Wag Out Loud

Dogs have an innate desire and need to chew. When you own a dog, you have two choices: give them something healthy to chew or let them find something to chew (ie your shoes, furniture). Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs, as it helps pups clean their teeth, exercise their jaws, and gives them something to do when they’re feeling bored. When I think of some chews, I have visions of cracked teeth, punctured gums or actual obstructions and these outcomes hurt your dog and can be very costly to fix. So, with all of the choices of chews, how do we know what’s best for our dogs?

Hello dog lovers!  Ready to learn something new today?  Our guests Steve Farrar and Lee Keller are going to talk about how to Unleash the Magic of Mushrooms for your dog.  Steve is considered to be a pioneer in the cultivation of many different species of exotic culinary and medicinal mushrooms and has been involved in mycology and mushroom production for over 30 years. And Lee Keller is a lifelong horsewoman and pet lover and has more than 15 years of experience in the Animal Health products field. Mushrooms are not plants, so what exactly are they? Some of us have heard that wild mushrooms can be toxic and even fatal to dogs.  So, should we just assume that ALL wild mushrooms are poisonous to our dogs? So, how do these phenomenal fungi help as medicine for our dogs? Is it true that they serve four major functions? What nutrients do they include? Which mushrooms are medicinal and the best for dogs? Can we break down each type, their benefits and how they are used to treat dogs? And do most people just feed these individually or is it best to just combine them? How are most of these grown? And like all of our food, is organic best? Are there any studies that have been done on the benefits of mushrooms and dogs? Tell us about Mushroom Matrix and how the company got started. And you have 6 different canine products?  Can you tell us about them? OFFER:  go to www.mushroommatrix.com and use discount code WOL for a 20% discount on your first order for any products for either people or for animals. Lee and Steve, where can everyone find out more information about you and Mushroom Matrix? www.mushroommatrix.com Social Media: FB & IG: @caninematrix @ommushrooms We appreciate our sponsor: Mushroom Matrix Just go to MushroomMatrix.com and be sure to use the code WOL to receive 10% off of your order Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for tuning in again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the Bark About it section. Or you can click on the social media buttons to share an episode. Special thanks to Lee and Steve for being on the show. Catch you next time! Also, don’t forget to Subscribe for FREE and please leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify I Stitcher I iHeartRADIO “The Wag Out Loud pawdcast is supported by listeners like you! The show started as a passion project that would help all of us make well-informed decisions for our dogs’ health and well-being. After many amazing guests, intriguing topics and incredible feedback, the WOL pawdcast is hitting a nerve. If you are interested in having your dog live healthier and longer and are finding value in this podcast, why not contribute to the show’s success? It would not be possible to consistently produce a quality show without the listener support that is received. Thanks to all of the dog lovers out there!”

Hello dog lovers! We are in for a real treat! With us is Gail Hamilton who is a powerful, inspirational and entertaining national speaker, author, performer, and facilitator, who is totally blind. She has sung in two operas, assisted in the building of her former Habitat for Humanity home, was crowned Ms. Colorado Senior America, and published her memoire, “Soaring into Greatness.” Gail has owned five Seeing Eye dogs and believes that if we change the way we see, we will change the way we live. Gail shares some important tips to teach us on how seeing people should interact with a blind person and their guide dog.

