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What No One Tells You About Using Essential Oils Safely on Pets w/ Dr. Janet Roark

1 november 2026 · 31 min
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Dr. Janet Roark is back for part two, and this is the episode pet parents have been waiting for. The practical one. The one where you actually learn what to do. Lees meer

Dr. Janet has been practicing veterinary medicine for nearly two decades with essential oils as a cornerstone of her work. In this episode, she gets specific. Which oils to avoid and why, how to dilute properly, how to let your pet tell you which oils they actually want, and how to find oils you can actually trust.

She also talks about something that stuck with me: the study people always bring up where a cat died from essential oils. Turns out the dose was wildly excessive, and in some cases, the oil was not even toxic to cats, just to cat fleas. That detail never made it into the warning.

This conversation is a starting point, not a complete guide. But if you have ever stood in a pet store feeling overwhelmed by essential oils, or wondered if they are even safe to try, this episode gives you a real foundation.

KEY INSIGHTS:
✨ Tea tree, wintergreen, and birch are the three oils Dr. Janet does not use on dogs or cats. Many pet shampoos still contain tea tree, which concerns her deeply. Safer alternatives like cedarwood and lavender do similar things without the risk.
✨ The studies people cite about essential oils harming cats often involve extreme doses or were misread. One widely shared warning about orange oil being toxic to cats was based on a study about cat fleas, not cats.
✨ Dilution is the single most important safety step. Two to three drops of essential oil per 100 drops of carrier oil is a good starting point. With cats and small dogs, consider starting at one drop per 100.
✨ When you apply oil to a pet's skin, they will lick it, which means they are ingesting it. Factor that in always and dilute accordingly.
✨ Self-selection is how you let your pet vote. Let them smell the capped bottle first. If they lean in, lick it, or rub their face on it, that is a yes. If they back away or gag, that is …
From Skeptic to Believer: The Science of Essential Oils for Pets w/ Dr. Janet Roark

18 oktober 2026 · 44 min
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Everything You've Been Told About Essential Oils and Pets Is Wrong. Lees meer

If you've ever Googled essential oils and pets, you've been told to stay away. Don't diffuse. Don't apply. And especially not around cats. Dr. Lily was skeptical too, until she took Dr. Janet's course and understood the science.

Dr. Janet Roark is known worldwide as the Essential Oil Vet. She is the author of The Essential Oils for Pets guidebook, creator of the Animal Aromatherapy Specialist Certification Program, and has built a global community of pet owners and veterinarians learning to use essential oils safely and effectively. Her own practice has moved from fully conventional to fully integrative to now fully holistic — acupuncture, chiropractic, and essential oils.

Her story started with migraines so severe she thought she had a brain tumor. As a veterinarian, she was on multiple medications with side effects that were destroying her gut. A friend handed her an essential oil blend at dinner one night. Her headache disappeared in 15 minutes and stayed gone. That was the moment everything changed.

In this episode, Dr. Janet explains why the answer to "are essential oils safe for pets?" is both yes and no, and why quality and purity are the distinction most people miss. She walks through the science of how essential oils actually work in the body, and she shares the story of Louie the Horse — three years of recurring sinusitis, round after round of antibiotics, resolved after one essential oil session.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ The essential oil industry is largely unregulated and dominated by a perfume industry that adds synthetics to make oils smell consistent. This is not what we are talking about when we talk about therapeutic essential oils.

✨ Perfume grade oils and therapeutic grade oils are not the same. Brand and purity matter the same way they do with food, herbs, and medicine.

✨ Essential oils are lipid soluble, which means they absorb through the skin directly into the bloodstream. Th…
The Part of Pet Parenthood Nobody Prepares You For w/ Dr. Jenn Roedig

4 oktober 2026 · 1 uur
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There is a moment almost every pet parent will face and almost nobody is prepared for it. You are sitting with your dog and it hits you. We are getting closer to the end. And then comes the flood. The emotions. The questions you did not know how to ask. The guilt you did not see coming. The decisions that feel impossible because you are making them for someone who cannot tell you what they want. Lees meer

Dr. Jenn Roedig is a licensed veterinarian and the founder of Sage Paws, a virtual practice built entirely around supporting pet parents through their animal's aging, illness, and end of life. She has guided over 500 families through this space. And two months before we recorded this conversation, she lost her own dog Luke unexpectedly the night before Easter to a ruptured splenic mass.

She shares that story in this episode. It is raw and it is real.

We talk about guilt, probably the most common emotion pet parents carry, and what is actually underneath it. We talk about anticipatory grief, the kind that starts weeks or months before the loss when nobody around you understands why you are already mourning. And we talk about how to know when it is time, and why you will know is not always a good enough answer.

Dr. Lily also shares something personal in this one. She lost her heart dog in 2020 and still carries pieces of that ending with her.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Guilt is probably the most common emotion pet parents experience around end of life and it is almost never talked about openly because pet loss is grief that society does not fully recognize. Guilt loves isolation. It feeds on silence.
✨ Naming it is the first step to moving through it. Dr. Jenn calls it naming it to tame it. Once you can see what is underneath the guilt, you start to take your power back.
✨ Saying you will know when it is time is not always helpful. It depends on the disease, the pet, the family's values, and what too soon or too late means to each person.
✨ Look at good hours, not just good days. …
Your Dog's Tongue Is Trying to Tell You Something w/ Carol Bramson

20 september 2026 · 1 uur 14 min
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Your Dog's Tongue Is Trying to Tell You Something w/ Carol Bramson Lees meer

The next time your dog is lying next to you totally relaxed, look at their tongue. Is it pale pink or a deep angry red? Dry or moist? Purple around the edges? To most of us that is just a tongue. But in a tradition practiced for thousands of years it is your dog communicating with you about what is happening inside their body.

Carol Bramson is the founder of Side by Side Pet, a whole food pet nutrition company built on Eastern food therapy. She grew up in a household where food was health, spent years visiting over 3,000 food ingredient suppliers across the US and Europe, and then got her first dog, Wrigley, was handed a bag of kibble, and thought this does not look like food.

Wrigley is 11 now and everyone who meets him thinks he is about two.

We get into the energetics of food, warming cooling and neutral, why gut health has to come first before food can even do its job, why seizures and hot spots so often trace back to what is in the bowl, and why the answer to changing pet health is collaboration not competition.

KEY INSIGHTS:
✨ Food has energetic properties understood for thousands of years in Eastern medicine. Warming foods support a body running cold. Cooling foods calm a body running hot. Matching the food to the dog can change everything.
✨ The tongue tells you what is happening inside. Side by Side built an AI balance indicator that analyzes a photo of your dog's tongue and recommends which food type their body needs right now.
✨ Gut health has to come first. A dog on kibble for years may not have the microorganisms needed to absorb nutrients from whole food. Rebuilding the microbiome before or alongside the transition matters.
✨ Dr. Lily tested kibble-fed dogs and found high levels of glyphosate and mycotoxins. A major pet food company told her the levels were within acceptable range for humans. Pets are not small people.
✨ Seizures in dogs correlate strongly with toxic load. Dr. Lil…
The Vet Episode Nobody Taught You in Vet School w/ Dr. Judy Jasek

6 september 2026 · 43 min
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This one is for every veterinarian who has ever felt like an island. Lees meer

But it is also for every pet parent who has ever wondered what it actually takes for a vet to practice medicine on their own terms, and why so many of the best ones end up building something from scratch.

Dr. Judy Jasek never wanted to own a business. She became an entrepreneur because it was the only way she could practice the medicine she believed in. She bought a conventional practice, stopped doing as many vaccines because she believed they were harming her patients, and watched her revenue plummet. Then she built a full integrative hospital, burned out under the weight of it, sold it, sat through a three year non-compete, and rebuilt from the front room of her house. No debt. No bank loan. Just a mat on the floor and a willingness to see what happened.

It thrived.

Dr. Lily started the same way. House calls, then 500 square feet, a mat and a desk, no X-ray machine, no surgery suite. The only piece of equipment she needs to plug in today is her ozone machine.

This conversation also goes into the loss of empathy in the veterinary profession since COVID, what drove it, and why both Dr. Judy and Dr. Lily believe that healing is an art that is at risk of being lost.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Most holistic vets become entrepreneurs by necessity, not choice. The only way to practice authentically is often to build something yourself.

✨ You do not need a big loan, a big space, or all the equipment. Dr. Judy rebuilt from her front room. Dr. Lily started with house calls and 500 square feet. Both practices thrived.

✨ Avoiding debt is one of the most important decisions you can make when starting a practice. When you own debt, you feel trapped. When you own nothing, you are free to practice the way you want.

✨ Find the modality that is uniquely yours and go all in on that. You do not have to do everything. Every other clinic is already doing everything. Your niche eliminates your competition.

✨ The curb…
Your Pet Is Living in the Moment. Are You? w/ Dr. Judy Jasek

23 augustus 2026 · 1 uur 6 min
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Your Pet Is Not Worried About Dying. You Are. Lees meer

What if the tumor is not the disease? What if it is the body's way of telling us something went wrong a long time ago, and the real work is figuring out what that was?

Dr. Judy Jasek graduated from Colorado State University in 1988 and spent years in conventional practice before something shifted. Her own horse developed a behavioral problem that no conventional approach could touch. An energetic chiropractor turned the animal around completely, and once Dr. Judy started looking at medicine differently, she could not stop.

Nearly 40 years later, she runs Animal Healing Arts, a telemedicine practice rooted in what she calls the Terrain Paradigm: the idea that health is the body's natural state, and our job is to figure out what knocked the body off balance and help it return.

We talk about mistletoe therapy, ozone, Chinese herbal medicine, why she almost never recommends surgery as a first step, and why your pet is not worried about dying from cancer. They just want to live a happy life. And the energy you bring into the room, fear or gratitude, directly affects their healing.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ The tumor is the tip of the iceberg. It is a warning sign that the body's toxic load has exceeded what it can handle. Removing the tumor without addressing what caused it is incomplete.

✨ Cancer rates are rising in young dogs. Lymphoma in two-year-olds, aggressive tumors in four-year-olds. This was not something seen 20 or 30 years ago and it is a wake-up call.

✨ Dr. Judy's first question for every cancer patient is not about the diagnosis. It is how is the pet doing. A pet that is still eating, vigorous, and enjoying life has a lot to work with.

✨ Mistletoe therapy has been used in human oncology in Europe for over 100 years. In Germany, roughly 70% of human cancer patients receive it. It is immunomodulating, has direct anti-cancer effects, and can be administered at home.

✨ Fever after mistletoe treatment can be a sign t…
The Bonus Conversation: Genetics, Gut Health and Getting It Right w/ Heather Gibson

9 augustus 2026 · 37 min
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This one started as a continuation after the main episode wrapped up. Lees meer

Heather Gibson and Dr. Lily just kept talking, and what came next was more honest and more direct than anything in the main episode. They got into the coefficient of inbreeding, a term becoming a bigger deal in the breeding world that Dr. Lily had never heard before, and why Heather made the controversial decision to move from purebred to mixed breeding for the sake of dog health.

Then Heather asked Dr. Lily about microbiome testing, fecal transplants, and why vets are still using metronidazole as a first line dewormer for puppies. That part got Dr. Lily fired up.

