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Tell Us What You Think Puppy fever, kitty fever, and wanting a pet when the timing isn't right. Dr. Angie and JoJo both have it bad, and in this episode they get honest about why neither of them has a new dog or cat yet. They cover the real costs of adding a dog (insurance, food, vet care, walkers, grooming, boarding), whether fostering is the answer, swiping on Petfinder like it's Hinge, and how JoJo might adopt when her dog Sage is scared of people. Dr. Angie also confesses that she's been borrowing her clients' dogs at the clinic, and that the diarrhea samples she sees every day are the best birth control for dog fever. Do you want a pet but can't make it work right now? Dr. Angie and JoJo want to know they're not alone.  You can email a photo of your pet and the story of how they found you to [email protected].  JoJo shared the story of her dog Bodhi in an earlier episode: https://boulderholisticvet.com/pages/tails-of-truth-podcast/grief-after-pet-loss-navigating-euthanasia-guilt-and-goodbyes  Coming up: Brooke Fagel of Majestic Dog Training joins them next week to talk about positive dog training. Key Takeaways  1. Wanting a pet when the timing is wrong is common, even for people who work with animals every day.  2. A dog costs far more than the adoption fee or purchase price: insurance, food, veterinary care, dog walkers, grooming, and boarding or a sitter whenever you travel.  3. Fostering lets you share your home with a dog and help it find a forever home without a lifetime commitment. Saying goodbye can be the hard part. 4. Match the pet to your life stage. A puppy means middle-of-the-night care.  5. Your current pets get a vote. A dog who is scared of people, or a home full of cats, may call for a specific kind of new pet and a slower introduction.  6. Look past looks. Choose a pet whose temperament fits your family, whether that's a calm dog or a snuggly cat instead of an aloof one.  7. Not the right time? Spending time with friends' and family's dogs, or just looking at photos of them, can ease the puppy fever.  Sound Bites "It's like birth control for dog fever." ~ Dr. Angie  "The answer to your problems is to foster." ~ JoJo  "No one puts Lucy in a cage." ~ Dr. Angie  "I really, really want a whippet or an Italian greyhound... And that's only 'cause I want to dress him in sweaters." ~ JoJo  "It's a big line item to add to your budget." ~ Dr. Angie  "I think it's the feeling of I'm needed and wanted." ~ JoJo  "Europeans know how to do dogs." ~ Dr. Angie  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

Tell Us What You Think Are mRNA vaccines safe for dogs and cats? Dr. Angie Krause and JoJo unpack Merck’s newer RNA vaccines for pets in plain language. They cover how these vaccines differ from the ones vets have used for decades, why they don’t need an adjuvant, and why they don’t change your pet’s DNA. They’re also candid about what we still don’t know, from long term data to manufacturer funded studies. Plus, why skipping rabies vaccines is a risk with no do over, and why healthy skepticism and critical thinking matter more than fear.  Key Takeaways Merck’s newer RNA vaccines for pets use technology similar to the COVID vaccine, but not identical.Unlike killed vaccines, they don’t need an adjuvant, which is the ingredient behind many “I don’t want that in my pet” concerns.The RNA does not enter the nucleus, so it does not change your pet’s DNA.Studies so far have found no evidence that the protein is being shed.In Dr. Angie’s view, fewer additives could mean fewer vaccine reactions, but long term data isn’t in yet.The trials were funded by the manufacturer, which is a fair reason for healthy skepticism.Dr. Angie is staying with Purevax for now. She isn’t an early adopter, and familiarity with your products is part of what makes a clinic safe.Skipping rabies vaccines is a growing trend, and rabies has no second chance for pets or people.Vet medicine has historically downplayed vaccine reactions. The answer is critical thinking and individualized, risk assessed vaccination, not all or nothing.Soundbites “I think veterinary medicine has been really guilty of denying the vaccine reactions that some pets have had.”  — Dr. Angie  "Maybe we can put some information in the misinformation.”  — JoJo  "When you look at all the ingredients in a vaccine, you’re like, I don’t want that.”    — Dr. Angie  “I think critical thinking is really important when it comes to vaccines.”   — JoJo  “I have to turn in my holistic vet card"  — Dr. Angie  “That would be terrible business to roll out something that just kills every animal.”  — JoJo  “It’s not entering the part of your cell that makes DNA."  — Dr. Angie   "Our kids don’t know about Old Yeller.”  — JoJo  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

