Wag Out Loud Krista Karpowich

Hello everyone this is Krista with Episode #176 on the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. As much as we sometimes want to hug a dog, animal psychologists say that dogs can be stressed and unhappy when they're hugged. And it's because they see having a limb thrown over them as a sign of dominance. They'll show that stress by licking their lips, looking away, or folding their ears. So maybe go for a belly rub or a butt scratch over a hug whenever you want to show your dog some love.

Welcome to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast, where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition, and overall wellbeing. If you'd like to support the show, check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode.

Karen Pedersen is a content writer and passionate dog owner from Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she lives with her husband Scott, dogs Tico and Taco, and Cocoa the cat. She has been involved in dog rescue since 2005 and has a soft spot for fostering dogs who need surgery or have other medical issues. She is currently learning more than she ever wanted to about dog reactivity in order to help one of her rescue dogs, Tico, and has made slow but sure progress and is so proud of him! In her spare time, she travels to visit her four grown children and drags her husband out to the Rocky Mountains to hike and try out the local breweries.

Hello, dog lovers! I am so glad that you're here to learn about how to balance natural versus conventional options for your dog. And to cover this topic today, I have Karen Pedersen. Karen, thank you so much for being on the show.

Thank you very much for having me. I'm just excited to be a part of it.

Let's start this conversation. Well, why don't you introduce yourself and tell us why you wanted to cover this topic of natural versus conventional options?

Sure. Well, as you said, my name is Karen and I am a dog lover since I can remember. I’ve got two dogs right now, I have fostered many, many, many dogs over the years. And it just took me on this journey of learning about different options for treating medical issues or behavioral issues. And I eventually started a blog about it because it was hard to find information. And, you know, I wanted more community where we can share different things that work that aren't just the straight out of the textbook answer for something you might be dealing with with your dog.

Right? Well, when you say so much information, I think that is the problem with the internet these days is that you have so many differing opinions. How is the dog parent supposed to know what is best for my dog? Because it is just overwhelming.

It really is. It's overwhelming. And depending on where you are in your dog owning journey, you know, are you at the beginning where you think everything you read must be true and you need to do it? Or have you reached that stage in life where you're like, oh, there's different ways I can do this. They're all okay. And I need to find a way that works for me and works for my dog.

Exactly. Well, and that's exactly what we talk about here is we have to be our dogs’ advocates when it comes to their health and wellness. Absolutely. Well, why don't we start? How would you define natural pet ownership?

You know, I think natural pet ownership, it can mean so many things. It might be your approach to medical issues. You might be someone who tries a food change or supplement or acupuncture, instead of just going straight for a prescription medication for a medical issue. It could be your approach to training and behavior. Maybe you use things like decompression walks, or mentally stimulating toys or calling supplements. If your dog is reactive, and you're trying to work with that behavior, it could be your food choices. Some people want to feed their dogs home cooked meals or raw diets.

Hello there this is Krista with Episode # 175 on the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. Have you checked out all the amazing trusted brands that I highly recommend? These are products that I've researched and I've tried that I know, like and trust. Products that will help your dog to thrive. So just go to WagOutLoud.com and check out the trusted brands section. And I've negotiated discounts for most of the products, so why not see what can make a difference in your dog's life. And don't forget to also check out the resources page as well, because it's filled with some very important info for you and your dog.

Here are some interesting stats. The folks at the Dog Aging Project found that odds of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, also known as CCD increased 52% with each additional year of age. However, among dogs of the same age, those that were not active were 6.47 times more likely to suffer from CCD, compared to those that were very active. A trend seen in humans as well.

Welcome to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast, where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition, and overall wellbeing. If you'd like to support the show, check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode.

Dr Rob Silver graduated from Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1982, and began his practice of holistic medicine shortly thereafter. Dr Silver was a pioneer in the use of ozone, home prepared diets, acupuncture and Chinese herbs, and the use of nutraceuticals like turmeric, cannabis, CBD and medicinal mushrooms. Dr Silver is currently designing a full range of mushroom products for many of the conditions pets can suffer from, and for wellness for Real Mushrooms as their Chief Veterinary Officer.  Dr Silver has just completed his second book: The Healthy Pet Handbook: A Guide to the Use of Cannabis, CBD and mushrooms for Dogs Cats and Horses. Publication date pending.

