Barking Mad Podcast

This episode of the Pet Industry Podcast features Dr. Megan Sprinkle discussing the significance and science behind postbiotics in pet nutrition with guests from Cargill, Dr. Mark Franklin and Laurence Mills.

Dr. Franklin, with over 25 years of experience in animal nutrition, and Mills, the business development manager for Cargill in Europe, delve into the opportunities and benefits of using postbiotics in pet food. They address the lack of strong research on pet food ingredients and emphasize the importance of scientific validation in promoting pet health. The discussion includes insights into Cargill's background in fermentation, the definition and benefits of postbiotics compared to prebiotics and probiotics, and the challenges and opportunities in developing and marketing postbiotic pet products.

The conversation also touches on the consumer and brand advantages of postbiotics, including consistent health benefits across a brand's product lines and the ability to trademark licenses for marketing purposes. The episode concludes with thoughts on innovation in the pet industry and sustainability in pet nutrition.

In this episode of the Pet Industry Podcast, your host, Dr. Megan Sprinkle, and the BSM Partners' research team explore the debate over grain-free dog food and potential links to dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM in dogs. They delve into the research done by BSM Partners and co-author, board-certified veterinary cardiologist, Dr. Stacey Leach regarding where in the body to measure two important heart nutrients: taurine and carnitine. Different places in the body where these nutrients can be measured include blood plasma, whole blood, and skeletal and heart muscle.

The researchers find that there is no correlation between concentrations of taurine or carnitine in blood compared to what's happening in the heart. Therefore, measuring blood levels of carnitine and taurine is not an adequate indication of heart health.

In this episode, you will also discover what is common in this heart condition in people as you hear from a human cardiologist.

The BSM Research team includes:

• Stephanie Clark, PhD, CVT, PAS, CFS, Dpl. ACAS, VTS (Nutrition)
• Sydney McCauley, PhD, PAS, Dpl. ACAS
• Brad Quest, DVM
• Renee Streeter, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition)

Resources:

• Learn more about BSM Partners on our website.
• Learn more about the BSM Partners research.
• Episode on research on digestibility of grain-inclusive and grain-free diets.
• Episode to learn more about Dr. Leach's role in the research.
• Learn more about our guest cardiologist, Dr. Niteesh Chitturu.

Show Notes:

00:00 Introduction to the Pet Industry Podcast

00:12 The Controversy Surrounding Grain-Free Dog Food

00:35 The Importance of Scientific Studies in Pet Nutrition

01:00 Exploring the Link Between Diet and Heart Disease in Dogs

01:36 The Role of Blood and Plasma in Veterinary Diagnostics

01:49 Introducing the BSM Research Team and Their Study

01:53 The Limitations of Blood Tests in Diagnosing Heart Conditions

02:51 The Role of Diet in Human Cardiology

04:13 The Impact of Obesity on Heart Health

04:48 The Genetic Link to Dilated Cardiomyopathy

06:11 The Role of Nutrition in Heart Health

08:37 The Challenges of Measuring Nutrient Levels in the Body

09:05 The BSM Research Team's Approach to Studying Diet and Heart Disease

09:10 The Importance of Taurine and Carnitine in Canine Nutrition

11:17 The Challenges of Conducting Research in Veterinary Medicine

24:50 The Importance of Proper Sample Size in Research

27:34 Understanding Correlation in Research Studies

28:01 Understanding Correlation Plots

28:01 Pearson's Correlation Coefficient Explained

28:01 Correlation vs Causation: A Fun Example

28:37 Comparing Whole Blood and Plasma

28:47 Findings of the Study

29:19 Implications of the Findings

31:23 The One Health Approach

38:35 The Role of Pet Insurance

38:35 Key Takeaways from the Research

40:42 The Importance of Nutrition for Pets

Pet Industry Podcast: The Rise of Chickens as Pets | Featuring Sean Warner of Grubbly Farms

Step aside puppies; we have poultry as pets! In this episode of the Pet Industry Podcast, hosts Dr. Megan Sprinkle and Dr. Mary Cope welcome Sean Warner, co-founder, and CEO of Grubbly Farms, a company focusing on creating premium products for poultry. Sean shares insights on the increasing popularity of chickens as pets, discusses the challenges and opportunities within the poultry pet industry, and explains how Grubbly Farms sources its insect protein and formulates its chicken feed.

