Episodes

  • Dog Rescue & Adoption: The Real Truth About Fostering & Shelter Work w/ Esa Van Dusen

    Dog Rescue & Adoption: The Real Truth About Fostering & Shelter Work w/ Esa Van Dusen
    Apr 5 2026
    Most of us can't imagine doing rescue work the way Esa Van Dusen does. This isn't about fostering a dog here and there. This is about finding a pit bull chained to a tree with no access to water. Getting a video of a terrified dog living in spray paint cans and bushes. Driving straight into a hurricane to pull animals out of abandoned boarding kennels.Esa has been rescuing animals for 15 years in Austin and LA. She's a digital writer, advertiser, energy healer, and someone who shows up for animals in ways most people never will. Her vision? A healing sanctuary ranch for animals and people. But this conversation isn't about feel-good adoption photos. It's about the real version of rescue. The version where you have to reconcile with the fact that you cannot save them all. The version where you sit in your car crying because the weight of it is too much. And the version where you learn to follow the energy of one.Esa found a blind and deaf Catahoula dog named Hula in an abandoned kennel during a hurricane. And somehow, impossibly, she found that dog a home. A magical home with two Australian Shepherd brothers where that dog is still thriving today. But here's what makes this conversation so important: we talked about the reality. Suffering is inevitable. We're not always in charge. We can't decide the outcome. The work isn't about saving them all. It's about showing up for the one right in front of you and trusting that something bigger might be running in the background.KEY INSIGHTS:✨ Follow the energy of one animal at a time. 100% of the time, a miracle happens when you do.✨ Suffering is inevitable. We're not in charge of the outcome, but we can show up for the animal right in front of us.✨ You can't be helpful if you're sitting in your car crying. Develop the strength to do this work without burning out.✨ Every single breed is represented in rescue right now. Wiener dogs, doodles, even "bulletproof" breeds that used to never end up in shelters.✨ The overbreeding crisis means perfectly good family dogs are being euthanized, not because they're difficult, but because there's no room.✨ Petfinder is still one of the best resources to find rescue dogs by breed, location, and specific traits.✨ Private rescues are foster-based and easier to volunteer with than municipal shelters. Look for breed-specific Facebook groups and Instagram communities.✨ You don't have to foster to help. Volunteer at adoption events, transport dogs, share posts on social media, donate supplies, or network for animals who need homes.✨ Not all rescues are created equal. Some run like businesses, some are emotionally charged. Find one that matches your energy and values.✨ Rehoming is the closest option to rescue. If you know a family rehoming their dog, help them network to find a new home before the shelter becomes the only option.✨ Saving one dog will not change the world, but for that one dog, the world has changed.RESOURCES:Adoption & Rescue Search:Petfinder: www.petfinder.com (search rescue dogs by breed)Rescue Organizations:Austin Pets Alive: www.austinpetsalive.org (incredible rescue organization)A Purposeful Rescue: www.apurposefulrescue.org (organization that needs volunteers)Hollywood Huskies: @hollywoodhuskies (Instagram)Community Resources:Nextdoor: Find local rescue activity, rehoming opportunities, and animal lovers in your communityFacebook & Instagram: Search breed-specific rescue groups (e.g., "Dachshund Rescue Southern California")CONTACT ESA:If you have questions about rescue, fostering, or need guidance on where to start, Esa is happy to help.Instagram: @esavandusenPhone: 512 775 6999Email: esa1010@gmail.comFOLLOW:Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.comInstagram: @integrativepetDr. Lily Chen: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet👉 Sign up to our newsletter to get more holistic pet care tips 🐶🐈‍⬛
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    56 mins
  • Light as Medicine (and Why Your Pet Is Starving for It) - With Jackie Jolie

    Light as Medicine (and Why Your Pet Is Starving for It) - With Jackie Jolie
    Mar 29 2026

    What if the most powerful medicine for your pet isn't a supplement or a drug, but something as simple as light?