Hi there, dog lovers!  You’re crazy about your canines and so are we! Today we’re chatting with Harrison Forbes, who in a 30+ year career in pets, has been reaching pet lovers through tv, and has also served as a radio host, brand spokesperson, marketing advisor, new product launcher, book author and emcee for fundraisers in the pet industry.  Working with brands like Toyota, Mars, Purina, Petco, Natural Balance, Progressive, playcore, Petsafe and many more, Harrison has met all kinds of pet parents, and as a behaviorist, has helped thousands of listeners over 18 years on his Syndicated radio show that was known as Pet Talk. He has been on over 50 national tv shows like Today, The View, Regis and Kelly, Fox News, CNN etc. Harrison, what do you mean by the statement that longevity for our dogs is both a gift and a curse? Harrison, how do you define a supplement? In your opinion, do most dogs need supplements? Many veterinarians will say, “Healthy dogs who are eating high-quality, nutritionally complete and balanced dog foods won’t really benefit from most nutritional supplements, particularly vitamins and minerals that are already present in their diets at the appropriate level”.  What do you say to that statement? When it comes to nutrients, what are most dogs lacking in their diet? What are some of the things that people give supplements for?  What issues are they trying to treat? So, share with us how and why Immune-D came to be. Why is it in liquid form? So, if we’re giving supplements in pill or powder form, we’re pretty much wasting our money? What was learned from your clinical studies? If we feed a whole, fresh diet or raw food diet, would our dogs still need additional supplements? And if a dog’s body doesn’t need each and every nutrient in Immune-D, will their body just eliminate it?  Is there any way that they could get too much of a certain vitamin or mineral? Can you share the differences that people see after adding Immune-D to their dog’s diet? OFFER:  Use code WOL to receive 25% off of your order AND there is free shipping in the 48 contiguous states by ordering from https://immune-d.com/ Harrison, where can everyone find out more information about you and Immune-D? https://immune-d.com/ https://www.harrisonforbes.com/ FB: @ImmuneDfordogs IG: @immune_Dfordogs We appreciate our sponsor: Immune-D Just go to Immune-D.com and be sure to use the code WOL to receive 25% off of your order AND there is free shipping in the 48 contiguous states Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for tuning in again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the Bark About it section. Or you can click on the social media buttons to share an episode. Special thanks to Harrison Forbes for being on the show. Catch you next time! Also, don’t forget to Subscribe for FREE and please leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify I Stitcher I iHeartRADIO “The Wag Out Loud pawdcast is supported by listeners like you! The show started as a passion project that would help all of us make well-informed decisions for our dogs’ health and well-being. After many amazing guests, intriguing topics and incredible feedback, the WOL pawdcast is hitting a nerve. If you are interested in having your dog live healthier and longer and are finding value in this podcast, why not contribute to the show’s success? It would not be possible to consistently produce a quality show without the listener support that is received. Thanks to all of the dog lovers out there!”

Hello Dog Lovers! Thanks for being here to be a part of the interview with our friend Steve Lankfer. Steve is a 30-year professional dog trainer, who works with multiple Humane Society locations, independent 'no kill' shelters and doggie-day care businesses. He also travels nationwide doing dog training sessions and has created the SpeakDog program, a philosophy where dog owners learn the true 'language' of canines that includes tone, timing and consistency. In 2000 Steve founded Downtown Dog Training, LLC and recently wrote How I Learned to SpeakDog! an international best-seller in five dog/pet categories in nine countries. Steve, what makes your program so effective and different than other trainers? You have the claim that we can all have a dog 100% obedient 100% of the time? How is that possible? What is the essence of Speak Dog!? Thoughts on treats, prong collars and ecollars? What’s the average amount of time a dog parent would need to put into to work on their tone, timing and consistency? When can we see results? You have the Seven Sacred Ways. Can you touch on one of them to give us an idea of how impactful they are? Do training methods differ for puppies vs older dogs? Are there different methods of working with aggressive vs traumatized dogs? OFFER: Use the code WOL to receive 20% off the Basic or Full Subscriptions by going to https://www.speakdogleadershiptraining.com/ Steve, where can everyone find out more information about you and Speak Dog!? Main website: https://www.learnhowtospeakdog.com/