Shorter, a little more raw, and very much a conversation between two people from different corners of pet care who both care deeply about getting this right.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ The coefficient of inbreeding measures how genetically similar a puppy's parents are. Lower numbers mean more genetic diversity, which generally means better health, stronger immunity, and fewer inherited diseases.

✨ Pedigrees alone cannot tell the full story. Two dogs from completely different lines, even different continents, can still be genetically too similar. Companies like Embark now calculate this before a breeding ever happens.

✨ Many purebred dogs are already mixed breeds, just from centuries ago. Golden Retrievers were originally Irish Setters, Bloodhounds, a Tweed Spaniel, and reportedly a dog from the side of the road.

✨ Heather moved from purebred to mixed breeding because she saw health issues she did not believe could be resolved without more genetic diversity. It is not anti-purebred. It is pro-health.

✨ Asking a breeder whether they test for coefficient of inbreeding is one of the most important questions a pet parent can ask and most never think to.

✨ Metronidazole is wildly overused as a first line dewormer for puppies. Some puppies arrive at eight weeks already having had three or four rounds, leaving their gut microbiome already deple…
What Happens Before Your Puppy Comes Home and Why It Changes Everything w/ Heather Gibson

2 augustus 2026 · 1 uur 1 min
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Before that puppy ever comes home to you, before the first walk, the first vet visit, the first time they fall asleep in your lap, there are six to eight weeks happening behind the scenes that will shape their health, their temperament, and their resilience for the rest of their life. Lees meer

Most pet parents have zero control over what happens during that window. And most never think to ask.

Heather Gibson is the founder of Big Hearted Breeders, a certified pet nutrition coach who has spent over 12 years raising dogs and cats with a holistic wellness first approach. Before she was a breeder, she was a foster parent for over a decade, caring for children with severe trauma. It was watching her foster children heal through their bond with animals that set her on this path.

We get into what early neurological stimulation actually is and why it matters, what health testing should happen before breeding ever begins, how to tell the difference between a breeder who truly cares and one who is running a business, and why the relationship between breeders and vets is so strained and what we can do about it.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ The first eight weeks of a puppy's life happen entirely without you. What a breeder does during that window shapes the immune system, nervous system, temperament, and resilience for life.

✨ Early neurological stimulation, developed by the military and sometimes called the Superdog program, is done from day six to day 17. Research shows it builds a more robust immune system and a nervous system better able to handle change.

✨ After those first two weeks, good breeders move into daily socialization, introducing new sounds, textures, smells, and obstacles so the puppy's brain builds the neural pathways that say new things are safe.

✨ Health testing on the parents is non-negotiable. Hips, elbows, patellas, heart, eyes, and a full genetic panel to screen for recessive genes that two healthy dogs can unknowingly both carry and pass on.

✨ Colostrum is a window…
We Made It to 100 and I Have a Lot to Say w/ Dr. Lily Chen

19 juli 2026 · 1 uur 32 min
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Episode 100. Lees meer

I almost cannot believe it. When this podcast started, I did not know if anyone would listen. I only knew there were options out there, real and powerful ones, that too many pet parents never get told about. So I made a place for those conversations.

Tonight was different. No guest, no script. Just a live recording with a room full of pet parents who have been on this journey with me, asking the real questions, sharing what they have lived through, and reminding me exactly why this exists.

We talked about fecal transplants for IBD and when to start tapering off antibiotics like tylosin. We talked about ozone therapy and what it actually does inside the gut. We talked about the Qest4 scan, stem cell therapy for heart disease, UVBI, reference ranges that shift over time, and why a dog's liver values being high for 15 years might just be that dog's normal.

And somewhere in the middle of all of it, I said something I have been wanting to say for a long time. I am a little tired of the fighting between conventional and holistic. I do both. I sit squarely in the middle. And it was never for us doctors to decide. It is for the families to decide, and they cannot decide if they do not know the options exist.

Here is to the next hundred.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Diarrhea and heart failure are not directly connected. Heart failure causes fluid in the lungs or belly, not the intestines. But pets in heart failure may be more prone to gut issues because the body is already working so hard.

✨ Seasonal flares and stress are real allergy triggers. A dog can have their food sensitivities fully managed and still flare because of pollen, environmental shifts, or the anxiety of their person being away.

✨ Quercetin with bromelain stabilizes mast cells, one of the biggest drivers of allergic reactions. It works best as longer term support rather than an in-the-moment rescue.

✨ Metronidazole has been overused for diarrhea for decades. Research shows it can damage the microb…
A New Study Could Save Parvo Puppies Faster and Cheaper w/ Dr. Lily Chen

5 juli 2026 · 25 min
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A study landed on my desk a few weeks ago and I have not been able to stop thinking about it. Lees meer

If you have a puppy, a young dog, or you know someone who does, this minisode is for you. It is about parvovirus, one of the scariest and most deadly diseases in young dogs, and a new study showing exactly what can be added to the standard of care to give puppies a better shot at survival, and at a fraction of the cost.

The study, a double blinded, placebo controlled trial out of Ohio State University, looked at fecal microbiota transplant, also called microbiome restoration therapy, added on top of standard hospitalization for parvo. Not instead of it. The results are hard to ignore, and so is the part of the story about cost, because for many families, cost is the difference between treating their dog and losing them.

I am sharing this now, before you ever need it, in the hope that you never do. But if you do, I want you to already know this exists.

KEY INSIGHTS:
✨ Parvovirus destroys the gut lining and wipes out the beneficial bacteria living there. That terrain, not just the virus itself, is largely why puppies crash so fast.
✨ Fecal microbiota transplant, FMT, works by reintroducing healthy, screened donor microbiome material into the sick puppy's gut to rebuild that destroyed terrain, rather than only fighting the virus directly.
✨ In the study, the treatment group received one rectal FMT infusion at admission plus two weeks of oral capsules, in addition to full standard hospital care. The placebo group received saline enemas and blended kibble capsules, also alongside full standard care.
✨ Puppies who received the real FMT recovered faster, had shorter hospital stays, and needed fewer medications. Shorter ICU stays alone can mean thousands of dollars in savings for a family.
✨ There were zero adverse events from the FMT treatment, even in puppies who were among the most immunocompromised patients a veterinarian will ever see.
✨ More than a third of the placebo g…
Who Pays for the Pet Health Advice You're Getting? With Lara Shannon

21 juni 2026 · 59 min
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Who Is Really Behind the Pet Health Advice You Are Getting Lees meer

Every piece of pet health advice reaching you through media, whether it is a food recommendation, a sponsored post, a TV segment, or a YouTube video, somebody paid for it to get to you. The question worth asking is whether it was paid for by someone who wants your pet to be healthy or someone who wants your money.

Lara Shannon is a certified dog behaviourist, pet food nutritionist, and host of Pooches at Play, now in its tenth season on Channel 10 in Australia. She also created Animal SOS Australia, documenting the mental health crisis inside the veterinary profession. Here is what stopped me. In Australia, Lara funds her own TV show and pays the network to air it. For ten years she has walked a line between keeping sponsors happy and keeping the message honest.

We talk about a kibble company that claimed on national TV their product fixes the gut microbiome, why Australia has zero pet food regulations, what Dr. Lily found when she tested kibble diets for toxins, the anxiety epidemic in pets on both sides of the Pacific, and a shelter crisis where 90% of animals are no longer being adopted.

This one is going to make you think differently about where your information is coming from.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Every pet health recommendation you receive has a funding source behind it. That does not automatically make it wrong, but it is worth asking who paid for it and what outcome they want.

✨ Australia has zero pet food regulations. Companies are self-regulated and can make almost any health claim without evidence to back it up.

✨ A kibble brand ran a national TV ad claiming their product improves the gut microbiome while raw feeding companies had to fight through endless approvals to get basic claims through.

✨ Dr. Lily tested kibble-fed pets and found consistently high levels of glyphosate and mold toxins. A major pet food company responded that levels were within the acceptable range for people. Pets are n…
Can Your Dog Live to 25 w/ Dr. Gary Richter

14 juni 2026 · 1 uur 16 min
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What If Your Dog Could Live to 25 w/ Dr. Gary Richter Lees meer

Your dog's cells are aging right now, and by the time you notice the stiffness, the slowing down, the gray around the muzzle, it has already been happening for years.

Dr. Gary Richter has spent over 25 years in integrative veterinary medicine asking what else is possible. He is the author of Longevity for Dogs and Longevity for Cats, founder of Ultimate Pet Nutrition, and right now he is building PetMetrics, a wearable biometric monitor for pets that works like an Apple Watch crossed with veterinary medicine.

This conversation goes places I did not expect. We start with the three things that matter more than any supplement or technology for your pet's longevity, and they are free. Then we get into what is available right now that most pet parents have never heard of: UC-II collagen, Adequan, plasmalogens, and peptides like BPC-157. And then Dr. Richter walks me through gene therapy research that can literally instruct aging cells to go backwards.

He said something that stuck with me. It is not at all out of the realm of possibility that pets living well over 20 is going to become the norm.

After this conversation, I believe him.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ The three most important things for your pet's longevity are diet, exercise, and lifestyle. They are free. No amount of stem cells, peptides, or gene therapy will overcome a body not getting the basics right.

✨ Most pets are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D even when eating a good diet. Test before supplementing, especially vitamin D as too much can cause kidney failure.

✨ UC-II collagen is significantly more effective than glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support, yet most pet parents and veterinarians have never heard of it.

✨ Adequan is one of the most underutilized tools in small animal medicine. Dr. Richter cannot keep it on the shelf. If your pet has arthritis, ask your vet about it.

✨ Plasmalogens are fatty acids that are an integral p…
A Good Probiotic Is Not Enough w/ Billy Hoekman

7 juni 2026 · 1 uur 2 min
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Why a Good Probiotic Is Not Enough and What Your Dog Actually Needs for Real Gut Health w/ Billy Hoekman Lees meer

If you have ever told your vet your dog is already on a good probiotic, this episode is going to make you think differently about that.

Billy Hoekman is back. He is Vice President of Nutrition and Communication at Green Juju, and he has been in pet nutrition for 15 years. The last time he was on the podcast, the probiotic line was still in development. Now it is out, the clinical research is done, and the results are worth talking about.

We get into why microbial diversity matters far more than finding the right probiotic strain, why the Amish kids Billy works with on farms in Pennsylvania do not have allergies, and what that tells us about our pets living in our clean modern homes. He also shares why every single one of the longest-lived dogs in recorded history had one thing in common.

And then there is the clinical research. Two months, 47 dogs, and results that honestly surprised even the lab. Gut inflammation normalized in 98% of the dogs. The body's ability to detoxify improved by 57% on average. And the symptom improvements showed up exactly where you would expect them in real life.

If your dog has allergies, skin issues, anxiety, or gut problems, this one is worth your full attention.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ A good probiotic is not a category. It is a principle. Your dog needs microbial diversity from food, fermented products, the environment, and supplements that reflect what nature actually provides.

✨ The Amish kids Billy works with on farms in Pennsylvania do not have allergies. They are barefoot all summer, swimming in ponds, surrounded by animals and soil. Constant microbial exposure is not a coincidence.