    Jackie Jolie, founder of AnimaSol, believes light is the foundation of health. Every cell in every mammal's body has a light sensor called a melanopsin, waiting to receive information from photons. And yet, we and our pets are spending 98% of our lives indoors, cut off from the very thing our DNA was built to run on.

    Jackie spent 15 years as an equine and canine bodyworker. But in 2018, after being diagnosed with Lyme disease, she rebuilt her health using natural treatments and something she calls a light life: reconnecting to sunlight, circadian rhythms, grounding, and red and near infrared light therapy. She says she runs better at 42 than she did in her twenties.

    That personal transformation became AnimaSol, a company that creates battery-operated, full-body red and near infrared light therapy blankets for horses, dogs, and cats. This conversation goes deep into the science of light, the difference between lasers and LEDs, which wavelengths actually penetrate to bone and nerve, and how to choose a safe device in a market flooded with cheap knockoffs.


    KEY INSIGHTS:

    ✨ Every mammal cell has a melanopsin, a light sensor waiting to respond to photons. Light is foundational to health.

    ✨ Red wavelengths penetrate 5-10 mm into tissue for surface healing. Near infrared penetrates 50 mm down to nerve, bone, and bone marrow.

    ✨ The 810 nm wavelength penetrates the cranium and vertebrae, effective for cognitive issues, head trauma, IVDD, and paralysis.

    ✨ LEDs vs. lasers: LEDs deliver the same benefits with zero thermal effect, no burns, and no risk of harm.

    ✨ Contact method matters. Red light therapy is most effective when the device is in direct contact with the skin.

    ✨ Cancer and red light: After 40 years of use, no documented cases of LED therapy causing cancer or accelerating tumors.

    ✨ New studies show red and near infrared light therapy reduces IBS and IBD symptoms and increases beneficial gut bacteria.

    ✨ Light therapy activates acupuncture points in 30-45 seconds, ideal for needle-shy animals or at-home maintenance.


    RESOURCES:

    AnimaSol Website: www.animasol.life

    Instagram: @anima__sol

    Linktree: https://linktr.ee/animasol

    Email: info@animasol.life (Jackie personally answers all emails)


    PRODUCTS:

    • EquiSoul (red light therapy blanket for horses)
    • DogSoul (red light therapy blanket for dogs)
    • CatPad (red light therapy pad for cats and small animals)
    • Handheld Torch (activates acupuncture points in 30 seconds)
    • Human blanket launching April 2026


    SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR LISTENERS:Use code IntegrativePetSol at www.animasol.life for 10% off


    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

    Sign up to our newsletter to get more holistic pet care tips 🐶🐈‍⬛
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    1 hr
  • The Pet Care Future We're Fighting For - With Dr. Judy Morgan