They also cover the topic of balancing sustainability concerns with providing nutrition and health benefits for pet birds. If you're interested in the pet industry, sustainable farming or backyard poultry, then this episode is a must-watch.

For more information on pet chickens and how it's impacting the pet industry read our website article.

Show Notes:

00:00 Introduction to the Pet Industry Podcast

00:15 The Rise of Poultry in the Pet Industry

00:39 Interview with Sean Warner, CEO of Grubbly Farms

01:21 Sean's Journey into the Poultry Industry

03:09 The Role of Insects in Poultry Nutrition

04:34 The Sustainability Aspect of Insect Protein

08:53 Understanding the Challenges of Backyard Poultry

09:02 The Legalities and Practicalities of Keeping Chickens

13:14 The Importance of Proper Nutrition for Poultry

14:09 The Future of Poultry Nutrition

40:27 The Impact of Poultry Ownership on Other Pet Choices

47:47 Closing Remarks and Podcast Outro

About BSM Partners: 

BSM Partners is a multidisciplinary team of PhDs, board-certified veterinarians and nutritionists offering 400+ years of cumulative technical experience, supporting the development of thousands of products per year. From R&D to replenishment, we have you covered. 

BSM Partners offers a wide range of services including research, product innovation, FSQAR, nutrition services, veterinary services, transformation, operations support, and engineering. 

Learn more at https://bsmpartners.net/ 

BSM Partners on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/bsm-partners/

More on pet chickens

In a world full of information, it can be hard to navigate what is true and helpful in taking care of our pets. We at BSM Partners want to help demystify some of this with The Pet Industry Podcast and bring you people we think are also on that mission.

Today, co-hosts, Dr. Mary Cope, PhD & Dr. Megan Sprinkle, DVM talk with a pet industry game-changer who is passionate about pets and is making the pet industry better for pet families. In this conversation that was recorded at the 2023 SUPERZOO, you will learn about many aspects of the pet industry including some of the biggest challenges.

About the Guest:

Jamie Damato Migdal is the CEO and founder of FetchFind, which is a platform and service that is revolutionizing pet care education. Jamie has been innovating within the pet industry for over 25 years. A sought-after consultant and public speaker, Jamie has built four national pet service companies and has wide-ranging industry expertise in education, technology, business development, sales, marketing, and management. Her fourth and current company, FetchFind, provides staff training and engagement, as well as digital marketing and other business solutions, to pet care services and pet-friendly companies around the globe. Jamie has been a pet radio host and in 2018/2019 was on an expert board for Pet Smart to help uplevel their grooming and training services.

Show Notes:

(01:47)  How a passion for animals created several successful and inspiring business opportunities

(13:15)  Exploring the human-animal bond

(15:59)  How the human-animal bond became the basis of a business

(20:25)  Striking the balance between passion for animals and business decisions

(23:15)  Why the pet industry retains top talent

(24:24)  The magic that happens when you bring passionate people together

(27:02)  How business relationships start to fracture

(30:08)  The biggest challenges for the pet industry

(32:11)  The intersection of technology, education, and the pet industry

(34:28)  What the ideal pet industry looks like

(35:59)  How to create the ideal pet industry

(39:00)  How pet parents can benefit from a unified educational system

(41:59)  Jaime reveals her pet family

(45:00)  Who is Jaime’s role model and why?

About BSM Partners: 

BSM Partners is a multidisciplinary team of PhDs, board-certified veterinarians and nutritionists offering 400+ years of cumulative technical experience, supporting the development of thousands of products per year. From R&D to replenishment, we have you covered. 

