Paws For Prevention: The Power of Wellness-based Dog Grooming

https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts125/v4/2e/33/a4/2e33a487-cbcb-7058-0bdb-fd78e7e52fd4/mza_15387977587828102884.jpg/600x600bb.jpg

Wag Out Loud

Krista Karpowich

100 episodes

9 months ago

Hello This is Krista with Episode #189, the final episode of the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. And I just want to thank you for tuning in over the years and for wanting to be the best advocate for your dog's health and wellness. I have learned so much from all of my expert guests over the last five years and I hope that you have too many of you know that for the past year I've been working alongside Dr. Judy Morgan, as the Education and Development Team Lead for her Naturally Healthy Pets team. And Dr. Judy is America's best known natural pet advocate, and holistic veterinarian for over 38 years, and I help produce her podcast and manage her events and also manage her speaking engagements. Dr. Judy's experience includes holistic veterinarian, acupuncturist, chiropractor, food therapist, author and speaker. So if you don't currently follow her, you should! Follow Dr. Judy Morgan's Naturally Healthy Pets and continue your journey to learning more about how to keep your dog healthy and happy, naturally. And in the meantime, my Wag Out Loud website will remain up. So you can always listen to any of the podcast episodes. Check out my most trusted brands, most of them with discount codes. And check out the great information on the resources page. Again, thanks everybody for listening to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. And I hope that you enjoy this final episode. Take care dog lovers! Welcome to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast, where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition, and overall wellbeing. If you'd like to support the show, check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode. Well, hello dog lovers and welcome to yet another Wag Out Loud episode. And this is actually going to be the last and final episode, where we have a chance to learn something new when it comes to Canine health. And I'm so excited for today's guest. We have Bill Booko ut here. And he's going to be covering the topic of will your dog benefit from supplements and the critical questions to ask when selecting products. Bill, thank you so much for being with us today. Krista, Thank you very much for the opportunity. I've been looking forward to this since we scheduled it. I’m sad that this is last podcast but I'm honored to be the final episode. So I really appreciate it. This is so fitting. Bill, I'm going to ask you to introduce yourself and share why did you start the NASC, the National Animal Supplement Council? THE START OF THE NASC Kind of an interesting story. I'll make it brief. I'm a business executive. So I was COO for a $500 million dollar medical device and drug company but I was raised in Wyoming and I had dogs my whole life. So I've been an animal lover. I had two black labs, Lancelot and Cinder and they both had health issues. Cinder had hip dysplasia. Lancelot had cancer. So in the mid 1990s, I had them both successfully treated, I made a career change. I got out of human medicine and I took a slot as CEO for the third largest specialty animal referral center in the US. When cancer came back the second time around on my own dog, Lancelot. He was an 11 and a half year old Labrador Retriever. And he was given a very poor prognosis. So I'm connected with all these high powered board certified oncologists. And you know, he's given three months with chemotherapy. And I'm just not going to do that on an 11 and a half year old dog, so I'm looking for help. So I find a veterinarian, formulated a product and changed his diet completely. And he lived two and a half years good quality of life, which wasn't long enough. But out of that experience, I decided, well, I'm going to start my own company selling supplements for animals. Well, I didn't realize that the regulatory environment for animal supplements was different than it is for human dietary supplements. I made a bad assumption. And in 2001, the industry was threatened with products being removed from the marketplace. So we started NASC with 18 companies with the intention of engaging the regulatory officials, meaning the Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary medicine as well as state regulators to try to define, develop and implement a responsible path forward that would allow these beneficial products to remain on the market, provided companies act responsibly. So that's the foundation and the driving force behind founding NASC. Well, and we appreciate that. Because, you know, I have to let my listeners know, I don't know it all. I'm just a dog, mom. And I thought that the supplement industry, especially for animals is unregulated. And the wild wild west? And I am so glad to know that there is an organization looking out for our pets. And I was just astounded, yet happy to hear what your members of the NASC have to go through to get that accreditation. So why don't we start there with how did you come up with having supplement companies get the seal of approval? What do they have to do? WHAT DOES NASC MEMBERSHIP ENTAIL? It's really a two step process. First, you just can't pay your money and join NASC, you have to qualify for membership. So whether you go through the audit process or not, there's a code of conduct document that every single company and then we have 300 members now, 300 brands, every single company that joins NASC, has to have a direct interview, either with myself or Ryan Cargo, our Chief Operating Officer, to be sure that the company is willing to commit to our quality standards. they sign a written document, and they have to qualify for membership. To use the NASC seal, that's about a 120 day process. a lot of companies want to join NASC and use the seal right away. Well, if we just handed out the seal, the quality seal when companies you know join and you write us a check and it would have no meaning or value. So with the NASC audit program, companies have to pass a quality audit, similar to an FDA audit, that they demonstrate their labels are in compliance, their claims are in compliance with our guidelines. They have a written quality manual that ensures quality processes, whether they have products contract manufactured for them by someone else, or they they have those processes themselves. They enter products to our adverse event reporting database, which is the most advanced system of post market surveillance in the world, for these types of products, much more advanced than even the human dietary supplement industry. So those companies have to meet our requirements to be a member, but we verify those through an actual audit process. And once a company does that, then they can use the NASC seal, that’s good for two years. But again, you can't just join and use the seal. If there wasn't a pretty high hurdle to clear, then that seal would have no value. And, you know, a lot of people ask me why we've been successful at NASC. And, you know, I say, one word credibility, we walk our talk. And I don't mean to say that our members are perfect. Anybody can make a mistake. But, you know, we do have specific standards that we require members to follow. Well, and the in depth ingredient search and report that is involved, that alone is worth