My Dog Is Better Than Your Dog

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.

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 cheaper and more effective than being reactive. Catch issues early before they become full-blown crises requiring stronger medications.

✨ Healing isn't just physical. Nightly positive affirmations, calm energy, and intentional moments of love create measurable changes in your pet's wellbeing.

✨ If you're doing the same thing, you're only going to get the same results. If what you're doing isn't working, try something different.

✨ Amnion stem cell therapy changed everything for Navi. Her resting breath rate dropped from 26 to 12. Her allergies improved. Her heart disease reversed from stage C to stage B1.

✨ Fecal transplant combined with amnion helped Navi's chronic allergies so much that she no longer needs Cytopoint injections.

✨ Thoughts and energy carry measurable vibration. Dogs feel our energy. What started as silly affirmations became a nightly ritual that both Weylie and her boyfriend now do together.

✨ Get pet insurance as soon as possible. It gives you options when your pet needs care.

RESOURCES:

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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.

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 we know them (vaccines, parasite prevention, bloodwork) are maintenance, not optimization. They don't move the needle on metabolic health or longevity.

✨ Medicine 3.0 asks "why is this happening?" instead of just treating symptoms. It's about finding a cure for the cause, not a pill for the ill.

✨ Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been used for acute inflammation, snake bites, non-healing wounds, pancreatitis, IBD, neurological issues, and even cancer therapy in Dr. Nations' practice.

✨ The gut microbiome is 25-50% of what's needed for optimal health. Pets don't get healthy microbes from kibble or sterile environments the way wild animals do.

✨ Metabolic health is the life force. It's the body's ability to convert and utilize energy. When that breaks down, disease follows.

✨ Vaccines were the foundation of veterinary medicine for decades. The profession is built on annual vaccines, and shifting that paradigm requires courage and scientific questioning.

✨ One flame can light the world by lighting one more flame at a time. Change happens through curiosity, courage, and community.

RESOURCES:

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.

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. Microbiome testing helps identify hidden infections before starting immunosuppressants.

✨ Microbiome testing should be done preventively throughout a pet's life, just like bloodwork. It can detect issues before organs start failing.

✨ After antibiotics, use fecal transplant capsules for seven days to restore native bacteria. Probiotics alone won't reintroduce what was wiped out.

✨ Fresh food is superior to kibble. This isn't controversial anymore. Processed food and poor farming practices are affecting our pets' health.

✨ Sanjit's father was ready to sell the practice and leave veterinary medicine. Integrative medicine and microbiome treatment brought the love back and saved him from burnout.

✨ You are allowed to ask questions and advocate for your pet. A good vet will welcome that conversation.

RESOURCES:

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.

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 both, Gus stopped being destructive and Tina stopped over-functioning in relationships.

✨ We don't care enough about ourselves to heal. But for our animals, we'll explore all our emotions if it means they'll be okay.

✨ Conflicting emotions cause inflammation. When we hold two conflicting things, the conflict creates inflammation in the body. Animals hold these too.

✨ Claire works with animals worldwide online through Zoom or photographs.

RESOURCES:

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.

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% or more of veterinary practices. The motive has shifted.

✨ The real value isn't in prescription sales. It's in the veterinarian's brain and their ability to sit with you, listen, and guide you through your pet's health journey.

✨ AI recently scored 95-98% on Japan's veterinary board exam. Knowledge won't be the advantage anymore. Critical thinking, experience, and presence will be.

✨ Holistic Pet Health Coaches fill the gap. They sit with pet parents for an hour, help them navigate all the information from specialists, and create nutrition and supplement plans.

✨ The program is accredited for 40 hours of CE for vets and vet techs in the US and Canada. But most graduates are human health coaches, groomers, trainers, and pet sitters who see pets regularly and want to help.

✨ Some vets see coaches as competitors. But they're colleagues and allies. They free up the vet to stay in their zone of genius while the coach handles education and follow-up.

✨ Preventive medicine is the hardest sell. Human nature reacts to problems, not freight trains coming miles away. But if we can shift the train to another track before it reaches the station, we're miles ahead.

✨ The future: In 20 years, Dr. Ruth hopes we stop fighting to protect our dogma and start listening to each other. That we evaluate options purely on whether they help the animal in front of us.

RESOURCES:

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.

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 light) can resolve chronic issues conventional medicine can't touch. Remy's year-long cough disappeared in seven days with one treatment.

✨ The practice was built on the house call model. Dr. Lily saw that animals heal better in their own environment, so she created a clinic that feels like coming to her home.

✨ Trust is the foundation of healing. When people trust their vet enough to enter their personal space, that trust translates into better outcomes for the pet.

✨ Every team member at Integrative Pet Wellness Center found their way to the practice organically. Dr. Lily has never placed an ad or actively recruited anyone.

✨ We're all on the same team. The best outcomes happen when clients trust their vet, vets trust their clients, and everyone is working toward the same goal: the pet's health.