✨ Every one of the longest-lived dogs in recorded history slept outside. Our sanitized modern homes have removed something important from their lives.

✨ True health is resilience. If your dog is fine only on the exact right diet and supplements …
What Your Dog's Body Is Trying to Tell You About Pain and How to Listen w/ Charlotte Speller

31 mei 2026 · 1 uur 22 min
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Charlotte Speller spent 15 years as a dog behavior trainer before becoming a veterinary physiotherapist. And the thing that changed her path was something she kept seeing that nobody was talking about. Lees meer

Dogs labeled as difficult, grumpy, or reactive who were actually in pain. Not a behavior problem. A body problem. Nobody had caught it yet.

That observation sent her into physiotherapy, where she now combines her understanding of animal behavior with hands-on physical rehabilitation. She works with post-surgical recovery, chronic arthritis, and dogs who have been told there is nothing more that can be done.

We talk about the subtle signs most pet parents miss, why your dog hesitating before jumping in the car might matter more than you think, how a tiny wince across her own dog's face turned out to be the first sign of osteosarcoma, and why she wants to make herself redundant by getting to dogs before there is ever a crisis to fix.

This is a conversation about prevention, about paying attention, and about what happens when we stop waiting for things to get bad before we ask for help.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Dogs labeled as grumpy, reactive, or difficult are often in pain. Behavior changes can be the first and only sign that something is wrong physically.

✨ Watch for what has changed, not what is dramatic. Hesitating before jumping in the car, avoiding slippery floors, taking themselves off to a new spot to lie down, not wanting to be touched. These are the early signs.

✨ Noise sensitivity can be a pain signal. If a dog that was never bothered by loud sounds suddenly becomes anxious around noise, the body may be bracing because sudden movement hurts.

✨ Charlotte's dog Brutus showed one single wince when asked to jump into the van. That was the first sign of osteosarcoma. It is that subtle. Please do not feel guilty for missing things this small.

✨ A step that is six inches high is roughly the equivalent of a dachshund climbing pyramid steps. We never think about how…
What Pet Parents Need to Know About Corporate Vet Care, Longevity Drugs and Allergy Medications

24 mei 2026 · 20 min
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Three big stories on my mind right now that I think every pet parent should know about. Lees meer

Story one: Chewy just acquired Modern Animal, a tech-forward veterinary chain with 29 clinics. That means the same company selling your dog's food, supplements, and medications now also owns the vet clinics seeing your dog. Is that great news or scary news? Honestly, both.

Story two: Loyal is developing a longevity drug for senior dogs that promises to extend healthy life by about a year. The FDA cleared a major safety hurdle in January 2026. But here's the thing: we already know how to give most senior dogs more good time. Lean body weight, good nutrition, exercise, sleep, connection. These things are powerful. So why are we reaching for a pill?

Story three: New allergy drugs are hitting the market. NUMELVI and Zenrelia are JAK inhibitors that stop the itch sensation. But they don't fix the underlying immune issue. And one of them came with an FDA warning that dogs could die if vaccinated while on the drug.

I bring these up not to scare you, but to help you think critically about what's happening in pet care right now and what questions you should be asking.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Chewy now owns 47 veterinary clinics after acquiring Modern Animal. That's a lot of vertical integration and a lot of incentive to recommend their own products.

✨ Ask your vet who owns the practice. You'd be surprised how many clinics that look independently owned are actually backed by corporate or private equity groups.

✨ Always keep a copy of your pet's medical records and lab results. It helps when you need care somewhere else or have multiple providers.

✨ Loyal's longevity drug LOY-002 targets age-related metabolic dysfunction in senior dogs 10+ years old and weighing at least 14 lbs. It cleared FDA safety approval in January 2026.

✨ We already know how to extend most dogs' lives by a year or more: lean body weight, good nutrition, exercise, sleep, and connection. A study from 22 years ago pro…
How to Advocate for Your Pet's Health and Get Results w/ Weylie Hoang

17 mei 2026 · 1 uur 14 min
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A cardiologist told Weylie her dog had only six to nine months to live. That was over 15 months ago. Her dog's heart disease has actually reversed. And her cardiologist doesn't have a great explanation for it. Lees meer

Weylie Hoang is not a vet. She's not a doctor or a researcher. But she is an expert on her pet. She grew up with zero experience with animals, trusted everything her vet said, fed kibble because that's just what you do. Never questioned it until the day her dog was put on steroids after a dental procedure and nobody told her what was coming. The thirst, the weight gain, the personality shift. By the time she figured out what was happening, her dog was never quite the same.

That moment changed everything.

Fast forward and Weylie is now the pet parent who drives over an hour each way for integrative care, who researches at midnight, who does nightly positive affirmations with her dogs, and whose dog Navi, the one given six to nine months after congestive heart failure, is still here thriving with documented reversal of her heart disease.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever sat in a vet's office and felt dismissed, anyone who's been told "just watch and wait" when your gut is screaming that something is wrong, and anyone who is curious about holistic care but doesn't know where to start or is scared of being judged for even asking.

Weylie's been there. And she's going to tell you exactly what she did about it.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ You are the expert on your pet. Your daily observations are clinical data. No one has more of it than you. Trust what you see.

✨ A defensive vet is a red flag. If asking questions makes them defensive or they don't explain things clearly, consider a second opinion.

✨ Integrated medicine isn't choosing sides. It's choosing more. Navi is on heart medication AND gets acupuncture, fecal transplants, ozone therapy, and amnion cell treatment. None of these cancel each other out. They compound.

✨ Being proactive is always cheape…
We Missed the First Step — What 50 Years of Cancer Research Got Wrong w/ Dr. Loren Nations

10 mei 2026 · 1 uur 24 min
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For 50 years, we thought we knew what caused cancer. Billions of dollars in research, the entire human genome sequenced, all of it built on one assumption: cancer is a genetic disease. Lees meer

And then the data came back. And the data said we got it wrong.

Dr. Loren Nations is a board-certified veterinary practitioner with almost 35 years in internal medicine, oncology, and cardiology. He's pioneered hyperbaric oxygen therapy, ketogenic nutrition, mistletoe therapy, and microbiome medicine in veterinary care.

But what makes his story powerful isn't the credentials. It's the moment that changed everything. After three decades of practicing conventional medicine with tremendous success, he lost his wife to triple negative breast cancer. Five weeks from diagnosis to her passing.

In the wake of that loss, he started asking questions the entire medical system had stopped asking: Why did the genetic theory fail? What's actually driving disease at the cellular level? And what would happen if we stopped treating symptoms and started optimizing the body's own metabolism instead?

We talk about the health continuum from optimization to disease, why most wellness appointments aren't actually about wellness, and what it means to heal from the cellular level up.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Cancer is not a genetic disease. After 50 years of research based on the somatic mutation theory, the data showed no correlation between genetic abnormalities and cancer types.

✨ The real driver of cancer is metabolic dysfunction. Cells lose their ability to produce energy properly through mitochondrial damage and oxidative phosphorylation breakdown.

✨ Cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease, autoimmune disease all share the same foundation: inflammation and metabolic dysfunction.

✨ The health continuum runs from optimization (Olympic athlete level) to wellness (healthy but room for improvement) to disease. Most pets live in the wellness space, not the optimization space.

✨ Wellness appointments as…
How Microbiome Medicine Is Transforming Pet Health w/ Sanjit Basak-Smith

3 mei 2026 · 1 uur
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Sanjit Basak-Smith has been doing veterinary work since he was five years old when his father opened their family practice in 1997. He started with kennel work, moved to answering phones, and eventually became a veterinary technician working alongside his dad for years. Lees meer

About 10 years ago, Sanjit started specializing in integrated modalities like stem cell therapy, PRP, photobiomodulation, and microbiome medicine. And through that work, he helped transform his family's traditional Western practice into a local leader in integrative care.

But here's where it gets really interesting. When Sanjit was about 12 years old, a doctor wanted to put him on steroids for his psoriasis. His father, a veterinarian, said absolutely not. He found a natural alternative and it worked.

Years later, when Sanjit started working closely in the clinic, he noticed something he couldn't let go of. The same steroid his dad refused for his own son, he was prescribing to his patients every day. That one question changed the entire trajectory of their practice: Why is this okay for your patients, but not for your son?

We talk about why probiotics alone aren't enough, what microbiome testing actually reveals, why your dog's skin problem might really be a gut problem, and how to start making changes that actually stick.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ If your pet doesn't have diarrhea, it doesn't mean the gut is fine. Skin issues, chronic allergies, and inflammation are often rooted in microbiome imbalance.

✨ The microbiome is responsible for breaking down food and regulating immune response. When it's off, symptoms show up everywhere.

✨ Probiotics are great for a healthy gut, but when there's dysbiosis, you need fecal transplant to reintroduce native bacteria the body actually needs.

✨ Prescription diets are meant to be used for 30 days to diagnose food allergies, not as a lifelong diet.

✨ Drugs like Apoquel and Cytopoint suppress the immune system. Never start them if infection is present. Microbiom…
Animal Kinesiology: How Pets Mirror Our Emotional Wounds & Why They Choose Us w/ Claire Forsyth

26 april 2026 · 1 uur 11 min
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I sat down with Claire Forsyth, a specialist animal kinesiologist with over 25 years of experience, knowing almost nothing about her work. What I got was one of the most fascinating conversations I've had on this show. Lees meer

Claire started in animal behavior, running dog training classes. And she kept noticing something she couldn't explain with training alone. Dogs and their people were walking the same way. Anxious about the same things. Even learning at the same pace.

That led her to kinesiology, a practice that uses muscle testing to access the body's energy systems. Through precise protocols, Claire can identify the root emotional patterns driving an animal's behavior, trace them back to a specific age or wound, and then bring in the human. Because the animal and their person are almost always holding the same pattern.

Not because the human is stressing the animal out. But because they found each other. Because something in this shared vibration drew them together.

We talk about what a session looks like, how muscle testing works through a surrogate, why separation anxiety is actually an attachment problem, and the story of a Labrador named Gus that changed how I think about the bond between pets and their people.

This one's going to stretch your mind a little. And I think that's a good thing.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Dogs and their people mirror each other in walk, limp, learning pace, and anxiety patterns.

✨ Muscle testing accesses chakras, meridians, and aura through the nervous system. Corrections include tuning forks, flower essences, essential oils, and energy healing.

✨ Animals aren't absorbing our stress. They mirror it. They found us because we share the same vibration, the same emotional wounding.

✨ Separation anxiety is not a training problem. It's an attachment problem.

✨ Gus's story: A Labrador with separation anxiety and his human Tina were both abandoned by their mothers. Both had insecure attachment. When Claire healed the abandonment wound for bot…
Root Cause Care & Holistic Health Coaches: A Better Way Forward for Pets w/ Dr. Ruth Roberts

19 april 2026 · 1 uur 15 min
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Dr. Ruth Roberts has been practicing integrative veterinary medicine for over 30 years. She's the creator of The Original CrockPet Diet, which has helped thousands of pets with everything from kidney disease to cancer to chronic allergies. And she's the founder of the Holistic Pet Health Coach Certification Program, training a whole new generation of people to fill the massive gap in how our animals get care. Lees meer

But this conversation isn't just about what she's built. It's about what's broken in veterinary medicine and how we fix it.

