Tails of Truth: The Truth about Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Angie Krause, DVM CVA CCRT
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Alternative Health
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Welcome to Tails of Truth, the podcast where holistic veterinarian Dr. Angie Krause and her co-host, veterinary nurse JoJo, bring you candid, light-hearted conversations about pet health, veterinary medicine, and everything in-between. Whether you're a pet parent or a veterinary professional, this is your judgment-free space for real answers, practical problem-solving, and the kind of grounded guidance that helps you advocate confidently for the animals you love. From integrative treatments and preventive care to hot-button topics, tough diagnoses, and the emotional reality of pet parenting, we cover it all with clinical expertise, empathy, open minds, and curiosity. This show takes the discussion beyond the exam room and elevates the way we care for animals. Make yourself a cup of tea and press play.  This is the kind of exchange you'd want to have with a trusted friend who just happens to be a veterinarian. We're so glad you're here! 

  1. 4d ago

    Positive Dog Training with Brooke Fagel: No Pain to Train

    Tell Us What You Think Positive dog training, e-collars, reactive dogs, and the truth about alpha training. Dr. Angie and JoJo talk with dog trainer Brooke Fagel of Majestic Dog Training about why you never have to hurt a dog to train one. Brooke explains why punishment can look like it works while burying a dog’s warning signs, and why positive training is about far more than treats. JoJo opens up about the shame of living with a dog who’s afraid of people. Dr. Angie shares the day a golden retriever growled at her for the first time in 20 years of practice. They also cover doodles and breeding for temperament, when it’s okay not to rescue, little dog syndrome, dogs fighting in the same home, rehoming, and how to find a positive trainer. Find Brooke at majesticdogtraining.com and @majesticdogtraining Book a consultation with Dr. Angie at boulderholisticvet.com Key Takeaways Positive training uses food as a starting tool, not a permanent crutch. The goal is to build on it skill by skill.Dogs aren’t trying to dominate their people. Letting your dog sleep in your bed doesn’t make them think they’re in charge.Punishment can produce obedience on the surface while damaging the relationship and creating fear underneath.E-collars can suppress a dog’s early warning signals, like soft eyes or a head tilt. When those dogs finally react, the reaction can be more intense. Brooke is seeing more and more dogs come to her after e-collar training.Many reactive dogs can improve a great deal. Some become lifelong management cases, and accepting a dog’s limits is part of setting them up for success.Brooke is seeing more behavior issues in doodles, which she connects to breeding for low shedding rather than temperament.Choosing a breed that fits your lifestyle is a responsible choice. A poor rescue match can lead to dogs and people getting hurt.Small dogs need training too. Their bite histories often go unaddressed because the behavior gets laughed off.Fearful dogs often learn faster in a neutral, new environment before practicing skills at home.When dogs in the same home are fighting and living separated, a lot of stress has already built up. Rehoming can be the kind choice, and planning introductions ahead of time can prevent the problem.A spray bottle usually teaches a dog to fear the bottle rather than changing the behavior.A few skills taught really well, like settle, touch, or watch me, can help a dog stay calm at the vet.Several European countries have banned or restricted e-collar use.Soundbites  “I could never fathom harming my dog to train my dog.” — Brooke Fagel “But sometimes they’re actually not ready for what they’re rescuing.”  — Dr. Angie “You get maybe the same end result like the dog obeys, if you will... but the relationship is not good.” — JoJo   “I really, passionately want people to know that there’s help with training a dog and you don’t have to harm them ever.” — Brooke Fagel “Last week I had a golden retriever growl at me for the first time in my career.”      — Dr. Angie “Sometimes I think there’s such a desperation to put the dog in a home, but not necessarily the well matched home.” — JoJo  “I don’t need to get bit to see that your dog bites. I got it.” — Brooke Fagel “I know your dog doesn’t want to kill me, but they also just don’t want me to like get their blood or vaccinate them.” — Dr. Angie  “I’m gonna say it out loud because I feel shame around it.” — JoJo “But there’s no shame at all. It’s all fixable and it is daunting ’cause not having a perfect dog is difficult.” — Brooke Fagel Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

  2. Oct 23

    Got Puppy Fever or Kitty Fever? So Do We!