Tell Us What You Think It’s okay to die. Dr. Angie Krause and veterinary nurse JoJo get personal in this episode about dignity in death and how differently veterinary and human medicine approach the end of life. Speaking from their own experiences with loss, they explore why vets have the end-of-life conversation so many people never get in their end-of-life, and why our culture treats death as a failure to delay at all cost. Along the way, they answer questions many pet parents quietly carry. Will my dog or cat pass peacefully in their sleep? What does a natural death really look like? Is it okay to say goodbye before my pet is suffering? How do vets decide whether chemo is worth it? What if my beliefs don’t allow euthanasia? Dr. Angie shares how she built her own relationship with euthanasia after growing up in a family that didn’t believe in it. Together they talk about quality of life tools, in-home euthanasia, and why grief, especially the loss of a dog or cat, so often has nowhere to go. This is a tender, deeply personal conversation about the one universal experience every being shares. Key Takeaways Veterinary medicine treats a terminal diagnosis as a conversation about options, comfort, and what comes next. Human medicine seems to often avoid that conversation.In vet med, cancer treatment that causes significant side effects for a short gain is generally not the standard of care. Comfort is part of the decision.Humane euthanasia is a gift. It spares pets prolonged suffering, and it spares families caregiving they can’t sustain.A “natural death” rarely means a peaceful passing in sleep. For most degenerative diseases, that isn’t how it plays out.Quality of life tools exist because it's difficult to see your pet clearly. Everyone bargains in grief.Choosing euthanasia before suffering peaks can feel better than expected, not guilt-inducing.When beliefs rule out euthanasia, there are still more humane, comfortable ways to support a dying body.Grief has no timeline, and pet loss grief deserves the same space as any other loss.Talking openly about death is not insensitive. It changes the care, and it changes the goodbye.Soundbites “It’s kind of like the strangest gaslighting.” — Dr. Angie “Why do we have to give suffering to prolong suffering?” — JoJo “I probably diagnose something terminal every week.” — Dr. Angie  “This is a place where I feel like in animal medicine we’re winning.” — JoJo "We are all going to die. I mean, I don’t know how you can have a more universal experience.”  — Dr. Angie  “Your dog dies, your cat dies, nobody seems to care.” — JoJo Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

Tell Us What You Think Every vet visit is a partnership, and some habits make it harder for everyone, including the pet. In this episode, Dr. Angie and JoJo get candid about five things pet parents do that frustrate veterinary teams. They talk about what really happens when clients are unkind to the front desk, why sending a partner who doesn't know the pet's history can derail an appointment, and when a long phone call should really be a consultation. JoJo explains why skipping prescribed pre-visit sedation often means a second visit, and why leaving out details, even embarrassing ones, makes it harder to help. Dr. Angie also shares what she considers the hardest part of her job, and it isn't euthanasia.  Key Takeaways Being rude to front desk staff doesn't get a pet seen faster. Dr. Angie says kind, anxious clients are easier to call back, and she tends to get to them sooner.The front desk team is the one advocating to fit patients in, so a good relationship with them works in a pet's favor.If a partner or family member brings the pet in, send written notes or a voice memo so the appointment isn't built on missing information.A 20 minute phone call is really a consultation. Dr. Angie asks clients to book an appointment instead, and no pet is required.Skipping prescribed pre-visit medication without warning the clinic often means a failed visit, a second appointment, and a pet that has to go through it twice.Leaving out part of a pet's history, even the embarrassing part, makes it harder to help. The team isn't there to judge.Dr. Angie says the hardest part of her job isn't euthanasia. It's when people are mean.Soundbites "Because everyone thinks that the hardest part of my job is euthanizing animals. It's in fact not."  — Dr. Angie "We're not here to shame. We're here to educate."  — JoJo "We go to the back and cry when you are mean to us. The doctors cry, the nurses cry."  — Dr. Angie  "And so there's this hierarchy of madness."  — JoJo "It's okay to not like me. It's okay to be frustrated if I'm behind. I get it." — Dr. Angie "We're people pleasers by default. It's bad. It's a sickness."  — JoJo Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