BSM Partners offers a wide range of services including research, product innovation, FSQAR, nutrition services, veterinary services, transformation, operations support, and engineering. 

Learn more at https://bsmpartners.net/ 

BSM Partners on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/bsm-partners/

In this episode, Dr. Megan Sprinkle and Dr. Mary Cope from BSM sit down with Adam Geiger and Allison Millican from Zinpro to discuss what colostrum is, how colostrum can benefit our pets, and how pet parents should use colostrum in their pet's daily diets!

To learn more about colostrum, check out this article: https://bsmpartners.net/resources/bovine-colostrum-utilization-in-pets

About Zinpro:

With over 50 years of experience, Zinpro provides a full range of products, services, and expertise to ensure every animal gets everything they need to maximize well-being and productivity. They do this by developing a comprehensive group of tools, programs, and solutions that help improve animal health and maximize productivity.

Show Notes:

(01:39)  Who are today’s guests?

(04:35)  What is Colostrum?  Why give it to our pets?

(07:51)  How does Colostrum from a cow benefit a dog?

(10:15)  Is Colostrum only for young pets?

(14:45)  Does Colostrum keep our pet's guts happy and healthy?

(19:05)  How is Colostrum different than supermarket milk?

(21:36)  How do pet owners know the quality of Colostrum?

(24:09)  How is Colostrum labeled on products?

(26:40)  What are the misconceptions about Colostrum?

(33:59)  Key takeaways about Colostrum for pet owners.

(37:05)  Could Colostrum be incorporated into a balanced pet diet?

(39:32)  Is Colostrum available as a supplement?

(43:31)  Summary on today’s topic.

About BSM Partners: 

BSM Partners is a multidisciplinary team of PhDs, board-certified veterinarians and nutritionists offering 400+ years of cumulative technical experience, supporting the development of thousands of products per year. From R&D to replenishment, we have you covered. 

BSM Partners offers a wide range of services including research, product innovation, FSQAR, nutrition services, veterinary services, transformation, operations support, and engineering. 

Learn more at https://bsmpartners.net/ 

BSM Partners on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/bsm-partners/

Over the past few years, there have been many conversations stirred around diet-associated DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) in dogs. Some wondered if grain-free diets have been the cause. In the longest and most detailed research study, BSM Partners researchers have some interesting findings that are discussed for the first time publicly.

In this episode, Dr. Megan Sprinkle and Dr. Mary Cope speak with research team members, including Dr. Renee Streeter, Dr. Brad Quest, Dr. Stephanie Clark, and Dr. Sydney Mccauley. The panel discusses the results of their research study with board-certified veterinary cardiologist, Dr. Stacey Leach.

Join us and dive further into your dog's bowl to uncover new information to help you make informed decisions for your pet!

BSM Partners 

BSM Partners is a multidisciplinary team of PhDs, board-certified veterinarians, and nutritionists offering 400+ years of cumulative technical experience, supporting the development of thousands of products per year. From R&D to replenishment, we have you covered. 

BSM Partners offers a wide range of services including research, product innovation, FSQAR, nutrition services, veterinary services, transformation, operations support, and engineering. 

Learn more at https://bsmpartners.net/ 

Read the full research paper at https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1271202

Show Notes:

(02:40)  Testing Different Diets and the Impact on the Heart

(06:20)  What Exactly Did the Team Test For?

(07:46)  The Logic Behind Testing Different Diets

(09:31)  Why the Research Team Created Their Own Diet to Test

(12:37)  Who Formulated the Diets to Test

(15:08)  The Impact Nutrients Have on the Intestinal Track

(18:01)  Do Specific Dog Breeds Have Higher Rates of DCM?

(23:51)  Were Some Dogs Excluded from the Study?

(25:50)  How Long Did the Study Last?

(27:31)  What Exactly is an Echocardiogram?