Welcome dog lovers! Here to chat with us about a very important topic is Sam Huttenbauer. Ever the believer that we need to leave our world a better place than when we entered it, Sam has devoted the last 20 years of his life to developing a highly sustainable plant, Camelina, from which he has produced a number of game-changing products. His current passion: NatrixOne focuses on improving the lives and wellbeing of dogs via his novel CamOlive that provides powerful joint and skin/coat relief via an easy-to-use, affordable, and importantly- very sustainable plant-based supplement. Sam is a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Business School and serves as the Vice President of the Board of Harvard Alumni in Animal Health. How do you think this demand for environmentally friendly products is impacting products specifically in the dog industry? Let’s talk about fish oil. Many people feed fish oil to their dogs because of the omega-3 fats that fish oil contains, specifically the DHA and EPA. But the impact of straining our already over-fished oceans is devastating. Can you speak to that? Besides the fatty acids, fish oil is relatively devoid of key nutrients right? And many fish oil products are heat processed, is that correct? What specifically are the health benefits of omega-3 fats? Ok, so instead of raping our oceans, you saw a better way of providing quality omega-3s to our dogs. Why don’t your share your story on how NatrixOne came to be. It contains Camelina. What is that? So, what is CamOlive? Besides, saving our oceans, why are plant-based supplements better? And NatrixOne doesn’t need to be refrigerated? What are your clients saying about the differences they see in their dogs after feeding NatrixOne? I have to ask…is there a human equivalent product to NatrixOne? So, as we wrap up, the main benefit of supplementing with NatrixOne is that it’s a super anti-inflammatory and we all know that inflammation is the #1 cause of dis-ease. What would you like to leave us with? OFFER: Go to https://natrixone.com/ and use the code WOL for 10% off of your first order (includes a 30-day guarantee). Sam, where can everyone find out more information about you and NatrixOne? https://natrixone.com/ Social Media: FB & IG: @natrixone We appreciate our sponsor: NatrixOne As a Wag out Loud listener you can use code WOL at checkout to get 10% off your order! Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for tuning in again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the Bark About it section. Or you can click on the social media buttons to share an episode. Special thanks to Sam Huttenbauer for being on the show. Catch you next time! Also, don’t forget to Subscribe for FREE and please leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify I Stitcher I iHeartRADIO “The Wag Out Loud pawdcast is supported by listeners like you! The show started as a passion project that would help all of us make well-informed decisions for our dogs’ health and well-being. After many amazing guests, intriguing topics and incredible feedback, the WOL pawdcast is hitting a nerve. If you are interested in having your dog live healthier and longer and are finding value in this podcast, why not contribute to the show’s success? It would not be possible to consistently produce a quality show without the listener support that is received. Thanks to all of the dog lovers out there!” The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a veterinarian, licensed nutritionist or other qualified professional. The host as well as guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experience and conclusions, and Wag Out Loud LLC neither endorses or opposes any particular views discussed here.

Welcome to the Show Dog Lovers!  Today we have the privilege of chatting with Dr. Emily Stein, PhD, who developed TEEF prebiotic dental technology after she nearly lost close family members to illness directly linked to dental disease. After leaving Stanford University, she combined her 15 years of experience in microbiology and molecular nutrition to develop some of the safest, most groundbreaking solutions for managing the root cause of dental disease.  Dr. Emily, is the current statistic still that by the age of three, 80% of all dogs will have some degree of gum disease?  We’ve all been hearing a lot about the gut microbiome and maybe some of us weren’t aware that ourselves and our dogs have a separate oral microbiome.  Can you tell us more? How are the bacterial strains different in the mouth vs the gut? Is it the bacteria that actually cause the plaque and tarter? And most bacteria lives under the gumline? What is the actual cause of bad breath in dogs? Beyond bad breath, what other areas of the body can be affected by gum disease? Do you find dogs fed diets higher in carbs and starches to have a different oral biome?  Can you dive a little deeper into this topic? And saliva plays an important role as well, right? I think I saw somewhere that Seaweed and Goat Milk address the cause of mouth bacteria in dogs?  Is that true? How was TEEF developed and how does it actually work? What are the ingredients? Does it have a smell or taste?  In other words, do most dogs enjoy it? How often does the water bowl, with TEEF need to be changed? If someone used TEEF and brushes their dogs teeth daily, would we still need to get regular dental cleanings? And there are studies on the effectiveness of TEEF.  Can you share the results? And your team is partnering with our friends at AnimalBiome for oral health testing?  Could you share more about that?  If you’d like to look into the AnimalBiome oral health testing be sure to use the code WOL-20 for 20% off  OFFER: Want to improve your dog’s oral microbiome?  Want to try TEEF?  Use promo code WOLP for 20% off your first order at TEEFhealth.com  Dr. Emily, where can everyone find out more information about you, Primal Health and TEEF?  TEEFhealth.com Social Media: FB & IG: @teefhealth We appreciate our sponsor: TEEF As a Wag out Loud listener you can use code WOLP for 20% off your first order! Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for tuning in again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the Bark About it section. Or you can click on the social media buttons to share an episode. Special thanks to Dr. Emily Stein for being on the show. Catch you next time! Also, don’t forget to Subscribe for FREE and please leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify I Stitcher I iHeartRADIO “The Wag Out Loud pawdcast is supported by listeners like you! The show started as a passion project that would help all of us make well-informed decisions for our dogs’ health and well-being. After many amazing guests, intriguing topics and incredible feedback, the WOL pawdcast is hitting a nerve. If you are interested in having your dog live healthier and longer and are finding value in this podcast, why not contribute to the show’s success? It would not be possible to consistently produce a quality show without the listener support that is received. Thanks to all of the dog lovers out there!” The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a veterinarian, licensed nutritionist or other qualified professional. The host as well as guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experience and conclusions, and Wag Out Loud LLC neither endorses or opposes any particular views discussed here.