Tell Us What You Think Dr. Rob Silver, the integrative veterinarian behind Boulder's Natural Animal Hospital, the Rx Vitamins line, and Real Mushrooms Pet Line joins Dr. Angie Krause to talk functional mushrooms and the gut microbiome. They cover why a probiotic alone rarely fixes an itchy dog, the importance of diet on gut health, how puppies and kittens inherit their microbiome, why Dr. Silver avoids metronidazole, what fecal transplants can do, and how to tell real mushroom supplements from mycelium grown on grain. Key Takeaways: A probiotic alone rarely fixes an pet that's itchy or has digestive upset. Diet, genetics, environment, and lifestyle all shape the gut.Ultra processed food drives inflammation and immune reactivity. Fresh food doesn't have to be raw or fed seven days a week to help.The microbiome is individual. There is no single best probiotic for every animal.Puppies and kittens inherit their mother's microbiome. That makes the new puppy or kitten visit a key moment to build gut health.Dr. Silver considers metronidazole one of the most disruptive antibiotics for the microbiome. He reaches for symptomatic support first.Fecal microbiome transplants have a long track record and are now available fresh, freeze dried, and in capsules.Microbiome tests are all fairly reliable. The real challenge is interpreting the results and acting on them.Many "mushroom" supplements are mostly mycelium grown on grain. Beta glucan content tells the difference.Over the counter supplement labels are often dosed at wellness levels, not therapeutic ones.Lion's mane has roots in gut health, not just cognitive support. That's the gut brain connection in action.Soundbites "And we all know that most disease comes from the gut."  — Dr. Angie  "Each animal is their own universe."  — Dr. Silver  "It's kitty crack in here. They love it." — Dr. Angie "Into every life a little vice must fall." — Dr. Silver  "I think sometimes it's kind of like reading tea leaves" — Dr. Angie "After forty years in practice, tired of putting out fires, it's time to start planting some trees" — Dr. Silver  "I find that most supplements that people are buying over the counter don't really have therapeutic doses" — Dr. Angie "It delays effective treatment to be giving grain to an animal who has cancer."— Dr. Silver  "Because you can have dysbiosis without GI symptoms." — Dr. Angie Dr. Silver's resources There's a Mushroom for That Well Pet Dispensary and his monthly live Q&A, fourth Thursday at 6pm Mountain: https://www.wellpetdispensary.com SuprDOG microbiome testing waitlist: https://www.SuprDOG.ai For veterinarians, his RACE approved CIVT mushroom course: https://civtedu.org/courses/essentials-of-veterinary-medicinal-mushrooms Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

Tell Us What You Think This week Dr. Angie and JoJo get into the uncomfortable question of overtesting in veterinary medicine. They talk about packages that bundle unnecessary vaccines and tests, the debate over year round flea and tick prevention, whether a heartworm test is necessary before starting Ivermectin, and why so many pet parents feel like they're not being offered options. Dr. Angie shares how she handles these conversations in her own exam room, including a few opinions she knows will ruffle feathers.  Key Takeaways Dr. Angie has not personally seen private practices selling unnecessary test/vaccine packages, but acknowledges some clinics do itA more litigious culture may be pushing some vets toward defensive over testing, particularly in emergency medicineDr. Angie questions the value of yearly fecal tests in low risk populations and does not require year round flea, tick, and heartworm prevention unless a pet travels or the household needs the routineA heartworm test before starting prevention is mainly a concern for pets coming from high risk regions (the South); in Boulder's climate and history it's less critical81% of vets say they often offer an alternative plan when cost is a barrier, but 73% of clients say they're not offered one, a communication gap Tiered treatment options ("start here, then here") seem to be disappearing, especially at corporate clinics, replaced by single upfront estimatesVet experience and individual risk tolerance both affect how many diagnostics get recommendedDr. Angie encourages clients to ask "do I really need this" and says she wants shared decision making, not blind complianceCost is often the real driver behind what looks like distrust, and financial conversations are normal and okay to haveBuilding a relationship with a vet who will have honest, individualized conversations is presented as the real solution, more than any specific test or protocolSoundbites "I don't wanna gaslight people and tell them this isn't happening. Sometimes it is happening."  — Dr. Angie "There's an overarching story that veterinarians are greedy. And veterinary medicine is greedy."  — JoJo "I want you to know there's a lot of dogs walking around and we know they have a heart murmur and they haven't had an echocardiogram yet."  — Dr. Angie "So trust your vet."  — Dr. Angie "It does feel like a unnecessary reach for money, which makes the industry feel distrusting."  — JoJo  "I think those consults are great for second opinions."  — JoJo Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

Tell Us What You Think Most cat parents assume rabies risk is an outdoor cat problem. Dr. Angie and JoJo disagree, and they've got two recent patient cases to explain why. In this episode, they walk through rabid bats becoming more common in the Boulder and Denver area, how a bat's behavior changes when it's infected, and what actually happens if a cat is exposed. That includes the quarantine process, why a rabies titer won't get a cat out of being vaccinated and quarantined, and the real consequences an unvaccinated, exposed animal can face. They also cover why rabies tops Dr. Angie's list of nonnegotiable vaccines, common myths about vaccine side effects, and what to look for in the vaccine itself. Listeners can grab their free course on cat vaccines at boulderholisticvet.com using code Truthtails or Truthtales.  Key Takeaways Rabid bats do exist in the Boulder and Denver area, and their behavior changes when infected: daytime activity, flying into windows, being on the ground.Two of Dr. Angie's patients had confirmed or suspected bat exposure in the past year.If a cat is exposed to a potentially rabid animal and isn't current on the vaccine, the state veterinarian can require an extended quarantine, and in some cases can move to euthanize the animal.A rabies titer does not substitute for vaccination in an exposure situation. It only shows immunity status at that moment and takes too long to come back to be useful in an active exposure.Rabies is not just a bat issue. Skunks, fox, and domestic animals can carry it too.Of all core vaccines, Dr. Angie ranks rabies as the one she'd keep no matter what, because it is uniformly fatal once symptomatic. FVRCP matters, but panleukopenia is the only component in that combo with comparable severity for cats.Common vaccine hesitancy around rabies (fear it affects the nervous system) misunderstands how the vaccine works. It's a fragment of virus prompting an antibody response, not an infection.Dr. Angie uses Purevax (Boehringer Ingelheim) for cats, administered below the knee, elbow, or in the tail, per current best practice for injection site.Soundbites "We've had two in the last year of our patients be exposed to bats, one confirmed rabies, we're waiting on the second one."  — Dr. Angie  "If your animal has been exposed to a rabid animal and they are not up to date on their vaccines, I mean they can try to force you to euthanize your animal."  — Dr. Angie  "It's a peace of mind vaccine because rabies is fatal."  — JoJo "This is no shade to bats. Yes. Like they do so much."   — Dr. Angie  "Well, I think there's like this trend right now to not vaccinate for rabies."  — JoJo Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

Tell Us What You Think On this episode of Tails of Truth, Dr. Angie Krause and veterinary nurse, JoJo, dig into listener comments and questions, covering cat hyperthyroidism testing, Cytopoint and cancer risk, heartworm resistance to ivermectin, and the rabies vaccine recall. They also talk through saccharomyces boulardii for dogs on prednisone and the ongoing debate around gut health and allergies in dogs. Some comments are kind. Some are not. Dr. Angie and JoJo answer them anyway.  