We talk about why your vet appointment feels so rushed, why you leave the clinic feeling like you still don't have answers, and why preventive medicine is still such a hard sell. We talk about the shift from pets as property to pets as family, how corporate consolidation is changing the care your animal receives, and why the real value isn't in prescription sales but in the doctor's brain sitting in front of you.

We also get into the hard stuff. The animals that changed the course of our careers. The promise Dr. Ruth made to her dog Arnold when he died. The black lab named Lucy who taught me that I never wanted to euthanize another pet just for arthritis. And why coaches and veterinarians can actually work together instead of fighting each other.

This one gets emotional. But it's also hopeful. Because Dr. Ruth isn't just talking about what's broken. She's building the bridge.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Veterinarians are overwhelmed. With corporate consolidation, many vets are seeing patients in as little as 6-minute appointments. The average is now 15-20 minutes.

✨ The shift from pets as property to pets as family happened fast. In 30 years, we went from dogs chained outside to dogs sleeping under the sheets with us.

✨ As pets became family, people wanted specialist care. But generalist vets started learning "here's when to refer" instead of "here's how to treat."

✨ Corporate veterinary medicine (Mars Pet Care and hedge funds) now owns 60% …
Preventive Pet Health: Testing and Treatments You Might Not Know Exist

12 april 2026 · 26 min
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This is a quick conversation I had with Esa after we finished our rescue episode. She asked me the questions I think a lot of you might be wondering but maybe don't know how to ask. Lees meer

What am I most excited about in holistic medicine? What new modalities are coming to the practice? How did Integrative Pet Wellness Center even start, and why does it feel so different from a traditional vet hospital?

I pull back the curtain a little bit. I talk about the bioresonance scans I'm obsessed with right now, the hyperbaric oxygen chamber I want to bring into the practice, and the hormone replacement therapy I think we've been overlooking in animals for way too long. I also share my origin story: why I started this practice, how I started it, and my story of doing house calls and how that shaped everything about the way I practice medicine today.

We also talk about Remi's story. Remi came to me with a cough that lasted over a year. He'd done all the testing, all the diagnostics, all the medications. Nothing worked. We did one ozone UVBI treatment, and the cough was gone in seven days. One week.

This is a quick conversation for anyone who's ever wondered what's possible beyond what's already been offered.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Bioresonance scans are the future of preventive medicine. They pick up frequency shifts in cells before disease manifests, allowing us to prevent cancer, immune issues, and slow aging.

✨ When a cell is diseased, it emits signals different from healthy cells. Bioresonance scans detect those signals using hair samples or saliva swabs, even for pets who live far away.

✨ Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is coming to the practice. Cellular oxygen is essential, and we are so depleted in modern life.

✨ Hormone replacement therapy is overlooked in animals. Pets spayed and neutered young miss critical developmental hormones, and hormone deficiencies contribute to many diseases we see in aging pets.

✨ Ozone UVBI therapy (ozone mixed with blood and activated with UV li…
Dog Rescue & Adoption: The Real Truth About Fostering & Shelter Work w/ Esa Van Dusen

5 april 2026 · 56 min
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Most of us can't imagine doing rescue work the way Esa Van Dusen does. This isn't about fostering a dog here and there. This is about finding a pit bull chained to a tree with no access to water. Getting a video of a terrified dog living in spray paint cans and bushes. Driving straight into a hurricane to pull animals out of abandoned boarding kennels. Lees meer

Esa has been rescuing animals for 15 years in Austin and LA. She's a digital writer, advertiser, energy healer, and someone who shows up for animals in ways most people never will. Her vision? A healing sanctuary ranch for animals and people. But this conversation isn't about feel-good adoption photos. It's about the real version of rescue. The version where you have to reconcile with the fact that you cannot save them all. The version where you sit in your car crying because the weight of it is too much. And the version where you learn to follow the energy of one.

Esa found a blind and deaf Catahoula dog (originally called Possum) in an abandoned kennel during a hurricane and found her a magical home with two Australian Shepherd brothers where she's still thriving today. But here's what makes this conversation so important: we talked about the reality. Suffering is inevitable. We're not always in charge. We can't decide the outcome. The work isn't about saving them all. It's about showing up for the one right in front of you and trusting that something bigger might be running in the background.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Follow the energy of one animal at a time. 100% of the time, a miracle happens when you do.

✨ Suffering is inevitable. We're not in charge of the outcome, but we can show up for the animal right in front of us.

✨ You can't be helpful if you're sitting in your car crying. Develop the strength to do this work without burning out.

✨ Every single breed is represented in rescue right now. Wiener dogs, doodles, even "bulletproof" breeds that used to never end up in shelters.

✨ The overbreeding crisis means p…
Light as Medicine (and Why Your Pet Is Starving for It) - With Jackie Jolie

29 maart 2026 · 1 uur
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What if the most powerful medicine for your pet isn't a supplement or a drug, but something as simple as light? Lees meer

Jackie Jolie, founder of AnimaSol, believes light is the foundation of health. Every cell in every mammal's body has a light sensor called a melanopsin, waiting to receive information from photons. And yet, we and our pets are spending 98% of our lives indoors, cut off from the very thing our DNA was built to run on.

Jackie spent 15 years as an equine and canine bodyworker. But in 2018, after being diagnosed with Lyme disease, she rebuilt her health using natural treatments and something she calls a light life: reconnecting to sunlight, circadian rhythms, grounding, and red and near infrared light therapy. She says she runs better at 42 than she did in her twenties.

That personal transformation became AnimaSol, a company that creates battery-operated, full-body red and near infrared light therapy blankets for horses, dogs, and cats. This conversation goes deep into the science of light, the difference between lasers and LEDs, which wavelengths actually penetrate to bone and nerve, and how to choose a safe device in a market flooded with cheap knockoffs.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Every mammal cell has a melanopsin, a light sensor waiting to respond to photons. Light is foundational to health.

✨ Red wavelengths penetrate 5-10 mm into tissue for surface healing. Near infrared penetrates 50 mm down to nerve, bone, and bone marrow.

✨ The 810 nm wavelength penetrates the cranium and vertebrae, effective for cognitive issues, head trauma, IVDD, and paralysis.

✨ LEDs vs. lasers: LEDs deliver the same benefits with zero thermal effect, no burns, and no risk of harm.

✨ Contact method matters. Red light therapy is most effective when the device is in direct contact with the skin.

✨ Cancer and red light: After 40 years of use, no documented cases of LED therapy causing cancer or accelerating tumors.

✨ New studies show red and near infrared light therapy reduces IBS …
The Pet Care Future We're Fighting For - With Dr. Judy Morgan

22 maart 2026 · 1 uur 11 min
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In Part 1, we talked about the cases that changed us. In Part 2, we're talking about what needs to change in veterinary medicine. Lees meer

Dr. Judy Morgan doesn't hold back. We go deep into the drugs that concern us most, why prescription diets were only supposed to be temporary fixes, and how corporate medicine is reshaping the profession in ways that aren't always serving pets or their parents.

We also talk about something I wasn't expecting to discuss: the system itself. Emergency hospitals diverting patients because they're too full. Specialists who only work eight to four, Monday through Friday. Bills that reach thousands of dollars for supportive care alone. And the uncomfortable reality that a corporate executive admitted to me over dinner that they wouldn't take their own dog to their own hospital because of the cost.

But this conversation isn't just about what's broken. It's about what the future could look like when pet parents are educated, empowered, and asking better questions.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Isoxazoline flea and tick preventatives are neurotoxins, and it took years to get that on the label.

✨ Prescription diets were meant to be used for 30 days, not for life. They're a short-term fix while you address the root cause.

✨ You can't outsupplement a bad diet. Food is the foundation of everything.

✨ How to afford fresh food: Buy whole animals from local farmers, join co-ops, use base mixes and add your own meat, or feed nutrient-dense foods that require half as much.

✨ The veterinary system is breaking: emergency hospitals diverting patients, specialists only working weekdays, and pricing so extreme that financial euthanasia is now a reality.

✨ Corporate medicine is driving burnout: support staff cut, quotas imposed, relationships become transactional instead of trust-based.

✨ Dr. Judy's mission: Educate and empower pet parents to make good decisions and stand up for the health of their pets.

RESOURCES:

Website: NaturallyHealthyPets.com

Dr. Judy Morga…
The Rebels Who Found Each Other - With Dr. Judy Morgan

15 maart 2026 · 33 min
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What happens when one of the most influential voices in holistic veterinary medicine walks into the biggest conventional veterinary conference in the world? Lees meer

I spotted Dr. Judy Morgan at VMX in Orlando, and honestly, I had to do a double take. Here was a woman who has dedicated nearly 40 years to transforming pet wellness, walking confidently into rooms full of conventional practitioners, educating veterinary students who are hungry for a different approach, and bridging the gap between traditional and holistic care.

This conversation is about the turning points. The German Shepherd who couldn't walk and then ran down the hallway five minutes after his first chiropractic adjustment. The practice that was the biggest seller of prescription diets in the country and put almost every dog and cat on one. The chronic ear infections, skin problems, and smelly animals that never got better no matter what conventional medicine threw at them.

Dr. Judy and I couldn't stop talking, so we split this into two parts. Part 1 is about how we got here and what broke us in conventional medicine. Part 2, coming next week, is where things get real: the food industry, the drugs we wish didn't exist, and the uncomfortable truth about the veterinary business model.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Dr. Judy Morgan became a vet at 12 when a veterinarian performed surgery on her gimpy show pony, inspiring her to help animals the same way.

✨ The turning point: A 100-pound German Shepherd that couldn't walk came in for treatment. After chiropractic adjustments, the dog jumped up and ran down the hallway 5 minutes later.

✨ Why conventional medicine felt broken: Every month, the same chronic ear infections, the same skin problems, the same smelly, itchy animals with no real improvement.

✨ The prescription diet problem: Dr. Judy worked at a practice that was the biggest seller of prescription diets in the country. Almost every single dog and cat was on one, including puppies on PD and seniors on GD.

✨ Pre…
35 Dogs, Zero Leashes, One Forest: Rethinking Everything You Know About Dog Training with Sam Amalsadvala

8 maart 2026 · 1 uur 11 min
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Picture this: 35 dogs running free in a 175-acre forest. No leashes. No commands. No chaos. Just one guy leading the pack, and every single dog follows him. Lees meer

How is that even possible?

In this episode, I sit down with Sam Amalsadvala, a former merchant navy chef who accidentally became one of the most insightful natural dog trainers I've ever met. Sam doesn't train dogs — he listens to them. And what he's learned will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about "training" your dog.

Coming from India where dogs roamed freely and leashes didn't exist, Sam moved to Montreal and couldn't speak French. In that isolation, he realized something profound: dogs live in that space every single day. They can't speak our language. They're frustrated, misunderstood, and judged. So he stopped treating them like problems to be fixed and started treating them like beings who needed to be understood.

This conversation will change the way you see your dog — and maybe even yourself.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How Sam walks 35 dogs off-leash in a Canadian forest — and why they never run away, fight, or get lost.

✨ Why socialization matters more than traditional training — and how it prevents behavior issues that lead to shelter returns.

