The Pet Parenting Reset

Raw meat isn’t the same as blood, says Geoff Bowers of Totoniks. We caught up at Super Zoo to talk about why he built a venison blood topper for dogs and cats, what whole blood carries that muscle meat doesn’t, and his take on protein, IGF-1, and keeping nutrients in a natural form. We also get a first look at Blood Buds, his cold-pressed training treats due at the end of October, a peek at what’s...

Canned food is a big upgrade from kibble. It's also not where the journey ends. Sabrina Simmons, founder of RAWR – Eat Like a Lion, joins me to talk about why cats are built for raw and how to make the move without a standoff at the food bowl. Then we hit the parts department: organs and secondary cuts add variety to a cat's bowl, and they're the building blocks of DIY raw meals for do...

Dr. Josie Beug returns to unpack TCVM's Five Elements — the ancient framework behind acupuncture, herbal medicine, and food therapy. We dig into Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal, why nervous system regulation shapes your dog's behavior more than most people realize, and how bioenergetic testing fits into a truly holistic approach. This is TCVM made practical, not just philosophical. 🐶...

You don't have to choose between trusting your vet and trusting your instincts — but figuring out how to hold both at once is harder than anyone tells you. Dr. Katie Kangas — DVM, CVA, CVCP, and founder of Integrative Veterinary Care — returns to The Pet Parenting Reset to talk about the pet parent-veterinarian relationship, and specifically, how to navigate it when you're leaning holistic...

Herbs aren't a weaker version of medicine — they're a different paradigm entirely, and almost nobody explains that better than Greg Tilford. As one of the most respected voices in veterinary herbalism, author of multiple books on the subject, and a driving force behind bringing herbal medicine into mainstream animal care, Greg joins The Pet Parenting Reset to talk about what it actually me...

Feng shui isn't just about furniture placement — it's about energy, and your pet is picking up on it whether you realize it or not. Amanda Gibby Peters, founder of Simple Shui, joins The Pet Parenting Reset to break down what feng shui actually means in practical, non-complicated terms, and why it applies just as much to your dog or cat's wellbeing as your own. We get into how animals...

There's a federal deadline coming that could change access to full-spectrum hemp products for pets — and most pet parents have no idea it's happening. I brought Sean Zyer, founder of Earth Buddy, back on the show to break down what's actually going on, because even people paying attention are confused by how fast this has moved. We get into how we got here — the rise of intoxicating, s...

Big Pet Food is having a moment — and not exactly a flattering one. In this solo episode, I break down two connected stories: Hill's, Royal Canin, and Blue Buffalo all rolling out fresh/refrigerated food lines this year, and the latest development in the ongoing lawsuit between KetoNatural Pet Foods and Hill's Pet Nutrition over the grain-free DCM scare. I walk through what's actually...

Cherie Calbom — "The Juice Lady," bestselling nutrition author, and co-author of the new book The Truth About Seed Oils — joins me to break down exactly what's in that bottle of "vegetable oil" and why it's not what the name implies. We trace seed oils back to their actual origin (machine lubricant, not food) and how they ended up marketed as heart-healthy after WWII sh...

Is homeopathy actually legitimate, or is it just expensive water? Dr. Katie Kangas — DVM, CVA, CVCP, and founder of Integrative Veterinary Care in San Diego — joins The Pet Parenting Reset to demystify one of the most misunderstood corners of holistic pet care. We get into what homeopathy actually is (hint: it's not the same thing as herbalism, and it's definitely not "just placebo&qu...

Sound Healing for Dogs: Fascia, Tuning Forks & Natural Mobility Your dog's stiffness, limping, or "getting old" symptoms might not be what you think. Dr. Laurie McCauley — DVM, board-certified in Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the vet who designed the first underwater treadmill for dogs — joins The Pet Parenting Reset to talk about fascia: the connective tissue we...

ReWilding your pet’s health starts with ReWilding you as a guardian. In this special solo episode of The Pet Parenting Reset, Jess pulls back the curtain on how the show is evolving as she leans fully into the Wild Wellness ReWilding model. You’ll hear why the old, conventional approach to pet “health” is failing so many animals, and how a return to nature—through species‑appropriate nutrition, en...

This episode explores what it really means to help our dogs live longer, healthier lives—starting with the basics of what they eat and the world they live in. Dr. Kevin Toman shares his perspective as a veterinarian on the power of fresh food, reducing toxins, and making everyday choices that can add quality years for our dogs. We also get into the emerging world of lifespan‑extending pharmaceutic...

