animals”

Pet obesity can lead to many health concerns including: joint pain, digestive system issues, and undue stress to their heart and lungs. Unfortunately the majority of pets are overweight.  Some factors contribute to their pet's obesity---feeding too many carbohydrates in food, not getting enough exercise, free feeding and "overtreating" our pets.  When a pet has too many carbohydrates in the diet, just like with people, they feel overly hungry.  Their insulin spikes from the carbs.  To help your pet feel less hungry, you can add more fiber (e.g. vegetables such as green beans and pumpkin) and be sure you are feeding a high protein diet.  Dry kibble is very high in carbohydrates so choosing a canned or raw frozen diet and mixing with plenty of vegetables will help.  If possible, try to feed your pet a mid-day meal as it is easy to feel famished by the end of the day.  Avoid free feeding.  Feed pets regular meals to prevent overfeeding.  Finally, we all love to spoil our pets, but the best way to keep your pet fit and trim is to use the treats after exercising and keep a designated amount per day in a little bag so that you know when you reach the limit.  Food isn't the only way to spoil your pet.  A big hug, a nice walk and a little extra attention seem to work quite well too!

Visit www.AskAriel.comhttp://www.askariel.com/dog-health-questions-s/1924.htm for more information about the best diets to feed your pet!

Know Of A Neglected Pet? Here is How You Can Help!

Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful, kind words about Whitey. Whitey taught our community a very important message: LOVE THY NEIGHBOR! We all have a neighbor or friend with a nonstop barking dog, a neglected pet or just one that we don't think is being taken care of the way it should be. Unless the pet is severely abused, Animal Control is not going to be able to do anything! Of course if the animal is severely neglected, you can try calling them first, but most of the time, that just isn't going to help.  That means the ONLY way to help the pet is to reach out to the owner. It's easy to condemn the owner or look the other way. Some may try to steal the pet or rally other neighbors to hate the neighbor. That rarely ends up helping the pet....If you really want to help the pet, it is up to you and your community to reach out to the owner to try to help. How? Love thy neighbor---even if that person is abhorrent to you. Find a way to connect with the owner in a positive way. Clearly, they don't understand or haven't been "awakened" to the wonderful relationship that can come from loving a pet. You might want to consider (either by yourself or in conjunction with another neighbor) leaving the owner a friendly note offering to walk the pet, help with the care of the pet or ask if you can visit the pet. If it is a scary person, then of course, use common sense for your personal safety. But, a lot of times, the pet owner is just uninformed about animals or the pet just isn't a priority. Kindness and compassion for the owner, no matter how hard, might help the pet and can go a long way.

Want to know how natural holistic care can help your pet?  Just Ask Ariel.  Email us at support@askariel.com   We will be glad to help.