Hi dog lovers!  I am so excited to have THE Dr. Marty Goldstein on today’s show!  He is a notable integrative veterinarian, author and founder of Dr. Marty Pets™. As a leader in the field of veterinary medicine, Dr. Marty combines elements of traditional medicine with nutrition, immune support and alternative treatments that have yielded miraculous results for countless numbers of pets from around the world. Dr Marty and his innovative practices are the subject of a new documentary, Dog Doc, available on Amazon Prime. I’ve watched it and it is so well done!  He is also the acclaimed author of The Nature of Animal Healing: The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to Caring for Your Dog and Cat and a brand new book due out this coming February, The Spirit of Animal Healing. Is the latest stat that one in four dogs will get cancer in their lifetime and over half of dogs over 10 die from cancer? Dr. Marty can you first simplify what exactly is cancer? Why does a cancer cell grow? Why are the cancer rates in dogs increasing?  Causes? Dr. Marty recommended that you find a local integrative vet if your suspect your dog has cancer by going to https://www.ahvma.org/  Watch https://dogdocthefilm.com/ Dr. Marty, where can everyone find out more information about you and Dr. Marty Pets? https://drmartypets.com/  FB & IG: @DrMartyPets We appreciate our sponsor: NatrixOne As a Wag out Loud listener you can use code WOL at checkout to get 10% off your order! Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for tuning in again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the Bark About it section. Or you can click on the social media buttons to share an episode. Special thanks to Dr. Marty Goldstein for being on the show. Catch you next time! Also, don’t forget to Subscribe for FREE and please leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify I Stitcher I iHeartRADIO “The Wag Out Loud pawdcast is supported by listeners like you! The show started as a passion project that would help all of us make well-informed decisions for our dogs’ health and well-being. After many amazing guests, intriguing topics and incredible feedback, the WOL pawdcast is hitting a nerve. If you are interested in having your dog live healthier and longer and are finding value in this podcast, why not contribute to the show’s success? It would not be possible to consistently produce a quality show without the listener support that is received. Thanks to all of the dog lovers out there!” The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a veterinarian, licensed nutritionist or other qualified professional. The host as well as guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experience and conclusions, and Wag Out Loud LLC neither endorses or opposes any particular views discussed here.

Welcome dog lovers!  This is a very exciting episode because we are going to be geeking out about dogs with Kimberly Gauthier, who is a dog mom to four and founder of Keep the Tail Wagging, a lifestyle blog about raw feeding and life as a dog mom.  Her foray into raw feeding spawned healthy dogs, a personal lifestyle change, and two books about raw feeding that are available on Amazon. You’ve had a blog about raw feeding and nutrition for about 9 years now right?  Can you tell us how your journey started? Through the years, what are some of the most important things that you’ve learned about canine nutrition? Do you think more and more people are ditching the processed food and changing the way they feed their dogs? I thought it would be fun to talk about some of the myths we hear when it comes to raw feeding and get your reaction to each (True or False?): 1.   Dogs will become aggressive and bloodthirsty killers 2.   Raw feeding will make dogs sick from harmful bacteria 3.     Cooked meat is more nutritious than raw 4.     A Raw Meat Diet Isn’t A Balanced Diet 5.     Feeding A Raw Meat Diet Is Time Consuming And Complicated 6.    Most Dog Owners Can’t Afford To Feed Raw Any thoughts on air dried or freeze dried raw? Thoughts on adding supplements to a raw diet? Being in this space of raw nutrition for dogs for so long, what is your biggest takeaway that you’d like to leave our listeners with? Where you can find out more information about Kimberly and Keep the Tail Wagging: https://keepthetailwagging.com/ Social Media: FB: @keepthetailwagging IG: @keepthetailwagging_kimg We appreciate our sponsor: BakedBones® As a Wag out Loud listener you can use code WAG15 for 15% off of your order! Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for tuning in again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the Bark About it section. Or you can click on the social media buttons to share an episode. Special thanks to Kimberly for being on the show. Catch you next time! Also, don’t forget to Subscribe for FREE and please leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify I Stitcher I iHeartRADIO “The Wag Out Loud pawdcast is supported by listeners like you! The show started as a passion project that would help all of us make well-informed decisions for our dogs’ health and well-being. After many amazing guests, intriguing topics and incredible feedback, the WOL pawdcast is hitting a nerve. If you are interested in having your dog live healthier and longer and are finding value in this podcast, why not contribute to the show’s success? It would not be possible to consistently produce a quality show without the listener support that is received. Thanks to all of the dog lovers out there!”