RESOURCES:

Bioresonance Testing: Non-invasive scans using hair samples or saliva swabs to detect frequency imbalances in the body (available at Integrative Pet Wellness Center)

Ozone UVBI Therapy: Ozone mixed with blood and activated with UV light for chronic immune issues, infections, and inflammation (available at Integrative Pet Wellness Center)

FOLLOW:

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.

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 perfectly good family dogs are being euthanized, not because they're difficult, but because there's no room.

✨ Petfinder is still one of the best resources to find rescue dogs by breed, location, and specific traits.

✨ Private rescues are foster-based and easier to volunteer with than municipal shelters. Look for breed-specific Facebook groups and Instagram communities.

✨ You don't have to foster to help. Volunteer at adoption events, transport dogs, share posts on social media, donate supplies, or network for animals who need homes.

✨ Not all rescues are created equal. Some run like businesses, some are emotionally charged. Find one that matches your energy and values.

✨ Rehoming is the closest option to rescue. If you know a family rehoming their dog, help them network to find a new home before the shelter becomes the only option.

✨ Saving one dog will not change the world, but for that one dog, the world has changed.

RESOURCES:

Adoption & Rescue Search:

What if the most powerful medicine for your pet isn't a supplement or a drug, but something as simple as light?

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 and IBD symptoms and increases beneficial gut bacteria.

✨ Light therapy activates acupuncture points in 30-45 seconds, ideal for needle-shy animals or at-home maintenance.

RESOURCES:

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.

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:

What happens when one of the most influential voices in holistic veterinary medicine walks into the biggest conventional veterinary conference in the world?

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.

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

✨ One client unknowingly starved their dog to death on RD (reducing diet) because no one followed up to reweigh the animal for a year.

✨ Integrated medicine in action: Dr. Judy's cat developed severe neurologic symptoms with sky-high white blood cell counts. She used steroids short-term to save the cat's life, then weaned onto natural anti-inflammatories like PEA and mushrooms.

✨ The frustration of conventional medicine: Limited tools, antibiotics that barely worked, chronic problems that never resolved, and side effects from every medication.

✨ Emergency medicine was the exception: Dr. Judy loved emergency work because it was rapid-fire problem-solving with immediate results, not chronic symptom management.

✨ The vision came early: As a child, Dr. Judy dreamed of a future where people could see into her life and watch videos of what she was doing. Now millions follow her work online.

✨ Integrated doesn't mean anti-science: It means using everything available to actually heal, not just suppress symptoms.

RESOURCES:

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.

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 "training" with "learning and observing" — and everything else falls into place.

✨ The microbiome connection: how ear health, gut health, and behavior are all linked.

RESOURCES:

What if the key to a faster, easier surgical recovery wasn't more drugs — but better preparation?

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, reactivity — and how early spay/neuter, microbiome issues, and environmental stressors play a huge role.

✨ What success looks like for Dr. Lindsey: leaving the veterinary industry in a better state than she found it, even if it's just one small lane.

✨ Why we need more evidence-based medicine supporting integrative choices — so we can bring more conventional vets to the table with data they trust.

✨ How pet parents drive change by voting with their dollars and demanding better from brands.

Connect with Dr. Lindsey Wendt:

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.

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 questions to ask pet food and supplement companies — because they've never been behind the scenes. Dr. Lindsey's insider experience changed everything she recommends.

✨ Treats are medicine. Every treat you give your dog is either supporting their health or undermining it. There is no neutral.

✨ Brands doing it right — Evermore, Green Juju, Adored Beast Apothecary, Pet Wellbeing, and Fara Pets — are spending as much on quality and testing as they do on marketing. They deserve our support and our dollars.

✨ Botanical Bones was the first company in the pet industry to test finished products for glyphosate — a silent driver of major diseases that most brands completely ignore.

✨ Scaling a mission-driven business doesn't have to mean compromising quality — but it requires having the right people at the table who are stewards of the original mission.

Resources & Links

Connect with Dr. Lindsey Wendt:

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.

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 anxiety are part of loving deeply, and how these feelings mean you're doing it right.

✨ How calmer, more confident pet parents often have calmer, more confident dogs—they pick up on our energy.

FOLLOW:

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

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 doesn't always allow for it.

✨ The hard truth: most people put less thought into getting a dog than buying a car they'll replace in 2-3 years.

✨ How dogs mirror the parts of our personality we need to see—especially the negative ones we'd rather ignore.

✨ The powerful statistic: After a spouse dies, having a dog doubles your survival rate in the first year because it forces you to maintain routine.

✨ Why the human-dog bond is fundamentally different from other animal bonds, and why we need better language to describe it.

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.

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 triggered by stress like vaccines, surgery, adoption, new pets, or environmental changes.

✨ How to recognize FIP early: decreased appetite, decreased energy, weight loss, and sometimes a distended belly (wet form) or neurologic/eye symptoms (dry form).

