Angel Formula History:

Peggy was a regular customer and she loved her little dogs. One of her Yorkies, Angel, was experiencing a severe liver shutdown reaction. She was unable to keep food down at all, so she was weak, dehydrated, and very near death. Peggy’s veterinarian advised her to have Angel put down.

Peggy visited us one afternoon with Angel wrapped in a blanket. All I could suggest was that she give her Pedialyte™ to keep her hydrated. Later that afternoon, Peggy brought in a book titled, “Prescription for Nutritional Healing” and said that she refused to let Angel die. She asked if I could help by mixing up something that might help. I agreed to try and Peggy handed over the book. She reports that she still has the book, bookmarked on the page ,“Cirrhosis of the Liver”….Essential Nutrients. Using the information in the book, I chose the ingredients that had the most compelling evidence for supporting liver function. Some of the nutritional ingredients are included to support the overal status of the body, which may have been compromised.It seemed reasonable to begin the dosing for a tiny animal was estimated at about 5% of what was suggested for a human.

I told her that I would be happy to mix the ingredients and reduce the dosage to a 4 pound dog. I talked to the veterinarian who said that he would approve anything reasonable at this point because Angel surely had a slim chance of survival. I sent a copy of my formulation to the doctor, who reviewed it and approved that we mix it.

We called it Angel Formula. It contained 20 ingredients in a vegetable oil vehicle. The suggested dose was 2.0ml to 5.0ml, given by mouth  2 to 4 times daily (most common in tiny dogs has been 2ml BID).

Peggy reported that Angel responded almost instantly and she kept her on Angel Formula for another 4 years until her eventual death -  simply from old age.

Peggy and her veterinarian concluded that the compounded preparation was Angel’s miracle drug. Recently, Peggy wrote to say that,

“I will always be grateful to your willingness to listen and respond with a [preparation] that truly kept Angel alive for 3 (almost 4) additional years. This was my Faith and your Blessing! I will always be grateful, Larry.”

This all started in 2002 and since then, other pets have received Angel Formula and responded well.

Some may want to criticize the formulation because it has so many ingredients. They may be correct and there is a chance that only a few of the ingredients actually did any good. My only response to criticism would be that Angel Formula - as prepared - seemed to help when nothing else did.

Our compounding staff keeps a record of who made Angel Formula last. Nobody is eager to weigh and measure all the ingredients, even though they are aware of how helpful the final preparation may be. The preferred flavor is beef, usually from a commercial dry beef soup stock.

The formula consists of;

Thiamine HCl (also known as Vitamin B1)
Thiamine is a vitamin used by the body to break down sugars in the diet. It helps correct nerve and heart problems that occur when a person's diet does not contain enough. The nervous system and the heart are particularly sensitive to thiamine deficiency. In severe deficiency, nonspecific signs include malaise, weight loss, irritability, confusion, severe fatigue of eyes and myriad problems including neurodegeneration, wasting, and death. Thiamine is stored in the liver and extreme liver disease causes them to be depleted.

Riboflavin (also know as Vitamin B2)
Vitamin B2 is required for a wide variety of cellular processes. It is the central component of the cofactors FAD and FMN, and is therefore required by all flavoproteins. It plays a key role in energy metabolism, and for the metabolism of fats, ketone bodies, carbohydrates, and proteins. Signs and symptoms of riboflavin deficiency include cracked and red lips, inflammation of the lining of mouth and tongue, mouth ulcers, cracks at the corners of the mouth, and a sore throat. A deficiency may also cause dry and scaling skin, fluid in the mucous membranes, and iron-deficiency anemia. The eyes may also become bloodshot, itchy, watery and sensitive to bright light. Experimental riboflavin deficiency in dogs results in growth failure, weakness, ataxia, and inability to stand. The animals collapse, become comatose, and die.

Pyridoxine HCl (also known as Vitamin B6)
Pyridoxine assists in the balancing of sodium and potassium as well as promoting red blood cell production. It is linked to cardiovascular health by decreasing the formation of homocysteine. Lack of pyridoxine may cause anemia, nerve damage, seizures, skin problems, and sores in the mouth. Pyridoxine is an essential and important co-enzyme in many of the vital biochemical reactions that involve the amino acids - thus making it vital for proper protein synthesis as all proteins are synthesized from amino acids. The functioning of the liver is also impaired by a deficiency of pyridoxine, at the same time the liver can be permanently damaged by prolonged pyridoxine deficiency

Niacinamide (also known as Vitamin B3 and Nicotinamide)
Niacinamide is required for the proper functioning of fats and sugars in the body and to maintain healthy cells. Niacin and niacinamide in high amounts can cause liver toxicity. Deficiencies, however, result in may of the symptoms associated with a wasting disease, malnutrition, or malfunctioning liver.

Cyanocobalamin (also known as Vitamin B12)
Vitamin B12 works to treat pernicious anemia; vitamin B12 deficiency due to low intake from food; thyrotoxicosis; hemorrhage; malignancy; liver or kidney disease. B12 also helps with one of the most common and debilitating symptoms among individuals with liver disease - fatigue. Fatigue is a symptom characterized by a diminished ability to exert oneself, usually associated with a feeling of being tired, bored, weak, and/or irritable. It is universal to all types of liver diseases, and does not necessarily correlate with the severity of liver disease. Fatigue is associated with anemia, and anemia is associated with B12 deficiency. Supplementing with B12 is a reasonable approach to increasing energy. While there has been historical beliefs about poor oral absorption, this has not shown to be problematic.

Folic Acid (also know as Vitamin B9)
The body needs folate to synthesize DNA, repair DNA, and methylate DNA as well as to act as a cofactor in biological reactions. Liver disease increases the excretion of folic acid and folates.