Welcome dog lovers!  I think we’re all going to learn something on today’s show because with me is Kate Titus.  She is a mobility specialist. Kate provides orthotics, prosthetics, wheelchairs, and swim and fitness programs for dogs of all ages at her facility, A Loyal Companion, located in Tucson, Arizona. Kate is a Certified Canine Fitness Trainer (CCFT), FitPAWS Master Trainer (FPMT), and Certified Canine Therapeutic and Sports Massage Therapist (CTMT, CSMT).  She is also the author of the A Loyal Companion book series. What are a dog’s basic emotions? Do they express all of their emotions through body language? What is emotional experience of pain and why is it so common for dogs to hide their pain? How do emotions affect quality of life? What can we do to help restore their confidence in movement? If we see mobility issues with our dog, what is the first thing we need to do?  Or who do we see? What do you see most often with dogs and mobility issues? Is there a right way and wrong way to lift a dog? How can we reinforce positive emotions from our dogs vs negative? How would we find a mobility specialist in our area? Kate mentioned the Help Em Up Harness Kate, where can everyone find out more information about you and A Loyal Companion?  https://aloyalcompanion.com/ OFFER:  20% discount on any of the Canine Mobility Resource Center courses by using the code WOL at https://aloyalcompanion.com/classes-and-seminars/ Social Media: FB: @aloyalcompanion

Hello Dog Lovers!  We are so glad that you’re here!  Joining us is. Dr. Linda Messinger who has been board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Dermatology since 1993 and has been in specialty practice at the VRCC Specialty and Emergency Hospital outside of Denver, CO since 1995. She is one of approximately 300 board certified dermatologists in North America and her pet family includes dogs, goldfish, a guinea pig, and too many cats.  Is it true that as many as 20 percent of dogs have some form of ear disease? Would you say that itchiness is the #1 reason you see patients?  And are ear infections a close second? And I understand that dogs are more prone to ear infections than humans because of the shape of their ear canals.  Can you elaborate? Let’s start with the main causes of ear infections. Since allergies are a main cause of ear infections, what are the most common allergens? And I assume that dogs that swim often are more prone? What are the signs of ear infection? And these infections are pretty painful right? Is it more common to have an ear infection in just one ear or both? Can you talk about the different types of ear infections? If left untreated, what can happen? So, what are the steps that you go through to narrow down the actual cause of ear infections? Are there certain diets or food that make dogs more susceptible? What can we do at home to prevent ear infections? Should we be trimming or plucking hair inside the ears? Dr. Messinger, what final words would you like to leave us with regarding ear infections? Dr. Messinger mentioned the American College of Veterinary Dermatology: https://www.acvd.org/ Dr. Messinger, where can everyone find out more information about you and VRCC?  https://www.vrcc.com/medical-services/dermatology-and-allergies/ SOCIAL MEDIA: FB and IG: @VRCCvet We appreciate our sponsor: AnimalBiome Just go to AnimalBiome.com and be sure to use the code WOL-20 to receive 20% off of your order Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for tuning in again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the Bark About it section. Or you can click on the social media buttons to share an episode. Special thanks to Dr. Messinger for being on the show. Catch you next time! Also, don’t forget to Subscribe for FREE and please leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify I Stitcher I iHeartRADIO “The Wag Out Loud pawdcast is supported by listeners like you! The show started as a passion project that would help all of us make well-informed decisions for our dogs’ health and well-being. After many amazing guests, intriguing topics and incredible feedback, the WOL pawdcast is hitting a nerve. If you are interested in having your dog live healthier and longer and are finding value in this podcast, why not contribute to the show’s success? It would not be possible to consistently produce a quality show without the listener support that is received. Thanks to all of the dog lovers out there!”