✨ Why FIP is called "the great pretender" and how it can look like so many other diseases, making diagnosis challenging.

✨ How the drug GS (a pro-drug of remdesivir) became the cure for FIP after research published in 2018 by UC Davis and Dr. Niels Pedersen.

✨ Why underground Facebook groups saved tens of thousands of cats before the drug was legalized in June 2024.

✨ How treatment now costs $600-$4,000 (depending on cat size and pharmacy) compared to the previous $4,000+ for unregulated injectable versions.

✨ Why oral GS is now the preferred treatment over injectable (it's less painful, more effective, and doesn't cause bladder stones).

✨ What minimal testing you need before starting treatment: blood count, chemistry panel, and feline leukemia/FIV test to rule out other diseases.

✨ Why creating drug resistance is a serious concern, and why treatment should only be used when there's strong clinical suspicion of FIP.

✨ How to find FIP-savvy vets and resources, including the FIP Global Cats Facebook group and FIP Vet Education Group.

RESOURCES:

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.

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 our own anxiety and grief — especially during palliative care or end-of-life situations — so we don't transfer that emotional burden onto our beloved companions.

✨Integrative Medicine Works Best When You Don't Have to Choose

You don't have to pick between conventional and holistic care. The magic happens when you combine them — using surgery, chemotherapy, or medications alongside acupuncture, herbs, and microbiome restoration to support the body's natural healing capacity and improve outcomes.

✨Prevention is Everything

So many chronic diseases start years before symptoms appear. By the time pets are visibly sick, inflammation and imbalance have often been building for a long time. Preventive integrative care — addressing gut health, nutrition, and emotional wellbeing early — can change the trajectory entirely.

Resources & Links

Connect with Dr. Lisa Fiorenza:

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.

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 🐶👇

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.

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:

KEY INSIGHTS:

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.

✨ Why removing plant fiber — not adding more — may support constipation, diarrhea and IBS or IBD symptoms in certain pets.

✨ Why dietary variety matters more than perfection, and how true balance happens over time rather than in every single bowl.

RESOURCES: 

Book a consultation with Dr.Conor 👇

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

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, stiffness in the morning, and subtle changes like not playing with toys.

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?

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.

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

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:

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.

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 🎉

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.

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

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. 

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 👇

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.

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 👇

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

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. 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. 

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:

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.

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.

RESOURCES

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 🌸

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 what cannot be fixed.

RESOURCES:

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.

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 who we want them to be.

RESOURCES:

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 💛

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.

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. 

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 better name to share with clients.

✨ And how this one story is inspiring more vets to explore a do-no-harm, science-backed path to true gut healing. 

RESOURCES:

Other microbiome and gut health related episodes on the My Dog Is Better Than Your Dog Podcast ✨👇

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?”

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 space.

✨ Why independent pet stores offer more passion, product knowledge, and heart than big-box chains—and how they can help you discover hidden-gem brands.

✨ The mushroom supplement boom, CBD trends, and why sourcing, testing, and intentionality matter more than ever.

✨ How Toni is supporting families through The Izzy Fund nonprofit, helping pets stay with their families during medical crises.

✨ Why preventive care, community, and collaboration are the future of pet wellness—and how pet parents like you are leading the way 💛

RESOURCES:

What if your vet team could help your pet live a longer, healthier, happier life—not by suppressing symptoms or turning to anti-aging drugs for dogs, but by identifying and correcting imbalances before they become diseases? 

That’s exactly what Concierge 2.0 was built for: a membership designed for pet parents who want strategic, high-level integrative care that goes beyond the basics, wherever you live in the world. In this episode you’ll hear:

• How silent health threats like toxins, mold, and nutrient deficiencies can be detected early through advanced functional testing

• How our Baby Pearls Program helps puppies and kittens bypass common disease triggers and set the stage for lifelong health

• How our NEW Crystal Tier brings this proactive care to both local and international pet parents, with virtual support, personalized guidance, and expert-led masterclasses

• And you’ll hear Bella's story, a dog diagnosed with terminal cancer and given 3 months to live, who's now thriving, thanks to Dr. Lily’s care 

  
  

This isn’t just a wellness plan. It’s a new standard of care. Tap play to learn how Concierge 2.0 is helping pets everywhere live longer, healthier, and more vibrant lives.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Why preventive care has to start in puppyhood and kittenhood, and how early choices shape lifelong health.

✨ How functional testing (vitamins, minerals, heavy metals, mycotoxins) reveals hidden issues conventional vets often miss.

✨ The surprising link between mold exposure and chronic symptoms like lethargy, appetite loss, and respiratory problems.

✨ Why true preventive care means acting when pets seem healthy—before disease shows up.

✨ How integrative approaches are breaking the cycle of “manage but never heal” in pets with chronic allergies and skin issues.

