Mystic Dog Mama

Today we are doing a deep dive into all things kidney disease: what it is, how it is diagnosed, and how to prevent and manage it with fresh food!

My guest is my canine nutrition mentor, colleague, and friend, Katie McCaul! Katie is an esteemed canine nutrition professional who uses her background as a veterinary nurse, as well as her studies in human naturopathy specialising in nutrition, and animal behaviour and physiology to bring both a holistic and evidence-based approach to how we support our dogs’ health and wellbeing through fresh food. Katie has held roles in research and development, as well as formulation for several companies in the pet food industry. She also consults directly with clients who need nutrition support. Katie has conducted research projects, and has been part of the raw feeding veterinary society. Katie is also super passionate about education and teaches vets, vet nurses, and other canine professionals about fresh feeding. 

I couldn’t think of anyone I would rather chat with about kidney disease than Katie!

Katie and I pack so much helpful information in here to give you a better understanding of what kidney disease is, how to interpret what the lab results are telling you, and how you can best support your dog through a fresh food diet.

You’ll learn:

* The various roles the kidneys play, and how kidney disease affects them

* What factors can cause kidney disease

* Kidney disease symptoms and how it is diagnosed and Staged (and why blood test results might not always be a true indicator of kidney disease)

* How reducing stress and anxiety in your dog can help support the kidneys

* And we answer the question,”Can we replicate what prescription kidney diets are doing with fresh food instead?”

(Spoiler Alert! Not only can you match what prescription kidney diets offer, but you can do even BETTER with a fresh food diet for kidney disease, and we’ll walk you through how and why!)

We share some great tips on foods to add into your dog’s diet, and answer common questions around whether or not you need to restrict certain nutrients and when.

It’s my hope that this episode provides you with some new, helpful perspectives on how to prevent and manage kidney disease, and that in doing this it takes away some of the fear that I know firsthand comes with a kidney disease diagnosis. There really is SO MUCH we can do to help dogs with kidney disease live long and healthy lives, so grab a pen and paper! You’ll want to take notes!

You can learn more about Katie and how to work with her to support your dog by visiting her website http://mypetdiet.co.uk/ 

If you do have a dog with kidney disease and you would like some more information on anything Katie and I went over, including my resource on my favourite kidney disease supports from a TCVM perspective, please reach out.  Or, if you need some more personalised guidance and handholding to put together a nutrition and wellbeing plan using fresh food for your dog with kidney disease, and you’d like my help, send me a DM on Instagram @mysticdogmama, or contact me on my website https://mysticdogmama.com and let me know what’s going on with your dog, and I’ll be happy to talk about ways I can support you.

This episode is sponsored by Aspirationery, which in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to support you in becoming all you aspire to be. I’m really excited to announce that we have released a Spanish language version of our popular My First Period Tracker for Young Girls and Tweens in order to increase menstrual literacy and empower young people to become advocates for their menstrual health. You can learn more about our books on our Instagram https://instagram.com/aspirationery

International Renal Interest Society

http://iris-kidney.com

*Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your own veterinarian or doctor.

Today I’m joined by Chrissy Messick, a dog trainer, behavioural consultant, animal communicator, and fellow podcaster, who helps dog parents set the foundations to build a happy and healthy relationship with their dogs. 

I just love this conversation because Chrissy really takes a holistic approach to how we help our dogs navigate this world - and by proxy, how this helps US to better navigate the world. Chrissy shares how she grew up around animals, but then entered a career in sports medicine - even working at the Olympic Games! But it was her experience in volunteering at the local Humane Society, working with a life coach, and taking animal communication courses that served as a huge pivot, and took Chrissy down the path of working with dogs and their humans from a whole dog perspective.

Chrissy shares how her first dogs with her husband served as incredible teachers for her that have even informed the way she parents her children.

