Turmeric and Tequila™ by KO Alliance, LLC

August 12, 2026 307. Are We Killing Our Pets? The Truth About Ultra-Processed Pet Food, Vaccines & Natural Pet Health with Dr. Judy Morgan

"Food is the foundation of life. We can use food to heal or we can use food to harm."

— Dr. Judy Morgan

What if the way we've been taught to care for our pets isn't always the best way? In this powerful and unapologetically disruptive episode of Turmeric & Tequila, Kristen Olson sits down with Dr. Judy Morgan, an integrative veterinarian with more than 40 years of experience, to challenge conventional thinking around pet health, nutrition, vaccines, and veterinary care. Dr. Morgan shares the personal journey that took her from a traditional veterinary practice she says she hated to an integrative approach incorporating food therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic care, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, and natural healing therapies. Then the conversation gets REAL. Dr. Morgan takes a hard look at ultra-processed pet food, how pet food is manufactured, ingredient labels, rendered products, carbohydrates, and what she believes pet parents need to understand before choosing what goes into their dogs' and cats' bowls. She explains why she prefers whole-food, raw, or gently cooked approaches and discusses what she considers red flags on pet food labels.

The conversation also tackles:

• Why Dr. Morgan believes ultra-processed pet food deserves more scrutiny

• What "meat meal," "animal digest," and other pet food ingredients can mean

• Raw vs. gently cooked pet food

• Protein, carbohydrates, and species-appropriate nutrition

• Why cats have unique nutritional needs

• Taurine, carnitine, and the discussion around heart health

• How to make homemade pet food more practical

• Freeze-dried food and traveling with pets

• Pet vaccines, including rabies, DAP and leptospirosis

• Vaccine titers and the importance of understanding your pet's individual risk

• Flea, tick and heartworm prevention

• Why pet parents should advocate for themselves and their animals

• Finding a veterinarian you trust

• When surgery may not be the only option

• Acupuncture, chiropractic care and other integrative approaches

• Lipomas, arthritis and mobility

• Grooming as part of overall pet health

• Feeding schedules, fasting and "hunger pukes"

• The importance of asking questions instead of simply doing what you've always been told

At the heart of the conversation is a bigger message that applies far beyond pets: Question better. Learn more. Advocate for yourself. And don't be afraid to look for another answer.

Dr. Judy Morgan DVM, CVA, CVCP, CVFT has over 40-years-experience as an integrative veterinarian, acupuncturist, chiropractor, food therapist, best-selling author, international speaker, podcast host and owner of Dr. Judy Morgan's Naturally Healthy Pets. Her goal is to change the lives of pets by educating and empowering pet parents worldwide in the use of natural healing therapies, and minimizing the use of chemicals, vaccinations, and poor-quality processed food.

NaturallyHealthyPets.com

https://www.facebook.com/JudyMorganDVM

@drjudymorgan

LISTENER OFFER: TANDT50 for 50% off of Dr. Judy authored books found on NaturallyHealthyPets.com

Timestamps:

00:00 — Welcome to Turmeric & Tequila + Meet Dr. Judy Morgan -Kristen introduces Dr. Judy Morgan and the conversation around disrupting conventional approaches to pet health.

01:45 — Dr. Judy Morgan's Journey Into Veterinary Medicine-From horses and 4-H to veterinary school and a 40+ year career in animal health.

04:00 — Discovering Integrative Veterinary Medicine- How acupuncture, food therapy, chiropractic care and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine changed Dr. Morgan's approach.

07:20 — Are We Killing Our Pets? The Big Pet Food Problem-Dr. Morgan immediately challenges the way we think about processed pet food and the influence of the pet food industry.

09:00 — What's Actually in Commercial Pet Food?-A deep dive into rendering, animal byproducts, waste streams and what Dr. Morgan believes pet parents should know about their animals' food.

13:00 — Whole-Animal Nutrition: What Animals Naturally Eat-Why organ meats, feathers, fur and other parts of the whole animal can provide important nutrients.

17:30 — Ultra-Processed Pet Food & Why Ingredients Matter-Dr. Morgan explains her concerns about ultra-processed kibble, fillers, starches and highly processed ingredients.