✨ Why conventional hypoallergenic diets may mask symptoms without solving the root cause.

✨ The real financial difference between chasing symptoms with meds vs. investing in root-cause healing.

✨ How the Concierge Membership provides continuity, trust, and the kind of support you can’t get in a rushed 15-minute appointment.

✨ Why community, hope, and mindset are powerful healing tools for both pets and their people.

✨ Bella’s story: how a dog given just 3 months to live with hemangiosarcoma is still thriving 8 months later thanks to holistic therapies.

✨ What makes Concierge 2.0 different—including the new Baby Pearls program for puppies and kittens, and the Crystal Tier designed for international pet parents.

RESOURCES:

Check out the Concierge Membership here 💖👇

What if oxygen molecules held the power to shrink tumors, clear infections, and offer your pet a second chance at life? In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with the incredible Dr. Jyl Rubin, veterinarian, educator, entrepreneur, and the visionary founder of Regen03one, the first veterinary-owned ozone therapy company. We dive into the fascinating (and often misunderstood) world of ozone therapy—what it is, how it works, and the remarkable healing stories Dr. Jyl has witnessed firsthand. From Carrot the Golden Retriever, who defied his cancer diagnosis, to a tortoise who received a fecal transplant with ozone! We also unpack the science, the skepticism, and the systemic blind spots that have kept ozone therapy on the sidelines for far too long. Whether you’re a curious pet parent or a vet seeking answers, this episode is for you. 

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How a simple oxygen-based therapy is helping pets with cancer, chronic infections, and inflammation heal naturally.

✨ Why Dr. Jyl calls ozone therapy “God’s Breath”—a safe, gentle option used around the world for over 100 years.

✨ The moving story of Carrot the Golden Retriever, given just three months to live who went on to thrive for three more years.

✨ How rectal ozone and fecal transplants work together to clear gut biofilms and restore balance without sedation.

✨ How ozone therapy is so gentle it can be used on senior pets, fragile dogs, and cats with multiple health issues.

✨ The incredible case of a young dog with mammary cancer whose tumor shrank and softened after ozone injections and ozone glycerin therapy.

✨ How ozone can help with ear infections, skin wounds, and itchy hotspots, all without antibiotics.

✨ Why ozone therapy is one of the most compatible integrative treatments, working alongside chemotherapy, surgery, herbs, and more.

✨ How Dr. Jyl created the first ozone machine designed just for animals, making treatments safer and more effective than ever.

✨ And how more pet parents are now learning to use ozone at home (with veterinary guidance) to help with everyday issues like gut health, ear problems, and skin conditions.

RESOURCES:

What happens when “Dr. Google” meets ChatGPT in the vet’s office? In this episode, I sit down with veterinary leader and neuro-inclusive coach Ron Sosa to unpack how artificial intelligence is already reshaping the way pet parents seek answers about their pets’ health. Instead of fighting against it, what if vets helped pet parents to ask their Chat GPT better questions? Ron and I dive into what this shift means for pet parents: from how to prompt ChatGPT so you get helpful (not panic-inducing) answers, to why keeping simple notes on your AI tool at home can make all the difference, to how sharing what’s been “ruled out” can completely change the way you and your vet move forward together. This is a conversation about embracing technology without losing the human touch. If you’ve ever wondered how AI could help you become a more empowered, confident advocate for your pet’s health, this episode is for you.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Why ChatGPT is quickly becoming the new “Dr. Google” for pet parents.

✨ How asking clear, detailed prompts (age, breed, sex, symptoms, timing) leads to more accurate answers.

✨ Why vague questions like “why is my dog vomiting?” often bring up scary, unhelpful results.

✨ How AI can save time in the exam room by preparing pet parents with background info.

✨ Why your vet may not know every answer in the moment and why that’s okay.

✨ How AI can lighten the education load so vets have more time for hands-on healing.

✨ How journaling with AI could one day help diagnose conditions like Addison’s more accurately.

✨ How misusing AI for DIY treatments or dosing can be risky, and why your vet must stay involved.

✨ Why future care may depend less on having every answer and more on asking better questions.

✨ And how embracing AI as part of the care team helps both pets and people.

RESOURCES:

This week, we’re tackling one of the hardest—and most emotional—parts of being a pet parent: the money talk at the vet’s office. I’m joined by Ron Sosa, Executive Director of the Uncharted Veterinary Conference and founder of Synap Neuro-Inclusive Leadership, for a candid conversation about why vet bills feel so stressful and what you can actually do to feel more prepared. We talk about setting a clear budget, asking about follow-ups upfront, and preparing for emergencies—whether that’s with a dedicated credit card, a savings fund, or simply knowing your options. We also explore why choosing a vet who fits your values and communication style makes money talks feel easier. If you’ve ever panicked over an estimate, wondered how to afford care without cutting corners, or wished vet bills felt less overwhelming, this episode is for you.