She also talks reframing training to teaching our dogs, how dogs are supporting us in coming back to our own bodies, and how we can better develop our relationships with our dogs by making sure create opportunities for both passive and active “being”. Chrissy also shares wisdom that dogs have shared with her and her clients through animal communication sessions.

To connect with Chrissy and learn more about how to work with her:

https://⁠theanimalnature.com⁠. 

And definitely check out her podcast The Dogs of Our Lives anywhere you listen to podcasts! She has some wonderful guests that I think you’ll find really interesting and helpful in your journey with your dog!

This episode is sponsored by Aspirationery, which in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to support you in becoming all you aspire to be. I’m really excited to announce that we have released a Spanish language version of our popular My First Period Tracker for Young Girls and Tweens in order to increase menstrual literacy and empower young people to become advocates for their menstrual health. You can learn more about our books on our Instagram ⁠https://instagram.com/aspirationery

⁠https://mysticdogmama.com⁠

⁠https://instagram.com/mysticdogmama⁠

OK, on that note, let’s go!

This is a very special spotlight series episode! Today, my fellow mystic dog mama, Jenny Dempsey, joins me to talk all things flipping!

Hi there, and thank you so much for joining me! Today, I talk with Sharon Vincuilla of Human Canine Collaborative all about co-regulating our nervous systems with our dogs. With a doctorate in Occupational Therapy and certification as a professional dog trainer and dog behaviour consultant, Sharon has extensive experience in taking an interspecies approach to helping dogs and their humans find grounding and joy by co-regulating their nervous systems. In particular, her practice focuses on supporting neurodivergent dog guardians in regulating their nervous systems while reducing reactive, anxious, or aggressive behaviour in their dogs, and today she shares with us what this can look like in practice, and some simple tips that you can apply in your relationship with your own dog. 

I was really excited to have Sharon on the podcast because the conversations she brings to the table around the need to recognise different ways of processing the world, and the need to create inclusive ways of supporting pet parents and dogs with different sensory needs are just so important to be having. In talking with Sharon, I found myself having so many “aha” moments, including realising areas where I can, personally, become more empathetic and inclusive - with humans and dogs alike. And where I can have more self-compassion, too!

I really appreciated that Sharon asked if we could start the conversation with some breath work to anchor us both in our bodies, and to the moment, so that we could be more present for one another in our conversation. I just loved that suggestion, and asked if we could invite you, the audience, to join us, too, and she was thrilled to do that. So, this episode starts off with Sharon leading us through a short grounding exercise, which we invite you to join us in if it is safe and comfortable for you to do so.

From there, Sharon shares her journey of bringing together Occupational Therapy and an understanding of dog behaviour and dogs’ emotional needs via her experience in animal-assisted interventions. This ultimately led her to the work she does today in the Human Canine Collaborative.

There is so much goodness in the episode, but to give you some highlights, you will learn about:

This episode is sponsored by Aspirationery ,which in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to support you in becoming all you aspire to be. I’m really excited to announce that we have released a Spanish language version of our popular My First Period Tracker for Young Girls and Tweens in order to increase menstrual literacy and empower young people to become advocates for their menstrual health. You can learn more about our books on our Instagram https://instagram.com/aspirationery

OK, on that note, let’s go!

Connect with Sharon:

https://hc-collab.com

Instagram https://instagram.com/holisticdogexpert

Happy Dog Happy Human podcast

Connect with me:

https://mysticdogmama.com

https://instagram.com/mysticdogmama

Today we launch into all things microbiome! This is honestly one of my favourite topics, because as we discover more and more each day, the microbiome plays such a pivotal role in all aspects of our dogs health, and our own health! 

You’re really in for a treat because my guest is Dr Carol Hughes, who is arguably one of the world’s pre-eminent experts when it comes to the canine microbiome. Carol has had a vast career in bioscience research, and for over 10 years has specifically been engaged in research and development of our companion animal’s microbiomes with her company PetBiome. 