    Tell Us What You Think Puppy fever, kitty fever, and wanting a pet when the timing isn't right. Dr. Angie and JoJo both have it bad, and in this episode they get honest about why neither of them has a new dog or cat yet. They cover the real costs of adding a dog (insurance, food, vet care, walkers, grooming, boarding), whether fostering is the answer, swiping on Petfinder like it's Hinge, and how JoJo might adopt when her dog Sage is scared of people. Dr. Angie also confesses that she's been borrowing her clients' dogs at the clinic, and that the diarrhea samples she sees every day are the best birth control for dog fever. Do you want a pet but can't make it work right now? Dr. Angie and JoJo want to know they're not alone.  You can email a photo of your pet and the story of how they found you to info@boulderholisticvet.com.  JoJo shared the story of her dog Bodhi in an earlier episode: https://boulderholisticvet.com/pages/tails-of-truth-podcast/grief-after-pet-loss-navigating-euthanasia-guilt-and-goodbyes  Coming up: Brooke Fagel of Majestic Dog Training joins them next week to talk about positive dog training. Key Takeaways  1. Wanting a pet when the timing is wrong is common, even for people who work with animals every day.  2. A dog costs far more than the adoption fee or purchase price: insurance, food, veterinary care, dog walkers, grooming, and boarding or a sitter whenever you travel.  3. Fostering lets you share your home with a dog and help it find a forever home without a lifetime commitment. Saying goodbye can be the hard part. 4. Match the pet to your life stage. A puppy means middle-of-the-night care.  5. Your current pets get a vote. A dog who is scared of people, or a home full of cats, may call for a specific kind of new pet and a slower introduction.  6. Look past looks. Choose a pet whose temperament fits your family, whether that's a calm dog or a snuggly cat instead of an aloof one.  7. Not the right time? Spending time with friends' and family's dogs, or just looking at photos of them, can ease the puppy fever.  Sound Bites "It's like birth control for dog fever." ~ Dr. Angie  "The answer to your problems is to foster." ~ JoJo  "No one puts Lucy in a cage." ~ Dr. Angie  "I really, really want a whippet or an Italian greyhound... And that's only 'cause I want to dress him in sweaters." ~ JoJo  "It's a big line item to add to your budget." ~ Dr. Angie  "I think it's the feeling of I'm needed and wanted." ~ JoJo  "Europeans know how to do dogs." ~ Dr. Angie  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

  3. Oct 16

    Are mRNA Vaccines Safe for Dogs and Cats?

    Tell Us What You Think Are mRNA vaccines safe for dogs and cats? Dr. Angie Krause and JoJo unpack Merck’s newer RNA vaccines for pets in plain language. They cover how these vaccines differ from the ones vets have used for decades, why they don’t need an adjuvant, and why they don’t change your pet’s DNA. They’re also candid about what we still don’t know, from long term data to manufacturer funded studies. Plus, why skipping rabies vaccines is a risk with no do over, and why healthy skepticism and critical thinking matter more than fear.  Key Takeaways Merck’s newer RNA vaccines for pets use technology similar to the COVID vaccine, but not identical.Unlike killed vaccines, they don’t need an adjuvant, which is the ingredient behind many “I don’t want that in my pet” concerns.The RNA does not enter the nucleus, so it does not change your pet’s DNA.Studies so far have found no evidence that the protein is being shed.In Dr. Angie’s view, fewer additives could mean fewer vaccine reactions, but long term data isn’t in yet.The trials were funded by the manufacturer, which is a fair reason for healthy skepticism.Dr. Angie is staying with Purevax for now. She isn’t an early adopter, and familiarity with your products is part of what makes a clinic safe.Skipping rabies vaccines is a growing trend, and rabies has no second chance for pets or people.Vet medicine has historically downplayed vaccine reactions. The answer is critical thinking and individualized, risk assessed vaccination, not all or nothing.Soundbites “I think veterinary medicine has been really guilty of denying the vaccine reactions that some pets have had.”  — Dr. Angie  "Maybe we can put some information in the misinformation.”  — JoJo  "When you look at all the ingredients in a vaccine, you’re like, I don’t want that.”    — Dr. Angie  “I think critical thinking is really important when it comes to vaccines.”   — JoJo  “I have to turn in my holistic vet card"  — Dr. Angie  “That would be terrible business to roll out something that just kills every animal.”  — JoJo  “It’s not entering the part of your cell that makes DNA."  — Dr. Angie   "Our kids don’t know about Old Yeller.”  — JoJo  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

