14-Year-Old Dog Saved by Systemic Enzymes.

Business Editors

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 27, 2004

Leanne Lawrence said the way she found out about systemic enzymes was just pure luck. Elliott, a Labrador-terrier mix who looks like a scruffy old gray and black Benji, was arthritic with hip dysplasia when his hips went out from under him slipping on a hardwood floor. When he couldn't get up, Lawrence's veterinarian told her to just put him out of his misery. She went to another veterinarian, and then another. They all gave Elliot the death sentence. Then Lawrence found Dr. Mary Foster, a veterinarian with a reputation for "hopeless cases." Foster started Elliott on Wobenzym, a systemic enzyme product from Germany, distributed in the United States by Phoenix-based Naturally Vitamins. She also had Lawrence encourage Elliott to keep trying to stand and walk. "With arthritis," said Foster, "usually if you don't move you get worse."

Foster, who says she wasn't at all surprised to see Elliott up and walking in no time, first heard about systemic enzymes from "The Complete Book of Enzyme Therapy" by Anthony J. Cichoke, Ph.D. "The book is all about using systemic enzymes for people," said Foster, "but I like to take what works for humans and use it on animals."

Foster began using systemic enzymes to manage her own pain, swelling and bruising when she had a cracked tooth surgically removed and didn't want to use painkillers. Now she recommends Wobenzym to people and uses Fido-Wobenzym in her veterinary practice, which contains the same ingredients (and also works on cats, Foster explains, but they usually turn up their whiskers at both).

"There's no question that it works," said Foster. She finds that if clients don't see results with their dogs, it's usually because they aren't giving it right. "I tell people that initially, if you want to get rid of the pain quickly, you have to give it in between meals and every few hours rather than giving the maintenance dose twice daily. Usually by the third dose they can feel the pain lessening," said Foster.

If she knows a dog has arthritis (a common occurrence for aging dogs), Foster recommends a standard dose to maintain comfort. One dog she treats has an arthritic knee from a knee surgery. "She's about a 30 lb. dog," said Foster, "so I give her three Fido-Wobenzym tablets daily. Initially, I gave her five tablets every three or four hours, but now she only needs them once a day."

Another dog came to Foster because he was so systemically itchy his face swelled up. "After taking five tablets every two hours, the swelling dramatically decreased," said Foster. His owner described him as one of those really itchy dogs who tears at his body after one fleabite. Now they give him Fido-Wobenzym daily to help his skin. Foster said systemic enzymes also work on dog bites. "When dogs get bitten by other dogs, most veterinarians put them on Rimadyl or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs," said Foster. "I give them Fido-Wobenzym -- a tablet for every 10 pounds usually does the trick."

Lawrence, who wrote a thank you letter to Naturally Vitamins, said she wasn't exaggerating when she said, "Your product saved my 14-year-old dog's life!" Now she recommends it to other dog owners she meets when she walks Elliott. But Elliott himself is the best testimonial. "Friends started calling him Timex," said Lawrence, "because he takes a licking and keeps on ticking." Elliott is now 16 years old.

Elliot's experience is yet another addition to the success systemic enzymes have seen the world over for more than five decades. In its commitment to research, Naturally Vitamins sees that testimonials like Elliot's are eventually corroborated by scientific studies, and not anecdotal evidence. To accomplish this mission, Naturally Vitamins collaborates with researchers from several renowned international institutions. Foremost among them is the collaboration with Bio-Aging Inc., a Phoenix-based research organization, to further reinforce the benefits of systemic enzymes.

To inform the public on the rapid advancements in systemic enzyme therapy, Bio-Aging Inc. publishes "Reviews on Systemic Enzymes," a monthly newsletter at the forefront of the latest research, available at www.bioaginginc.com. Foster can be reached for veterinary services at Gainesville, Fla., 352-258-4447. Naturally Vitamins can be reached at 888-284-2454, or online at www.naturally.com.