NEW YORK, June 9, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- The German Shepherd was lying on an old couch, all alone. He glared at his rescuers with an all too familiar look of pain and suffering. This would be the start of a journey that would change their lives forever.
The dog was clearly quite ill. He was emaciated and his staggered gait revealed the depth of his disease. A veterinarian confirmed he was suffering from severe hip dysplasia and a serious heart defect. Taking 10 steps would cause his gums and tongue to turn blue due to lack of oxygen-on top of the severe pain he felt from his hip deformity. Due to the malnourishment, heart defect and other unknowns, he was expected to live only two weeks.
The normal solution to hip dysplasia is orthopedic surgery. However, this was not an option, due to the risk of heart failure under anesthesia. Worse, pain relievers caused him to vomit.
His owner, Bobbi Jo Swartz, found a doctor who specialized in natural pain remedies for humans. She got the doctor to agree to try these remedies with dogs-as Europeans had been doing for a decade.
Swartz is not alone. "In the past 24 months, 51 percent of pet owners have switched to buying more natural products for their pets," she says. "They now check ingredients for harmful chemicals."
Now a company called By Vets Only, Inc. has introduced a canine pain reliever called Petaprin(tm). Composed of natural ingredients-green-lipped mussel, skullcap, turmeric, rosemary, green tea, holy basil and feverfew-the ingredients have a combination of anti-inflammatory, which relieves pain, and glucosamine, properties which add lubrication to the joints, keeping them from grinding together and causing pain.
Sportswriter Chick Ludwig tested it out on his 9-year-old black toy poodle, Ellie. He reported that when she started taking Petaprin, she practically burst into life.
You can learn more about this remedy by calling (800) 805-1841 or by going to the Web at www.petaprin.com or www.byvetsonly.com.
Contact information:
For more information, pictures or interviews with the By Vets Only, Inc. founder, or veterinarian Dr. Thom Myers, please contact Bobbi Jo Swartz: Voice at (480) 471-0401; fax at (480) 471-7869; or e-mail bobbijo@byvetsonly.com. Also visit the Press Room at www.ByVetsOnly.com and www.pressreleasenetwork.com/newsroom.