My Dog Is Better Than Your Dog

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:
Website: www.crystallotusvet.com

Instagram: @drlindseywendt

Botanical Bones:
Website: www.botanicalbones.com

Instagram: @botanicalbonesco

Discount Code: DRLILY15 for 15% off

Direct Discount Link: https://botanicalbones.com/discount/DRLILY15

FOLLOW:
Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com 
Integrative Pet Wellness Center on Instagram: @integrativepet 
Dr. Lily Chen on Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet 

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

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:
Dr. David Haworth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-haworth/

Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com Integrative Pet Wellness Center on Instagram: @integrativepet
Dr. Lily Chen on Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet 

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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.

RESOURCES:
Dog TV: dogtv.com
Embark Genomics: Breed identification and genetic health testing
Dr. David Haworth's longevity-focused pet podcast launching in 2026

FOLLOW:
Dr. David Haworth on LinkedIn: LinkedIn

Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com
Integrative Pet Wellness Center on Instagram: @integrativepet
Dr. Lily Chen on Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet

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I know what you're thinking. Wait, isn't this podcast about dogs? Yes. Yes it is. But today, we're doing something different because sometimes there's information so important, so lifesaving, that it doesn't matter if you're a dog person, a cat person, or both.
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:
🐾 Dr. Lisa's FIP White Paper – Free resource on diagnosing and treating FIP @DrLisaHolisticVet🐾
FOLLOW:
Dr. Lisa Fiorenza on Instagram: @drlisaholisticvet
Dr. Lisa Fiorenza on Facebook: facebook.com/doctorLisa 

Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com 
Integrative Pet Wellness Center on Instagram: @integrativepet
Dr. Lily Chen on Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet

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Have you ever noticed that when you're anxious, your dog seems anxious too? Or that you and your pet struggle with the same health issues — digestive problems, autoimmune diseases, even the same kind of anxiety? You're not imagining it.
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:
Practice name: Dragonfly Holistic Veterinary Care
Linktree: linktr.ee/DrLisaHolisticVet
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: facebook.com/DogtorLisa
Instagram: @drlisaholisticvet

Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com
Integrative Pet Wellness Center on Instagram: @integrativepet
Dr. Lily Chen on Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet 

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