    The Pet Care Future We're Fighting For - With Dr. Judy Morgan
    Mar 22 2026
    In Part 1, we talked about the cases that changed us. In Part 2, we're talking about what needs to change in veterinary medicine.Dr. Judy Morgan doesn't hold back. We go deep into the drugs that concern us most, why prescription diets were only supposed to be temporary fixes, and how corporate medicine is reshaping the profession in ways that aren't always serving pets or their parents.We also talk about something I wasn't expecting to discuss: the system itself. Emergency hospitals diverting patients because they're too full. Specialists who only work eight to four, Monday through Friday. Bills that reach thousands of dollars for supportive care alone. And the uncomfortable reality that a corporate executive admitted to me over dinner that they wouldn't take their own dog to their own hospital because of the cost.But this conversation isn't just about what's broken. It's about what the future could look like when pet parents are educated, empowered, and asking better questions.KEY INSIGHTS:✨ Isoxazoline flea and tick preventatives are neurotoxins, and it took years to get that on the label.✨ Prescription diets were meant to be used for 30 days, not for life. They're a short-term fix while you address the root cause.✨ You can't outsupplement a bad diet. Food is the foundation of everything.✨ How to afford fresh food: Buy whole animals from local farmers, join co-ops, use base mixes and add your own meat, or feed nutrient-dense foods that require half as much.✨ The veterinary system is breaking: emergency hospitals diverting patients, specialists only working weekdays, and pricing so extreme that financial euthanasia is now a reality.✨ Corporate medicine is driving burnout: support staff cut, quotas imposed, relationships become transactional instead of trust-based.✨ Dr. Judy's mission: Educate and empower pet parents to make good decisions and stand up for the health of their pets.RESOURCES:Website: NaturallyHealthyPets.com Dr. Judy Morgan: www.drjudymorgan.comDr. Judy U (University): courses on holistic pet care, hospice, and palliative careFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JudyMorganDVMInstagram: @drjudymorganYouTube: @DrJudyMorgan✨SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR LISTENERS: Use code MYDOG10 at NaturallyHealthyPets.com for 10% offRECOMMENDED BOOKS (all 9 books available at DrJudyMorgan.com or Amazon):Keeping Your Pets Naturally HealthyFrom Needles to NaturalAnd 7 more books on holistic pet careRECOMMENDED RESOURCES: Susan Thixton's List: TruthAboutPetFood.comFOLLOW:Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.comInstagram: @integrativepet Dr. Lily Chen: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vetSign up to our newsletter to get more holistic pet care tips 🐶🐈‍⬛
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • The Rebels Who Found Each Other - With Dr. Judy Morgan

    The Rebels Who Found Each Other - With Dr. Judy Morgan
    Mar 15 2026
    What happens when one of the most influential voices in holistic veterinary medicine walks into the biggest conventional veterinary conference in the world?I spotted Dr. Judy Morgan at VMX in Orlando, and honestly, I had to do a double take. Here was a woman who has dedicated nearly 40 years to transforming pet wellness, walking confidently into rooms full of conventional practitioners, educating veterinary students who are hungry for a different approach, and bridging the gap between traditional and holistic care.This conversation is about the turning points. The German Shepherd who couldn't walk and then ran down the hallway five minutes after his first chiropractic adjustment. The practice that was the biggest seller of prescription diets in the country and put almost every dog and cat on one. The chronic ear infections, skin problems, and smelly animals that never got better no matter what conventional medicine threw at them.Dr. Judy and I couldn't stop talking, so we split this into two parts. Part 1 is about how we got here and what broke us in conventional medicine. Part 2, coming next week, is where things get real: the food industry, the drugs we wish didn't exist, and the uncomfortable truth about the veterinary business model.KEY INSIGHTS:✨ Dr. Judy Morgan became a vet at 12 when a veterinarian performed surgery on her gimpy show pony, inspiring her to help animals the same way.✨ The turning point: A 100-pound German Shepherd that couldn't walk came in for treatment. After chiropractic adjustments, the dog jumped up and ran down the hallway 5 minutes later.✨ Why conventional medicine felt broken: Every month, the same chronic ear infections, the same skin problems, the same smelly, itchy animals with no real improvement.✨ The prescription diet problem: Dr. Judy worked at a practice that was the biggest seller of prescription diets in the country. Almost every single dog and cat was on one, including puppies on PD and seniors on GD.✨ Prescription diets are meant to be used for 30 days, not for life. They're a short-term fix while you address the root cause, not a lifetime sentence.✨ One client unknowingly starved their dog to death on RD (reducing diet) because no one followed up to reweigh the animal for a year.✨ Integrated medicine in action: Dr. Judy's cat developed severe neurologic symptoms with sky-high white blood cell counts. She used steroids short-term to save the cat's life, then weaned onto natural anti-inflammatories like PEA and mushrooms.✨ The frustration of conventional medicine: Limited tools, antibiotics that barely worked, chronic problems that never resolved, and side effects from every medication.✨ Emergency medicine was the exception: Dr. Judy loved emergency work because it was rapid-fire problem-solving with immediate results, not chronic symptom management.✨ The vision came early: As a child, Dr. Judy dreamed of a future where people could see into her life and watch videos of what she was doing. Now millions follow her work online.✨ Integrated doesn't mean anti-science: It means using everything available to actually heal, not just suppress symptoms.RESOURCES:Website: NaturallyHealthyPets.com Dr. Judy Morgan: www.drjudymorgan.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JudyMorganDVM Instagram: @drjudymorgan YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJudyMorganSPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR LISTENERS: Use code MYDOG10 at NaturallyHealthyPets.com for 10% off any purchase (supplements, dental health formulas, books, and more)RECOMMENDED BOOKS:Keeping Your Pets Naturally HealthyFrom Needles to NaturalAnd 7 more books available at DrJudyMorgan.com or AmazonFOLLOW:Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com Integrative Pet Wellness Center on Instagram: @integrativepet Dr. Lily Chen on Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet Sign up to our newsletter to get more holistic pet care tips 🐶🐈‍⬛
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    33 mins
  • 35 Dogs, Zero Leashes, One Forest: Rethinking Everything You Know About Dog Training with Sam Amalsadvala