Hello, dog lovers, we so appreciate you listening in as I chat with Dr. Rob Silver. And we are talking about There's a Mushroom for That. So Dr. Rob, if you wouldn't mind introducing yourself, and share how you started using medicinal mushrooms in your holistic veterinary practice.

Absolutely, Krista. Thank you so much for inviting me today so I can share some of my successes with your listeners. So I'm a I'm kind of an old timer. I graduated from Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 1982. And at the time, I thought I knew everything I needed to know to to do battle with all these awful diseases that our pets get. After a couple of years, I got frustrated with some of the chronic diseases, things like diabetes, or Cushings and cancer, you know, it's just were not really very well addressed by the stuff I learned in school. So I started reaching out to learn other things. And in the process, I learned about diet, nutrition and offered home, you know, home cooked meal recipes to my clients. I explored acupuncture, Chinese herbal, Western herbal medicine, used some nutraceuticals and and really was very comfortable with being able to help my patients so much better. So as I was trying to address cancer in my patients, I started using a mushroom for that. And that was many, many years ago, and I actually had to get the dried reishi mushroom and I had to fix it up myself the way we have to boil it in hot water to extract all the goodies that it contains. And I did see what I would say were good results. Did I cure cancer, No, but I saw quite a bit of benefit in terms of quality of life, and my patients living much longer than the oncologist had predicted. So that's really what got me started with this. And over the years, I've you know, I practice for 30-35 years. I retired from practice to help pet parents with their pets. And so as a result, I've wr

Hello everyone, this is Krista with Episode #174 on the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. Have you checked out all of the amazing trusted brands that I highly recommend? These are products that I've researched and I've tried, that I know like and trust. Products that will help your dog to thrive. So just go to WagOutLoud.com and check out the trusted brands section. And I've negotiated discounts for most of the products, so why not see what can make a difference in your dog's life? And don't forget to also check out the resources page as well, because it's filled with some very important info for both you and your dog.

Here's something I found interesting, the presence of a leash, the sex of a dog's owner and the sex of the dog itself all play a part in the aggressiveness of a dog when they're being walked. So dogs being walked by men are four times more likely to attack and bite another dog. Why is this? Well, it's because many dogs not only react to the behavior and posture of other dogs around them, but also to their people.

Welcome to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast, where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition, and overall wellbeing. If you'd like to support the show, check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode.

Nathan Dewsbury is a seasoned expert in the animal health and wellness industry, with a track record of launching successful product-focused companies. His unique blend of scientific and business development skills has been instrumental in developing, manufacturing, and commercializing innovative nutritional supplements and testing programs. His extensive experience includes participation in multi-national health testing programs and guiding product development from R&D stages to commercial launch, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the entire process. Nathan received his graduate degrees in science and business from Texas A&M University and has numerous scientific publications to his name.

Welcome dog lovers to yet a another informative Wag Out lLoud pawdcast episode. I am so excited to chat with Nathan Dewsbury and we are going to talk about applying science correctly for dogs. So Nate, thank you so much for being here today.

Oh happy to be here, Krista. So thank you.

Well, before we get started, if you could please introduce yourself and tell us when this passion for canine health started for you.

Oh, no worries. So I am one of the co-owners and founders of rogue pet science. And so we've been for me, I've been doing this for the better part of 12 years, but we've been publicly available for the better part of six years now. And, you know, I'm a scientist by trade, a lot of diverse background in production animals, solving health problems the world over. I'm also a business trained scientist as well. So I've ran labs, I've developed diagnostics to help develop early stage research for vaccine development, dog cancer development work with Texas A&M and lot more of the dog trainer I competed in protection sports, you know, I've kind of done it all. And this diverse background allows me to see not just health issues, but a lot of issues from a multiple points of view. So I'm very well rounded. So not very silonated in just one little area, though, I've been in multiple silos. And so early on during my early developmental time as a, as a trainer, training my dog competing with my dogs helping others with, you know, raw diet and all that conversions back in the in the late 1990s. That's really weird to say that. I was, you know, there were three books published on this topic. I mean, back when you had to read books. So, you know, I was doing this I was traveling with the dogs, living with them full time, you know, as we traveled multiple states, and really realized that, you know, there's so much more

Hey there! This is Krista with Episode #173 on the Wag Out Loud pawdcast and I think that you all know that your dog's urine contains markers, and that informs other dogs of their presence, their social standing and their sexual availability. But maybe you didn't know that male dogs lift their legs as high as they can, so they can distribute their message better, and allow their scent to travel further. And a study done a few years ago found that smaller dogs try to lift their legs even higher, so that they seem bigger to other dogs who may be around.