Key Takeaways Cat hyperthyroidism testing is different from thyroid testing in dogs or people and a standard T4 is usually sufficient; free T3 panels are rarely needed.Oral ulcers unrelated to kidney disease can drive up BUN and creatinine through dehydration alone, which can look like kidney failure on bloodwork without being kidney failure.Saccharomyces boulardii is generally considered safe for dogs on prednisone and may ease gut side effects, though it has no known direct effect on lymphoma itself.Long-term gut-healing protocols for allergic dogs are time- and resource-intensive and haven't shown consistently reliable results in Dr. Angie's experience.Cytopoint is not linked to increased cancer risk. Cyclosporine, a different drug, does carry a small increased lymphoma risk in some patients.As of recording, there were no confirmed reports of ivermectin-resistant heartworm in Colorado; informal discussion pointed to possible resistance in the Mississippi Delta/Louisiana region, not yet a verified nationwide trend.Rabies vaccine cost and dosing intervals vary by manufacturer and formulation: a one-year and three-year version aren't automatically the same product.Soundbites "The majority of these messages are so disrespectful and unnecessarily mean."    — Dr. Angie  "Sometimes intervention earlier prevents more intense toxic interventions later."  — JoJo "Cytopoint is not going to increase your dog's risk of cancer. That's real."                — Dr. Angie "That's a very privileged place to sit, to be able to say I am gonna just really spend the next two to three years working on my dog's gut health."  — Dr. Angie "If somebody had one experience with their animal and it worked out well for them, they suddenly are the expert." — JoJo Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

Tell Us What You Think Thorne, the supplement company millions of pet parents have trusted for over two decades, was just sold to Procter & Gamble for $3.8 billion. But the veterinary side of that business isn't part of the deal. It's now PetDomain, a fully family owned company built by the same people who ran ThorneVet for years. In this episode, Dr. Angie and JoJo sit down with PetDomain owner and CEO Alex Pearson to talk about what happened, why his family chose independence over joining a corporate sale, and what family ownership means for the quality assurances behind every product on the shelf. They cover how PetDomain sources and tests ingredients, why proprietary blends make it hard for pet parents to know what they're actually giving their pets, and what to look for when choosing a supplement brand you can trust. If you've used ThorneVet products, or you're just trying to make sense of a pet product world full of company buyouts, this episode is for you. KEY TAKEAWAYS ThorneVet has rebranded to PetDomain following Thorne's $3.8 billion sale to Procter & Gamble, announced the same day as PetDomain's own brand launch.PetDomain is fully family owned and operated, run by the Pearson family who took over the ThorneVet line in 2019.Formulations, sourcing, and testing protocols have not changed with the split from Thorne.Proprietary blends can hide exact ingredient amounts from pet parents. PetDomain discloses full amounts on every label.NASC certification is one practical way pet parents can vet a supplement brand's manufacturing and testing standards.More supplements isn't always better. Both Alex and Dr. Angie agree on this.PetDomain randomly retests products already on shelves at six, twelve, and eighteen months to confirm they still deliver full potency and safety standards. SOUNDBITES   "I tell ya, integrity's probably cost me money."  — Alex Pearson "What's in there is what's in there. I know that's gonna be true."  — Dr. Angie "Luck is the residue of design."  — Alex Pearson "There's no placebo. That's the nice thing."  — Dr. Angie "We didn't want to be a part of a $3.8 billion purchase."  — Alex Pearson  "I think a lot of people need to do less supplements."  — Dr. Angie  "It's hard to find integrity in anything anymore." —JoJo Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