    35 Dogs, Zero Leashes, One Forest: Rethinking Everything You Know About Dog Training with Sam Amalsadvala
    Mar 8 2026

    Picture this: 35 dogs running free in a 175-acre forest. No leashes. No commands. No chaos. Just one guy leading the pack, and every single dog follows him.

    How is that even possible?

    In this episode, I sit down with Sam Amalsadvala, a former merchant navy chef who accidentally became one of the most insightful natural dog trainers I've ever met. Sam doesn't train dogs — he listens to them. And what he's learned will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about "training" your dog.

    Coming from India where dogs roamed freely and leashes didn't exist, Sam moved to Montreal and couldn't speak French. In that isolation, he realized something profound: dogs live in that space every single day. They can't speak our language. They're frustrated, misunderstood, and judged. So he stopped treating them like problems to be fixed and started treating them like beings who needed to be understood.

    This conversation will change the way you see your dog — and maybe even yourself.


    KEY INSIGHTS:


    ✨ How Sam walks 35 dogs off-leash in a Canadian forest — and why they never run away, fight, or get lost.


    ✨ Why socialization matters more than traditional training — and how it prevents behavior issues that lead to shelter returns.


    ✨ The three things every dog needs: physical activity, mental stimulation, and social time with other dogs.


    ✨ Why your dog's "anxiety" might actually be blocked energy — and what freedom, play, and socialization can do to fix it.


    ✨ How to teach recall through play and curiosity instead of commands and treats.


    ✨ The truth about neutering and aggression — it's not hormones, it's lack of social skills.


    ✨ Why growling isn't bad behavior — it's communication. And what happens when we punish it.


    ✨ Leadership isn't about dominance — it's about consent, understanding needs, and walking at the pace of the slowest dog.


    ✨ Management before modification — how to keep everyone safe in the moment, then work on behavior later.


    ✨ Replace the word "training" with "learning and observing" — and everything else falls into place.


    ✨ The microbiome connection: how ear health, gut health, and behavior are all linked.


    RESOURCES:

    Sam Amalsadvala: https://linktr.ee/thesamaysam

    Canivie: https://linktr.ee/canivie


    FREE RESOURCES FROM SAM:

    • Mindfulness Guide to Happiness

    • Short workbook based on insights learned through working with dogs

    • Access free resources and community: https://pro.speakerhub.com/speaker-feedback/?qr=e728a6d2-a5d9-4219-a39c-b33a96339bab


    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


    Sign up to our newsletter to get more holistic pet care tips 🐶🐈‍⬛
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Leaving Veterinary Medicine Better Than She Found It: One Vet's Mission | Dr. Lindsey Wendt

    Leaving Veterinary Medicine Better Than She Found It: One Vet's Mission | Dr. Lindsey Wendt
    Mar 1 2026

    What if the key to a faster, easier surgical recovery wasn't more drugs — but better preparation?