(30:17)  The Advantages of Veterinary Cardiologists

(35:24)  How the Team Ensures Impartiality in the Study

(37:45)  What the Research Team Did to Test the Dogs

(39:45)  The Impact of Covid on Testing

(43:32)  How the Team Ensured that Dogs Maintained Proper Weight

(46:47)  What are the Results of the Study?

In this episode, Dr. Megan Sprinkle and Dr. Mary Cope speak with research team members, including Dr. Renee Streeter, Dr. Brad Quest, Dr. Stephanie Clark, and Dr. Sydney Mccauley. The panel discusses the results of their research study with geneticist Dr. Andria Beal, founder of EpiPaws.

Have you ever wondered if diet ingredients have an impact on your dog's health? Have you heard the word 'digestibility' and wondered why it matters? Want to learn more about how diet impacts your dog's microbiome? In this episode, the team talks about the research discoveries and how the results may impact our dogs. Join us and dive further into your dog's bowl to uncover new information to help you make informed decisions for your pet!

BSM Partners 

BSM Partners is a multidisciplinary team of PhDs, board-certified veterinarians, and nutritionists offering 400+ years of cumulative technical experience, supporting the development of thousands of products per year. From R&D to replenishment, we have you covered. 

BSM Partners offers a wide range of services including research, product innovation, FSQAR, nutrition services, veterinary services, transformation, operations support, and engineering. 

Learn more at https://bsmpartners.net/ 

Show Notes:

(01:55)  What is this study about?  Why should you care?

(03:13)  The reasons behind doing the study.

(07:34)  Why digestibility is important in nutrition.

(12:07)  What is epigenomics and why is it important for your pet?

(13:45)  How did the research team conduct their study?

(18:52)  Macronutrients: What are they?

(19:11)  Why it’s important to have tight control over an experiment.

(21:40)  Helping manufacturers improve the consistency of their pet food.

(24:12)  The importance of testing purebred and mixed-breed dogs.

(26:55)  What data was collected?

(28:38)  What the effects of different foods were on heart health.

(32:31)  Key findings from the study.

(38:01)  The surprising result of the study.

(40:23)   The major finding: What’s good for us is good for our pets?

(42:22)  What this study means for pet owners.

(47:17)  The main takeaway.

To read the paper in the Journal of Animal Science: https://academic.oup.com/jas/article/doi/10.1093/jas/skad268/7239847

Read more about this research on our BSM Partners website: https://bsmpartners.net/resources/the-impact-of-protein-source-and-grain-inclusion-on-digestibility-fecal-metabolites-and-fecal-microbiome-in-adult-canines/

In this episode, Dr. Megan Sprinkle and Dr. Mary Cope speak with Vic Mason, the President of the World Pet Association (WPA). They talk about what the WPA is and its goals, how the WPA helps you and your pet, and how you can make the most of your time at SUPERZOO.

Links:

World Pet Association Website

SUPERZOO Website

Show Notes:

(03:04)  How a part-time job in his uncle’s pet store influenced Vic to dedicate his life to pets

(04:08)  Vic’s journey in the pet industry

(06:25)  What is the World Pet Association (WPA)

(07:45)  The goal of WPA

(09:16)  How the WPA powered through Covid

(11:54)  The three big reasons people attend SUPERZOO

(14:36)  How the WPA improves the pet industry through education

(16:22)  SUPERZOO is more than just dogs and cats

(18:37)  Critter Alley: bringing all pets to SUPERZOO

(21:57)  Why the WPA strives to get pet associations working together

(23:00)  How WPA works with international pet organizations

(24:25)  How the industry can more involved with legal issues.

(25:59)  How Vic became a "Doctor Doolittle"

(27:25)  What Vic sees as the future for pet product retail

(29:07)  How WPA strives to have the best information about pet care

(31:06)  What is the foundation to pet care

(33:03)  The most important goal for the president of WPA

(34:49)  What Vic thinks about BSM Partners

(38:21)  How Vic continues to learn

(39:13)  What WPA does at SUPERZOO that creates fun

About Today's Guest Vic Mason:

Vic Mason became president of the World Pet Association in 2020, bringing 40 years of experience in the pet space including CEO and co-founder of the pet food company, Replenish Pet and past director of business development for Veterinary Service Inc., a West Coast animal health product distributor. Mason has served as a WPA board member since 2010 and was chairman before taking the role of president.

