We had the good fortune of connecting with Susan Blake Davis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Susan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Since I was a child, my dream was always to have a career working with animals. My education and professional experience were in business and for many years I worked in middle management corporate positions. No matter how prestigious the job, I always felt that something was missing. I wanted to fulfill my personal dream to help animals and started volunteering in animal rescue. I formed a grassroots nonprofit called Ariel Rescue, Inc,, an organization of volunteers that rescued and saved over 1,500 dogs that would have been euthanized at high kill shelters. The charity was named after my beloved husky/shepherd mix Ariel who became our mascot.

Many of the pets had health problems such as allergies, digestive or skin problems that made it hard for them to get adopted. Even though we took the dogs to good veterinarians, conventional veterinary treatments weren’t always successful. I was very involved with holistic care for my own health and started to research what could be done to help animals using a natural approach. What I discovered was amazing…… improving the pet’s diet along with a few supplements could turn the dog’s life around!

A few years later, Ariel was diagnosed with a fatal condition: kidney failure. The veterinary treatment for chronic renal failure was extremely limited and I knew there had to be more I could do. After much research, I developed a diet and supplement protocol that enabled her to live a high quality life, while managing the kidney disease. I realized I had found “my calling”. Not only could I help Ariel, but I could help other pet owners with their pets.

I left my corporate position, went back to school, gained hands-on veterinary knowledge and established my practice slowly over a few years. A prominent holistic veterinarian, Dr. David Gordon, encouraged me and helped me to establish a successful practice at VCA hospitals, where I worked for over 10 years offering holistic pet consultations. As our clients started getting results and more people became interested in holistic care for their pets, Ask Ariel became a national brand.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
​My company, Ask Ariel Your Pet Nutritionist (AskAriel.com) offers expert pet nutrition advice and premium-quality supplements for dogs and cats. All of our holistic pet supplements are human-grade, made with quality ingredients and tested for safety and purity. Since 2005, they have been used successfully along with conventional veterinary treatments for a wide range of health conditions in pets.

We are passionate about pet nutrition and dedicated to helping every pet get the best results, which is why we include a unique complementary diet suggestion for every pet on the packing slip that comes with a client’s order. Pet nutrition is an essential part of helping a cat or dog’s health improve. Pets need special diets that are based on their particular health condition, and many times pet owners are unknowingly feeding foods, even premium brands, that can worsen inflammation and contribute to allergy, autoimmune and digestive problems. By including free diet tips with every order, our hope is that the diet changes, when combined with our holistic pet supplements, will give a pet the best chance for recovery.

AskAriel.com features a complete library of pet health conditions, with recommendations on how to use natural pet care, in addition to conventional veterinary care​,​ to optimize a pet’s health. All of the treatment protocols are based on my extensive 10+ years of experience providing holistic pet consultations on staff at VCA Hospitals in Southern California, working in conjunction with holistic veterinarian Dr. David Gordon and other veterinary specialists. I also saw the power of nutritious foods, holistic pet care and the benefit of natural supplements in the pets rehabilitated through Ariel Rescue.

One of the greatest challenges my business faces is that many pe​t owners ​do not consider holistic treatments until their pet is very ill. Holistic care takes time to work and our goal is to educate pet owners about the benefits of supplements and diet while the pet is young and healthy. We encourage clients to visit their veterinarians for annual wellness exams and laboratory testing even if the pet seems healthy. Pets often hide their illnesses and getting a routine blood and urine test along with an exam from a veterinarian can often add years to their lives. If a problem is discovered, pet owners can be proactive about helping their pet immediately instead of waiting for it to get worse.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
By far, our first recommendation would be the Dana Point Harbor. Our 14 year old rescued husky Legend is obsessed with the squirrels there! He is a miracle dog who survived severe epilepsy, hip dysplasia, liver cancer and is still going for daily walks at his all-time favorite place, the Dana Point Harbor.

We also love to walk at the beautiful parks in Orange County and of course the beaches all along the coast.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to thank all of the dedicated pet parents who believe in holistic pet care and helped support us over the past 17 years of business. This includes our wonderful clients who have shared their success stories and testimonials using our products, our social media followers and newsletter readers, animal rescuers and all of the pet lovers we have met along the way.

Website: AskAriel.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ask.ariel/ @ask.ariel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askariel/

Other: Join thousands of concerned pet owners, including veterinarians, who subscribe to our free newsletter. Learn how holistic care can help keep your pet happy and healthy! Visit AskAriel.com to sign up.

Image Credits
Credit to: Savannah Rae Photography for the personal image All other photos: property of AskAriel.com

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