  4. Oct 9

    Dignity in Death. What Vet Med Teaches Us About Dying

    Tell Us What You Think It’s okay to die. Dr. Angie Krause and veterinary nurse JoJo get personal in this episode about dignity in death and how differently veterinary and human medicine approach the end of life. Speaking from their own experiences with loss, they explore why vets have the end-of-life conversation so many people never get in their end-of-life, and why our culture treats death as a failure to delay at all cost. Along the way, they answer questions many pet parents quietly carry. Will my dog or cat pass peacefully in their sleep? What does a natural death really look like? Is it okay to say goodbye before my pet is suffering? How do vets decide whether chemo is worth it? What if my beliefs don’t allow euthanasia? Dr. Angie shares how she built her own relationship with euthanasia after growing up in a family that didn’t believe in it. Together they talk about quality of life tools, in-home euthanasia, and why grief, especially the loss of a dog or cat, so often has nowhere to go. This is a tender, deeply personal conversation about the one universal experience every being shares. Key Takeaways Veterinary medicine treats a terminal diagnosis as a conversation about options, comfort, and what comes next. Human medicine seems to often avoid that conversation.In vet med, cancer treatment that causes significant side effects for a short gain is generally not the standard of care. Comfort is part of the decision.Humane euthanasia is a gift. It spares pets prolonged suffering, and it spares families caregiving they can’t sustain.A “natural death” rarely means a peaceful passing in sleep. For most degenerative diseases, that isn’t how it plays out.Quality of life tools exist because it's difficult to see your pet clearly. Everyone bargains in grief.Choosing euthanasia before suffering peaks can feel better than expected, not guilt-inducing.When beliefs rule out euthanasia, there are still more humane, comfortable ways to support a dying body.Grief has no timeline, and pet loss grief deserves the same space as any other loss.Talking openly about death is not insensitive. It changes the care, and it changes the goodbye.Soundbites “It’s kind of like the strangest gaslighting.” — Dr. Angie “Why do we have to give suffering to prolong suffering?” — JoJo “I probably diagnose something terminal every week.” — Dr. Angie  “This is a place where I feel like in animal medicine we’re winning.” — JoJo "We are all going to die. I mean, I don’t know how you can have a more universal experience.”  — Dr. Angie  “Your dog dies, your cat dies, nobody seems to care.” — JoJo Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

  5. Oct 2

    5 Things Pet Parents Do That Vet Staff Hate

    Tell Us What You Think Every vet visit is a partnership, and some habits make it harder for everyone, including the pet. In this episode, Dr. Angie and JoJo get candid about five things pet parents do that frustrate veterinary teams. They talk about what really happens when clients are unkind to the front desk, why sending a partner who doesn't know the pet's history can derail an appointment, and when a long phone call should really be a consultation. JoJo explains why skipping prescribed pre-visit sedation often means a second visit, and why leaving out details, even embarrassing ones, makes it harder to help. Dr. Angie also shares what she considers the hardest part of her job, and it isn't euthanasia.  Key Takeaways Being rude to front desk staff doesn't get a pet seen faster. Dr. Angie says kind, anxious clients are easier to call back, and she tends to get to them sooner.The front desk team is the one advocating to fit patients in, so a good relationship with them works in a pet's favor.If a partner or family member brings the pet in, send written notes or a voice memo so the appointment isn't built on missing information.A 20 minute phone call is really a consultation. Dr. Angie asks clients to book an appointment instead, and no pet is required.Skipping prescribed pre-visit medication without warning the clinic often means a failed visit, a second appointment, and a pet that has to go through it twice.Leaving out part of a pet's history, even the embarrassing part, makes it harder to help. The team isn't there to judge.Dr. Angie says the hardest part of her job isn't euthanasia. It's when people are mean.Soundbites "Because everyone thinks that the hardest part of my job is euthanizing animals. It's in fact not."  — Dr. Angie "We're not here to shame. We're here to educate."  — JoJo "We go to the back and cry when you are mean to us. The doctors cry, the nurses cry."  — Dr. Angie  "And so there's this hierarchy of madness."  — JoJo "It's okay to not like me. It's okay to be frustrated if I'm behind. I get it." — Dr. Angie "We're people pleasers by default. It's bad. It's a sickness."  — JoJo Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