In today’s conversation, Carol and I explore the microbiome as the missing key in the canine diet, and how nurturing this ecosystem, you can vastly improve your dog’s physical, mental, and emotional health.

And, based on the wonderful questions that you guys ask me, Carol and I touch on a range of topics that I know you will find really helpful, including:

*What the microbiome actually is and its role in health

*The pros and cons of probiotics

*The relationship between the microbiome and behavioural challenges like anxiety and aggression

*How dogs’ microbiomes have changed in the post-COVID era

*Easy steps you can take to better support your dog’s microbiome and increase diversity

*Whether a raw or gently cooked diet is better for microbiome health

*and What Faecal Matter Transfer (FMT) is, and how your dog might benefit from it

If you’d like to reach out to Carol, or you’d like to learn more about how to order a microbiome test and report for your dog, visit her website https://www.biome4pets.com

What was your biggest takeaway from this episode? What questions do you still have about your dog’s microbiome and its link to their health? Let me know in the comments, or DM me on Instagram https://instagram.com/mysticdogmama, or contact me through my website https://mysticdogmama.com. It’s such a fascinating and ever-evolving topic, so I will definitely be addressing it further in future episodes, so let me know what you want to know more about.

If you are enjoying the podcast, and haven’t done so already, I would be so grateful if you would consider liking, subscribing, and leaving a review. This really helps me to know what you are enjoying, and it also helps other mystic dog mamas - and papas! - who are looking for help and support to find the podcast and this beautiful community we are creating together. 

This episode is sponsored by Aspirationery ,which in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to support you in becoming all you aspire to be. I’m really excited to announce that we have released a Spanish language version of our popular My First Period Tracker for Young Girls and Tweens in order to increase menstrual literacy and empower young people to become advocates for their menstrual health. You can learn more about our books on our Instagram https://instagram.com/aspirationery

DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

Today, instead of looking down at the ground like so many of us dog owners are used to doing, we are going to take a look up towards the sky! I’m joined by my guest, Suzanne Gerber, who is a classically trained astrological counselor, shamanic energy healer and animal lover who draws on her training and initiations in shamanism, Reiki, Buddhism, quantum physics and soul-centered psychotherapy to support people in waking up to their purpose and manifesting their dream life. 

This is a fascinating episode!

Suzanne shares with us how we can use tools like astrology to better understand ourselves, and to create better relationships with our pets, and others.

She reminds us that we, and our beloved pets, are intimately connected to the cosmos, because we are made of stardust, too! 

We touch on topics like:

* Free will vs fate (hint: despite popular lore, the planets don’t cause things to happen to you!)

* How your natal chart is your psychic MRI scan

* And some really useful places to start if you want to explore astrology as a tool for self-inquiry

You’re going to love this! And Suzanne also really kindly offers listeners a powerful gratitude recording that you can use in your own personal practice.

To learn more about Suzanne and how to work with her:

https://starsandstoneshealing.com

https://starsandstoneshealing.com/gratitude-sign-up

https://asksuzanne.com

This episode is sponsored by Aspirationery, which in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to support you in becoming all you aspire to be. I’m really excited to announce that we have released a Spanish language version of our popular My First Period Tracker for Young Girls and Tweens in order to increase menstrual literacy and empower young people to become advocates for their menstrual health. You can learn more about our books on our Instagram https://instagram.com/aspirationery

And if you would like me to cover any particular topics related to nourishing your dog and yourself mind, body, and soul on future episodes, please reach out and let me know! You can DM on https://instagram.com/mysticdogmama or reach out to me on my website https://mysticdogmama.com.

All right, until next time!

This week’s episode is one that I hope you’ll find really helpful for both yourself and your dog if either of you are experiencing GI issues! 