KEY INSIGHTS:

• Why money conversations at the vet are so emotionally charged for pet parents.

•  The hidden factors behind rising vet costs, from wages to overhead.

•  How setting a budget upfront helps your vet prioritize care within your means.

• The importance of asking about follow-ups so you’re not blindsided later.

• Simple ways to prepare for emergencies—like a pet savings fund or a dedicated credit card.

•  Why choosing a vet who aligns with your values can make all the difference. 

• How transparency and collaboration can transform stressful conversations into empowering ones.

RESOURCES:

So many pet parents want to do the right thing and so they vaccinate on schedule, give monthly parasite prevention, and follow the “standard” advice from their vet. But what if those very routines are putting your dog (or cat) at risk?

In this episode, I’m joined by veterinarian Dr. Laurie Coger to unpack the hidden risks of routine care and what’s actually safe for your pup. We talk about vaccines, flea and tick medications, heartworm prevention, and how to make decisions that protect your dog’s long-term health.

This conversation is full of practical takeaways you can use right away, like the questions to ask your vet, when titer testing makes sense, how to know if parasite prevention is really necessary, and why building your dog’s microbiome may be the best defense of all.

If you’ve ever felt confused about what your dog really needs (and what they don’t), this episode will give you clarity and confidence to make the best choices for your pet.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ The crucial difference between vaccination (giving a shot) and immunization (achieving immunity), and why titer testing matters.

✨ Why protocols are designed for the weakest pets, and how that can mean overdosing the strongest.

✨ The hidden risks of long-acting parasite preventives (and why convenience can sometimes come at a cost).

✨ Safer, smarter ways to approach flea, tick, and heartworm prevention based on region, lifestyle, and your dog’s health history.

✨ How the microbiome is your dog’s first line of defense, and why antibiotics and kibble diets can undermine resilience.

✨ The environmental ripple effects of vaccines and parasite medications we rarely consider.

✨ Why building a veterinary dream team—integrative vets, conventional vets, specialists, and emergency care—is the best way to cover every stage of your dog’s life.

✨ How to approach conversations with your vet with respect, even when you disagree, and find practitioners who align with your values.

RESOURCES:

If you’ve ever wished you could be a fly on the wall for a totally unfiltered, heart-to-heart between a leading pet health educator and an integrative vet… this is your episode. In this conversation with the incredible Rodney Habib, we go deep into what it really means to be a Pet Parent 2.0, one who’s informed, empowered, and unafraid to ask the hard questions about their pet’s health. From over-vaccination to new spay/neuter research, from longevity drugs to nutrition myths, this isn’t a “here’s the protocol, just follow it” kind of talk. It’s a raw, nuanced exchange about evolving science, emotional truths, and how to navigate the overwhelming amount of information out there as a devoted pet parent. We also open up about the moments that changed the trajectory of our lives, the heartbreaks, the mistakes, and the lessons that shape how we care for pets today. If you’re ready to move beyond “basic pet care” and into the next level of advocacy for your pet, this conversation is for you.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ What it means to be a “Pet Parent 2.0” and why curiosity, openness, and self-advocacy are your superpowers.

✨ Why “over-vaccination” doesn’t mean anti-vaccination — and how to make personalized vaccine decisions with your vet.

✨ The new spay/neuter research pet parents need to know about, including hormone-sparing options and why timing matters.

✨ Why ultra-processed food is still the default in vet med, and how even small changes toward fresh food can have big health impacts.

✨ How to navigate polarizing topics without burning bridges (and why finding a vet you trust matters more than ever).

✨ The truth about emerging longevity drugs —what’s unknown and the questions to ask before saying yes. 

✨ Why the most important thing you can do for your pet’s health is to trust your intuition, even when it goes against the norm.

In this episode, I sit down with Ruby Balaram, CEO of Real Dog Box and founder of the Feed Real Institute, for a heart-to-heart about one of the most overwhelming—and important—topics in pet care: food. From her start as a paralegal to becoming a bold voice in the fresh food movement, Ruby shares how a deeply personal journey with her partner’s 12 year old dog lit a fire to bring truly nourishing, species-appropriate ancestral food back to dogs’ bowls. We dive into what’s actually in commercial pet food, why you need to read the labels carefully, the biggest debates shaking the industry, and how pet parents can cut through the noise to make feeding choices they feel proud of. If you’ve ever stood in the pet food aisle feeling lost, or felt side-eyed for wanting to feed differently, this is the conversation your heart (and your dog!) needs.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How adding even one fresh, whole ingredient can start transforming your dog’s health.

✨ Why ingredient quality matters more than the marketing on the bag (and why “human grade” is a non-negotiable).

✨ The difference between real preventive care and the “wellness” most pets get at annual checkups.

✨ How transparency from pet food companies should look and the red flags when it’s missing.

✨ Why feeding variety is key to a healthy microbiome, nutrient balance, and resilience against disease.