its weight in gold. Yeah, we've expanded our programs as this is our 22nd year. And we're the largest trade association in the world representing companies that sell products for dogs, cats and horses, you know, similar to human dietary supplements, but our programs have expanded where we now have quality, quality and qualification programs for raw materials, contract manufacturers, testing laboratories, because it seems intuitive, but people you know, kind of forget, one of the things they you know, you see a product on the shelf and quality is assumed and it shouldn't be. So I always say Trust, but verify. And we'll talk more about that in this podcast, I'm sure. If you don't start with quality raw materials, combined and manufactured with quality, repeatable processes, you're not going to have quality products at the end of that production cycle. So we cover all the way from raw material supplier qualification through our preferred supplier program, contract manufacturing companies all the way through finished products. we do independent product testing also, we'll go out as an organization couple times a year, and we'll buy products from the marketplace. And we'll test to make sure that companies meet label claim. If they don't, then we require written corrective action and investigation, if they’re outside of allowable limits or analytical laboratory variation. And what if a company changes their formulation in any way? Do they have to start over again? CHANGE IN FORMULATION Yeah, good question. Products are entered in our database. And every ingredient in the product is entered in and that product is finalized and locked, the company has to sign it off and lock the product. So that product in our database cannot be changed. Now, if a formulation does change, they can enter a new product, or we won’t modify that product because that would compromise the integrity and the traceability of the products that were manufactured previous to the formulation change. But that can be updated by like a red one SKU in our database. So every individual product and individual formulation can be tracked by lot number, and that really protects the company, you know, if they ever did have a problem, or an issue that was unforeseen? You know, we could recognize that act upon that quickly, you know, if needed, and again, in the interest of ensuring that we have quality products in the marketplace. And do you guys put any emphasis on companies that have done clinical trials or studies? STUDIES AND TRIALS Certainly, clinical trials and studies are important. And we encourage people to contact a company look for research? A couple issues with research. So Krista, let me give you a direct short answer to your question. We don't evaluate the efficacy of products, right? There would be legal liability associated with that. And if we did, if we evaluated safety and efficacy, then we'd be the FDA. And that's what the Food and Drug Administration does. So we don't evaluate whether or not the product works, or does the company have clinical research? However, in commenting on clinical research, a lot of people especially veterinarians say, You know what, I'm not going to buy a product until I see research. There's a couple of issues with research, I think the right question is, why isn't there more research for natural products? Two answers to that, number one, natural substances cannot be protected via intellectual property or patents. So if a company introduces, you know, conducts research, and I'll give you an example, we just conducted as an organization, a safety study for CCD, three different types of CBD in dogs, the cost of that study was $475,000, for just safety. So there's no way to recoup the investment, because you can't patent protect the formulations in most cases. So some other company can go out, copy of formulation, sell it cheaper, and no way for the company to recoup the investment. That's answer number one, or part one of the answer. Part Two, the answer is, if you have a product that shows that the product would be beneficial for a chronic disease process, companies are limited on the claims that they can make if they don't go through the drug approval process with FDA. And that's a very expensive and lengthy process, meaning millions of dollars and years, at least five years to get through the new animal drug approval process. So that's why drug companies have formulations or substances that they can protect with patents, and recoup the very costly investment that it takes to go through the new animal drug approval process. So that's kind of a long winded answer to a short question, which is, how do we view research? And do we encourage research? The answer is yes, we encourage research. But there are limitations in this particular area, just because the cost to reach it. That all makes sense. Thank you for breaking that down. Appreciate it. Well, before we go on our break, I guess I wanted to ask, since it's called the National Animal Supplement Council, are you only taking companies that are manufacturing here in the US? ONLY US COMPANIES? Yeah, the answer is the answer is no. When we started NASC, that's where we started because that's where the issue was burning. The hottest and brightest was products were being limited, in fact being removed from the marketplace in the United States. So we started as in the National Animal Supplement Council, but we really have evolved into you know, we're more of a global organization, we participated in the veterinary natural health products program and helped define the path forward in Canada. And we're recognized in in some other countries, countries internationally with the NASC seal and our quality program. So we've become more globally focused over time. But we started out focused in the US. got it. Okay. Well, we are going to take a quick break, but when we come back, Bill is going to unpack his motto trust but verify, and how we can know that we're getting a good product when we are looking for products for our dogs. So everybody sit tight, and we'll be right back. SPONSOR AD Thanks to Dog Love essential oils for sponsoring this episode. They say it comes in many forms. And in this case, love comes in a bottle. Our canine companions are more than just pets. They're cherished family members. So whether you have a sprightly pup, a wise old sage or a beloved friend of any age, Dog Love Oils help to enhance your pups wellbeing, and happiness. Are you tired of using chemical laden products on your precious pup? Well, Dog Love Oils has you covered. Whether it's soothing your dogs hotspots, protecting them from pesky fleas and ticks, aiding digestion, relieving sore joints, or simply promoting overall wellness, Dog Love Oils has crafted top quality natural solutions for you. What makes these elixirs stand out? Well, it's all about quality and Dog Love Oils uses only the finest pure therapeutic grade essential oils, ensuring safety and effectiveness for both dogs and their human companions. And rest assured that all Dog Love Oils are blended with natural ingredients and expertly diluted and tested to be dog safe. Show your love by going to https://www.dogloveoils.com/ today and explore their wide range of products designed to boost your best friend's well being. And here's a special treat during the entire month of December, enjoy a generous 15% off every order of $25 or more by using the code WAGOUTLOUD . Dog Love Oils… love in a bottle. And