I’ve mentioned before on the podcast that Lucky’s GI issues and then his kidney issue were what launched me into canine nutrition, but something I haven’t mentioned before is that I used to suffer from debilitating IBS myself. In fact, it was so bad at one point that doctors thought I must have colon cancer  because they just couldn’t figure out what was going on. My whole experience with the traditional medical community at that time was so humiliating, discouraging and disempowering, and it wasn’t until a family friend who was a naturopath sat down to talk to me about what was going on in my life, and recommended a functional medicine approach to get to grips with what was happening in my body that for the first time I saw major improvement. 

It’s for that reason that I really wanted to bring today’s guest, Kaytee Hadley, onto the podcast to talk about IBS, some steps you can take to support your gut health, and how to become your own health advocate. We talk a lot about our dog’s gut health over here at Mystic Dog Mama, but as you’ll discover in this conversation, there are SO many parallels with our own gut health, too.

You might know Kaytee from social media as the anti IBS dietician. Kaytee and I both sing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to needing to get to the root of gut issues and not just throwing an unhelpful label like IBS on them. Kaytee has had her own story with IBS and SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth), and having come out on the other side, she now supports other people navigating the often complex journey of GI issues.

We talk about :

* How gut issues are linked to insulin resistance, skin issues, fertility issues, disrupted menstrual cycles, yeast infections, and more, and how this requires approaching gut issues from a whole-body perspective

*Kaytee’s 3 pillars for addressing gut issues

*Why YOUR insights into your body are so important

*Whether or not probiotics are useful for IBS, and how the nervous system plays a critical role in gut health

Kaytee also shares a beautiful, touching tribute to her soul pup, Peanut who has passed on, so get your tissues ready.

To connect with Kaytee:

Website: ⁠https://kayteehadley.com ⁠

Instagram: https://instagram.com/kayteehadley

This episode is sponsored by Aspirationery, which in full transparency, is another project of mine, where we make books, notebooks, stationery to support in becoming all you aspire to be. I’m really excited that we have just released a Spanish language version of our super popular My First Period Tracker for Young Girls and Tweens. This is a book designed to empower young people starting their periods and foster menstrual literacy. You can find out more about Aspirationery and our offerings on our Instagram account

Connect with me on Instagram ⁠https://instagram.com/mysticdogmama⁠, or on my website ⁠https://mysticdogmama.com⁠

DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

OMG this is SUCH A FUN EPISODE!

To celebrate International Podcast Day which takes place on September 30th, this week’s episode is a Spotlight Series episode where I talk with fellow mystic dog mama and podcaster, as well as author, coach, and medium Maureen Scanlon!

You know when you meet someone and you think to yourself, “This person is just SO COOL?” that’s how I felt meeting Maureen! Maureen has an incredible backstory that includes being in an abusive marriage, and then making her way as a single mother. And she also shares how her dogs were pivotal in her self-love, self-awakening journey. But what is most incredible about Maureen is her resiliency and her ability to transform past pains and difficulties into the very strength and gifts that she now uses to support people as an author, coach, and medium.

In this episode, we cover so much interesting stuff!

Maureen talks about how she discovered her amazing gift of talking to dead people, and how you can nurture your own gift!

How to have “no regerts” - no, that’s not a typo!

And we go into so much more about what exploring the spiritual path can teach us about choosing the version of ourselves we want to become

Maureen leaves us with really useful and practical Tips for developing compassion, starting with self-compassion, and creating the life we love - and how we can learn ALL of this from our dogs!

And she shares the reminder, just in case nobody has told you this today: YOU ARE AMAZING

I’ve left links to Maureen’s podcast and website in the show notes, so be sure to check them out.