✨ The three things every dog needs: physical activity, mental stimulation, and social time with other dogs.

✨ Why your dog's "anxiety" might actually be blocked energy — and what freedom, play, and socialization can do to fix it.

✨ How to teach recall through play and curiosity instead of commands and treats.

✨ The truth about neutering and aggression — it's not hormones, it's lack of social skills.

✨ Why growling isn't bad behavior — it's communication. And what happens when we punish it.

✨ Leadership isn't about dominance — it's about consent, understanding needs, and walking at the pace of the slowest dog.

✨ Management before modification — how to keep everyone safe in the moment, then work on behavior later.

✨ Replace the word "traini…
Leaving Veterinary Medicine Better Than She Found It: One Vet's Mission | Dr. Lindsey Wendt

1 maart 2026 · 28 min
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What if the key to a faster, easier surgical recovery wasn't more drugs — but better preparation? Lees meer

In this episode, I continue my conversation with Dr. Lindsey Wendt, and we're going somewhere deeper. We're talking about the future of veterinary medicine, the power of pre-op integrative care, and what happens when conventional and integrative doctors actually work together instead of staying in silos.

Dr. Lindsey shares the story of her foster dog Pineapple, who had bilateral knee surgery and was walking without limping just days later — not because of luck, but because of intentional preparation. We also dive into her exciting work bringing decentralized clinical trials to the pet supplement industry, why emergency hospitals are now using acupuncture points, and the mental health crisis our pets are facing.

If you've ever wondered what the future of better veterinary medicine looks like — this is it.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How Dr. Lindsey prepared Pineapple for bilateral knee surgery with prolotherapy, herbs, and pre-op planning — and why she's thriving 11 days post-op.

✨ Why integrative veterinarians need to be in the room with orthopedic surgeons, dermatologists, oncologists, and internal medicine specialists from the start.

✨ The exciting announcement: Dr. Lindsey is bringing decentralized clinical trials to the pet supplement industry — making research more accessible and affordable.

✨ How decentralized trials allow pets to live at home while participating in research, instead of in research facilities.

✨ Why this could lower clinical trial costs from $120,000-$250,000 down to $50,000-$60,000 — making it possible for more brands to prove their products work.

✨ The small but powerful shift: emergency hospitals now giving sedatives at GV 20 (an acupuncture point) because the research is published.

✨ Why neurologists are starting to incorporate rehabilitation, acupuncture, and cannabis into standard protocols.

✨ The mental health crisis in pets: anxiety, fear…
Veterinarian Exposes Pet Treat Industry: What Companies Don't Want You To Know - Insights from Dr. Lindsey Wendt

22 februari 2026 · 43 min
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You probably stood in a pet store aisle staring at rows and rows of colorful bags, all promising to be natural, holistic, or premium. You probably grabbed one, read the ingredient list, thought it looked pretty good, and tossed it in your cart. Lees meer

Here's what you didn't know.

Less than 10% of pet treat companies actually test to see if their product is still good before the best-by date on the back — which means your dog could be eating oxidized, rancid oils that trigger massive inflammation in their body, and you'd never know.

In this episode, Dr. Lily sits down with Dr. Lindsey Wendt — a longtime friend, integrative veterinarian, co-founder of Botanical Bones, and one of the most fearless advocates for transparency in the pet industry.

Dr. Lindsey has worked behind the scenes with some of the biggest pet food and supplement brands in the world — and what she's seen has shocked her. She's the kind of veterinarian who will call out a company publicly when they're cutting corners, who spends hours researching a single ingredient, and who asks the hard questions most of us don't even know to ask.

This isn't a feel-good conversation. It's a wake-up call. Because the treats you're giving your dog every single day — they matter. And it's time we all started asking better questions.

Key Insights

✨ Less than 10% of pet treat companies run shelf stability trials — meaning most best-by dates are essentially guesses, and your dog could be eating rancid, oxidized oils without you ever knowing.

✨ Marketing terms like "natural," "holistic," "humanely raised," and "premium" mean nothing unless a company can back them up with actual proof. Ask for certifications, testing data, and sourcing documentation.

✨ The questions that matter most when buying any pet product: Do you run shelf stability trials? Do you test for glyphosate, mycotoxins, and heavy metals? Will you share your AAFCO nutrient analysis? Who formulated this product?

✨ Most veterinarians don't know what questio…
Dogs Save Lives: Depression, Grief & The Human-Animal Bond That Keeps Us Alive w/ Dr. David Haworth

15 februari 2026 · 44 min
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In this episode, I continue my conversation with Dr. David Haworth, and we're going somewhere deeper—into the human-animal bond that saves lives. Not metaphorically. Literally. Lees meer

We explore what enrichment actually looks like for your individual dog (hint: it's not one-size-fits-all), the real stories of heart dogs and the lessons they teach us, what the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study revealed about cancer and the microbiome, why guilt and anxiety are part of loving deeply, and how to honor the end of life with grace.

If you've ever felt like your pet understands you in ways humans don't, if you've grieved an animal so deeply it surprised you, or if you've wondered if you're doing enough for them—this conversation will meet you exactly where you are.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ What enrichment actually looks like: mind stimulation, body stimulation, and emotion stimulation tailored to your individual dog.

✨ Why opening a window brings an entire universe of stimulation to dogs—they experience the world through their noses.

✨ The concept of "sniffy walks" where dogs read the newspaper on every vertical surface versus exercise walks for training.

✨ Why laser pointers can trigger obsessive compulsive prey drive in cats—not fun, but frantic and stressful.

✨ How the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study revealed that cancer is overrepresented in dogs, but not as much as we thought when you factor in age and life expectancy.

✨ Why the future of longevity and cancer treatment lies in microbiome medicine, and how AI can help us understand the complexity of gut health.

✨ How dogs with anxiety often have microbiome imbalances, and why the gut-brain connection affects behavior, hormones, and food preferences.

✨ Why quality of life matters more than length of life, and how pets teach us to "square the curve"—living well until the very end.

✨ How our pets often tell us when it's time to let go, and why honoring that is one of the greatest gifts we can give them.

✨ Why guilt and anxiet…
Modern Pet Parenting: Technology, Enrichment & The Reality of Dog Ownership w/ Dr. David Haworth

8 februari 2026 · 46 min
Afspelen

We've made being a dog safer than ever before. But is safer actually better? Lees meer

Think about it: We leave our dogs alone for 8-10 hours a day. We live in apartments where they can't run free. We keep them away from other dogs until they're 16 weeks old. And then we create an entire industry—TVs for dogs, automatic ball launchers, anxiety medications—to manage the fallout of a lifestyle that, let's be honest, we created.

So here's the uncomfortable question: Are we solving real problems, or are we just trying to make ourselves feel better about asking dogs to adapt to a world that wasn't built for them?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. David Haworth, a veterinarian with a PhD who has worked at every level of the animal health industry—from Pfizer to PetSmart Charities to Morris Animal Foundation. He's currently on the Board of Dog TV, a network scientifically designed to reduce stress for pets home alone.

And before you roll your eyes at "TV for dogs," stay with us—because what we're really exploring isn't about screens or gadgets. It's about the ethics of modern pet ownership, what enrichment actually means, and whether we're being honest with ourselves about what dogs truly need.

If you've ever felt guilty leaving your dog home, questioned whether you're doing "enough," or wondered if technology is helping or just distracting from bigger problems, this episode is for you.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Why "safer" isn't always healthier for dogs, and how risk, learning, and engagement are essential for their wellbeing.

✨ What Dog TV actually is: scientifically designed content to calm, engage, or provide habituation therapy (not just random videos).

✨ How modern TVs (60 frames per second) finally allow dogs to see screen content, unlike older TVs that just flickered.

✨ Why bad behavior is the fastest way to erode the human-animal bond, and how environmental enrichment prevents it.

✨ Why we need to stop prescribing "just walk your dog 2 miles a day" when real life does…
She's Cured 70+ Cats from FIP: Here's What Every Cat Owner Needs to Know w/ Dr. Lisa Fiorenza

1 februari 2026 · 44 min
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I know what you're thinking. Wait, isn't this podcast about dogs? Yes. Yes it is. But today, we're doing something different because sometimes there's information so important, so lifesaving, that it doesn't matter if you're a dog person, a cat person, or both. Lees meer

If you're listening to this episode, there's a good chance your heart is heavy. Maybe you just heard the words "FIP" from your vet. Maybe you're watching your kitten fade and you feel helpless. Maybe you've been told there's nothing that can be done.

I need you to hear this: FIP is no longer a death sentence.

I'm sitting down with Dr. Lisa Fiorenza again, a veterinarian who has cured over 70 cats from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) since 2020. Seventy cats who were supposed to die are now thriving.

For decades, FIP was considered incurable. When I graduated from vet school in 2007, we were taught that if a cat was diagnosed with FIP, the kindest thing we could do was prepare the family to say goodbye. There was no treatment. No hope.

But that's not true anymore.

In this special episode, Dr. Lisa is sharing everything you need to know: how to recognize FIP early, what treatment actually works, where to find help if your vet isn't aware of the cure that's now legally available in the United States, and what the success rate really looks like.

Spoiler: It's 95% if treatment is started in time and the cat is responding well.

This information could save a cat's life. Whether you have cats, know someone who does, or just care about animals—please listen, take notes, and share this episode with anyone who loves cats.

There is hope, and we are here to help you find it 💚

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How FIP went from a death sentence to a 95% cure rate, and why every cat parent needs to know this now.

✨ What FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) really is: a coronavirus that mutates in certain cats and hijacks their immune system, causing massive inflammation.

✨ Why FIP is most common in kittens and often triggere…
You're Not Imagining It: Why You and Your Pet Share the Same Health Problems — With Dr. Lisa Fiorenza

25 januari 2026 · 59 min
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Have you ever noticed that when you're anxious, your dog seems anxious too? Or that you and your pet struggle with the same health issues — digestive problems, autoimmune diseases, even the same kind of anxiety? You're not imagining it. Lees meer

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Lily sits down with Dr. Lisa Fiorenza, an integrative veterinarian who sees this pattern every single day in her practice. Together, they explore the fascinating connection between pet and human health, the gut-brain axis, microbiome restoration therapy, and why our animals are often mirrors of our own emotional and physical state.

This episode will change the way you think about healing — not just for your pet, but for yourself too.

Key Insights

✨The Mirror Phenomenon Pets and their people often present with remarkably similar health issues. Dr. Lisa shares how she consistently sees anxious owners with anxious pets, people with GI issues whose pets have chronic diarrhea, and even families dealing with autoimmune diseases alongside their cats experiencing the same condition. This isn't coincidence — it's a message.

✨The Gut-Brain Connection 95% of our serotonin (our "happy chemical") is made in the intestines. When the gut is out of balance, it doesn't just affect digestion — it impacts mood, anxiety, behavior, and overall health. The same is true for our pets. Healing the gut can transform not just physical symptoms, but emotional wellbeing too.

✨Microbiome Restoration Therapy (MBRT) Dr. Lisa walks us through MBRT — a two-step process using rectal ozone to clear out harmful bacteria's "suit of armor" (biofilm), followed by healthy fecal transplant material to repopulate the gut with beneficial microbes. This therapy is creating profound transformations in pets with chronic GI issues, anxiety, autoimmune conditions, and even cancer.