we are back and I'm having a fascinating conversation with Bill Bookout from the National Animal Supplement Council. And Bill you mentioned in the first half that your motto is trust but verify. Can you unpack that a little bit? TRUST, BUT VERIFY Yes, I think, again, as we talked about in, you know, before the break, people see a product on the shelf and quality is assumed and I don't think it should be. trust but verify. You know, people should not be afraid to pick up the phone and call the company and ask some questions. Ask how long has the company been in business? Ask who formulated the product? And what's their background? You know, do they have expertise in these areas? Who can I call if I have a question? You know, are they credible? You know, Can I can I get help? There's a couple red flags that I always tell people to look for. And you can take these to the bank. Companies that make claims that sound too good to be true, probably are. And cheap products are cheap for a reason. So if you see two different products, and they look the same formulation wise and one of them cost significantly less than the other stop and ask yourself why. quality costs money. Now, why is that important? Because this is a consumable product. And there are no magic bullets out there. Right? So even if you have a supplement that you hope that your dog or cat will benefit from. It's not a magic bullet. Right. It's a component of a comprehensive health and wellness program. But the important point for supplements are, quality means consistency. And if your dog or cat is going to respond positively to that product. It needs to be produced consistently. So you have the same product this week, next week, next month, next year, so that you maximize the probability that you're going to get a positive response for the animal And that centers around quality and process control. So that's why trust but verify quality is always important. Now, we all lead busy lives, right? And I will also suggest that people, you know, access to information on the internet, we live in the information age, right? We get information from all kinds of different places. And it's easy to get right. So be careful what you read, be careful who you believe, trust but verify. And, you know, we hope that companies or consumers, pet owners will look for NASC audited member products, because again, as I mentioned earlier, that doesn't mean they're perfect, but it does mean somebody's been there and checked them out. Right. So I think you want to maximize the probability that your dog or cat who is really your extended family member is going to benefit from the products and you want to buy a quality product, because if they're going to respond, it really centers around quality and consistency. I'm glad you mentioned that it all does make a lot of sense that cheaper does not mean better. And that we do have to ask questions and not be afraid to dig a little deeper into the companies and the ingredients and the sourcing and where do they manufacture? How do they manufacture? So I know when we originally met, which was a long time ago, you said that there was an instance when you had to cancel a member? Can you share what happened there? MEMBERS NOT BEING COMPLIANT We did. Yeah, without mentioning any names. We had a longtime audited member company, that we you know, we pick up products and we test for label claims. And we had a company come in at 78% of label claim for one of the ingredients in their product. Well, when that happens, that's you know, there's obviously an issue. So we require written investigation and corrective action so that the company can determine what made that happen. Well, we sent a note to the company and said, Hey, we bought this product, here's where we bought it from, here's the test results. We tested this particular laboratory, we're completely transparent in that. And we said you're 78% of label claim, you need to find out why this happened and respond to us on what your findings are and what you're going to do. What are you going to do so this doesn't happen again. And the company responded back to us and said, We're not going to do that. We think you're getting too deep in our business, and we're not going to respond to you. We canceled their membership that day. Good for you. So, I mean, if we don't walk our talk, then again, as I mentioned earlier, if you ask me, What's the one single word that best describes the success of NASC credibility, right? If we don't have credibility with the regulatory agencies, and ultimately with the consumers in the marketplace, retailers, consumers, then we don't have a good foundation to stand on. So quality is very important to us. That's what happened. And we're very serious about what we do. Well, I appreciate that, that shows integrity and transparency. And I mean, you are regulating, which is what we need. And speaking of which, you should be very proud of 300 members. But when we look at the entire landscape of animal supplements, there are I can't even imagine hundreds of 1000s of brands, why aren't more wanting to be a part of the NASC? So by consumer spending, we estimate that we represent about 80 to 85% of the industry. The industry, rightly or wrongly, is a fairly low barriers to entry industry. Meaning that, you know, Krista and Bill can decide they want to start an animal supplement company, and if we can get it up off the ground, then we can certainly do that. But we estimate that we represent about 80 and 85% of the industry by consumer spending or products that consumers purchase. So we represent the majority of the industry. But that's why I say Trust, but verify, you know, look at the company, see how long they've been in business, check out their background, don't hesitate to do a little due diligence before making the selection. Now, if you see a company with the NASC quality seal again, that means they're not only a member agree to abide by our guidelines in terms of the Code of Conduct, we bought it at them and we verified that. So we hope the consumer because we all lead busy lives, you know, would look for the NASC quality seal and and give that weight. Our ultimate goal is we want to NASC quality seal to be in the top three factors of why someone selects a product that they would use for their furry family member. And do you ever seek out members? Or do they come to you? HOW NASC FINDS MEMBERS most of the time members come to us. At some of the major trade shows like Global Pet Expo or Super Zoo, there's a couple of major veterinary shows, you know, we attend those shows, we usually have a booth and, you know, I'll cruise around if I if I see a company, or what its really turned into Krista is more of a self policing industry. So when you have the majority of the industry, following requirements and quality standards, if somebody is outside of those boundaries, and you know, really, you know, making claims they shouldn't make, for example, they're out there purveying products, and they say they're going to cure everything from parvo to cancer. A lot of times people don't realize they're making a mistake. I didn't when I first got in the business. So I'll call companies up if they're brought to my attention, or if I see them somewhere. And I'll try to help them. we operate with with the philosophy here that a rising tide floats all boats. So, you know, sometimes companies just don't know that they're making a mistake. And I'll try to