About BSM Partners:

BSM Partners is a multidisciplinary team of PhDs, board-certified veterinarians, and nutritionists offering 400+ years of cumulative technical experience, supporting the development of thousands of products per year. From R&D to replenishment, we have you covered.

BSM Partners offers a wide range of services including research, product innovation, FSQAR, nutrition services, veterinary services, transformation, operations support, and engineering.

Learn more at https://bsmpartners.net/

Transcript:

Dr. Megan Sprinkle, BSM: Welcome to the Pet Industry podcast, connecting you with the people behind the passion, the leading experts in the pet industry. I'm your host, Dr. Megan Sprinkle.

Dr. Mary Cope: And I'm your other host, Dr. Mary Cope.

Dr. Megan Sprinkle, BSM: Did you know that there is a pet industry, trade organization that endeavors to ensure a better future for people and pets, and spends a great deal of time and money working to protect your rights as pet parents? You probably don't have the opportunity to see behind the scenes of the pet industry. But this podcast is about making that connection.

Let us introduce you to Vic Mason. Vic Mason became president of the World Pet Association in 2020, bringing 40 years of experience in the pet space, Including C E O and founder of a pet food company, Replenish Pet. And past director of Business Development for Veterinary Service Inc. a West Coast Animal Health product distributor. 

Mason has served as a WPA board member since 2010 and was the chairman before taking the role of President. 

Vic is on a mission to unite the pet industry under a pet family-centered focus.

So without further ado, let's get onto this exciting conversation that we had at SUPERZOO. 

This is SUPERZOO 2023. What has been your favorite part so far? 

Victor Mason: Without question. our new logo. We've had the same logo for over 20 years. And the new logo is amazing. I had a smart small piece in it. Our marketing team did an amazing job. My small piece was we have five animals in the logo.

And I said we need to add in a couple more. And then they made a video. I hope you saw it. It was amazing. This is for sure my favorite part. 

Dr. Megan Sprinkle, BSM: It was a little bit of a surprise. I did not realize that the logo was changing. 'cause it still had the traditional one with all the online. And then I also thought the same thing.

I walked up to register. And I saw it and I was, I loved it. So I agree. 

Victor Mason: Having a 30-foot TV, and we got that from Mandalay Bay and that also made it even more amazing. 

Dr. Megan Sprinkle, BSM: Any other thing you've really enjoyed with this show? 

Victor Mason: I started, right before the pandemic.

And certainly, the pandemic closed our show in 2020. So just my favorite part was just seeing the energy. The number of people that came back We're definitely back, pre-pandemic. all the numbers show that, I can't count the number of exhibitors brands that came to me that said, Vic, this was the most amazing SUPERZOO ever.

That makes me feel good. 

Dr. Megan Sprinkle, BSM: Oh, and you're right. You must have been booked out because we had somebody tell us that they went their traditional time to go register for the show, and it was already sold out. So you had some sad people. 

Victor Mason: This is the downside of success. Everybody couldn't fit in it, so that was a bummer.

But, we did create a lot of FOMO. and people are certainly registering for next year. Yep. Very good. 

Dr. Megan Sprinkle, BSM: You started talking about you, starting before the pandemic. So let's back up a little bit. How did you even get into the pet industry? And then how did you get involved with associations?

I think even when you're part of an industry, sometimes these associations can feel a little mysterious. So what is your story? 

Victor Mason: They are a hundred percent mysterious. I'll just say that. That's fun. I actually started my uncle's pet store, when I was in high school. And one of my jokes or things I like to say is I know the industry from the bottom up.