Arginine (L) Monohydrochloride
Arginine-deficiency impairs insulin production, glucose production, and liver lipid metabolism. Conditional deficiencies of arginine or ornithine are associated with the presence of excessive ammonia in the blood, excessive lysine, rapid growth, pregnancy, trauma, or protein deficiency and malnutrition. Arginine deficiency is also associated with rash, hair loss and hair breakage, poor wound healing, constipation, fatty liver, hepatic cirrhosis, and hepatic coma.

Cysteine (L)
Cysteine is an amino acid - a building block of protein. It can raise glutathione levels. Glutathione’s main job is to remove toxins from the body with the help of Antioxidants Vitamin A, E, C and Minerals Selenium, Copper, Zinc.

Methionine (DL)
Methionine is an essential amino acid, one of two sulfur-containing proteinogenic (makes protein) amino acids that helps the body process and eliminate fat. Methionine also supports liver function by regulating glutathione supplies; glutathione is needed to help neutralize toxins in the liver. Methionine is needed to make creatine, a nutrient naturally found primarily in muscle tissue that provides the energy our muscles need to move, and has been found to boost athletic performance during short, intense workouts. Creatine is necessary for all muscular function, and thus supports normal functioning of the heart and circulatory system.

Taurine
Taurine is another naturally occurring sulfonic acid. In a double-blind, randomized study (Matsuyama Y, Morita T, Higuchi M, Tsujii T. The effect of taurine administration on patients with acute hepatitis.), acute hepatitis patients were given taurine in the amount of 4 grams, 3 times a day after meals. The participants in the taurine study experienced significant decreases in bilirubin, and total bile acids. Taurine is a core ingredient in the bile and helps in the digestion of fats and the absorption of vitamins that are capable of  dissolving fat. It is an essential acid that our body manufactures naturally. Researchers gave rats excessive amounts of alcohol, and some amount of Taurine for one month. They found that it prevented fat build-up around the liver, and more unexpectedly, Taurine reversed the liver damaged caused by the alcohol.

Betaine HCl
Betaine hydrochloride is a non-essential nutrient and a source of hydrochloric acid, a naturally occurring chemical in the stomach that helps digest food by breaking up fats and proteins. In particular, Betaine HCl is necessary for adequate absorption of protein, calcium, vitamin B12 and iron. It is also known as hydrochloric acid and stomach acid. The low pH of the stomach's hydrochloric acid also destroys ingested bacteria and microorganisms. Betaine hydrochloride is an acidic form of Betaine that has been used as a supplemental source of hydrochloric acid, especially for those that may suffer from hypochlorhydria, a deficiency of stomach acid production.

Lecithin
Lecithin is a generic term to designate any group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in animal and plant tissues, and in egg yolk, composed of phosphoric acid, choline, fatty acids, glycerol, glycolipids, triglycerides, and phospholipids (e.g., phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol). It is a natural emulsifier that helps dissolve fats in the diet. Of its many benefits, lecithin has been proven to decrease cholesterol, promote cardiovascular health, restore damaged livers and improve the brain’s memory function. Lecithin intervenes with the body’s ability to form fat deposits and has aided in reversing the damage caused by coronary artery disease and is thought to repair livers that have been damaged by abuse, such as too much alcohol consumption.

AbsorbAid® Powder
This is a combination enzyme powder (contains Lipase, Amylase, Protease (from Bromelain), Cellulase, and Lactase). It is useful in helping the body digest and absorb nutrients.

Dandelion Leaf Powder
Dandelion Leaf (Taraxacum officinale) reportedly offers a number of benefits for the liver and gallbladder. A natural diuretic, Dandelion Leaf is commonly used to help remove excess water and toxins from the body. Dandelion Leaf helps promote bile excretion from the liver so the body can more efficiently process foods and liquids while also purging harmful toxins. In addition, improved bile flow makes it possible for the body to better metabolize fat, which helps optimize the body’s cholesterol levels.

Dandelion Leaf is also effective at stimulating a sluggish gallbladder, which is responsible for storing and excreting bile as the body needs it. This natural herb is effective at promoting blood purity, which helps reduce the burden placed on the liver to filter out toxins. By helping to purify the blood, Dandelion Leaf allows the liver to more effectively perform its function.

Carnitine (L)
Carnitine is a quaternary ammonium compound synthesized from the amino acids lysine and methionine. In living cells, it is required for the transport of fatty acids from the cytosol into the mitochondria during the breakdown of lipids (fats) for the generation of metabolic energy. Carnitine transports long-chain acyl groups from fatty acids into the mitochondrial matrix, so they can be broken down through acetyl-CoA to obtain usable energy.

Milk Thistle
Seeds of the milk thistle have been used for 2000 years to treat chronic liver disease and protect the liver against toxins. Increasing research is being undertaken on the physiological effects, therapeutic properties and possible medical uses of milk thistle. Milk thistle has been reported to have protective effects on the liver and to greatly improve its function. It is typically used to treat liver cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis (liver inflammation), toxin-induced liver damage (in the event the liver problems are associated with any poisoning).

BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene)
BHT is a lipophilic (fat-soluble) organic compound that is primarily used as an antioxidant in compounding. While it has been reported to have anti-viral effects, we add it to some oil-containing suspensions with the intention of retarding or halting oxidation, thus extending shelf life of the preparation. This ingredient has long been used by pharmacists, though there is little empirical data to support its use.

Stevia
Stevia is a sweetener

Flavor (Oil Soluble)

Canola Oil
The vehicle into which all of the above ingredients are suspended.

For more information on Angel Formula, call The Compounder at 630-859-0333, send us an email here or print out this easy FAX form to bring to your vet to fill & FAX.

To prescribe Angel Formula for your patients, you may FAX prescriptions to 630-859-0114 or email us here or print out this easy FAX form to fill & FAX.