give them the information because it doesn't do the industry any good for us to sit back and let a company make a mistake. Because bad news sells. And we all get painted with a broad brush wrongly a lot of times. But nevertheless, that's what happens. And so we do both, most of the times companies come to us, one of the buyers on the retail side. Now we've been around long enough and we have credibility, you know that the buyers will require companies to belong to NASC. Because again, they want to maximize, this is a consumable sale, they want to maximize the probability that a pet owner is going to return to their location, wherever that purchase location is, they're going to buy that product again, they're going to leverage that visit, they’ll buy other things because it increases trust with the retailer that recommends or offers a product for sale. And they'll tell their friends and create a new stream of business. So there's a lot of business benefits. And so we get a lot of a lot of companies through retail channels as well, because we you know, again, we help the retailers maximize, maximize their revenue which at the end of the day. You know, that's what that's what keeps them in business. Well, I have to say, in the almost five years that I've been doing this show, you know, I've learned how to ask the questions and what to look for. But I think a lot of these companies, unfortunately, they're playing on our emotions, because we're talking about, as you mentioned, extended family. These dogs are part of our family, and cats. So when we're buying these supplements, and we don't see a difference, in whatever we're trying to address, I know that I've had supplement graveyards, I've spent so much money, it seems like I'm throwing stuff at the wall, there has to be something that works for my dog. So for the NASC seal for you guys to do the steps and go above and beyond what research and homework I could do on a brand or product. I think that just speaks so highly of what you're doing. We try to make it easier, right? Because again, we all lead busy lives. So we try to make it easier. And again, I don't claim that all of our members are perfect. They're not. But we want people to have a higher degree of confidence that if they select an audited NASC member company’s product, that that company is a solid company and they're going to maximize the probability of success, which how does that translate? We really want our dogs and cats. We want the same things for our dogs and cats we want for ourselves. If you stop and think about that, we want to live a long, happy, healthy life to the maximum degree possible, right? Well, here's the irony. This might be a total rabbit hole. I do believe if we feed our pets, a species appropriate diet. And I am one and everybody knows that for fresh and or raw feeding versus a highly processed food with synthetic vitamins and minerals. They can't be getting the nutrition that they need. So therefore you do need to supplement and that's where I just I don't understand why many of us don't want to give the proper nutrition to our animals and give them less supplementation. What are your thoughts on that? WHY NOT BETTER NUTRITION FOR LESS SUPPLEMENTATION? Very insightful and you're dead on I mean, you hit the nail on the head. If people think about it this way, this thing that we call health and wellness, whether it's for ourselves or our animals, it's a three dimensional sphere. A spherical object, three dimensional, good diet, exercise, home environment, fresh water, routine veterinary care, and checkups, just like routine, you know, you know, physicals and checkups every year. That's right. Supplements are a component of that. But you're right. A lot of people don't know, your gastrointestinal tract is the largest immune supporting organ in your body, person or animal. And quality food quality diet, strong and healthy immune system, those are really you know, so probiotics can can play a role in that. So probiotics are the good bacteria, you know, that fight off the bad bacteria in the GI tract that helps metabolize nutrients and maintain strong and healthy immune system. But probiotics are subject to. The two enemies of probiotics are heat and moisture. And so you don't see probiotics in pet food because they're heated to kill off salmonella in a kill step. So probiotics is one example of a supplement that can be very beneficial for long term health and wellness. Now, you might not see an immediate effect from probiotics, like you would on maybe a joint product if your dog's limping from old age or something like that. But you really hit a very key point, good nutrition, clean water, exercise, loving home environment. Supplements as a component are really, really important. So it's three dimensional. Oh, thank you for clarifying that. That's, that's so powerful that we give them all around whole body wellness physically and mentally. Well, Bill, we are running out of time. But before we go, I want to ask you two things. First of all, what is the difference between a health versus a nutritional supplement? HEALTH VS NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS Very good question. So a health supplement would be for a non nutritional benefit. ingredients that would not provide nutrients that are required in a complete and balanced diet. What are some examples? Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, tumeric, curcumin, coenzyme Q 10. lutein, there's no scientifically substantiated daily nutritional requirements for those ingredients yet, products with some of those can be targeted for specific health benefits, right? Joint Health, eye health, cardiovascular health, liver and kidney health, gastrointestinal health, immune health, things like that. It could be when times of stress, right? older, older animals just like older people, you know, they don't get around as well so great products or B category. Those would be on the health supplement side. nutritional supplements would provide nutrients as a component of a complete and balanced diet, maybe probiotics, vitamins, minerals, things that, you know, you may as you said earlier, dog food companies are required to provide nutritionally complete diets. But typically, the more you spend the better quality for pet food you're going to get. And if people are willing to you know, go for, you know, raw diet, frozen diet, home prepared diet, you know, look at that, but, you know, some nutritional supplements would be provide components of a complete and balanced diet. There's some up and coming products that are completers, right, you take a protein source, and then you have a supplement that would have the other nutrients that you add to your own protein source. That would make a complete balanced diet. So does that help clarify that? Thank you. That's That's great. Well, they'll as we are wrapping up, what would you like to leave us with today? Well, Bill, I really appreciate the opportunity Krista, I'm very sorry that this is your last episode, but again, I'm honored to be selected to contribute. I guess I'd leave you with my contact information. If people have a question and they hear this podcast don't hesitate to reach out to me because you can get a hold of me. You know, www.animalsupplements.org is our website. My email address is b.bookout@NASC.cc Shoot me a note, don't hesitate to pick up the phone, give me a call, check out our website and look for the NASC seal. And, you