This conversation dives into an unexpected but eye‑opening question: what can a rat specialist teach us about our dogs? My guest works in rodent control using only holistic methods and essential oils, and through years of observing rats up close, he’s noticed striking parallels between how rats and dogs respond to stress, toxins, and their environments. We talk about why “pests” are often sensitiv...

This conversation dives into the powerful connection between your wellbeing and your animal’s. Jody Teiche shares how her work as a pet health coach naturally expanded into supporting humans too, and why real transformation happens when we look at both ends of the leash. You’ll hear how stress, lifestyle, mindset, and emotional health in guardians can show up as issues in their pets, plus simple w...

How to Help Your Pets Naturally: Homeopathy & Real Food with Jan Allegretti is a deep‑dive into what it really looks like to support animals holistically, day in and day out. In this episode, Jan shares insights from more than 35 years of helping dogs and cats using homeopathy, nutrition, and a whole‑animal perspective. We talk about why real, species‑appropriate food is such a powerful founda...

Omega‑3 Testing Explained: What a High Omega‑6 to Omega‑3 Ratio Reveals About Inflammation In this episode, Jess sits down with Tavis Piatoly from OmegaQuant to unpack what your omega‑3 test results are actually telling you—and why a high omega‑6 to omega‑3 ratio can quietly fuel chronic inflammation in both humans and animals. Together, they break down how tests like the omega‑3 index work, what...

Holistic or Just Hype? How Pet Parents Can Do Better with Angela Ardolino is a straight‑talk episode about navigating the wild west of “natural” and “holistic” pet products. Angela and I dig into why you can’t just trust buzzwords on the front of the bag or bottle, and why becoming a more conscious pet parent starts with slowing down and asking better questions. We walk through how to actually rea...

Is Natural Pet Care Really “Alternative”? The Original Medicine Story is a powerful idea: what we’ve been told is “alternative” was actually the original way humans and animals were cared for. Inspired by Sayer Ji’s essay “They Called It ‘Alternative.’ It Was Always the Original,” I walk through how natural medicine—plants, foods, light, movement, relationship—sat at the center of care for generat...

Choosing the Right Dog for Your Life: Lessons from Regenerative Farmer Seth Thompson takes us out to New Plymouth Farm, where the land, the goats, and a working dog named Dutch all have something to teach us about how we pick our canine companions. Seth shares how regenerative farming reshaped the way he thinks about animals, responsibility, and what it really means for a dog to have a job and a p...

Path to Pet Wellness: Dr Jeff Feinman on Holistic Vet Care, BEAM & the Happiness Protocol brings Dr Jeff’s Pet Health Junkies conversation to The Pet Parenting Reset main feed, because this is one I want every pet parent to hear. In this episode, Dr Jeff Feinman shares the core ideas behind his new book,  Path to Pet Wellness , and how they invite us to rethink everything from symptoms and “di...

Vegetables for Dogs? Dr Conor Brady Explains the “Plant Problem” is a deep dive into one of the most hotly debated topics in dog nutrition right now: how much plant matter, if any, belongs in your dog’s bowl. In this 250th episode, I sit down with Dr Conor Brady, author of  Feeding Dogs , to unpack what he calls “the plant problem”—why dogs are biologically meat‑first, how vegetables ended up taki...

What We Wish Dog Parents Knew About Nutrition & Health (with Emily from The Dog Who Asked for More) is a behind‑the‑mic conversation between two canine nutritionists who care deeply about doing better for our dogs. Emily, host of The Dog Who Asked for More, joins me to share how we each found our way into the pet space, why we decided to get formal nutrition certifications, and how that change...

Indie Pet vs Big Box: What Happens to Your Favorite Brands? with Toni Unleashed pulls back the curtain on how pet brands grow—and what that growth means for the independent stores that helped build them. Toni Shelaske, who’s been in indie pet for decades, joins me to talk about brands that start in small specialty shops, then expand into big box and third‑party online platforms. We dig into which...

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training: Why It’s the Gold Standard with Teoti Anderson dives into what modern, humane dog training really looks like—and why it works so well in real life. In this episode, Teoti shares how positive reinforcement has evolved over the past few decades, what the science and experience in the field tell us, and why it’s considered the gold standard by leading trainers and...