While my monthly newsletter and K9Nutrition e-group list tend to focus predominantly on dogs, I was excited to hear from Sandy Fender, an employee of the animal hospital at Lindsay Wildlife Museum, that Berte’s Flexile Plus has a newly expanded client base! The hospital staff has been using Berte’s Flexile Plus on some very special patients and we were thrilled when she wrote to us to tell us of its success.
Lindsay Wildlife Museum is located in Walnut Creek, California. This museum has an animal hospital where injured and sick wildlife native to the area are brought in to be treated. When animals are well enough after treatment and/or surgery they are released back into the wild. For some, however, the injuries are permanent and they are not able to be released because they would not be able to survive in the wild. These animals become permanent residents of the museum and work with the staff to help educate the people who come and visit. The mission at Lindsay Wildlife Museum is to connect people with the local wildlife to inspire responsibility and respect for the world we share.
One of the museum's permanent residents is a 17-year old mountain lion. 17 years is quite an old age for such a big cat. Last year her keepers noticed she was really slowing down. She seemed stiff and wasn't moving around as easily as she used to. X-rays revealed arthritis in her spine. The hospital veterinarian began treating her with a prescription anti-inflammatory drug for animals. When the cat did not seem to improve, they started giving this 100 pound cat three Berte’s Flexile Plus capsules a day along with an omega 3 fatty acid supplement. Shortly after starting her on these supplements, the cat appeared more agile and was clearly more comfortable!
In 1996, a young gray fox joined their collection of wildlife ambassadors. In 2005, the fox began limping. He was diagnosed with serious arthritis in his front right leg and had arthritis in many other joints as well. The veterinarians at the hospital treated this fox first with the same prescription anti-inflammatory drug that was used on the cat. The fox did respond to the prescription medication, but the staff began using Berte’s Flexile Plus in conjunction with the other medicine and before long, they were able to reduce the amount of the prescription medication that was being used to keep the fox comfortable.
The last story is about a twenty-year old turkey vulture that is an ambassador of the museum because if its arthritis. In 2005, it suffered a leg injury. He was treated with glucosamine/chondroitin but it didn't have much effect. However, the turkey vulture was put on both Berte’s Flexile Plus and an omega 3 fatty acid supplement and in time, they began seeing a noticeable improvement. The turkey vulture still receives injections of a prescription anti-inflammatory twice a year, but the hospital staff believes he would need a lot more medicine throughout the year if he wasn't on the Berte’s Flexile Plus and Omega 3's.

Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs, Revised: The Definitive Guide to Homemade Meals!
Lew Olson's newly revised book is filled with an abundance of new topics and information. Whether you are new to home feeding or a seasoned raw feeder, have a senior dog or a new puppy, a pregnant mom or a toy breed, this book presents all the information you need to make the best nutritional decisions for your dog.We would like to thank Sandy Fender and the Lindsay Wildlife Museum for sharing these stories with us. If you would like to visit their website, it is http://www.wildlife-museum.org/. If you live in or around Walnut Creek, their address is 1031 First Avenue, Walnut Creek, CA 94597. Stop in and say hello.
Copyright Lew Olson 2008