know, long, happy, healthy life to everybody on the podcast. I really appreciate you listening. Thank you, Bill. And I will have all of these links in the show notes. OFFER: And Bill is giving a great offer. He is offering up a free copy of the NASC Pocket Guide to dog and cat health. And there's a form on their website, and I have the link again, it's going to be in the show notes. All you have to do is click on it and you'll have access to that NASC Pocket Guide to dog and cat health. Bill, I can't thank you enough. And I'm so glad that you reached out to me those months and months ago and set me straight that there is regulation. And we need more of that in the entire industry, not just in the supplement division. So I want to thank you for starting this amazing organization, and for being on here today. And I want to thank all of the listeners for wanting to do better and to advocate for their dog's health. So Bill, thank you so much. I appreciate you. Thank you very much. It's an honor. Thanks again to Dog Love Oils for sponsoring this episode and for their unwavering dedication to our beloved canine companions. Save 15% off any of their exceptional products during the month of December 2023. By using code WAGOUTLOUD on your purchase of $25 or more. Thanks for listening. You'll find some helpful links in the show notes and if you enjoy the show, please be sure to follow and listen for free on your favorite podcast app. And please, please share your feedback. Visit WagOutLoud.com for great product recommendations with discounts, amazing online events and fantastic resources. That's also where to visit our Bark About It page where you can suggest topics, guests or products. Be advised that this show offers health and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You're encouraged to do your own research and should not rely on this information as a substitute for nor does it replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your dog's health, you should always consult a veterinarian or a nutrition expert. Have a tail wagging day and we'll catch you next time. Don’t forget to Subscribe for FREE and please leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify I Stitcher I iHeartRADIO The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a veterinarian, licensed nutritionist or other qualified professional. The host as well as guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experience and conclusions, and Wag Out Loud LLC neither endorses or opposes any particular views discussed here.

All content for Wag Out Loud is the property of Krista Karpowich and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Paws For Prevention: The Power of Wellness-based Dog Grooming

Wag Out Loud

31 minutes 30 seconds

2 years ago

Paws For Prevention: The Power of Wellness-based Dog Grooming

Hi everyone! This is Krista with Episode #186 on the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. Did you know that canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome, or CCDS, is very common, and it affects about 28% of 11 - 12 year old dogs, and 68% of 15 - 16 year old dogs? So it's a good idea to be aware with your senior pup. And the most common signs and symptoms of CCDS to watch out for are disorientation, abnormal interactions, changes with their sleep or wake cycle, house soiling, increased or decreased activity, and learning difficulties or memory loss. But if your dog has CCDS, don't panic, and know that dogs that have it tend to live just as long as dogs that experience healthy aging. But you can make things easier for them by keeping stress to a minimum and maintain a regular routine for meals walks and bedtime and wake time. Welcome to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast, where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition, and overall wellbeing. If you'd like to support the show, check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode. Christy Boswell is an experienced operations leader turned entrepreneur ushering the nation's first wellness centered, membership-based dog grooming service into the Denver metropolitan area. Hi there dog lovers! Welcome to yet another fantastic Wag Out Loud pawdcast episode. And today I am chatting with my guest, Christy Boswell. And she is going to be chatting with us about paws for prevention, the power of wellness based dog grooming. So Christy, thank you so much for being here with us today. Yeah, of course, thank you so much for having me, This is going to be great. Well, I'm going to ask you to please introduce yourself and give us a little more about your background and why you are so obsessed with wellness-based dog grooming. Yeah, absolutely. So my background is actually a little bit unusual for considering what I what I am doing now. Just that I've been in the corporate world for about 20 years doing management consulting and decided I really wanted to branch out into kind of an entrepreneurial fashion and in opening my own business. And so decided to do the franchise route. And in so doing came across the concept of wellness-based dog grooming, and so signed on to become a franchisee with a company called the Scenthound. And it's a very interesting concept. It's a new concept for the for the grooming world, in that we're really very much focused on educating pet parents on the importance of grooming, and how that can impact their dog's long term health. So I signed on with them in 2020, and have opened two stores in the Denver area. And so just in the experience, you know, that I've been doing this in the last couple of years, I've learned so much. But it's really, I think the most gratifying thing is seeing or seeing the concept in action and, and how we can help how we can actually play a role in helping pet parents, you know, understand how they can take care of their dogs and extend their dog's lives just by doing simple grooming things, or, you know, just pointing things out to them that maybe they wouldn't have noticed, you know, just because we do have hands on the dog a lot more often. So, you know, that's one of the biggest, you know, advantages to what I'm doing now. But just very, you know, really gotten into the wellness, wellness dog industry in the last couple of years. Trying to understand more about nutrition, and that sort of thing. And so, it's a really great approach to grooming. And I love it. I love the education piece and you're right our dog's wellness depends on so many different aspects. And maybe a lot of us don't think about grooming as part of a wellness plan ,if you will. So Christy, I know that when we first met, you talked about that you believe that regular maintenance is absolutely critical to the comfort and well- being of our dogs. So what do you consider basic hygiene or routine grooming? What does that look like? What Does Routine Grooming Look Like? Right? So, you know, and this can depend on the dog, of course. But what we we consider really kind of a once a month, check in with a groomer, whether you know that, that's where your dog is going to get their their bath, have somebody have the hands on the dog, doing a good once over. So we're talking to the pet parent about things that they're coming across, whether that's Oh, you know, I'm noticing some redness in their ears. It's easy as a pet parent to really kind of overlook those things with your, you know, with your dog living with you every day. And so maybe you're