✨Energy and Emotions Matter Our pets pick up on our emotional state in ways we're only beginning to understand. Dr. Lisa emphasizes the importance of managing ou…
Inside the Mind of a Monk Vet: How Ancient Wisdom Explains Modern Pet Health Issues w/ Dr. Bharat Kumar

18 januari 2026 · 1 uur 27 min
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In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Bharat Kumar, once an emergency vet, now a holistic house call vet, to explore a part of pet health that's often overlooked: the emotional, energetic, and spiritual lives of our animals. Lees meer

Dr. Kumar blends Ayurveda, psychology, meditation, Reiki, acupressure, and holistic medicine to better understand the rich emotional and mental landscape our pets navigate.

We talk about why dogs in India seem to face different health challenges than dogs in the U.S., why our animals often carry the emotions they absorb from us, and how meditation and energetic presence can support deeper healing.

If you’ve ever felt like your pet was holding up a mirror to your inner world, this episode is for you.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How pets absorb the emotions of their humans — and why they struggle to process what they take on.

✨ Why animals in India have fewer chronic diseases, and what that reveals about their lifestyles.

✨ How Dr. Kumar’s background in Ayurveda and meditation shapes his understanding of inflammation, gut health, and long-term wellness.

✨ How energetic presence, intention, and calm can change a pet’s behavior instantly during an exam or treatment.

✨ Why spiritual practices like Reiki and meditation help pets release stored stress and emotional “residue.”

✨ Why fixing the gut is often the first step in resolving allergies, anxiety, GI issues, and immune dysfunction.

✨ Why Dr. Kumar believes pets are “enlightened beings” whose health depends on the energy of their environment — including their humans.

RESOURCES:

Dr. Bharat and I might be collaborating on a meditation retreat for pet parents next year. To make sure you don’t miss any updates join my email list here 🐶👇

Get meditation retreat updates and holistic pet parent tips

FOLLOW:

You can book an appointment with Dr. Kumar through this website: https://comfortpawsmobilevet.com/

Dr. Kumar On Instagram: @drbhrtkumar

Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com
…
Bioenergetic Scan and The Gabapentin Problem You Need To Know

14 januari 2026 · 17 min
Afspelen

In this personal minisode, Dr. Lily Chen opens up about her word for 2026, a surprising case that's changing how she practices medicine, and an important study every pet parent (and human) taking gabapentin should know about. Lees meer

This isn't a typical episode with a guest expert or clinical protocols. This is Dr. Lily, fresh back from Taiwan and about to head to VMX, sitting with you and sharing what's on her mind—trust, bioresonance breakthroughs, chronic pain management, and why asking better questions matters now more than ever.

If your pet is on long-term medication, dealing with chronic vomiting or pain, or if you're simply curious about the future of integrative medicine, this episode is for you.

WHAT YOU'LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE:

💚 Dr. Lily's word for 2026 – Why "trust" is her anchor for the year ahead

💚 The indoor cat with chronic vomiting – How a bioresonance scan revealed glyphosate toxicity (and what that means)

💚 Qest 4 bioresonance explained – Why Dr. Lily believes this is the next step in medicine

💚 The gabapentin study everyone needs to know – New research linking long-term use to dementia and cognitive decline

💚 Alternatives to chronic pain medication – From acupuncture and laser therapy to PRP, prolotherapy, and amnion injections

💚 Why the gut microbiome affects pain – The gut-nerve connection that changes everything

💚 The invitation to ask better questions – Why symptom management isn't enough anymore

CONNECT WITH DR. LILY & INTEGRATIVE PET WELLNESS CENTER:

📍 FOLLOW:

Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com

Integrative Pet Wellness Center on Instagram: @integrativepet

Dr. Lily Chen on Instagram:

@dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet

💌 Sign up for our newsletter to get more holistic pet care tips 🐶🐈‍⬛

INTERESTED IN QEST 4 BIORESONANCE TESTING?

We now offer remote testing for pets everywhere. Contact us to learn more: 📧 Email: info@integrativepet.com

📩Instagram: @integrativepet
Is Animal Fiber the Missing Link for Kidney Disease, Bloat & Chronic GI Issues in Dogs? w/ Dr. Conor Brady

11 januari 2026 · 1 uur 36 min
Afspelen

KEY INSIGHTS: Lees meer

What if the real missing piece in your dog’s diet isn’t more plant fiber (like pumpkin or sweet potato)… but the animal fiber (cartilage, ligaments, skin) their body was truly built to thrive on?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Conor Brady, a dedicated PhD researcher, writer, and founder of Dogs First and DCV Holistic, to uncover one of the most overlooked topics in pet nutrition: fiber.

We dive into fascinating studies, from one showing that more plant fiber in the human diet can actually worsen constipation, to research revealing that big cats in zoos had fewer kidney issues when fed meat with the hide still on, and we explore many more thought-provoking findings that challenge what we’ve been taught.

Honestly, it all makes a strong case for feeding our pet carnivores the animal fiber their bodies crave.

So if your dog or cat is dealing with gas, or you're worried about bloat, or your pet has kidney issues (or you're hoping to prevent them), this episode truly will change how you think about feeding your pet.

✨ What animal fiber is and how cartilage, ligaments, bone and hide feed the microbes our pets need.

✨ Why plant fiber behaves so differently in humans versus dogs and cats, and how their digestive systems struggle to ferment it.

✨ How plant fiber can increase gas and bloating, and why that can be risky for deep-chested breeds prone to bloat.

✨ Why bloat is rarely seen in raw-fed dogs, and how studies link kibble and high-FODMAP plant fibers to fermentation gas.

✨ How natural phosphorus from real food differs from synthetic phosphates in kibble, and why phosphates are the real concern.

✨ Why hydration matters more than anything for kidney support, and how dry kibble works against the body’s needs.

✨ Why “complete and balanced” labels can be misleading, and how many pet foods fail to meet minimum nutrient standards.

✨ How early-life feeding shapes food preferences, and why some pets struggle to transition away from kibble.

✨ Wh…
Ask Dr. Lily Chen: Your Questions Answered

4 januari 2026 · 1 uur 5 min
Afspelen

Happy 2026! We're kicking off the new year with something special: your questions answered. Lees meer

In this episode, I answer the most thoughtful questions you sent in about everything from helping a 9-year-old Pomeranian with hair loss navigate Cushing's vs. Alopecia X, to understanding how your own stress directly impacts your pet's health, to breaking down PEMF therapy and infrared heat for pain relief.

We also dive into why rotating your pet's food matters more than finding one "perfect" kibble, how to spot early arthritis before your pet starts limping, where to find integrative vets near you, and whether eggshell supplements are right for your pet.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting pet health advice or wondered if that supplement at the pet store is actually worth it, this episode will help you cut through the noise and make empowered decisions for your pet 💜
KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How to tell the difference between Cushing's disease and Alopecia X in dogs with hair loss, and why borderline test results require looking at symptoms, trends over time, and urine cortisol testing.

✨ Why PHOVIA light therapy is helping Pomeranians with Alopecia X regrow their fur after multiple sessions.

✨ How your emotional and mental health directly affects your pet's wellbeing, including research showing pets and their people share similar microbiomes just from living together.
✨ Why energy and frequency medicine is becoming measurable through bioenergetic devices, and how your pet's cells respond to the electrical charge around them.
✨ Where to find holistic and integrative veterinarians near you: directories from AHVMA, Chi University, IVAS, CIVT, and O3 Vets.
✨ Why fecal transplants aren't the only option for dog allergies, and how herbal therapy, acupuncture, diet changes, bioenergetics, and ozone therapy (MAH/UVBI) can address the root cause.
✨ How to recognize early arthritis in dogs before they start limping: hesitation before jumping, less enthusiasm for walks, stif…
Year in Review: Sit. Stay. Reflect: 3 Talks That Changed Everything

28 december 2025 · 47 min
Afspelen

What if the way you've been feeding your dog, talking about money at the vet, or processing grief has been making everything harder than it needs to be? Lees meer

In this vulnerable year-end reflection, I'm switching seats as my practice manager Dianne interviews me about the three conversations that didn't just change my veterinary practice: they changed me.

From discovering the hidden truth about pet food labels with advocate Susan Thixton, to processing loss and burnout with Rodney Habib, to finally cracking the code on compassionate money conversations with experts Suzanne Cannon and Ron Sosa, these episodes shook me awake.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting pet nutrition advice, guilty about what you can afford at the vet, or alone in your grief over losing an animal, this episode will help you feel seen, supported, and ready to move forward with more clarity and less shame 💛

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ The shocking difference between "feed grade" and "human grade" pet food ingredients, and why this one distinction changes everything about how you read labels.

✨ Why I stopped recommending one food for life and now tell every client to rotate proteins and brands (your dog's gut microbiome will thank you).

✨ The three-question framework for evaluating any pet food: What does it mean ethically? Nutritionally? Environmentally?

✨ The one question that transforms stressful money conversations at the vet: "What's your budget for today?" (And why most vets are too afraid to ask it.)

✨ How flexible payment options help pet parents focus on the value of care instead of just the price, and why this psychological shift changes outcomes.

✨ And the truth I keep coming back to: healing is always a partnership. No vet, pet parent, or animal heals alone. It takes community, compassion, and curiosity.

🎧 Episode 32: Susan Thixton on Pet Food Transparency & Label Reading

🎧 Rodney Habib: Grief, Purpose & the Soul of Veterinary Medicine

🎧 Suzanne Cannon & Ron Sosa: How to Talk A…
Holiday Healing: A Letter From Dr. Lily's Heart - Minisode

24 december 2025 · 12 min
Afspelen

In this deeply personal minisode, Dr. Lily Chen opens her heart as we close out 2025. Lees meer

This isn't a typical episode with a guest expert or clinical protocols. This is Dr. Lily, sitting with you, reflecting on the year—the pets we've lost, the lessons they've taught us, and the reminder to be present in the moments we have.

If you've lost a pet this year, if you're grieving, if you're feeling the weight of 2025, or if you simply need permission to slow down and be still—this episode is for you.

WHAT YOU'LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE:

💚 Why Dr. Lily started this podcast – Making holistic pet care accessible to everyone, everywhere

💚 The pets we lost in 2025 – Honoring their presence and the space they left behind

💚 Pets as mirrors – What our animals teach us about becoming better versions of ourselves

💚 The quote that started it all – "I want to be the person my dog thinks I am"

💚 Animal communication & staying open – Dr. Lily's exploration of how our pets stay with us

💚 The reminder we all need – How to get still, listen, and be present

💚 A practice that created home – How a 7-year-old's dream became Integrative Pet Wellness Center

FOLLOW:

Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com

Integrative Pet Wellness Center on Instagram: @integrativepet

Dr. Lily Chen on Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet

Sign up to our newsletter to get more holistic pet care tips 🐶🐈‍⬛
Pet Parenting with Lisa & Scot: How to Advocate for Your Pet In A Nice Way

21 december 2025 · 44 min
Afspelen

In this episode, I sit down with Lisa and Scot—the powerhouse husband-and-wife duo behind Woof Creek Pet Wellness—for part two of our conversation, going beyond food and supplements into what really sustains healing: partnership with your vet, and caring for yourself while you care for your animal. Lees meer

We talk about how to ask better questions at the clinic (even if you’re nervous), what a collaborative vet relationship actually looks like, simple ways to stay grounded when your pet is struggling, and why your energy at home is part of your pet’s medicine.