So as a, a 16 year old working in a pet store, my job was to, clean up after the animals. So that's why I say that. 

And,why I got on the board. I have had a long career in the pet industry over 40 years. 

And,I, it really was a thought to give back. I was on, a successful career and to how, what can I do to give back? I came to a SUPERZOO. And made the mistake, or maybe it wasn't mistake of giving suggestions of how to make the show better to one of the staff. And they go, perhaps you should be on the board.

So that's how that started. 

Dr. Megan Sprinkle, BSM: Yep. You accidentally volunteered. yes. So do you mind sharing a little bit about your adventure through the pet industry? And you talked about that you've had several decades of experience, so 

Victor Mason: Wow, that would,how long is this? 'cause that could take a long time.

I've, the Cliff Notes version? Yeah. No, it's,started in retail. Had a long time in retail, learned about many products. Learned about how to care properly for animals. many different animals. some that aren't always nice. I remember, I used a welder's glove and let a, a type of lizard grab onto it so I could get out of his cage.

 in, when I was, 24, 24 years old, I started my own distribution company.

And I think it was, 'cause everybody said I couldn't. So that drove me to want to do that. Kind of a specialized trade. It was a veterinary product into the retail trade. And it really got me to learn how, products get to market. Certainly back in those days, how products got to market are different than today.

There are many brands out there now that can sell direct to consumer. Back then it was more a two-step distribution where you would sell to a distributor. The distributor sold to the retailer. And then that product was available to a consumer, for them going into a pet store.

So distribution, that I owned a company then I worked for a large,distributor for 20 years. Met many people. I think I, I met more contacts with there. At one point we had 1000 brands that we were dealing with. Many times you you say, Hey, how's it going? Because you don't remember their name.

But it's a funny thing. But, so that's why we have badges at trade shows. 'cause, we can look down and look at that name. 

Dr. Megan Sprinkle, BSM: Yes, I've used that many times and every, I think it's a big little industry. I, walking around with even my colleagues and they know everyone. So even with me being in the industry only a few years, it, like pet specific vet background, a little bit different. But, there's a lot of connections and That's nice.

Victor Mason: It should, it, that is absolutely true. And back to the point of why I wanted to give back is all the people you deal with. They're your family. you can call 'em work family or whatever else. we're we all have love for pets. And, I think that, that love just transcends to all the people that we deal with.

And we all have the same, outlook of what's going on. Yeah. 

Dr. Megan Sprinkle, BSM: And I love being able to bring that spirit into a larger organization like the World Pet Association. So do you mind sharing a little bit about, W P A and what is it, what does it exist? 

Victor Mason: The easy way to say that we're a nonprofit organization.

We have, uh,from anywhere from 12 to 16 board members. They're not paid. So they're really trying to help the industry. So we put on this amazing show. SUPERZOO. And in, in a business world, it, does make, bring in some money. We take that money and try to do good works back to the industry.

It, it may be an advocacy, where we go to Washington DC give information to help, lawmakers create laws that will help pets. Unfortunately, there are some out there that, wanna create laws that, prevent people from having pets. 

We are, we're on that other side of, we, we believe that people should have pets. that human-animal bond really helps people. We can go into some of the good works that, that we do, but it's really, it's really that simple. 

We make money from a trade show and we try to take that money to help the industry and help pets. 

Dr. Megan Sprinkle, BSM: I think that kind of starts answering the next question I had and how does the WPA impact pet families, but anything else that might impact pet families that you do with the WPA?

Victor Mason: There's, again, there's always two sides to this. There's the business side, and then there's the life side. And, we've, we're working, with many companies. But the end goal is really to help pets and help people. It sounds so simplistic and of course, there's lots of barriers that get in the way to get to that point.

But it's really that simple. One of my favorite programs is, it's called HABRI. It's called the Human Animal Bond Research Institute. And yeah. Really all they do is do studies on how pets help people. And recently they came out with a study of how much a person would save in medical bills if they had a pet. which is amazing. 

