In this episode of Your Natural Dog, Angela Ardolino is joined by holistic pet health coach Naja Muller of Tonka’s Journey and Green Paws Holistic Pet Care. Naja shares how she’s helped her handicapped and chronically challenged dogs stay comfortable, mobile, and joyful using a holistic pain management toolkit, without relying on long-term pharmaceuticals. Angela and Naja dive into the five pain pathways, why conventional pain meds often lead to stacking multiple drugs with serious side effects, and how whole-plant cannabis, psilocybin, nutrition, and at-home therapies can work together to support dogs living with pain.

Episode Recap:

• Angela introduces Naja Muller, Tonka’s Journey and sets the stage for a deep dive into chronic pain, handicapped dogs, and holistic pain support. (00:00)
• They break down the five pain-signaling pathways and explain how conventional drugs usually target just one, while cannabis and other botanicals can influence multiple pathways at once. (03:13)
• Naja shares her dog Tripp’s osteosarcoma story, how conventional pain meds quickly caused severe constipation, and how switching to high-THC and CBD plus a wheelchair transformed his final six months. (05:17)
• Naja shares about her dog Tonka’s congenital deformities, and how she committed early to a holistic pain plan instead of cycling through combinations of dog pain meds and their side effects. (07:19)
• They discuss their shared experiences using full extract cannabis (THC-rich oil) and CBD for pain support in dogs, including why whole-plant cannabis works differently than pharmaceuticals and practical tips for balancing THC and CBD for comfort without heavy sedation. (09:45)
• Angela and Naja unpack the problem with NSAIDs, opioids, steroids, Librela and other popular pain drugs for dogs, highlighting issues like gut damage, liver and kidney strain, and long-term fallout. (13:50)
• Why the conversation should actually be about being proactive with food and lifestyle, rather than adding more synthetic supplements and pharmaceuticals. Naja shares her go-to foods for joint support and inflammation. (18:24)
• Angela discusses the need to reframe hemp, functional mushrooms and adaptogens as functional food, rather than “supplements”, stressing clean sourcing, COAs, and why real liquid mushroom extracts beat cheap powders with fillers. (21:02)
• Naja shares the at-home modalities she uses with her dogs, including light therapy, infrared and PEMF mats, cold laser, tuning forks, Reiki, ozone and bodywork, to support comfort and recovery. (26:49)
• Naja describes her own experience microdosing psilocybin, then using it with Tonka, and the subtle but noticeable shifts she saw in his mobility, reactivity and emotional balance over time. (32:42)
• They close by urging pet parents not to blindly trust every prescription, to learn the real risks of dog pain meds and steroids, and to build proactive, “do no harm” holistic pain plans that protect quality of life. (40:02)

Episode Resources:

• Download Angela’s Resources including Natural Alternatives for Arthritis Pain in Dogs and Cats & her Cosequin Ingredient Breakdown at AngelaArdolino.com/podcast-downloads 
• Follow Tonka’s Journey on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok
• Looking for a Holistic Pet Health Coach - Green Paws Holistic Pet Care
• Have a question about your pet that you want answered on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] 
• Sign up for episode reminders and updates from Your Natural Dog with Angela Ardolino
• Visit Angela Ardolino’s website for more holistic pet health education: www.AngelaArdolino.com

Follow Your Natural Dog on Facebook and Instagram and if you want to see what Angela is up to, follow her on Facebook or join our CBD & Holistic Pet Advice Facebook Group.