If you’ve ever walked into a vet office feeling intimidated or overwhelmed, this episode is for you.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How to advocate with confidence and kindness. You know your pet best, here’s how to ask for what you need.

✨ How a great vet relationship is built on two-way trust, clear priorities (budget, time, philosophy), and the understanding that not everything can be solved in one visit.

✨ How to pause before you choose a treatment plan for your pet (when it’s not an emergency).

✨ How to track what matters. A simple log of meals, stools, sleep, symptoms, and changes turns guesswork into clarity and helps your vet see patterns.

✨ How to build your wellness team and access the best of conventional and holistic care.

✨ How pets feel our stress. And how tiny rituals can shift the home “energy” and support healing.

Special Offer For Listeners 🎁

Use the code DRLILY25 at checkout to get a 25% discount 🎉

at https://www.wooofcreek.com/discount/DRLILY25 through December 31, 2025.

FOLLOW:

Woof Creek Wellness: https://www.woofcreek.com/

Woof Creek Pet Wellness On Instagram: @woofcreekwellness

Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com

Integrative Pet Wellness Center on Instagram: @integrativepet

Dr. Lily Chen on Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet

👉Sign up to our newsletter to get more holistic pet care tips 🐶🐈‍⬛
How One Couple Is Transforming Pet Wellness Through Clean Ingredients and Sustainable Values w/ Founders Lisa and Scot

14 december 2025 · 1 uur 7 min
Afspelen

In this episode, I sit down with Lisa and Scot, the powerhouse husband and wife duo behind Woof Creek Pet Wellness, to explore how clean, sustainable nutrition can support the health of our pets and the planet. Lees meer

Lisa and Scot share their heartfelt story of how their dog, Lily Lou, inspired a complete life pivot—from running an Ayurvedic restaurant to formulating chef-style superfood blends and eco-conscious supplements for pets.

We talk about how to read pet food labels like a pro, why the difference between active and inactive ingredients matters more than most pet parents realize, and how thoughtful choices—like using algal oil instead of fish oil—can protect both your dog’s health and our oceans.

If you’ve ever wondered if your pet’s favorite brand is good for the planet, this episode will forever change how you shop for your pet 🌍✨

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How reading the entire label (not just the front) can help you spot misleading marketing and avoid hidden toxins.

✨ Why understanding the difference between active and inactive ingredients can protect your pet from unnecessary fillers and irritants.

✨ How clean, bioavailable nutrition—free from glycerin, binders, and vague “meat meals”—can transform your pet’s health.

✨ Why freshness and packaging matter more than you think.

✨ How plant-based omega sources like algal oil offer all the benefits of fish oil—without the mercury, allergens, or impact on ocean ecosystems.

✨ Why Woof Creek’s products are created with human-grade ingredients, eco-conscious packaging, and sustainable sourcing.

✨ How every small switch you make (from cleaner oils to toxin-free bowls) supports both your pet’s health and a healthier planet.

✨ And how Lisa and Scott’s journey from restaurateurs to pet wellness pioneers is proof that love, curiosity, and compassion can transform everything.

Special Offer for Listeners 🎁

👉 Use the promo code DRLILY25 for 25% off at

🔗 https://www.woofcreek.com/discount/DRLILY25 through December 31, 202…
The Spiritual Side of the Human–Animal Bond: How Pets Help Us Come Home to Ourselves w/ pet homeopath Jan Allegretti

7 december 2025 · 41 min
Afspelen

In this episode, I sit down with author and pet homeopath Jan Allegretti for part two of our conversation where we dive into the spiritual connection we share with our pets. Lees meer

Jan shares her heartfelt philosophy that every animal’s life is just as valuable as our own—and how unconditional love, the kind our pets model so effortlessly, is one of the most sacred forces we can experience.

You’ll hear how pets can become our greatest spiritual teachers, why five minutes of stillness can transform your relationship with your animal, and how nature helps us metabolize stress and soften burnout.

So if you’ve been craving a calm reset, light a candle, curl up with your pet, and press play 💖

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Why advocacy is love in action—and how using our voice honors beings who can’t speak for themselves.

✨ How stillness becomes medicine for us and our animals, deepening perception, presence, and connection.

✨ Why perfection is the enemy of the good in feeding and living, and how “balance over time” creates freedom.

✨ How our dogs and cats already model presence, trust, and compassion—and why mirroring them changes us.

✨ Why nature helps metabolize pain and trauma, and how awe can soften the hard edges of busy modern life.

✨ How simple rituals—walking, quiet sitting, mindful play—recalibrate the nervous system for both humans and animals.

✨ Why the love we feel for our animals is a direct experience of the sacred—and how it heals us from the inside out.

✨ How five minutes of daily silence can shift your entire relationship with your pet, your work, and yourself.

✨ Why designing a life and practice that serves the healer first prevents burnout and sustains true service.

✨ How choosing presence over hustle helps us “see the being in front of us” and make kinder, wiser care decisions.

RESOURCES:

Grab Jan Allegretti’s books 👇

The Fresh and Flexible Meal Plan

The Complete Holistic Dog Book

Listen to the Silence: Lessons from Trees and Other Masters

FOLLOW:

Ja…
From Kibble to Kitchen: How to Feed Your Pet Like Family w/ Jan Allegretti

30 november 2025 · 1 uur 2 min
Afspelen

In this episode, I sit down with Jan Allegretti, a pioneer in holistic animal health and the author of The Fresh and Flexible Meal Plan—a book that’s rewriting the rules on pet nutrition. Lees meer

Jan’s approach is refreshingly simple: stop overcomplicating feeding and start applying the same common-sense principles you use for your own meals—fresh, whole foods, variety, and yes, sharing what you eat with your pets.

We’re diving into why variety is the real insurance policy for nutrition and why it beats a single “complete and balanced” recipe on repeat, as well as how feeding fresh can help transform chronic health issues.

If you’ve ever looked at a bag of kibble and thought, “There’s got to be a better way,” this episode is for you 💖

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Why variety—not a single perfect recipe—is the real foundation of balanced nutrition.

✨ How sharing your meals (just making extra of what you already cook) can make fresh feeding simple, affordable, and sustainable.

✨ Why highly processed foods may be contributing to many chronic issues like itchy skin, allergies, and infections.

✨ The 30–60–10 guideline Jan uses to help pet parents get started with confidence: 30–60% protein, 30–60% carbohydrates, and 10–30% fruits and vegetables.

✨ Jan’s special way of transitioning pets to a fresh food diet that reduces tummy upsets.

✨ How cooking for your pets often inspires you to eat healthier too (because they make us better humans 💛).

✨ Why convenience and marketing—not science—shaped the commercial pet food industry, and how to reclaim your common sense.

✨ How fresh food feeding can help prevent disease, lower vet bills, and support long-term vitality.

✨ The simple “nutrition boosters” Jan recommends adding like spirulina, nutritional yeast, cooked mushrooms, and fermented foods.

✨ Why this isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress, intuition, and trusting that good food is good food, for you and your pets.

RESOURCES

Grab Jan Allegretti’s books 👇

The Fresh and Flexib…
Can Energetic Healing Help Pets with Cancer? Inside Bioresonance Therapy w/ Dr. Kristi Wilson

23 november 2025 · 2 uur
Afspelen

What if healing cancer could start long before it shows up on a scan? Lees meer

In this episode, I sit down with integrative veterinarian and cancer survivor Dr. Kristi Wilson, DVM to explore how energy medicine and bioresonance therapy are changing what’s possible in cancer care for pets.

After surviving stage 3C breast cancer, Dr. Kristi dedicated her life to finding innovative solutions to challenging cancer cases and helping pets heal by addressing the energetic signatures that often appear before disease ever manifests physically 🤯

If your pet has cancer—or you simply want to understand how healing can happen on a deeper level—this episode will expand what you believe is possible ✨

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How Dr. Kristi’s own cancer journey transformed her understanding of medicine and inspired her to integrate bioresonance into veterinary care.

✨ What bioresonance therapy is and how it measures the body’s energetic patterns.

✨ The story of a dog with stage-4 sarcoma whose tumor vanished within six weeks after bioresonance-guided treatment.

✨ Why this integrative, energy-based approach represents the next evolution of veterinary medicine—bridging compassion, science, and frequency.

✨ Why every pet is a one-of-a-kind energetic snowflake—and how healing must be customized for each animal’s body, mind, and energy.

✨ How trauma and emotional stress can manifest as disease in both humans and pets.

✨ And a free tool any pet parent can use right now: a five-minute daily visualization practice.

FOLLOW:

Dr. Kristi Wilson on Instagram: @kristi_wilson_dvm

Dr. Kristi Wilson: https://hopehealingforanimals.com/

Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com

Integrative Pet Wellness Center on Instagram: @integrativepet

Dr. Lily Chen on Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet

Sign up to our newsletter to get more holistic pet care tips 🐶🐈‍⬛
AI, Telemedicine & The Future of Vet Care w/ Dr. Carla Castro, DVM

16 november 2025 · 36 min
Afspelen

Dr. Carla Castro is back on the podcast with a heart-forward, grounded take on something that can feel overwhelming: AI and technology in veterinary care. Lees meer

Together, we explore how simple tools—like AI-powered note-taking and voice capture—can lighten the mental load of record-keeping so we can show up fully present for our patients and their families.

We unpack the role of telemedicine as a meaningful complement (not a replacement) to hands-on exams, the rise of pet wearables and real-time health tracking, and how “hybrid care” models can ease clinic stress while offering pet parents quicker answers.

If new tech has ever felt scary to you, this episode offers a calm exploration of how it might be able to help your pet or your vet practice.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Why AI is a tool—not a replacement—and how using transcription or scribe support can free vets from endless notes so they can be more present with patients.

✨ How voice-to-text apps can help you capture ideas, notes, and reminders on the go without losing valuable insights.

✨ How telemedicine can complement in-person care by easing clinic pressure, supporting rechecks, and helping pet parents get faster answers.

✨ How hybrid care—combining telehealth, in-clinic visits, and digital documentation—can streamline workflow and reduce decision fatigue.

✨ How pet tech like health-monitoring collars and trackers can empower pet parents with real-time insights while keeping vets in the loop.

✨ Why adaptation is critical in veterinary medicine and how embracing new systems can help clinics thrive.

✨ Why calendar automation tools can reduce stress and decision fatigue by helping you prioritize tasks and protect personal time.

✨ How technology can expand access to veterinary support globally—especially in underserved or bilingual communities.

✨ Why staying curious and open to change will define the next era of compassionate, connected pet care.