  6. Sep 25

    Functional Mushrooms & Gut Microbiome with Dr. Rob Silver

    Tell Us What You Think Dr. Rob Silver, the integrative veterinarian behind Boulder's Natural Animal Hospital, the Rx Vitamins line, and Real Mushrooms Pet Line joins Dr. Angie Krause to talk functional mushrooms and the gut microbiome. They cover why a probiotic alone rarely fixes an itchy dog, the importance of diet on gut health, how puppies and kittens inherit their microbiome, why Dr. Silver avoids metronidazole, what fecal transplants can do, and how to tell real mushroom supplements from mycelium grown on grain. Key Takeaways: A probiotic alone rarely fixes an pet that's itchy or has digestive upset. Diet, genetics, environment, and lifestyle all shape the gut.Ultra processed food drives inflammation and immune reactivity. Fresh food doesn't have to be raw or fed seven days a week to help.The microbiome is individual. There is no single best probiotic for every animal.Puppies and kittens inherit their mother's microbiome. That makes the new puppy or kitten visit a key moment to build gut health.Dr. Silver considers metronidazole one of the most disruptive antibiotics for the microbiome. He reaches for symptomatic support first.Fecal microbiome transplants have a long track record and are now available fresh, freeze dried, and in capsules.Microbiome tests are all fairly reliable. The real challenge is interpreting the results and acting on them.Many "mushroom" supplements are mostly mycelium grown on grain. Beta glucan content tells the difference.Over the counter supplement labels are often dosed at wellness levels, not therapeutic ones.Lion's mane has roots in gut health, not just cognitive support. That's the gut brain connection in action.Soundbites "And we all know that most disease comes from the gut."  — Dr. Angie  "Each animal is their own universe."  — Dr. Silver  "It's kitty crack in here. They love it." — Dr. Angie "Into every life a little vice must fall." — Dr. Silver  "I think sometimes it's kind of like reading tea leaves" — Dr. Angie "After forty years in practice, tired of putting out fires, it's time to start planting some trees" — Dr. Silver  "I find that most supplements that people are buying over the counter don't really have therapeutic doses" — Dr. Angie "It delays effective treatment to be giving grain to an animal who has cancer."— Dr. Silver  "Because you can have dysbiosis without GI symptoms." — Dr. Angie Dr. Silver's resources There's a Mushroom for That Well Pet Dispensary and his monthly live Q&A, fourth Thursday at 6pm Mountain: https://www.wellpetdispensary.com SuprDOG microbiome testing waitlist: https://www.SuprDOG.ai For veterinarians, his RACE approved CIVT mushroom course: https://civtedu.org/courses/essentials-of-veterinary-medicinal-mushrooms Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

  7. Sep 18

    Is Your Vet Recommending Tests You Don't Need?

    Tell Us What You Think This week Dr. Angie and JoJo get into the uncomfortable question of overtesting in veterinary medicine. They talk about packages that bundle unnecessary vaccines and tests, the debate over year round flea and tick prevention, whether a heartworm test is necessary before starting Ivermectin, and why so many pet parents feel like they're not being offered options. Dr. Angie shares how she handles these conversations in her own exam room, including a few opinions she knows will ruffle feathers.  Key Takeaways Dr. Angie has not personally seen private practices selling unnecessary test/vaccine packages, but acknowledges some clinics do itA more litigious culture may be pushing some vets toward defensive over testing, particularly in emergency medicineDr. Angie questions the value of yearly fecal tests in low risk populations and does not require year round flea, tick, and heartworm prevention unless a pet travels or the household needs the routineA heartworm test before starting prevention is mainly a concern for pets coming from high risk regions (the South); in Boulder's climate and history it's less critical81% of vets say they often offer an alternative plan when cost is a barrier, but 73% of clients say they're not offered one, a communication gap Tiered treatment options ("start here, then here") seem to be disappearing, especially at corporate clinics, replaced by single upfront estimatesVet experience and individual risk tolerance both affect how many diagnostics get recommendedDr. Angie encourages clients to ask "do I really need this" and says she wants shared decision making, not blind complianceCost is often the real driver behind what looks like distrust, and financial conversations are normal and okay to haveBuilding a relationship with a vet who will have honest, individualized conversations is presented as the real solution, more than any specific test or protocolSoundbites "I don't wanna gaslight people and tell them this isn't happening. Sometimes it is happening."  — Dr. Angie "There's an overarching story that veterinarians are greedy. And veterinary medicine is greedy."  — JoJo "I want you to know there's a lot of dogs walking around and we know they have a heart murmur and they haven't had an echocardiogram yet."  — Dr. Angie "So trust your vet."  — Dr. Angie "It does feel like a unnecessary reach for money, which makes the industry feel distrusting."  — JoJo  "I think those consults are great for second opinions."  — JoJo Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