So when you go, and I'm sorry I don't have the stats with me, but,if you would save over your lifetime, tens of thousands of dollars if you have a pet. Because you'll be happier. and which makes you more healthy. 

Dr. Mary Cope: it sounds like the primary funding for the WPA is SUPERZOO, which is a massive trade show. How many people attend?

Victor Mason: we, this year we had, over 21,000 people that registered.

Dr. Mary Cope: Yeah. it's an, it's absolutely enormous. And so when Covid hit, obviously with the laws that were put into place for distancing and limiting social gatherings, we couldn't have SUPERZOO in 2020. But yet, three years later, SUPERZOO is now bigger and better than ever. Can you share with us how you did that and take me through that journey?

Victor Mason: It was difficult. I started in, in this position in January of 2020. And, and had visions of how we would go forward, etc. And just a few months in into that, COVID started. We actually had to, stop. one of our, shows, other shows that we do. It's a grooming show in Atlanta. And it's a three-day show, and on the third day we had to cancel because of Covid.

Of course everybody then thought it was a gonna be a couple week thing, two weeks to flatten the curve. Exactly. And,it, it changed everybody's life. And in the, again, in, in the event business for Super Zoo, that was our main income. So there was a lot of, lot of hard decisions. The board was amazing through that time.

We still funded, all the good works that we did that year. Even though we knew financially it would hurt us,I, I actually went to the board and go, we can do everything. It'll probably cost us $5 million. And we went through that and did that in 2021. it was very challenging to get us a show back started. And, of so different from this year, but, that year the.

Weeks leading up to it. you would wake up every morning and look at your email to see who canceled coming to the show. There was actually a very big brand that canceled the night before the show. and I wrote a very strongly worded email, to tell them I was disappointed it didn't get them to come. But, so we really powered through in 2021 to get the show up and running.

Although it was much smaller than what we would call a normal show, we, like I said, powered through and got, and we made it happen. And I think that is the reason why our show is so successful today. Because that became our stepping stone, if we're having a show, we want to get all our pet people together.

And I think that was a really a turning point that, want to get the show going in 2021. to where we are today. 

Dr. Megan Sprinkle, BSM: SUPERZOO is a, a big help for the WPA as an organization. But it's also a really big opportunity for everyone in the industry. It's, you know, I overheard that like everybody is here if you need a distributor. If you want a manufacturer. Like everyone is here at this show.

So by not having it during COVID, I can only imagine that also impacted everyone else in the industry. So what did you see from the impact on the industry as a whole through the past few years? 

Victor Mason: Absolutely true. if you're looking from the business side, the reason people come to a show, there are three main reasons.

Networking, being number one. And, during Covid that didn't happen. And I go back to, what I said earlier, we're one giant family. and there was, people we hadn't seen in years really. so a lot of hugging, Hey, what's up? So networking is a big part of, events. 

Education, which, really, stopped during that time. There's definitely, and we're looking into further that more education online. Digital education where, not only can you come to an event and learn something, which is always the best way. But you can always, 365 days a year, get online and look at a subject and learn, which I think is really important. 

So we're partnering with a company, called FetchFind, with digital education. And, what, it's amazing how far that has come. So you can have fun, getting sitting in front of your computer and learning all at the same time. Stores can help, train their staff. And brands can actually get information out, directly to stores and consumers, which is pretty, pretty amazing.

Many people come to trade shows just to see what's new, what products are out there that are new, that are, that they can introduce to their customers. And many people know that, go going to a pet store destination and looking for that new product.

Maybe it's a toy. There's many very functional products out there that will help their animal. Nutrition is a big thing that, that somebody might learn. what the cutting edge of nutrition is and what might be best for their animal. 

Dr. Megan Sprinkle, BSM: Since we're on this topic, have you noticed any trends this year from the show that you're seeing?