Tell Us What You Think Even veterinary professionals aren't immune to chaos and medical errors. In this episode, Dr. Angie and JoJo get vulnerable about the mistakes, emergencies, and shame spirals that happened with their own pets, including a medication dosing error, an unexpected ER visit after a dog ate a pot cookie, and a cat dental emergency that came with major sticker shock. They talk through what it actually feels like to mess up in an industry where you're expected to know better, why full mouth dental x-rays under anesthesia matter, how ASPCA Animal Poison Control works, and what to do if your dog may have eaten THC. Vulnerable, honest, and possibly even relatable.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Even experienced veterinarians and vet techs can make dosing errors, and ASPCA Animal Poison Control is a resource available to any pet parent, not just veterinary professionalsFull mouth dental x-rays under anesthesia can catch problems like tooth resorption that aren't visible without themDog THC toxicity is rarely fatal but can cause serious discomfort, including body temperature swings, vomiting, and disorientationCBD may help counteract THC toxicity in dogs by displacing it from cannabinoid receptorsPet insurance (the hosts both use Lemonade) can reimburse emergency costs quicklyVeterinary professionals can feel shame asking their own colleagues questions, the same way pet parents sometimes doVeterinary medicine is expensive even for veterinariansMedical errors happen to even the best veterinarians and vet staff Mistakes happen with pet parents.  This is a judgement free zone for all of it SOUNDBITES "This is a scary episode." — JoJo "I immediately felt sheepish and small."  — Dr. Angie "She's hella uncomfortable." — JoJo "You've gotta let yourself be human."  — Dr. Angie "I think it makes us less judgmental, 'cause how can we judge?" — JoJo "I'm in metronidazole jail."   — Dr. Angie Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

Tell Us What You Think Steroids get a bad reputation, especially among holistic pet parents, but Dr. Angie Krause and JoJo break down when cats actually need them and when it's okay to explore other options. They cover the difference between prednisone and prednisolone, the real risk of steroid-induced diabetes, budesonide as a gentler alternative, and how to safely taper a cat off long-term steroids. They also dig into steroids for IBD, asthma, and skin conditions, plus what the research does and doesn't say about steroids and cancer risk. They discuss benefits and risks and potential side effects.  This conversation is for any cat parent who has felt nervous about starting their cat on steroids. Key Takeaways Prednisolone is generally preferred over prednisone for cats because some feline livers convert it less efficiently, though exact failure rates aren't well studied.Steroid-induced diabetes in cats is rare (Dr. Angie has seen it twice in 20 years) and, caught early, is often reversible.Diabetes risk is dose-dependent and shows up early, usually within the first few weeks, not after prolonged use.Budesonide stays local to the GI tract and doesn't carry the same systemic risk as prednisone/prednisolone.Cats tolerate steroids better than dogs, with fewer personality changes or physical side effects like muscle wasting.Steroids don't have to mean a lifelong commitment, but tapering, not cold-turkey stopping, is essential after long-term use to avoid adrenal crisis.Natural alternatives (diet, CBD, herbs, probiotics) work for maintenance situations but not during an active crisis like an asthma attack.Steroids can still be appropriate for cats with kidney disease depending on severity of their disease, and current evidence doesn't support steroids causing cancer.Soundbites  "Cats often need steroids. They need steroids for asthma, for inflammatory bowel disease, for their allergic disease, for all kinds of things."  — Dr. Angie "People in the holistic space really try to avoid steroids. They hear that word steroid and I feel like it's all out panic."  — JoJo "The first thing I think of is please don't become diabetic. It's happened to me twice in 20 years, but it feels bad." — Dr. Angie "I know it can feel overwhelming to dose your cat a pill every day. Just know that this can be compounded into a formulation that works for you and your cat."         — JoJo "If your cat has asthma and is struggling to breathe, steroids are the best thing... in crisis, it's not the time to think about any kind of alternative." — Dr. Angie Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