  8. Sep 11

    Why Your Indoor Cat Still Needs a Rabies Vaccine

    Tell Us What You Think Most cat parents assume rabies risk is an outdoor cat problem. Dr. Angie and JoJo disagree, and they've got two recent patient cases to explain why. In this episode, they walk through rabid bats becoming more common in the Boulder and Denver area, how a bat's behavior changes when it's infected, and what actually happens if a cat is exposed. That includes the quarantine process, why a rabies titer won't get a cat out of being vaccinated and quarantined, and the real consequences an unvaccinated, exposed animal can face. They also cover why rabies tops Dr. Angie's list of nonnegotiable vaccines, common myths about vaccine side effects, and what to look for in the vaccine itself. Listeners can grab their free course on cat vaccines at boulderholisticvet.com using code Truthtails or Truthtales.  Key Takeaways Rabid bats do exist in the Boulder and Denver area, and their behavior changes when infected: daytime activity, flying into windows, being on the ground.Two of Dr. Angie's patients had confirmed or suspected bat exposure in the past year.If a cat is exposed to a potentially rabid animal and isn't current on the vaccine, the state veterinarian can require an extended quarantine, and in some cases can move to euthanize the animal.A rabies titer does not substitute for vaccination in an exposure situation. It only shows immunity status at that moment and takes too long to come back to be useful in an active exposure.Rabies is not just a bat issue. Skunks, fox, and domestic animals can carry it too.Of all core vaccines, Dr. Angie ranks rabies as the one she'd keep no matter what, because it is uniformly fatal once symptomatic. FVRCP matters, but panleukopenia is the only component in that combo with comparable severity for cats.Common vaccine hesitancy around rabies (fear it affects the nervous system) misunderstands how the vaccine works. It's a fragment of virus prompting an antibody response, not an infection.Dr. Angie uses Purevax (Boehringer Ingelheim) for cats, administered below the knee, elbow, or in the tail, per current best practice for injection site.Soundbites "We've had two in the last year of our patients be exposed to bats, one confirmed rabies, we're waiting on the second one."  — Dr. Angie  "If your animal has been exposed to a rabid animal and they are not up to date on their vaccines, I mean they can try to force you to euthanize your animal."  — Dr. Angie  "It's a peace of mind vaccine because rabies is fatal."  — JoJo "This is no shade to bats. Yes. Like they do so much."   — Dr. Angie  "Well, I think there's like this trend right now to not vaccinate for rabies."  — JoJo Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

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About

Welcome to Tails of Truth, the podcast where holistic veterinarian Dr. Angie Krause and her co-host, veterinary nurse JoJo, bring you candid, light-hearted conversations about pet health, veterinary medicine, and everything in-between. Whether you're a pet parent or a veterinary professional, this is your judgment-free space for real answers, practical problem-solving, and the kind of grounded guidance that helps you advocate confidently for the animals you love. From integrative treatments and preventive care to hot-button topics, tough diagnoses, and the emotional reality of pet parenting, we cover it all with clinical expertise, empathy, open minds, and curiosity. This show takes the discussion beyond the exam room and elevates the way we care for animals. Make yourself a cup of tea and press play.  This is the kind of exchange you'd want to have with a trusted friend who just happens to be a veterinarian. We're so glad you're here! 

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