RESOURCES:

Interested in AI? Listen to my episode with Ron Sosa on …
Have You Ever Noticed How Pets Mirror Their Pet Parents? Emotions, Energy & the Human–Animal Bond w/ Dr. Carla Castro, DVM

9 november 2025 · 50 min
Afspelen

This week, we’re exploring one of the most fascinating and incredibly helpful truths in pet care—our pets and our pet patients often mirror our own energy, stress, and emotions. I’m joined by veterinarian, coach, and human–animal bond advocate Dr. Carla Castro, who shares practical tools that both pet parents and vets can use to calm the nervous system, support their pet’s health, and create a healing environment at home and in the clinic. Lees meer

Dr. Carla shares a powerful story about a horse who helped her realize just how deeply our energy affects the animals around us, a moment that shaped how she approaches every pet patient.

You’ll also learn how to prepare for vet visits with less anxiety, what to prioritize in short appointments, and how to build a true partnership with your veterinary team. If you’ve ever wondered why your dog or cat seems to pick up on your stress, or how to make vet visits feel calmer and more connected, this episode gives you simple tools to start 💜

KEY INSIGHTS

✨ How pets often mirror their humans—our stressed, worried, or calm energy directly affects theirs.

✨ How simple breathing techniques like box breathing or the physiological sigh can reset your nervous system in minutes.

✨ How practicing the pause and staying curious, not judgmental, helps you uncover the root of emotions.

✨ How emotions are information, not identity—recognizing this helps both humans and pets heal.

✨ How meditation, sound baths, and PEMF therapy are simple tools that activate your body’s natural healing state.

✨ How pet parents play a vital role in veterinary care and how your questions help your vet find the right plan.

✨ How preparing for appointments with clear priorities reduces stress for you, your pet, and your vet team.

✨ How vets can create calmer clinics by centering themselves first and seeing each visit through the pet’s eyes.

✨ And how you already hold medicine within you: your breath, awareness, and presence are where healing begins.

RESOURCE…
How to Heal After Pet Loss: Rituals, Grief & Love That Endures w/ Animal Chaplain Sophie Gamand

2 november 2025 · 38 min
Afspelen

This week we’re having a conversation that might stretch how you think about pet loss, in the most compassionate way. I’m joined by artist, photographer, and animal chaplain Sophie Gamand, whose shelter work, including the viral project Pit Bull Flower Power, has helped thousands of people see rescue dogs with fresh eyes 🌸 Lees meer

We talk about honoring grief as sacred, practical ways to create ritual and meaning when a beloved animal dies, and how veterinary teams and shelter volunteers can hold space without burning out. This episode offers gentle, practical support for pet parents too, whether you’re helping someone you love through a loss, or you’re grieving your own companion animal.

This episode is designed to help you feel supported, seen, and a little more held while navigating the “disenfranchised grief” that is pet loss 🤍

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Why pet loss is often “disenfranchised grief,” and how naming it can help you feel less alone.

✨ How crying can be self-care, and why finding safe people to cry with matters.

✨ How “continued bonds” keep the relationship alive after death, and gentle ways to honor that connection.

✨ Why small rituals (altars, keepsakes, candles) can ground big feelings without needing perfect words.

✨ How everyday creativity—journaling, cooking, walking the old route—can give your love somewhere to go.

✨ Why “holding space” beats fixing, and how to support a grieving friend without minimizing their pain.

✨ How clinics can be grief-aware with simple cues (quiet signals, private exits, chaplain support, 24/7 hotlines).

✨ Why anticipatory grief hits vets and volunteers so hard, and how leaders can model healthy vulnerability.

✨ How meaning-making transforms sorrow into service, from support circles to Sophie’s ceramics as “grief holders.”

✨ Why it’s okay to ask for what you need at euthanasia—music, crystals, keepsakes, time—so goodbye feels true to you.

✨ And how community care (support groups, rituals of remembrance) helps us carry w…
Do Our Pets Get A Say? Pet Parenting With Consent, Advocating For Our Pets, And Showing Up For Dogs In Shelters w/ Sophie Gamand

26 oktober 2025 · 45 min
Afspelen

This week we’re having a conversation that might stretch how you think about life with your dog—in the best way. I’m joined by artist, photographer, and animal advocate Sophie Gamand, whose shelter work, including the viral project Pit Bull Flower Power, has helped thousands of people see rescue dogs with fresh eyes. Lees meer

We talk about how you can uplevel your pet parenting game even more by truly listening to and honoring what your pet is telling you. Together, we explore how collaborative care and gentle desensitization can transform medical handling, the complicated reality of free-living dogs versus those labeled as “strays,” and what Sophie has witnessed inside shelters across the U.S., from breed stereotypes to the powerful socioeconomic forces that push good pets into cages.

If you’ve ever wondered how to love your dog in a way that celebrates who they are, not just who we hope they’ll be, this episode is for you 💜

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Why “I love my dog” isn’t always enough, and what a deeper, more respectful bond really looks like.

✨ How to bring consent and choice into everyday moments with your dog.

✨ Why growling is communication, not disobedience, and why you don’t want to train your dog out of it.

✨How collaborative care and gentle handling can change a dog’s medical experience.

✨ Why free-living dogs can teach us about agency, adaptation, and community.

✨ The hidden truths of shelter life and what Sophie discovered after photographing hundreds of dogs across the U.S.

✨ How Sophie’s viral Pit Bull Flower Power project changed the way millions of people see pit bulls forever.

✨ Why large, working breeds struggle in most cities and what that says about our lifestyles.

✨ The emotional cost of volunteering in shelters and what it truly means to give an animal their dignity back.

✨ Why adoption is just one way to help and how each of us have a unique skill that can help a shelter.

✨ And we explore what it truly means to honor who our pets are, not just…
Navigating Pet Loss, Grief & Healing Together with Jenn Gavin

19 oktober 2025 · 39 min
Afspelen

In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend Jenn Galvin to talk about something we don’t speak about enough in vet med or pet parenting: grief 💛 Lees meer

We share what it looks like behind the scenes for the vet team when a beloved patient passes… how we somehow hold it together between appointments… and what actually helps when the waves come crashing in later. Jenn opens up about what it means to support families through euthanasia — creating calmer spaces and gentle rituals.

We also talk about anticipatory grief and the simple ways pet parents can ask for the goodbye that feels right for them.

If you’re navigating loss (or holding space for someone who is), this conversation is tender, practical, and full of heart. Tune in, you're not alone in this 🕊️

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Why grief never really goes away and how it becomes a lasting reminder of love.

✨ How veterinarians and pet parents carry layers of grief that resurface with every loss.

✨ Why guilt often shows up after euthanasia and how to remind yourself you truly did your best.

✨ How to recognize anticipatory grief when you know a pet’s time is near and ways to cope through it.

✨ Why being vulnerable as a leader can strengthen your veterinary team and create deeper trust.

✨ How to support grieving families with rituals, compassion, and permission to take their time.

✨ Why crying isn’t weakness but sacred self-care for both vets and pet parents.

✨ How creating a calm, private space for euthanasia can completely change a client’s experience.

✨ Why it’s important to ask for what you need—whether it’s time, keepsakes, or specific end-of-life rituals.

✨ How loss can inspire new forms of healing, like Dr. Lily’s Kidney Protection Plan in honour of her pet patient Chloe.

✨ And how every goodbye, no matter how painful, deepens our capacity to love, lead, and honor the pets who’ve shaped us.

Resource: Jill Cooper Coaching (end of life / transitional support for people): JillCooper11@gmail.com

FOLLOW:

Jenn Ga…
8 Years of Diarrhea Finally Cured With Fecal Transplants: Fern the Labrador’s Gut-Healing Story w/ Jenn Galvin

12 oktober 2025 · 46 min
Afspelen

In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend Jenn Galvin to talk about her spirited chocolate Lab, Fern, and their uphill battle with chronic GI issues since puppyhood. From endless vet visits to a Helicobacter diagnosis treated with rounds of triple-antibiotic therapy, nothing truly made her better. Lees meer

So when Jenn asked for my help, we tried something different. We started Fern on microbiome therapy (AKA fecal transplants).

And after 4 weeks of fecal transplants, Fern finally had a normal poop for the first time in years. That one shift sparked a transformation not just for Fern, but for Jenn’s clinic, which now offers microbiome therapy to pets in need 💩✨

If your pet struggles with chronic diarrhea, itchy skin, chronic vomiting, allergies, or any other chronic illness, this episode is filled with hope, practical insights, and a new way forward.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How one joyful chocolate Lab named Fern went from eight years of chronic diarrhea to normal, healthy stools and what finally made the difference.

✨ Why repeated antibiotics and “band-aid” treatments weren’t enough to fix her gut and what Jenn and I decided to try instead.

✨ What “microbiome therapy” (aka fecal transplants) really looks like in practice and how gentle and safe the process can be.

✨ The moment Fern’s stool finally normalized after week four and what that milestone revealed about the body’s ability to heal.

✨ How Jenn’s clinic began offering microbiome therapy to other pets and the remarkable early outcomes they’re seeing.

✨ Why addressing emotional stress is just as important as treating the gut itself especially for sensitive dogs like Fern.

✨ How flower essences and environmental enrichment (like walks and swim time) can play a role in restoring your pet’s gut health.

✨ Why prevention matters and how supporting the microbiome in puppies and kittens can help avoid chronic issues later.

✨ What to know about donor screening and safety and why “microbiome restorative therapy” is a…
Shop Smarter For Your Pet: The No-BS Cheat Sheet to Decoding Labels, Choosing Truly Healthy Food, Toys, Bowls & Supplements, and Finding Indie Pet Stores That Actually Care w/ Toni Shelaske

5 oktober 2025 · 1 uur 17 min
Afspelen

Ever walked into a pet store, stood in front of a wall stacked with food, toys, and supplements plastered in labels like “all natural,” “holistic,” and “wellness”… and thought, “Wait—which one's actually the best?” Lees meer

This week on the podcast, I’m joined by the incredible Toni Shelaske—entrepreneur, holistic pet wellness advocate, former owner of Pittsburgh’s favorite natural pet shops, and host of the Toni Unleashed podcast. Together, we’re pulling back the curtain—sharing our go-to brands and getting real about what’s in your pet’s bowls, toys, and enrichment tools, including hidden toxins like lead that can sometimes sneak into products. 😳

Toni just got back from SuperZoo (one of the biggest pet product conventions in the world!) and she’s bringing us the scoop on what’s new, what’s next, and why shopping small and local could change how you care for your pet forever.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed walking the aisles of a pet store, this episode is your no-nonsense cheat sheet to help you shop with clarity and bring home only the best for your furry family member 🐾

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How freeze-dried raw, and gently cooked foods are shaping the future of pet nutrition—and why convenience and psychology still drive what we reach for.

✨ Why labels like “natural” and “holistic” can be marketing buzzwords, and the questions to ask for real transparency.

✨ How Toni built the raw food market in Western Pennsylvania and what 25+ years of feeding raw has taught her.

✨ The surprising truth about dog toys and bowls and why some companies follow child-level safety testing.

✨ Specific toy brands and enrichment ideas Toni recommends—like West Paw, Fluff & Tuff, Tall Tails, Soda Pup, and creative DIY snuffle games.

✨ Why bully sticks, yak chews, and coffee wood chews (Canophera sticks) can be great for puppies—and what to watch for with power chewers.

✨ How new tech gadgets (like automatic feeders) and innovative products (like Atomic Bubbles) are shaking up the pet spa…

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