With me is Hannah Knock, an Advanced Clinician in Nutrition Response Testing at Inside Health as well as an Emotion Code Therapist for her own company Eight Sages Wellness. She is passionate about improving the quality of life for humans and their furry family members through holistic health modalities.  Before we get into Kinesiology, what do you do as an emotion code therapist? Why don’t we start with what exactly is kinesiology? Is kinesiology on dogs different from that on humans? Are you primarily looking for areas of stress in a dog’s body? What are the stresses that you most typically find? And you can actually identify the nature of certain emotions and which part of the brain is triggering it? Does the dog need to physically be with you for treatment or can energy work be done from a distance? And you do muscle testing specifically focusing on nutrition as well?  How does that work?       Are you really assessing each of the organs? What would you find that most veterinarians would miss? What does a session with you actually look like? How did you get into this line of work and is it easy to find a practitioner who does this energy work Is there anything that we can do at home to do energy work on our dogs or does it all have to be done by an expert? Is there one success story that comes to mind that you can share? Hannah, as we wrap up, what would you like to leave us with when it comes to energy work on our dogs? Hannah mentioned the book: The Emotion Code Hannah, where can everyone find out more information about you and Eight Sages Wellness?  https://www.eightsageswellness.com/ OFFER: Hannah is offering 15% off any package of 3 sessions when mentioning this Wag Out Loud podcast! And that offer is good for anyone here in the US. SOCIAL MEDIA: FB and IG: @eightsageswellness

Hello Dog Lovers!  It’s an honor to have Dr. Heidi Lobprise as our guest today.  She has been in veterinary practice in the Dallas Fort Worth area for over 30 years, with most of that time as a dental specialist. Many of her patients are referrals from general practitioners, with a large percentage of them in their ‘senior’ years.  She is the author/co-author of three dental texts, has written many chapters and articles and has lectured internationally. I think that you wanted to focus mainly on why we shouldn’t ignore our Senior Dog’s Teeth right? Are there any differences with older dog’s teeth? More extractions?  What if someone doesn’t want to put their dog through extractions? With teeth missing, some might think it will be hard for their dog to chew food. I think a lot of people might not get dental cleanings done on a senior dog because of anesthesia concerns.  What are your thoughts on that? Are there any risks? What preanesthetic evaluations are recommended in senior dogs? Which anesthetic protocols will minimize anesthesia risks in older dogs? Are there different anesthetic drugs? Is it true that oral tumors are seen more commonly in older dogs than in younger patients? And that many times these tumors cannot be detected on an awake patient, because the dog will not permit a thorough oral exam? What can we do at home to care for our senior dog’s teeth (really for any age of dog)? Do you want to talk about how a health or unhealthy mouth effects your dog’s overall health? What are your thoughts on anesthesia free dental cleanings? What are some signs of gum disease? Is it true that small-breed dogs are at the highest risk of dental disease? Why is that? Water additives, chews, toys that clean teeth? Resources mentioned by Dr. Heidi on products to care for your dog’s teeth at home:  https://avdc.org/  and http://vohc.org/ Dr. Heidi, where can everyone find out more information about you and your practice?  http://www.mainstreetpets.com/ We appreciate our sponsor: Wolf Spring Just go to WolfSpring.dog and be sure to use the code WOL to receive 20% off of your order Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for tuning in again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the Bark About it section. Or you can click on the social media buttons to share an episode. Special thanks to Dr. Lobprise for being on the show. Catch you next time! Also, don’t forget to Subscribe for FREE and please leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify I Stitcher I iHeartRADIO “The Wag Out Loud pawdcast is supported by listeners like you! The show started as a passion project that would help all of us make well-informed decisions for our dogs’ health and well-being. After many amazing guests, intriguing topics and incredible feedback, the WOL pawdcast is hitting a nerve. If you are interested in having your dog live healthier and longer and are finding value in this podcast, why not contribute to the show’s success? It would not be possible to consistently produce a quality show without the listener support that is received. Thanks to all of the dog lovers out there!”