not noticing that the dog's ear is getting quite a bit more red. But that's something you know that your groomer, seeing them on a regular basis, you know, that good four to four to six week schedule, can really help pet parents kind of key in on early detection, and get them to the appropriate resources. That's great. And I have to assume that we're talking about even us pet parents that do our own grooming, like I do, all of these things that you're going to be talking about today apply for whoever has their hands on the dog, correct? What If We Groom Our Own Dog? Absolutely. And we try to break break it down into, you know, kind of five core areas, the dog's skin, their coat, their ears, their nails, their teeth, right. So, you know, skin is very important, you gotta look out for things like like parasites , tick and flea prevention, things like that. So making sure that your your dog doesn't have any infestations. Any allergies, you know, if you notice redness, in the paw pads, you know, maybe there's a grass allergy or something like that. So things to look at, be on the lookout for for skin. Coat, really is very dependent on the dog, you know it dogs have so many different types of coats, you’ve got your double coated breeds, you've got your poodles and your doodles with the hair. And so there's there's a lot of different things to look out for there. Depending on what kind of dog you have, whether that’s matting, you know, severe matting around the ears, or armpits. Your double coated dogs, whether or not they're, they're getting too much of a build up, and that coat might be getting impacted, you know, you've got to do the regular brushing to really kind of stimulate the, the regrowth of the hair too, and get that excess coat out of there. Ears, so important, you know, just taking a look making sure you don't have an extra buildup of that gunk in there. You know, smelling, you know, you can tell a difference in the smell of their ears if they're starting to get some kind of an infection, or looking out for that redness. Nails are so so, so important. And a lot of folks really struggle with, you know, keeping control on the length of their dog's nails. It's very difficult, right. So, you know, we have a lot of lot of pet parents, they come in and they just cannot get their own dog's nails done that, you know, we take them in the back and get it done in like five minutes. And I have the same issue with my own dogs. They won't let me do it. But I can take him to the shop and get it done with with no trouble. So what do you guys do since you know, I grow my own dog. I've got a six month old puppy Dutton. And I've always used the Dremel tool on the nails with past dogs. And he of course wanted nothing to do with it. So then I had to buy the sling so that he's you know, hanging there and even then he stressed out. So, what do you guys do to make it so quick and “easy”? Nail Grooming Well, you know, it really does depend on the dog, especially for puppies and people that come that bring their dog in early stages. We recommend for them to do a lot of repeated exposure to that. We prefer the Dremel. You know, I think it's a better tool for the nails, you can get a little closer to the quick but even if you have an old electric toothbrush at home, you know without introducing him to the to the sling, or anything else associated with the nails, but just run that electric toothbrush up and down his legs and give them treats while you're doing it. Just to kind of get used to that it's that vibration. Yeah, yeah that that Usually what kind of triggers that stress response in them. and so we recommend doing things like that. Sometimes we'll have dogs come in, you know, several times and just come into the lobby, maybe take him back to the grooming room and, you know, introduce him to some of the staff and do pats, and then send them home without even doing any services. Just if it's a really, you know, you we know that dog is going to be having a lot of anxiety around grooming, we don't want to make that first experience, extremely uncomfortable, because that will be very difficult to break down the road. Right. But for the most part, I would say that the biggest, you know, the easiest, easiest way we can get things get the nails done is through distraction methods. Usually, you know, that usually requires a couple of people, you know, get one person up at the top, maybe doing some head pats and, and treats, nose scratches, that sort of thing. But distraction really is key, and then that positive reinforcement, you know, just at home when we're not doing anything to the nails, but there's similar sensations that are happening and they’re being positively reinforced. Okay, so that's how we can set up either our puppies or if we get a rescue, and not sure if the dog has been used to grooming. It's baby steps, obviously. And I love that approach. Christy, we have just a little bit of time before we take our first commercial break. So you mentioned Dental, as far as a health preventative with routine care. Do you guys do anything at the groomers regarding dental or is this stuff of course that we should be doing at home? Dental and Grooming Both. In fact, really, teeth is such a, that's such a huge long term health concern for dogs and by the time, most dogs are age three, they have some form of periodontal disease, right. So regular teeth brushing is just critical, right? And that's another one of those things that you can start early with your puppies introducing them the toothbrush, I like to recommend for the at home brushing to get an enzymatic toothpaste. So even if your dog is difficult and doesn't want to let you get that toothbrush in there to do a lot of really good back and forth scrubbing. If you have enzymatic toothpaste and you're able to get a couple of good swipes of that toothpaste in their mouth, on their teeth. That's gonna do some good, you know, and that's gonna, that's going to help you and then of course I did regular or the teeth brushing is part of our regular hygiene process at the groomers but, you know, trying to do whatever we can to prevent the periodontal disease, to prevent having to do those regular anesthesia cleanings. You know, that's scary, that's risky for your dog to be put under anesthesia and very expensive. So, just really important to do that regular tooth brushing, Okay, and our listeners know that I am a huge fan of TEEF, which is an all natural water additive, and it actually sets up the oral microbiome. So the dog does not get excess plaque and tartar buildup so I've used TEEF on my previous dog Winston and now that Dutton has all his adult teeth, he is on TEEF as well and I just love it. It's an amazing product. Yes, the water additives are very helpful as well. Well Christy, we are going to take a quick commercial break and we're gonna continue our chat everybody sit tight. SPONSOR AD Thanks to our sponsor, CBD Dog Health. It is one of the very few CBD companies that I feel confident in recommending. And here's just a few reasons why. They're full spectrum, hemp derived CBD products, are extracted from high quality hemp grown here in the US with no use of herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers. They're legal in all 50 states with less than point 3% THC, non GMO, full of active cannabinoids, such as CBD, CBG, CBN, and CBDa. Their processing uses supercritical co2 extraction. They're manufactured with 100% food grade