✨ The surprising emotional benefits of mealtime joy for your dog. 

✨ How intolerance testing can help take the guesswork out of diet decisions.

✨ Why the raw food bacteria debate is more nuanced than it seems and what the research really says.

✨ How the Feed Real Summit is bringing together pet parents, vets, and industry leaders for practical, immersive learning on canine longevity.

RESOURCES:

In this week’s episode, I have the absolute joy of chatting with Dr. Madeleine Browne, a fellow integrative veterinarian and sports medicine expert who’s just as passionate as I am about helping our pets thrive at every stage of life. We dive into one of my favorite topics: how to protect your dog’s joints, starting long before you ever see signs of stiffness or pain. Because here’s the truth… the way your pup plays, moves, and exercises from those wiggly puppy days can shape their mobility for years to come. Dr. Browne shares simple, practical steps you can start right away, from gentle play modifications to fun at-home strengthening exercises, all designed to help your dog avoid heartbreaking conditions like arthritis, cruciate ligament tears, and IVDD (herniated discs). If you’ve ever dreamed of your fur baby trotting happily by your side well into their golden years, this episode is filled with the tools to make that dream a reality. Let’s keep those tails wagging for life 🐶

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Why mobility matters at every age — and how prevention in puppyhood sets the stage for lifelong joint health.

✨ How everyday activities like stairs, zoomies, and jumping off the couch can impact growing joints, and how to make them safer.

✨ Why keeping your dog lean is one of the most powerful ways to prevent arthritis and other mobility problems.

✨ How “prehab” (rehabilitation exercises started before injury) can strengthen your dog’s core, improve coordination, and lower injury risk.

✨ Breed-specific risks you should know — and what to ask your vet about preventing common issues like IVDD or cruciate ligament tears.

✨ Simple at-home strengthening exercises, including the “doggy crunch,” to build core stability and protect the spine.

✨ How to safely prepare puppies for high-impact activities like hiking, jogging, or agility — and why starting too soon can backfire.

✨ And home environment changes (like raised food bowls and non-slip flooring) that can make a big difference for joint protection.

RESOURCES:

When Melissa Boland’s dog Henry Clay was diagnosed with cancer, and then she was diagnosed with cancer as well, her world cracked open. What she discovered next lit a fire in her that would change the grooming industry forever. In this episode, I sit down with her to talk about founding 4-Legger, a USDA-certified organic dog shampoo brand, and we dive into a powerful conversation about what’s really hiding in your pet’s grooming products, and how it could be affecting their long-term health. We talk about everything from misleading marketing terms to hidden carcinogens that never even show up on the label. Melissa breaks down what you really need to know about ingredients like “coconut-based” and why most “natural” dog shampoos… aren’t. If you’ve ever assumed that what you’re putting on your dog’s skin is safe, this episode is a must-listen because your dog’s skin is their largest organ. And what goes on it… goes in it. 

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How Melissa’s deep soul relationship with her heart dog Henry Clay started her on a mission to change the pet shampoo industry. 

✨ How companies like 4-Legger that go through the USDA organic program are required to list all their ingredients giving pet parents real transparency. 

✨ How the toxins found in a lot of conventional shampoos build up in our pets bodies and over time can contribute to liver or kidney failure.

✨ Are pets with seizures being chronically exposed to neurotoxins through shampoos?

✨ The rescue dog whose hair grew back after he got many many therapeutic baths with 4-Legger healing shampoos.

✨ How the pet grooming industry is shockingly unregulated and what that means for your dog.

✨ What terms like “coconut-derived” or “natural surfactant” really mean (and why they’re a red flag).

✨ How a single fragrance on the label can contain up to 500 undisclosed chemicals. 

✨ How conventional ingredients like formaldehyde-releasing preservatives can accumulate in your dog’s body over time..

✨ How 4-Legger peppermint and tea tree oil shampoo can sometimes be used as a natural alternative to medicated shampoos.

✨ And Melissa tells us all about the Pet Shampoo Ingredient Database she created.  

RESOURCES:

✨Check out the Pet Shampoo Ingredient Database by 4-Legger 👇

In this episode, Shari, a cherished Concierge Member and founder of the Shari's Daycare, and I explore what it really looks like to offer the highest level of care. Shari shares how her daycare model flipped the script on what a day care can be. Think luxury concierge-style services, individualized enrichment, personalized meals, and even a pickup school bus for dogs. Basically it’s like a kindergarten for pets! Shari takes the happiness of each dog seriously—carefully observing their needs, guiding social play, and making sure every pup is an energy match with their friends so everyone’s having a good time. But Shari and I also go deeper into what happens behind the scenes when caretakers are running on empty. We both think back to our experience with a corporate vet practice model that lacked compassion and how we saw firsthand how so many brilliant vet professionals are undervalued. This episode is a beautiful reminder that raising the standard for pets starts by raising our standard for self-care and team care 💫 

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How Shari’s concierge-style daycare model creates emotional safety through individualized support, personalized meals, and carefully curated playgroups.