    In this episode, I continue my conversation with Dr. Lindsey Wendt, and we're going somewhere deeper. We're talking about the future of veterinary medicine, the power of pre-op integrative care, and what happens when conventional and integrative doctors actually work together instead of staying in silos.

    Dr. Lindsey shares the story of her foster dog Pineapple, who had bilateral knee surgery and was walking without limping just days later — not because of luck, but because of intentional preparation. We also dive into her exciting work bringing decentralized clinical trials to the pet supplement industry, why emergency hospitals are now using acupuncture points, and the mental health crisis our pets are facing.

    If you've ever wondered what the future of better veterinary medicine looks like — this is it.


    KEY INSIGHTS:


    ✨ How Dr. Lindsey prepared Pineapple for bilateral knee surgery with prolotherapy, herbs, and pre-op planning — and why she's thriving 11 days post-op.


    ✨ Why integrative veterinarians need to be in the room with orthopedic surgeons, dermatologists, oncologists, and internal medicine specialists from the start.


    ✨ The exciting announcement: Dr. Lindsey is bringing decentralized clinical trials to the pet supplement industry — making research more accessible and affordable.


    ✨ How decentralized trials allow pets to live at home while participating in research, instead of in research facilities.


    ✨ Why this could lower clinical trial costs from $120,000-$250,000 down to $50,000-$60,000 — making it possible for more brands to prove their products work.


    ✨ The small but powerful shift: emergency hospitals now giving sedatives at GV 20 (an acupuncture point) because the research is published.


    ✨ Why neurologists are starting to incorporate rehabilitation, acupuncture, and cannabis into standard protocols.


    ✨ The mental health crisis in pets: anxiety, fear, reactivity — and how early spay/neuter, microbiome issues, and environmental stressors play a huge role.


    ✨ What success looks like for Dr. Lindsey: leaving the veterinary industry in a better state than she found it, even if it's just one small lane.


    ✨ Why we need more evidence-based medicine supporting integrative choices — so we can bring more conventional vets to the table with data they trust.


    ✨ How pet parents drive change by voting with their dollars and demanding better from brands.


    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


    Connect with Dr. Lily Chen:

    • Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet

    • Practice: Integrative Pet Wellness Center (@integrativepet)

    Join Our Newsletter: https://mydogpodcast.kit.com/mydogpodcast
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    28 mins
  • Veterinarian Exposes Pet Treat Industry: What Companies Don't Want You To Know - Insights from Dr. Lindsey Wendt

    Veterinarian Exposes Pet Treat Industry: What Companies Don't Want You To Know - Insights from Dr. Lindsey Wendt
    Feb 22 2026
    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 & LinksConnect with Dr. Lindsey Wendt:Website: www.crystallotusvet.comInstagram: @drlindseywendtBotanical Bones:Website: www.botanicalbones.comInstagram: @botanicalbonescoDiscount Code: DRLILY15 for 15% offDirect Discount Link: https://botanicalbones.com/discount/DRLILY15FOLLOW:Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com Integrative Pet Wellness Center on Instagram: @integrativepet Dr. Lily Chen on Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet Sign up to our newsletter to get more holistic pet care tips 🐶🐈‍⬛
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    43 mins
  • Dogs Save Lives: Depression, Grief & The Human-Animal Bond That Keeps Us Alive w/ Dr. David Haworth

    Dogs Save Lives: Depression, Grief & The Human-Animal Bond That Keeps Us Alive w/ Dr. David Haworth
    Feb 15 2026

    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


    ➡️Sign up to our newsletter to get more holistic pet care tips 🐶🐈‍⬛
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    44 mins