Tell Us What You Think The veterinary industry is changing fast, and Dr. Angie Krause and veterinary nurse JoJo are not afraid to say how they feel about it. In this episode, they get honest about why pet care keeps getting more expensive, what corporate consolidation and mergers like MWI and Covetrus mean for your local vet clinic, and how brands like Chewy are reshaping the industry in severely impactful ways. It is a conversation about what is happening to veterinary professionals trying to stay independent and to pet parents trying to keep up, and what you can actually do about it. Key Takeaways Corporate and private equity ownership of US veterinary clinics jumped from 8 percent in 2011 to 50 percent in 2025Vet costs have risen 60 percent since 2014, pushing pet insurance from optional to functionally necessaryThe proposed MWI Covetrus merger, under FTC investigation, would give one company control of 75 percent of veterinary supply distributionChewy's $49.99 dollar telehealth consults can prescribe medication without a physical exam, straining the relationship between pet parents and their regular vetSome corporate wellness plan contracts continue billing pet parents after their pet has diedZoetis faces two lawsuits: one from shareholders over undisclosed product losses, one from an Oregon veterinary hospital alleging its VETSCAN Imagyst AI tool misdiagnosed a mass that turned out to be fatal cancerAI tools in note taking, radiology, and diagnostics are becoming standard, raising questions about how new veterinarians will learn to build differentials on their ownLifetime cost of pet ownership: 22,000 to 60,000 dollars for a dog, 20,000 to 47,000 dollars for a catDr. Angie and JoJo recommend pet insurance, filling prescriptions locally when possible, and supporting independently owned clinicsSoundbites " I felt like, okay, it's up to us to evolve or die."  — Dr. Angie  "Like it's just contractual, it's not human."  — JoJo "It definitely feels like a knife in the back."  — Dr. Angie  "I'm like Chewy is Voldemort."  — JoJo "What I wanna say is try to get care at non corporate veterinary clinics."  — Dr. Angie  "I just want to really acknowledge that the industry is changing. You're not imagining that."  — JoJo Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

Tell Us What You Think In this episode of Tails of Truth, Dr. Angie Krause and veterinary nurse JoJo dig into the murky world of pet supplements: what's actually worth buying, what's marketing hype, and how pet parents can tell the difference. They talk through the emotional pull of supplement ads, including Dr. Angie's own impulse buy, why fear is such effective marketing, and why a page of five-star reviews doesn't mean a product works. The conversation covers what the NASC seal actually means, why CBD chews for pets can vary wildly in potency, and which supplements Dr. Angie actually trusts and stocks, including fish oil, probiotics, and Chinese herbs. They close with a simple gut check for choosing a supplement without falling down a research rabbit hole. Key Takeaways Fear is one of the most effective marketing tools in the pet supplement space. Ads leaning on "your senior pet could live longer" or reversing a scary diagnosis are designed to bypass rational decision-making.A high review count says nothing about whether a supplement is safe or effective.The NASC seal and a third-party certificate of analysis are real green flags, but neither guarantees a pet actually needs the product.Many supplements don't contain therapeutic doses of their active ingredients, partly because manufacturers balance dosing against palatability.CBD chews for pets can have inconsistent THC distribution between doses, even within the same bag.Fish oil is one of the most broadly useful supplements, supporting joint, skin, cognitive, heart, kidney, and anxiety-related health.Dogs and cats generally don't need a multivitamin if their diet is properly balanced.Probiotics need consistent long-term use to work, not a quick start right before antibiotics.A veterinary consult can save pet parents money by cutting an oversized supplement list down to what actually matters.Sound bites "Anyone can start a supplement company."  — Dr. Angie  "Fear is fantastic marketing."  — JoJo "Fish oil is one of the most underrated supplements. I think that's helpful for almost any condition."  — Dr. Angie  "A consultation with you might save people money."  — JoJo "My philosophy overall is if I have a good diet, I shouldn't need that many supplements."  — Dr. Angie  "What really irritates me is how then you'll have people come on and say, I thought I was gonna have to euthanize my dog, but then I started this supplement and now he's totally fine."  — Dr. Angie  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