✨ How delivering high-level care means charging in a way that honors the team's time, energy, and expertise.

✨ The importance of guiding social play and watching for energy matches—so every dog feels safe and genuinely happy.

✨ What both Shari and Lily witnessed working in corporate vet clinics that made them realize something had to change. 

✨ And how filling up your own cup and taking a proper break is essential for anyone in a caregiving role. 

RESOURCES:

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Katie Woodley—aka The Natural Pet Doctor—for a heart-opening, science-rich chat on gut health, food sensitivities, chronic skin issues (because the skin always tells a deeper story), and what to do if your dog keeps having diarrhea. Dr. Katie's shift from conventional vet med to holistic gut expert began when her husband was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, and she realized just how much was missing from the traditional toolbox. That moment sparked a deep dive into holistic healing, and today, she's one of the most sought-after gut health vets in the field. Together, we explore how true healing begins with restoring the gut terrain before big diet changes and how functional testing can finally offer the deeper answers you’ve been searching for (the ones we just can't find with conventional testing alone). So if your pet has been struggling with itchy skin, chronic vomiting, or ongoing diarrhea, and you've tried different diets and supplements and seen multiple vets, and your pup still isn't getting better then this heartfelt, practical episode is for you.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Why some pets react to even the best fresh food diets—and what that reveals about the underlying gut terrain.

✨ The exact tests Dr. Katie runs in every chronic diarrhea or itchy skin case. 

✨ Why functional medicine testing speeds up healing and helps avoid burnout from trying the wrong things in the wrong order. 

✨ How a study showed puppies fed fresh food early had a lower risk of allergies and itchy skin later in life. 

✨ Why digestive enzymes are often the key first step for pets with poor digestion. 

✨ How herbs like slippery elm and marshmallow root soothe an inflamed gut and reduce food reactivity. 

✨ What “binders” are and how they help detox gently without stressing the body. 

✨ Why detoxing too early can backfire when drainage pathways aren’t open—and how to know if your pet is ready. 

✨ How to rotate food in a way that strengthens the gut when your pet is ready. 

✨ The connection between chronic gut and skin symptoms and deeper issues like heavy metals, mycotoxins (aka mold), and leaky gut. 

✨ Why prescription diets weren’t meant to be long-term and how they can lead to nutrient deficiencies. 

✨ What it really means to “restore instead of strip” the body and how this flips conventional veterinary thinking. 

✨ Why things haven’t worked in the past and how understanding your pet’s gut terrain can change everything. 

✨ How emotional stress in humans impacts pets and why you soothing your nervous system is part of their healing too. 

✨ And the power of community and support when navigating chronic illness because you don’t have to do this alone. 

RESOURCES:

Dr. Katie’s Gut & Skin Healing Program 👇

It’s our 1-year podcast anniversary! 🎉 And what better way to celebrate than with a real, unfiltered Q&A answering the exact questions pet parents are asking right now. In this special episode, I’m joined by two amazing guests and Concierge Members—Janet and Shari—who open up about their journeys with chronic pet conditions, shifting from a conventional to integrative vet model, and the healing breakthroughs they’ve experienced through holistic care. From cysts that closed without surgery to UTIs resolved without antibiotics to cancer that dissolved without chemo, this episode is filled with the kind of stories that remind you healing is possible. We cover some of the most important questions I hear in practice and online—from flea meds to senior care to vaccine protocols to yeast infections, and whether rectal ozone therapy is really worth the drive (spoiler: it is). Whether you're brand new to holistic care or just want to go deeper, this episode is packed with practical insight, lived experience, and a whole lot of heart.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨Why I started this podcast and what shifted for me along the way.

✨What holistic medicine actually means and why it’s rooted in science.

✨What rectal ozone therapy is, how it works, and why I recommend it weekly.

✨How a senior dog healed her cancer without surgery or chemo.

✨How a chihuahua, Jinju’s, chronic UTIs cleared up naturally without antibiotics.

✨What to do if your pet has Giardia or tapeworms and why you sometimes want to avoid dewormers.

✨The rise of parasite resistance and why conventional flea meds might be doing more harm than good.

✨Safer, holistic flea prevention strategies that actually work.

✨Is once-a-day feeding ideal for large dogs?

✨When GI issues mimic Addison’s disease and how to avoid misdiagnosis.

✨What it means when your dog has chronic diarrhea but all their tests are “normal”.

✨Why yeast overgrowth is often a gut problem, not just a skin issue.

✨How I handle rabies vaccine laws, titer testing, and exemption requests.

✨How to prioritize care for your senior pet when you’re on a tight budget.

✨Why preventative care is more powerful than treating symptoms after the fact. 