Welcome to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast, where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition, and overall wellbeing. If you'd like to support the show, check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode.

Daniel Schulof is an entrepreneur, activist, and science writer with a focus on exposing the conflicts of interest, bad faith, and shoddy science responsible for the chronic disease epidemics killing millions of pets every year. His 2016 book "Dogs, Dog Food, and Dogma" has been called "the most rigorous and probing canine nutrition book ever written" and his lectures and articles have been seen by hundreds of thousands of pet owners. He is the founder of KetoNatural Pet Foods and the Petfood Consumer Rights Council.

Welcome dog lovers to yet another informative Wag Out Loud pawdcast episode. And today I am thrilled to have Daniel Schulof here. And he's going to talk about Dogs, Dog Food and Dogma. And Daniel, first of all, I want to thank you for being with us. You know, it's been a while since we've had you on the schedule.

Yeah, look, the pleasure is home mine. I, you know, I've been fortunate enough to do more than a few podcasts interviews in my life. And I will tell you that you have the fullest calendar of any podcast host with whom I have ever dealt. And it's a credit to the work that you do. You have you have a full plate.

Yes, I do. Well, thank you, Daniel, I appreciate that. Why don't we get started by having you introduce yourself? And I'd love for you to share why are you so passionate about disrupting the canine nutrition space? Because you actually call out those who are totally misinformed.

Yeah, I mean, so by way of introduction, you're right. I'm, I wear a bunch of different hats. But they're all kind of in service of the same idea. And that idea is that the pet owning public has been misinformed in important ways about what the scientific record says about a variety of issues of serious importance pertaining to nutrition in dogs and cats. And that as a result of that there is harm accruing to the public, both to the pets. And of course, to the owners that love them and that are emotionally harmed when their animals get sick in unnecessary ways. Like I said, I wear a few different hats. Because I've got a pretty diverse background. And at the risk of patting myself on the back too much. I've got some diverse skills. I practiced law for a while I'm a lawyer. I've also started numerous entrepreneurial ventures, both for profit and nonprofit. And I've written a book and it's a big fat science book about veterinary nutrition stuff. And so as a result of all of that I've kind of got a unique knowledge base. And I like to think that I've got the unique skill set to make a difference on that issue that matters a lot to me. And so you know, I've founded a couple of companies, the most notable one is called Keto Natural Pet Foods. We Make Low Carb dog food. But yeah, I can tell you more about nonprofit stuff I could tell you about book stuff I can tell you about why all this matters so much to me, wherever you want me to take it.

Great. Well, that's why you're here with us today. And yes, you wrote the book. It's the same title as this episode, Dogs, Dog Food and Dogma

Hey there this is Krista with Episode #172 on the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. Have you checked out all of the amazing trusted brands that I highly recommend? These are products that I've tried on my dog Winston and that I know, like and trust. And these products will also help your dog to thrive. So just go to https://www.wagoutloud.com/ and check out the trusted brands section. And I've negotiated discounts for most of the products, so why not see what can make a difference in your dog's life.? And don't forget to also check out the resources page as well. It's filled with some very important information for you and your dog.

While we humans breathe in and breathe out the same way, our dogs breathe in through their nostrils and then out through their slits that are found on the sides of their noses. And this circulates air so that your pup is always bringing in new smells. And breeds like bloodhounds also have the advantage of floppy ears. And that pushes up new smells.

Welcome to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast, where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition, and overall wellbeing. If you'd like to support the show, check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode.

As an animal lover her entire life, Alex Roberts mission is to help every pet live their longest, happiest lives. She has been using holistic remedies on wildlife and pets since she was a young child, and now has 18 years of professional experience in the pet industry. After receiving her Clinical Pet Nutritionist certification, she started Healing Bay Pet Nutrition LLC to dive deeper into helping more pets benefit from the world of holistic modalities, especially those suffering from chronic disease.

Well, hello dog lovers, we are going to learn something new today as I chat with Alex Roberts about the 5 things you don't know about canine kidney disease. Alex, welcome to the show!

Hi, Krista. Thank you, I'm really excited to finally be here.