Hi Dog Lovers!  Glad that you’ve joined us today!  Our special guest, Lori Busi is the owner of Advantage Insurance Solutions, an Independent agency in Denver, Colorado. When Lori’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her Husband, kids and fur babies. Lori, I read that in Sweden, about 60 percent of cats and dogs have medical insurance, in the U.K., 27 to 28 percent of pets have medical insurance, but in the United States and Canada, less than 1 percent of pet dogs and cats have medical insurance.  Why do you think that is? I would think that purchasing pet insurance is often motivated by a combination of love and fear, and really it’s like placing a bet that disaster will strike someday. So, just like any insurance, it’s kind of like gambling.  How do we know if it’s right for us? Do we need to ask ourselves if we are the type of owner who would pursue all possible avenues to save our dog vs if we are someone more likely to forgo treatments that would seem overly invasive or heroic? Is it true that some insurance plans exclude things like cancer or hip dysplasia?  Could you pay extra to add a rider to your policy?  Do they typically cover pre-existing conditions? Are there policies that reimburse you for well-pet services like spay or neuter, annual bloodwork, vaccines or dental cleanings?  Is there such a thing as an HSA account? Can you usually go to any veterinarian, including emergency and specialty clinics, and use your policy? How can you determine which pet insurance company is the best fit? What are the factors that determine the cost of a policy? Do the premiums go up as your dog ages? What about a multiple pet household?  Do most companies offer discounts? I understand that there are some employers in the United States that offer pet health insurance benefits, so maybe check and see if that is a voluntary benefit that is offered? If someone does not have pet insurance, would another option be to put money away each month? Lori, where can everyone find out more information about you and Advantage Insurance Solutions? https://www.teamais.net/ OFFER:  For anyone in the U.S., by requesting a pet insurance quote by going to the https://www.teamais.net/ website, just enter code WOL and get $5 off your first month’s premium.  NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. On Social Media: https://twitter.com/yourteam_ais https://www.facebook.com/yourteamAIS/ https://www.instagram.com/yourteam_ais/ https://www.pinterest.ph/yourteam_ais/ We appreciate our sponsor: Immune-D Just go to Immune-D.com and be sure to use the code WOL to receive 25% off of your order AND there is free shipping in the 48. contiguous states Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for tuning in again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the Bark About it section. Or you can click on the social media buttons to share an episode. Special thanks to Lori for being on the show. Catch you next time! Also, don’t forget to Subscribe for FREE and please leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify I Stitcher I iHeartRADIO “The Wag Out Loud pawdcast is supported by listeners like you! The show started as a passion project that would help all of us make well-informed decisions for our dogs’ health and well-being. After many amazing guests, intriguing topics and incredible feedback, the WOL pawdcast is hitting a nerve. If you are interested in having your dog live healthier and longer and are finding value in this podcast, why not contribute to the show’s success? It would not be possible to consistently produce a quality show without the listener support that is received. Thanks to all of the dog lovers out there!”

Hello Dog Lovers!  Our guest for today’s episode is J. C. Ski, aka Joe Wateski; author and creator of Frankie – The BIGGEST Dog That Ever Was.  In addition to being a successful children’s book author, Joe has become something of an authority on life with dogs in general, and he’s here today to share some of his insights on dog health and longevity.  So, Joe tell us a little about the real dog that inspired the story.  Frankie lived a very long life. What are the things that you think contributed to Frankie living so long? In my mind, there are several things that we as dog parents can do to increase the chances of our dogs living longer and help set them up for success. So, your best friend was by your side for so many wonderful years.  How on earth were you able to say goodbye? What advice can you give others on how to know it’s the right time to say goodbye? What was it about Frankie that stole your heart? Can you share the feelings you went through getting a new dog after having such a strong bond with Frankie? Joe, where can everyone find out more information about you and your book Frankie – The BIGGEST Dog That Ever Was? www.dogsrgoodpeople.com  OFFER: Use code WAG for $2 off each signed copy when ordering from www.dogsrgoodpeople.com  We appreciate our sponsor: Frankie – The BIGGEST Dog That Ever Was Order your copy today and use the code WAG to receive 10% off your entire purchase. Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for tuning in again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the Bark About it section. Or you can click on the social media buttons to share an episode. Special thanks to Joe for being on the show. Catch you next time! Also, don’t forget to Subscribe for FREE: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify I Stitcher I iHeartRADIO “The Wag Out Loud pawdcast is supported by listeners like you! The show started as a passion project that would help all of us make well-informed decisions for our dogs’ health and well-being. After many amazing guests, intriguing topics and incredible feedback, the WOL pawdcast is hitting a nerve. If you are interested in having your dog live healthier and longer and are finding value in this podcast, why not contribute to the show’s success? It would not be possible to consistently produce a quality show without the listener support that is received. Thanks to all of the dog lovers out there!”