ingredients, tested by a third party laboratory and available for home delivery to all 50 states. Check out the quality CBD Dog Health products and help your dog find relief at CBDdoghealth.com. And be sure to use the code WOL for 20% off. Trust in a company that is passionate about helping your pet live their very best life. And we are back speaking with Christy about wellness-based dog grooming. And this is so important. So Christy, what? Well, let me ask this first, do all dogs require grooming? Do All Dogs Need Grooming? Absolutely. And this is kind of a passion of mine too. I feel like the traditional grooming industry focuses a lot on dogs that need haircuts, right. But all dogs, whether they're short haired, double coated, or long haired and need regular haircuts, they all need regular hygiene care. You know, I mentioned early, earlier, even though short, short haired dogs, they need that regular brushing of their coats. You know you get those rubber zoom groom brushes, and you just hit em with those once a day, could just keep the oil glands and their skin stimulated and keep the excess hair from building up. But you know, and then getting back to the nails, the teeth, the ears, even though their coat may not be long, they still need regular maintenance of those core core areas in order, you know, to prevent long term healthcare issues. And I've read that most dogs need to be bathed at least every three months. Do you agree with that? Or is there a frequency that is actually too much on their coat and skin? Bathing Frequency I mean, there are definitely, you know, there may be dogs that have particular skin conditions or allergies, that would prevent them from getting bathed on a regular basis. I feel that monthly is a is a very good cadence for most dogs. You get your hands as the groomer has a hands on their dog the dog at least once a month. And so they're able to look at those five core areas and make sure that there's nothing standing out to them that the pet parent needs to know about. And it just keeps them clean, right? It keeps them you know, looking for ticks and fleas and things like that. So um, no, I don't I don't really feel like once a month is too much. Okay. Well, since we're talking about bathing, we know that a lot and I mean, a lot of the products on the market for shampoos, they have harsh chemicals in them. And a lot of times it's the smell that appeals to us, you know, oh, my dog smells so wonderful, like lavender or lemons or whatever it is after my dog is groomed. How do we know that our groomer is looking out for our dogs and not using products with toxic chemicals? Grooming Products That are Toxic Yeah, I mean, definitely ask them. You want to know what what products are being used on your dog, you want to look for groomers that are that are using shampoo solutions that don't have sulfates, parabens or colorants you know that are 100%, biodegradable degradable that are healthy for your dog's skin. So any groomer should be very happy to share with you what, what kinds of products they're using, and and what what are the ingredients in them. And from your experience, if you know that a dog is on a raw or fresh diet, do you notice that their coat looks better that their skin is healthier that they don't smell like a dog on kibble if you know what I mean? Diet and Grooming Yes, yes, you definitely notice a difference in the skin, skin and coat condition less dandruffy, typically not a lot of not a lot of like allergic conditions. So you know the it you can definitely tell a difference. And if I were to take my dog to a groomer, do most of them require vaccinations or not? Vaccinations and Grooming Yeah, so it really is dependent on state. It you know, the pet industry is not very well regulated. So, for example, Colorado here we are required determined proof of rabies vaccination for grooming. Okay. And that's it. So, yeah, it really depends on your state or the regulatory agency, in your state over that particular industry. And what most of them take titers in lieu of revaccination. Titers? I do do as long as we have a vet that signs off on that. We do take titer exception, right. I don't I can't speak for you know, other states. Right. Well, I know again, when we originally met, which was months and months and months ago, you also wanted to touch on the intersection of grooming, and the veterinarian industries, do you want to unpack that a little more? Grooming and Veterinary Industry Absolutely. And, you know, is also kind of getting back to those, those five core areas I talked about skin, coat ears, nails, and teeth. Those are the, you know, the core areas that a lot of health conditions can develop out of. And so, you know, our mission is to really kind of bridge the gap between the grooming industry and the veterinary industry, you know, oftentimes, your dog only sees that once a year, whereas they may see a groomer many more times a year, just so the groomer is gonna have their hands on your dog a lot more often, you know, running a running their hands along their body. And so they’re able to detect lumps and bumps that might not have been there a month or two beforehand, and that maybe the pet parent didn't notice. And so, you know, this has happened to us a few months ago, we had a dog and for grooming, and she had a growth near her her groin area. Our groomer noticed it right away, pointed it out to the pet parent took her to the vet and it needed to be removed before that it was going to start developing a lot of complications for this dog, you know, so things, things like that, that your groomer can do to really point the pet parents in the right direction, whether that's going, you know, doing primary care with your, your vet, with their vet, or you know, any sort of like urgent care that they might need, but really kind of trying to work more in tandem with the with the veterinary industry in approaching grooming from a much more wellness standpoint, rather than an aesthetic or a creative standpoint, right? Talking to pet parents more about like, hey, matting is painful, and it can create bruising, you know, and it can really keep create a lot of skin problems for your dog. Rather than taking the approach, you know that the pet parent wants to keep their dog's coat really long, they don't really care about the matting, but talking to them about like the health impact that that has, rather than the aesthetic impact. And I love that approach. Well, what do you do with dogs that already have some behavioral issues? You know, a lot of dogs either going to the vet or the groomer, they're already anxiety ridden? Absolutely. What do you guys do to welcome a dog that that has some issues like that? Grooming and Anxious Dogs Yeah, and that's, you know, another benefit of seeing your groomer on a monthly basis is it gets that dog much more familiar with the environment with the groomer, or with the process, they need that regular exposure to become comfortable with the process, rather than if they don't come in and get groomed once a year. Yeah, it's gonna be traumatic for them and they're gonna hate it. So that's really another reason that we encourage those regular monthly visits, we've had some several success stories where we've had a dog, the dogs that have come in, and we're only able to do maybe a quick bath, you know, at first, they're uncomfortable with getting nails done, you know, don't want anybody touching them or their ears or something. And so we take that kind of slow, steady approach with with dogs like that, you know, maybe recommend that the pet parent try try out some CBD products at home first to see how their dog reacts to them. And if it's if it's positive, and we try to incorporate that into the grooming experience and giving, incorporating CBD before they come in to see us. And so, you know, really just that repeated exposure, and just slow and steady wins the race. Yeah, I love that you mentioned CBD because, you know, we know that there's natural things that are go to to help calm our dogs, you know, CBD, there's calming medicinal mushrooms. There's Rescue Remedy. You know, there's other things that we can go to without medication, which is great to help the experience. Yeah, that's always a last resort. Well, Christy, as we are coming to a close, you mentioned Scenthound is the company and you've got two franchises here in Colorado. Can you talk just a little bit about the business model? You know, in case of if anybody's interested in looking into this franchise for themselves, you know, wherever they're located. What is the business model? I think you mentioned it's membership based. More About Scenthound Correct? Yeah. So we are membership based and that's, you know, that's kind of our way of keeping people accountable to bringing their dogs in on a regular basis, we incorporate our report card process into our services. So you know, every time that you come in, you get a report through our app, that rates your dog’s skin coat, ears, nails teeth. And it also gives you any information that you know, maybe we see some new lumps or bumps, things like that. So incorporate that into the process, you have that information, historical information to look at. For every visit that your dog has with us, we track their weight, membership based, like I said, we have a few different membership options. But the membership covers the cost of the services. So you know, you have the option to to come in once a month, get the bath, their dog gets the bass, ears cleaned, nails done, teeth cleaned, and then from there, you have services that you may need to add on. Well, depending on what your dog needs, whether that's a haircut, deshedding treatments or what have you. And then our memberships are just month to month, it's not a long term contract. And then the other thing to note that is different about us is that we don't do any breed specific or kind of creative grooming, we really just offer puppy cuts, you know, so the pet parent chooses the length, we do the same length all over the body, round face, flag tail. And then you know, options for double coated dogs like Goldens and Australian shepherds, we would just clean up the lines, that sort of thing. And then I should note also, Scenthound is a national brand. There are over 50 stores in operation right now across the country. And I believe there are over 100 and development. That is exciting. And is there any continuing education like you know, if this is membership based? Do you send out health information as part of their membership? Yeah, absolutely, we have. So the Scenthound site has a blog feature that talks about those core areas can coat yours nails, teeth, and you know, the health and wellness around those areas. We also send those out in newsletters. And then we also have a membership level two membership levels that provide access to a virtual vet. And that's handy. That's just straight through our app that that I found to be very handy. If you need to, like triage something you're not sure if you should go to the emergency vet or not. It's after hours, maybe you should just have some general some general health questions, but maybe not enough to merit an actual visit to the vet. So. So that's another handy feature. I just love this what you guys are doing. That's fantastic. Christy, as we're wrapping up, what would you like to leave us with today? Yeah, just I think that it's just, it's the education, right. And a lot of people don't realize that all dogs need regular, basic hygiene. And so when people talk about groomers, they really kind of think about, you know, just going in for a haircut and what have you, but really just kind of increasing awareness for the general population that it's so important to maintain the dog's basic hygiene because that can really help prolong their life. And just like nutrition, proper nutrition, can help prolong the dog's life. So can regular teeth brushing, you know, maintenance of the ears, maintenance of the nails. So it's just remembering those, you know, those things that you can do to help keep your pup around even longer? That's right, all great advice. And Christy, where can everybody go to find out more information about you and Scenthound? Yeah, if you just go to https://www.scenthound.com/ you can find out a little bit more about what we do have a nice little informational video on the site about how our services work. And then they can find all the different locations across the country. Great. And then I will put that as well as all of your specific social media information in the show notes of this episode. So Christy, thank you, thank you for being here and sharing all of this great information. And thanks to the listeners for wanting to learn more. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scenthound/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScenthoundSmokyHill https://www.facebook.com/ScenthoundCentennialWest/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-boswell-497a1a7/ Of course. Thank you, Krista. Thanks again to our friends at CBD Dog Health for sponsoring this episode. Check out all of their amazing products like CBD enriched hemp oils for separation anxiety or traveling needs, extra strength cannabinoid formulations specifically made for more serious conditions, like PTSD or pain from cancer. Salves to treat dry skin for dogs and other ailments, like hotspots and allergies, and all natural pet treats. All of the CBD Dog Health products are made to effectively treat your pet holistically and naturally. Help your dog thrive by using the code W OL for 20% off at CBDdoghealth.com. Thanks for listening. You'll find some helpful links in the show notes and if you enjoy the show, please be sure to follow and listen for free on your favorite podcast app. And please, please share your feedback. Visit WagOutLoud.com for great product recommendations with discounts, amazing online events and fantastic resources. That's also where to visit our Bark About It page where you can suggest topics, guests or products. Be advised that this show offers health and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You're encouraged to do your own research and should not rely on this information as a substitute for nor does it replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your dog's health, you should always consult a veterinarian or a nutrition expert. Have a tail wagging day and we'll catch you next time. Don’t forget to Subscribe for FREE and please leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify I Stitcher I iHeartRADIO The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a veterinarian, licensed nutritionist or other qualified professional. The host as well as guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experience and conclusions, and Wag Out Loud LLC neither endorses or opposes any particular views discussed here.

Wag Out Loud