I know we set this up so long ago, and the day is here. And I can't wait to learn from you. So before we get started, I'm going to ask you to please introduce yourself. And tell us why you wanted to cover this topic of kidney disease on the show today.

Yeah, so my name is Alex Roberts. And I of course am a lifetime animal lover of all creatures great and small. But I became a certified clinical pet nutritionist a few years ago, and I started a business doing one on one consults with pet owners. And due to the nature of being a nutritionist, I see so much chronic disease. And it's chronic disease that from a holistic perspective is very preventable in a lot of ways. And many cases, from a conventional perspective, not necessarily. But with that holistic scope and through a holistic lens, we can do so much more to help these patients in chronic disease states. So that's why I'm here today is hopefully to help some more dogs and maybe cats because a lot of things are pretty similar across the board with the two. Hopefully help them live longer, healthier, happier lives.

That's what it's all about. Well, let's get into this. Kidney Failure is really an irreversible process. And studies show that one in 10 dogs suffer from kidney disease. So is it true that an early diagnosis can help your dog survive longer?

Can Kidney Disease be Cured?

Yes, I definitely agree with that statistic. It's something that I do see, I think, a disproportionately high amount of these cases. Again, just sort of because of the nature of being a nutritionist, I get all these chronic disease cases versus being a veterinary clinician, you're seeing chronic disease and acute disease. So like you know, viral infections, things like that. Those are most common things that would fall into the acute disease category, or injuries and as a nutritionist, I'm

Hello everyone, this is Krista with Episode #171 on the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. You know when you're on the couch and your dog stretches out next to you and lets out a long sigh? Well, that means that they're happy. They're soft vocalizations such as sighs and maybe some low groans, those are signs of contentment in dogs. So your dog snuggling up and sighing doesn't mean they're bored. It actually means that they feel safe and comfortable right by your side.

Welcome to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast, where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition, and overall wellbeing. If you'd like to support the show, check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode.

Hello dog lovers and thanks for tuning in to a another informative Wag Out Loud pawdcast episode. Today we have the pleasure of learning from Caragh Reilly, and she is going to chat with us about It's Not Just a Spa Day, but how therapeutic massage can actually benefit the health and mobility of dogs at every life stage. Caragh, thank you so much for being with us today. So appreciate it.

I'm so glad to be here. Thanks for having me.

Well, I want to first ask if you can please introduce yourself and share with us what got you interested in canine massage in the first place?

Absolutely. So I've been doing canine massage for just about 5-5 1/2 years now. I was in a corporate career for much of my life and felt that something was missing. I adopted my dog after about 10 years ago and it kind of reignited my passion for all things dog. And I decided that it was time to make a bit of a life change and find a career that felt a little bit more fulfilling and rewarding for me. So I took a little bit of a break from my corporate life, started taking some classes and found canine massage and just absolutely fell in love with the work.

And I'm sure Oscar is totally in love with you doing the massage.

He's not too disappointed.

Oh, that's so cool. Well, why don't we break it down? What exactly is canine massage because as we alluded to in the title, you know, we think of going to the spa. And there's different techniques, you know, it could be more fluff or more hardcore, like, you know, Swedish or Rolfing. So what exactly does that mean, when we talk about massage for our dogs?

What is Canine Massage?

Yeah, I mean, it can mean a lot of different things. And really, there's applications for massage for every dog at every stage of their life. But you know, while certainly massage has tremendous relaxation benefits, just like we know, when we go to the spa, I think sometimes we overlook the clinical benefits of bodywork, and how it really impacts the body not just emotionally in terms of triggering a relaxation state, but also physiologically helping address pain, helping address tension, and kind of providing benefits throughout the body and to every body system. I think it's a pretty incredible modality because it does impact every body system, and really can be used for almost any dog based on whatever they're going through both emotionally and physically.

Okay, and we're talking just about muscles, so soft tissue, right?

Soft tissue, I mean, but you know, that also includes muscle, connective tissue, like fascia in the body. So you know, all of that carries tension and is impacted by you know, whatever is going on in the body and from your health condition. So it's not just tension relief, but it increases circulation and has tons of other benefits, which I'm sure we'll get to talking about during this during this talk.

Well, I think we're there. So let's unpack some of those benefits.

Benefits of Canine Massage

Awesome. Yeah, I think that a lot of people when they think about massage for their dog, they probably naturally go towards addressing, you know, arthritis and