AND, to celebrate International Podcast Day, I’m doing a giveaway! Yes, that’s right! I’m giving away a free copy of my brand new ebook, The N.E.W. Approach to Feeding Your Dog Fresh Food. This really is the ultimate guide to simply and easily make your dog fresh food. It’s not a recipe book - I teach you the basics and fundamentals of putting a healthy diet together for your dog so that you can totally customise it based upon your dog’s needs, what’s available to you, what’s in season, and what your dog likes! No more guesswork, and no more worry that you’re not doing it right. I include how to feed raw meaty bones, how to work out how much your dog needs to eat, how much of each ingredient they need, and I even include bone broth recipes, garlic guidance, and weekly meal planners and shopping lists. And because this is the N.E.W. Approach, I’ve also included information on food energetics and the energetic profiles of the most common foods, as well as some easy wellbeing practices you can start implementing today.

SO, if you’d like to enter the giveaway for your chance to with the ebook, all you have to do is write a review of the Mystic Dog Mama podcast on Apple Podcasts, take a screenshot of your review, and DM me the screenshot on Instagram @mysticdogmama. Or, if you’d prefer, email it to me at [email protected]. All of this info will be in the show notes. I am accepting entries until Thursday, the 3rd of October at 5pm Eastern, and the winner will be announced on Friday the 4th of October!

To learn more about Maureen and how to work with her: https://lifecoachmaureen.com

To listen to my interview on Maureen's podcast I Never Knew But My Dog Did (INK): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-never-knew-ink-but-my-dog-did-by-lifecoach-maureen/id1633091784?i=1000664123686

My website: https://mysticdogmama.com

Are you going through your own personal Groundhog Day, asking yourself why the same things keep happening over and over again to you? Are you yelling at the Universe, “I thought I already learned this lesson!”? then this episode is for you!

In this bonus chat, I share with you a SUPER helpful concept I came across that has been unbelievably helpful to me as I navigate a season of lots of transition, and I wanted to let you know about it in case it helps YOU! 

You’ll learn:

I’ve been having so many lightbulb moments and lightbulb experiences recently thanks to becoming aware of the echo, and it’s radically changed how I am experiencing some pretty stressful times. I really hope this resonates with you and that you can use it if you’re in a similar kind of situation right now, and even if you’re not, you’ll have this in your back pocket the next time you are dealing with some stress and uncertainty.

Enjoy! And let me know if you’ve experienced the echo before, and what you found helpful! DM me on Instagram @mysticdogmama, or leave a comment!

Until next time!

Website: https://mysticdogmama.com

You are in for a TREAT! Today, my guest is Lisa Spector of My Zen Pet. Lisa has such an incredible story. From graduating from the world renowned Julliard School, to pursuing a concert career, opening up a music school, and even raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, Lisa has been on an incredible journey that has shown her the power that music holds - for dogs and humans alike.

In this episode, Lisa talks about her journey into canine sound therapy, and she shares with us some really useful ways we can use music to calm our dogs’ nervous systems to both prevent and treat all kinds of anxiety. And she also shares why just putting any ol’ classical music on for your dog when you go out during the day, or during fireworks, might not actually be a helpful thing! Don’t worry, Lisa shares exactly what IS helpful to your dog’s nervous system, too.

AND you’ll be treated to a mini concert you can share with your dog, as Lisa plays for us some of her calming music. It’s so beautiful, and you’re going to feel just as relaxed as your dog, so get comfy!

Check out Lisa’s website ⁠https://myzenpet.com⁠ to learn more about her Dog Gone Calm Training Program and to stream her Dog Gone Calm album for your dog! You can also follow Lisa on Instagram ⁠@my_zen_pet⁠.

Visit ⁠https://mysticdogmama.com⁠ for more information on booking a holistic nutrition and wellness consultation, and to get your copy of my ebook The N.E.W. Approach to feeding your dog!

Finally, can I please ask you for a favour? If you are enjoying the podcast, a simple and really meaningful way you can support me is by rating the podcast and leaving a review on Apple podcasts. I know, I wish Spotify allowed reviews, too! Alas! But seriously, it really helps me to know what you are enjoying, and it is SO HELPFUL for helping others to find the podcast, and find this beautiful community we are creating together. I am so grateful for each an every one of you!

OK, until next time!