19:00 — Do Dogs & Cats Need Carbohydrates?-A controversial conversation about carbohydrates, grains, protein and species-appropriate nutrition.

21:00 — Cats, Taurine & Heart Health-Why cats have unique nutritional requirements and the conversation around taurine, carnitine and heart health.

23:00 — Raw vs. Gently Cooked Pet Food-Dr. Morgan explains what she feeds her own animals and why she prefers whole-food approaches over ultra-processed food.

25:00 — Can You Really Make Your Own Pet Food?-How homemade feeding can work—and why many pet parents make it harder than it needs to be.

27:00 — Building a Balanced Homemade Diet-Eggshell, bone meal, calcium and other considerations when preparing food at home.

29:00 — Batch Cooking, Freezer Space & Making Pet Food Practical-How to prepare ahead, save time and make homemade feeding fit into real life.

31:30 — Feeding Your Pets While Traveling-Freeze-dried food, road trips, RV travel and practical options when you don't have a freezer full of homemade food.

33:15 — Pet Vaccines: What Do Our Dogs & Cats Actually Need?-Dr. Morgan breaks down rabies and the broader conversation around vaccination schedules.

35:00 — Rabies Vaccines, Titers & Understanding Immunity-The conversation moves into vaccine requirements, antibody testing and how vaccination decisions can differ by animal and circumstance.

37:00 — Why "Every Vaccine, Every Year" Isn't the Whole Story-Dr. Morgan reflects on how veterinary vaccine recommendations have changed throughout her career.

39:30 — Vaccine Decisions Should Consider Lifestyle & Risk-Why Dr. Morgan believes pet parents should consider where their animals live, travel and what they are exposed to.

42:00 — Finding a Veterinarian Who Will Actually Listen-What to do when your veterinarian doesn't agree with your approach—and why communication matters.

45:00 — How to Question Your Vet Without Creating Conflict-Dr. Morgan shares how pet parents can advocate for their animals while maintaining a productive relationship with their veterinarian.

48:00 — Don't Be Afraid to Get a Second Opinion-Why Dr. Morgan believes pet parents should keep searching until they find the right veterinary relationship.

50:30 — Natural Flea & Tick Prevention-A conversation about chemical exposure, environmental factors and alternative approaches to flea and tick management.

53:30 — Heartworm Prevention: It Depends Where You Live-How geography, mosquitoes and individual risk can influence the heartworm conversation.

55:00 — Fasting, Feeding Schedules & "Hunger Pukes"-Dr. Morgan talks about meal timing and what pet parents can do when their dogs struggle with an empty stomach.

57:00 — Why Grooming Is About More Than Looking Good-Grooming as an opportunity to check your pet from nose to tail and notice changes early.

59:30 — Lipomas: What Are They & Can They Shrink?-Dr. Morgan discusses fatty tumors, nutrition, weight management and integrative approaches including acupuncture.

61:30 — Arthritis, ACL Injuries & Rethinking Surgery-A deeper discussion about mobility, orthopedic injuries and whether surgery is always the first or only answer.

64:00 — Braces, Chiropractic Care & Alternative Options for Dog-Dr. Morgan shares examples of approaches that may help some animals avoid or delay more invasive procedures.

66:30 — The Bigger Lesson: Question Better-Kristen and Dr. Morgan connect pet health back to the larger Turmeric & Tequila philosophy of questioning conventional wisdom.

68:00 — What Does Success Look Like?-A more personal conversation about success, purpose and creating meaningful change.

70:00 — How Do We Actually Create Change?-Dr. Morgan and Kristen discuss advocacy, asking better questions and being willing to challenge the status quo.

72:00 — Final Thoughts + Where to Find Dr. Judy Morgan-Closing thoughts, resources and how listeners can continue learning about natural and integrative pet care.

Connect with T&T:

IG: @TurmericTequila

Facebook: @TurmericAndTequila

Website: www.TurmericAndTequila.com

Host: Kristen Olson

IG: @Madonnashero

Tik Tok: @Madonnashero

Website: www.KOAlliance.com

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