RESOURCES:

Ozone therapy, microbiome testing, natural flea treatments, and holistic UTI care:

This week’s guest is someone I absolutely adore, Shari! 💜 She’s a longtime client, a rockstar in our Concierge Membership, and one of the most open-hearted learners I know. Shari’s story is a reminder that when you stay curious and say yes to growth, amazing things can happen. She started her journey in vet med in the 80s as a kennel assistant. From there? She soaked up everything she could—learning lab work, radiology, even assisting with dentals—and eventually became a veterinary technician, then a beloved practice manager known for her leadership and compassion. But it wasn’t until her dad got sick that she discovered the world of holistic healing. That experience opened her eyes… and later, her heart, to integrative care for pets too. Now she runs a thriving doggy daycare, is deeply committed to her own cat’s preventative care, and brings so much wisdom to everything she does. We talk about the power of saying yes to the next right step, how integrative medicine found her when she was ready, and why being a lifelong learner might be the most magical trait of all. This episode will leave you feeling hopeful, inspired, and totally in love with Shari’s story 💫

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ Why taking care of your vet team is the real secret to a thriving practice and how Shari’s leadership style led to a standing ovation from a roundtable of vets.

✨ The moment she realized conventional protocols weren’t enough for her own pet, and why she started searching for deeper answers. 

✨ How our pets mirror our own physical and emotional health more than we realize.

✨ A few ways vet practices can take care of their teams at a deeper level and create a culture of kindness and belonging. 

✨ Why meditation and stress reduction is so powerful for healing. 

✨ And how the Concierge Membership inspired Shari not only to support Miley’s health on another level... but start prioritizing her own well-being too.

RESOURCES:

Could this be what’s been missing in your pet’s healing journey? Okay, pet parents… this might be the most unexpectedly fascinating episode we’ve ever recorded. Yes, we’re talking about poop 💩. But not just any poop. We're talking about fecal microbiota transplants (FMT), a powerful healing therapy that’s helping pets recover from chronic disease, regulate their immune system, and even change their behavior. If your dog struggles with chronic vomiting, diarrhea, allergies, or itching and nothing seems to work this episode might open a whole new door. In this episode, I sit down with our incredible vet assistant Mickie for part two of our candid conversation on holistic healing. We dive deep into how I got started with fecal transplants and where we think this is going. Imagine a future where we can select specific strains of bacteria to target specific diseases. Where you can personalize a transplant like you would a supplement blend, mixing and matching strains to target a specific health challenge. Come along as we explore where the fascinating world of microbiome healing is heading, because this might just be the future of medicine, and your pet deserves to be at the forefront of it. 

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How a pet parent’s research led to Dr. Lily’s very first fecal transplant and the results that blew her mind. 

✨ The origin of Dr. Lily’s now-trademarked Balanced Biome protocol (hint: it involved a lot of trial and error). 

✨ Why poop from the right donor can reset a pet’s immune system, behavior, and digestion. 

✨ The real reason fresh poop works better than powder and how we're thinking of building our own poop bank of super-donors.

✨ What the future of microbiome therapy could look like: personalized blends of specific strains to treat disease. 

✨ And why you shouldn’t wait until your pet is sick—microbiome therapy is a powerful preventive tool too. 

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In this episode, I sit down with one of our incredible vet assistants, Mickie, for a fun and refreshingly candid conversation about what it really looks like to go from total skeptic to full on believer in holistic medicine. When Mickie first joined us as an extern, she didn’t hold back—she was questioning everything from acupuncture to fecal transplants to crystals (especially the unicorn one 😅). But what she experienced behind the scenes changed everything. Mickie opens up about the pet patient that cracked her heart wide open and why she now believes that we’ve been conditioned to trust pharmaceuticals without questioning side effects—while dismissing holistic care that’s been used for thousands of years. This episode is about unlearning what we’ve been taught. About realizing that suppressing symptoms isn’t the same as healing. And about the power of keeping an open mind—because when we do, we just might witness something miraculous. This is a must-listen for any pet parent who’s been curious about  holistic medicine but isn’t sure what to believe.

✨ Why Mickie was completely against holistic medicine at first and what finally changed her mind.

✨ What happened when she watched a dog with Cushings fully heal with microbiome therapy, nanolight therapy, and acupuncture. 

✨ Why she thought acupuncture was nonsense… until she saw it work. 

✨ How we can use a pendulum to figure out where an animal is holding pain is when we can’t pick it up on an exam. 

✨ What conventional vet training gets wrong about healing, and why so many good techs and vets feel stuck in a system that doesn’t fix the root cause. 

✨ The emotional toll of working in veterinary care and how our team culture at Integrative Pet Wellness Centre helps us show up with empathy and presence. 

✨ What pet parents should look for when choosing a veterinary team and why team dynamic matters more than you think. 

✨ Why individualized care will always create greater results than “standard” protocols (even the “gold standard” ones).  

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