Tell Us What You Think In this episode of Tails of Truth, Dr. Angie and JoJo take a break from veterinary topics for an unscripted, personal catch up after two weeks apart. There's no agenda for this episode other than to give their listeners a peek into their lives. They talk through mutual, mostly unfounded worries about the podcast, chat dating and travels, and share real life updates including a health scare, a surprising pregnancy test twist, and a family court update. The conversation turns practical toward the end as Dr. Angie and JoJo map out, in real time, a sedation plan for JoJo's anxious dog, Sage, ahead of an upcoming vet visit. If your own pet turns into a different animal the moment you walk into a clinic, you'll find you're not alone in trying to figure out how to get veterinary care for your pet. Key Takeaways An unscripted personal catch up between Dr. Angie and JoJo after two weeks apart, including their mutual (unfounded) fears about firing/quitting each other.Dr. Angie shares a health update involving endometriosis and an ovarian health scare that turned out to be nothing.JoJo shares a startling positive pregnancy test tied to hormone shifts common in perimenopause/menopause.Real time planning for sedating JoJo's dog, Sage, who is fearful and reactive at the vet, including specific injection techniques used to reduce her stress.A reminder that vet staff have challenging pets too, and a fearful or reactive dog at the clinic is nothing to be embarrassed about.Sound Bites I have to admit JoJo like I've been really worried all week that you hate working here and you're gonna quit.  — Dr. Angie  This is where I feel like a jerk... I could do it and save everybody, but I also don't want to do it.  — JoJo It doesn't really matter who you marry. It matters who you parent with.  — Dr. Angie  I've been worried all week that you're gonna fire me.  — JoJo I feel like the labradoodle and the golden doodle, those are like soft choices.  — Dr Angie  If you don't subscribe, I'm gonna quit.  — JoJo Remember, Meta doesn't love us. — Dr. Angie  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo

Tell Us What You Think Hyperthyroidism is one of the most common diseases veterinarians see in senior cats, but most cat parents don't know they have real options once a diagnosis comes in. In this episode of Tails of Truth, Dr. Angie Krause and veterinary nurse JoJo walk through the full picture: the symptoms that should prompt a T4 blood test, why the test is so straightforward compared to human thyroid testing, and all four treatment paths available today, methimazole in pill, cream, or melt form, radioactive iodine therapy, a prescription iodine-restricted diet, and surgery. They also cover a conversation most cat parents aren't prepared for: why treating hyperthyroidism often uncovers underlying kidney disease, and why that's expected rather than a red flag. If your cat is losing weight, acting ravenous, or yowling at night, or if you're already managing a hyperthyroid diagnosis, this episode covers the questions to ask your vet next.  Key Takeaways Hyperthyroidism is one of the top four most common diseases in senior cats.Symptoms include weight loss, increased hunger, vomiting, night yowling, hyperactivity, and a greasy coat and it can mimic kidney disease, IBD, or diabetes.Diagnosis is a single blood test (total T4), but not every senior wellness panel includes it automatically — ask your vet to add it if your cat is over 8.There are four treatment paths: methimazole (pill, transdermal cream, or compounded melt), radioactive iodine therapy, a prescription iodine-restricted diet, and surgery (rarely performed anymore).Radioactive iodine has roughly a 90% cure rate but requires a week-long hospital stay and two weeks of limited contact at home, and typically costs $2,000–$3,000.Treating hyperthyroidism often reveals underlying kidney disease that was masked. This is expected, not a sign something went wrong.Cats on methimazole need bloodwork rechecked every 4–6 weeks initially, then every 6 months, to confirm correct dosing and monitor liver and kidney values.Dr. Angie doesn't always treat mild, asymptomatic elevations in T4. She monitors instead, due to past cases of methimazole causing negative side effects in cats that didn't need it yet.Soundbites "This is one place where Western medicine actually is pretty effective."                   — Dr. Angie  "Pilling your cat every day... it's a relationship breaker for some people." — JoJo "I could talk about hyperthyroidism in cats all day long, and in fact I do."                 — Dr. Angie  "Your vet is gonna want to recheck blood work in four to six weeks. This is not a money grab." — JoJo "You're going to get so much more radiation from that airplane than from a cat."   — Dr. Angie "It sounds terrifying. And if you're holistic in nature, make this make sense." — JoJo Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTubeSchedule your personalized one-on-one consultation with Dr. Angie Shop my favorite CBD.Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo