Your Natural Dog with Angela Ardolino

Ticks are more than just a nuisance—they can carry a range of diseases that impact both pets and people. In this episode of Your Natural Dog, Angela Ardolino sits down with Olivia Abrams, creator of TiCK MiTT, to talk about practical, non-toxic ways to protect your dog from ticks and reduce exposure to tick-borne illness. After being diagnosed with Lyme disease, Olivia’s personal experience led her to develop a simple, chemical-free option for tick prevention, to help families remove ticks before they embed. Together, Angela and Olivia explore the realities of tick exposure, the risks of conventional prevention methods, and why daily tick checks are one of the most important habits for pet parents. From understanding how ticks spread disease to building a safer, more natural prevention routine, this episode gives pet parents actionable tools to help protect their dogs—without relying on pesticides.
Episode Recap:
Angela shares her love for the Tick Mitt, especially after moving to California and discovering how common they are in her area. (00:45)
Olivia explains how she was diagnosed with Lyme disease as a child and how that as well as growing up around the woods with big dogs led to creating the Tick Mitt. (02:24)
Olivia outlines the most common tick-borne diseases affecting humans and dogs, including Lyme disease and other emerging concerns. (04:50)
Angela and Olivia share practical prevention strategies, including natural sprays, protective clothing, yard protection, and routine tick checks. (6:40)
Olivia explains how Lyme disease is transmitted, lyme disease treatment options, and why working with a Lyme-literate practitioner is important. (11:00)
Angela and Olivia discuss the challenges of Lyme disease diagnosis and how often it can be missed or misdiagnosed, and the importance of testing ticks directly to better understand potential exposure risks. (15:34)
The episode wraps with a discussion on choosing safer, non-toxic alternatives to conventional tick prevention products (17:26)

Episode Resources:
Download Angela’s Resources, including her Parasite Detox Chart, and more at AngelaArdolino.com/podcast-downloads 
Learn more about Tick Mitt
Follow Tick Mitt on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube
Have a question about your pet that you want answered on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] 
Sign up for episode reminders and updates from Your Natural Dog with Angela Ardolino
Visit Angela Ardolino’s website for more holistic pet health education: www.AngelaArdolino.com

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

As pharmaceutical companies begin rolling out anti-aging drugs for dogs, many pet parents are being told these medications can extend lifespan and prevent cognitive decline. But what are these drugs actually doing inside the body, and at what cost?
In this episode, Angela sits down with Carter Easler, Director of Research and Education for CBD Dog Health and MycoDog, to break down the science behind emerging longevity drugs like rapamycin and Loyal. Carter also shares insights from coordinating the Senior Dog Study on cognitive decline, as they explore how pharmaceutical interventions compare to natural strategies that work with the body’s own repair systems, including fasting, adaptogens, medicinal mushrooms, and support for the endocannabinoid system.
If you have a senior dog, or want to learn about supporting your aging dog before their golden years, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
Episode Recap:
Angela and Carter talk about the rise of anti-aging drugs for dogs on the market, and why aging is at its core, a loss of homeostasis. (00:00)
Rapamycin for dogs, what it does and why it was originally developed. (04:41)
Do anti-aging drugs support longevity, or interfere with the body’s natural repair processes like autophagy and cellular balance? (07:48)
How fasting and restricted feeding windows naturally activate autophagy, support cellular cleanup, and may help extend lifespan in dogs. (11:10)
Telomeres, “zombie cells,” and mTOR: how adaptogens, medicinal mushrooms, and hemp modulate aging pathways to support cellular balance instead of blocking the body’s natural repair systems. (16:41)
Why pharmaceutical “one-target” drugs can create a narrow therapeutic window and unintended side effects, while adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms support all 12 hallmarks of aging. (20:59)
The 12 hallmarks of aging explained, from telomere shortening and mitochondrial dysfunction to microbiome imbalance, and how these anti aging drugs are targeting just one of these. (26:06)
Why supporting the endocannabinoid system becomes increasingly important as pets grow older. (31:09)
Loyal, the upcoming “anti-aging” injection for dogs, undisclosed mechanisms of action, and the importance of informed consent before new veterinary drugs reach the market. (35:20)
Why proactive pet wellness should prioritize food, lifestyle, and adaptogenic plant support first, and where pharmaceuticals truly belong in veterinary care. (41:20)
They dive into the science behind specific adaptogens and plant compounds, from mitochondrial support and telomere health to metabolic balance and autophagy, and why full-spectrum, whole-plant synergy matters more than isolated compounds. (44:28)

Episode Resources:
Download Angela’s Resources including her Senior Dog Protocol and more at AngelaArdolino.com/podcast-downloads 
Prospective Evaluation of a Mushroom Derived Nutraceutical in Dogs with Cognitive Decline
What We Learned from the Senior Dog Study
Mushrooms and Adaptogens for Canine Cognitive Dysfunction
Have a question about your pet that you want answered on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] 
Sign up for episode reminders and updates from Your Natural Dog with Angela Ardolino
Visit Angela Ardolino’s website for more holistic pet health education: www.AngelaArdolino.com

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

In this episode of Your Natural Dog, Angela Ardolino is joined by attorney Kirk Pope, who is overseeing multi-plaintiff lawsuits against Zoetis over the veterinary drug Librela. Kirk shares his personal story of losing his own dog after a Librela injection and explains why he believes pet parents were not given the information needed to make an informed decision. Together, Angela and Kirk unpack how veterinary pharmaceuticals are approved, marketed, and incentivized, why animals are treated as property under the law, and what limited legal recourse pet parents actually have when a drug harms or kills their dog.
Episode Recap:
Angela introduces the episode and explains why Librela has become a major concern, citing FDA warning letters, reported adverse events, and the lack of meaningful repercussions when animal drugs cause harm to our pets, because they are seen as merely property. (00:00)
Kirk Pope introduces himself as an attorney now overseeing litigation against Zoetis, after losing his dog to Librela, discussing the problem with financial incentives being attached to vets prescribing pharmaceuticals. (02:16)
Angela asks what led Kirk to take legal action, he shares how at the time of his dog’s injection, U.S. warnings for Librela listed only UTIs and injection-site reactions, with no mention of neurological or fatal risks (05:06)
Kirk shares how Zoetis know that adverse event data had emerged internationally before U.S. disclosure, Librela had more extensive warnings in other countries, and why failing to warn pet parents in the U.S. constitutes a fraudulent omission by Zoetis. (10:35)
Kirk explains why recalls are almost always voluntary and why the FDA cannot easily force a drug like Librela off the market, and the aim of his multi-plaintiff lawsuits against Zoetis, when damages are so limited because of pets being considered property. (14:39)
Angela and Kirk examine the ethical conflict between profit, prescribing behavior, and the veterinary oath to do no harm. (22:16)
The conversation shifts to pain management, emphasizing that Librela is a pain-blocking drug, not a treatment for arthritis or inflammation. Angela explains the five pain signaling pathways and contrasts single-target pharmaceuticals with whole-plant therapies that interact with multiple systems. (29:04)
Kirk explains that once the FDA approves a prescription drug, pet parents can’t legally claim the drug itself is defective; the only legal accountability lies in whether manufacturers failed to properly warn veterinarians and pet owners about known risks and adverse effects. (34:03)
Angela emphasizes the importance of education, advocacy, and refusing blind trust when it comes to pet health, and Kirk explains how affected pet parents can contact him and share their own adverse experiences with Librela. (41:07)

Episode Resources:
Download Angela’s Resources including her Safe, Natural Options for Arthritis Pain Relief in Pets and more at AngelaArdolino.com/podcast-downloads 
Join Donna Pope’s Librela group on Facebook
Pope McGlamry Attorneys at Law
Have a question about your pet that you want answered on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] 
Sign up for episode reminders and updates from Your Natural Dog with Angela Ardolino
Visit Angela Ardolino’s website for more holistic pet health education: www.AngelaArdolino.com

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

In this episode of Your Natural Dog, Angela Ardolino is joined by Dr. Judy Jasek, a holistic veterinarian with decades of clinical experience, for a candid conversation about why our pets are sicker than ever. Together, they unpack how modern pet care, from highly processed supplements and foods to so-called “inactive” ingredients like fillers, binders, gums, starches, and spray-dried additives, can quietly disrupt detox pathways, burden the liver and kidneys, and undermine gut health, especially in older pets. Angela and Dr. Jasek also explore how the pet industry has changed over time, why marketing buzzwords can be misleading, and what pet parents can do instead to support the body’s natural ability to restore balance and resilience.
Episode Recap:
Angela introduces Dr. Judy Jasek, who explains why she identifies as holistic rather than “integrative,” and they discuss how the terms ‘holistic’ and ‘natural’ can be overused, both in pet care and supplements. (00:00)
Why supplements can be a trap for well-meaning pet parents who want “natural” alternatives, and how health is the body’s natural state, we just need to support the body, not “create health” with products. (04:32)
Angela and Dr. Judy call out “natural” supplement labels that hide harmful inactive ingredients, including common fillers like microcrystalline cellulose (wood pulp), and how many additives exist primarily to make manufacturing cheaper or easier (binders, bulking agents, flow agents). (07:02)
They break down how big companies use buzzwords and emotional marketing to sell inferior pet foods and pet supplements, and why understanding where ingredients truly come from matters more than the label claims. (10:45)
They talk about the common “senior dog spiral,” where joint pain leads to drugs and stacking interventions that overload detox systems. (16:00)
The rise of cancer in younger pets and how much the landscape has changed across Dr. Judy’s career. They also talk about immune-suppressing allergy drugs and how turning off symptoms can create bigger downstream problems. (23:03)
Angela talks about the rise of countless pet joint supplements, and the most popular pet joint supplements, like Cosequin, the problems with these isolates, and how hard it can be to even find full ingredient lists for many of these popular supplements. (28:05)
The conversation highlights how corporate-owned veterinary systems often treat lab numbers and symptoms rather than treating the whole animal, leading to more drugs, more tests, and fewer answers for pet parents. (32:13)
They dive into why inactive ingredients matter just as much as active ones, exposing how common fillers, sugars, and gums can fuel inflammation and gut imbalance in pets. (35:50)
Angela and Dr. Judy highlight how foods like mushrooms, ferments, and small amounts of veggie fiber can support gut health by working with a pet’s natural instincts. (45:25)

Episode Resources:
Download Angela’s Resources including her Additives to Avoid, her Cosequin Ingredient Breakdown, and more at AngelaArdolino.com/podcast-downloads 
Dr. Judy Jasek’s Animal Healing Arts
Follow Dr. Judy Jasek & AHA on Facebook, Instagram and SubStack
Have a question about your pet that you want answered on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] 
Sign up for episode reminders and updates from Your Natural Dog with Angela Ardolino
Visit Angela Ardolino’s website for more holistic pet health education: www.AngelaArdolino.com

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

In this episode of Your Natural Dog, Angela Ardolino is joined by Danielle Ruccia, a holistic wellness educator and detox-focused influencer known for helping pet parents simplify health decisions. Together, they talk about why so many pets end up stuck on a “hamster wheel” of processed food, pesticides, and stacked pharmaceuticals, and how stepping back into a food-first, low-toxin approach can make a real difference. Angela and Danielle also unpack common toxin exposures (from flea and tick treatments to household chemicals), why ingredient lists and fillers matter so much in pet supplements, and how to take practical detox and diet steps without getting overwhelmed or trying to do everything at once.
Episode Recap:
Angela introduces Danielle Ruccia and they discuss the backlash holistic voices can face, and how it's not about being “anti-vet,” just pro-education and advocating for your pets. (00:00)
Angela and Danielle talk about how many pets arrive severely sick after years of processed food, pesticides, and stacked pharmaceuticals. (02:10)
Danielle explains her core approach: keep it simple, because confusion and “too much info” leads to paralysis and no action. (05:05)
Angela calls out the lack of consequences in pet care and criticizes common conventional meds and the “add another drug” cycle. (06:45)
They talk about how common major toxin exposures are, including conventional flea/tick products and everyday household chemicals. (08:23)
Danielle describes her own health story, years of skin issues, digestive problems, antibiotics, hormonal disruption, and aggressive medications; and how she started healing through education, and trial-and-error. (13:51)
Both emphasize becoming your pet’s advocate and not blindly outsourcing health decisions to anyone, even “experts.”, and remember even trusted brands can change formulas and why reading ingredients and checking COAs matters. (23:36)
They warn that more ingredients isn’t better, 10–12+ ingredient blends can be a red flag and make reactions impossible to troubleshoot. Trendy products can look good, but often rely on fillers, binders, and marketing over real formulation. (25:52)
They discuss how even “better” pet foods can still be loaded with synthetic vitamin/mineral packs and why sourcing matters. (40:00)
Angela and Danielle reinforce: it’s never too late, older pets can still thrive with the right changes and support. (45:25)

Episode Resources:
Download Angela’s Resources including her Pet Detox Guide and Additives to Avoid at AngelaArdolino.com/podcast-downloads 
Follow Danielle Ruccia on Skool, Instagram and TikTok
Have a question about your pet that you want answered on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] 
Sign up for episode reminders and updates from Your Natural Dog with Angela Ardolino
Visit Angela Ardolino’s website for more holistic pet health education: www.AngelaArdolino.com

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