Victor Mason: In my past since I was a distributor, I was certainly involved in the buying process. And there's always a large amount of new products. This particular year we've had over, 1000 new products and a new product showcase. And it is, it's for sure one of the favorite place for everybody to goes.

I'll be honest, I dunno how all these inventive people think of new products. But they're always something new that's out there. And usually they happen because somebody, has a pet and they're trying to solve a problem. And many of them have to they come up with a new product. And it's always fun when, somebody comes up with the new products and has a successful business.

Dr. Megan Sprinkle, BSM: Speaking back to what the WPA does for the industry, you have worked on some big focuses, having missions and objectives. Because you as an organization are thinking about the industry as a whole, right? you're not just a single brand who's thinking about, how to, how's my brand get out there and do well. 

So how does the WPA influence all these different brands for the better of the industry? 

Victor Mason: Of course, we're neutral, to the business world when somebody's competing out there. But, I think from a broad, broader point, and if you could take the food category, getting education out there to teach people what animals need.

It's not that they need just a bowl of food and then you move on. There are many other aspects to how to care properly for an animal, whether it's grooming or nutrition. There's many things out there. So I think that's where we help is really, making, information available on how best to care for an animal.

And then the business really goes out there and creates those products to, to best serve those animals. 

Dr. Mary Cope: And one thing I love walking around SUPERZOO for our listeners who have not ever attended, when we talk about the pet industry, it's so easy to get wrapped up with just dogs and...

In this mini episode, three of BSM Partners' nutritionists, Dr. Megan Sprinkle, Dr. Mary Cope and Dr. Stephanie Clark, explore the frustrating situation of anal gland problems in dogs. Through personal pet experiences, they will discuss why dogs have anal gland problems and how fiber may have a part in solving the problem.

BSM Partners 

BSM Partners is a multidisciplinary team of PhDs, board-certified veterinarians, and nutritionists offering 400+ years of cumulative technical experience, supporting the development of thousands of products per year. From R&D to replenishment, we have you covered. 

BSM Partners offers a wide range of services including research, product innovation, FSQAR, nutrition services, veterinary services, transformation, operations support, and engineering. 

Learn more at https://bsmpartners.net/ 

Similar episodes:

• Fiber: Understanding Your Pet's Gut Health. Listen here
• Are Prebiotics Good for Pets? Listen here

Article resources:

• Getting to know the gut: Prebiotics, more than just fiber. Read here.
• Effective probiotics for our furry friends. Read here

In this episode, Dr. Megan Sprinkle, Dr. Mary Cope and Dr. Stephanie Clark explore the topic of gut health for your pets. They discuss understanding the difference between fiber and carbohydrates, the difference between dogs, cats, and gut health, and understanding prebiotics and postbiotics.

BSM Partners 

BSM Partners is a multidisciplinary team of PhDs, board-certified veterinarians, and nutritionists offering 400+ years of cumulative technical experience, supporting the development of thousands of products per year. From R&D to replenishment, we have you covered. 

BSM Partners offers a wide range of services including research, product innovation, FSQAR, nutrition services, veterinary services, transformation, operations support, and engineering. 

Learn more at https://bsmpartners.net/ 

Links:

Are Prebiotics Good for Pets? Listen here: https://bsmpartners.net/the-pet-industry-podcast/are-probiotics-good-for-your-pets

Show Notes:

(02:40)  Difference between carbohydrates and fiber

(03:40)  Fibers are carbohydrates?

(05:51)  Insoluble versus soluble fiber explained

(06:53)  Different dogs have different needs

(07:54)  Adding canned pumpkin to dog food- is this good?

(10:43)  Cats, constipation, and diarrhea

(13:18)  Understanding the different fibers

(15:44)  Should pet owners use pre and probiotics?

(17:01)  Word of caution around adding too much fiber

(20:07)  Cats, fiber, and hairballs

(21:58)  What helps with fecal odor?

(23:25)  Benefits of cat grass

(26:45)  Good sources of prebiotic fiber

(28:33)  Benefits of smart fiber supplementation