Toni really takes the lead on this episode talking in depth about her trials and tribulations with opening up Healthy Pet Products. As Toni reflects on the past 15 years, she talks about a lot of the major influences in her life, who had helped her when she needed it, and how she overcame a lot of obstacles. Toni celebrates 15 years in business on September 23rd and 24th at her three locations in Pittsburgh, PA. Toni and Emily talk about what to expect at the anniversary celebration, who...

Toni and Emily talk about the three top-selling chemical flea and tick products, what is in them and why they can be dangerous. In reference Dr.Judy Morgan, why she avoids chemical flea and tick products, and what she recommends that are safe for humans and dogs. They also reference other ways to care for your lawn and pets to make it easier to avoid chemicals. Toni and Emily note that chemicals are a good option in various situations, and they do not want anyone to feel bad about using them....

Toni and Emily talk and finish their conversation with Kendal who volunteers for Zoe’s House Rescue. Zoe’s house rescue saves the lives of dogs and puppies discarded and mistreated by the Amish puppy mills. This episode Kendal talks about some of the horrible things she's seen when going to pick up dogs from these farms.   Kendal talks about how they created the relationship with the Amish and what that looks like on a case by case basis. Each dog they bring in has a different reason why...

Toni and Emily talk with Kendal who volunteers for Zoe’s House Rescue. This is a two part series that covers the horrors behind Amish puppy mills, how Zoe’s House is able to rescue so many dogs with medical issues from the Amish, and how you can help! As sad as it is, it is important to talk about what goes on in Lancaster, PA and the people behind the mistreatment of animals. We do not get too graphic, in fact we talk a lot about happy endings for these special pups! Kendal talks about the...

Toni and Emily talk about picky eaters. This episode covers palatable foods to offer your finicky pup and touches on how behavior can be linked to fussy eating. They have found through anecdotal evidence that picky eating can be a behavioral issue that can be worked through with patience and consistency.  Toni not only recommends exceptionally palatable foods to entice your dog, but Emily talks about how she cured her dog of picky eating through behavioral work!   Toni shares her...

Toni, Emily, and Tena pick up where they left off talking about the struggles of dogs pulling on walks when they are on a leash. During this part of the episode, Tena talks about various tools that she does and does not recommend and when to use them. For example, retractable leashes, bungee leashes, and hands-free leashes are a few of the gears that Tena talks about in this episode. Toni and Emily begin asking Tena various questions about how she feels about walking gear like retractable...

SO many dog owners out there struggle with their dog pulling on walks. Harnesses can be great for alleviating pain in your shoulder or arm, but during the next two episodes, Toni and Emily talk with Tena Parker from Success Just Clicks about ways to help stop pulling.   Toni and Emily begin asking Tena various questions about what she recommends regarding leash and harness gear for owners and their dogs. There are multiple situations in which dogs may need specific equipment to reach their...

Toni and Emily received a list of questions from a listener.  This listener responded to the raw food episodes with many questions about transitioning their dog to a fresh diet. Toni and Emily figured that other people probably had similar questions as well and that they should make an episode out of it! Toni and Emily begin to answer questions about transitioning a dog from a kibble to a raw diet. They talk about the various options, i.e., DIY meals or commercial raw food diets, and the...

Toni and Emily talk with Dayna, the owner, and creator of Nuggets Healthy Eats! She is a WEALTH of knowledge regarding the benefits of bone broth. Hydration, gut repair, and hip and joint are just a few ways bone broth can add nutritional value to your cat or dog's diet.   Dayna from Nuggets Healthy Eats shares the background of her company. Like most high-quality pet food products, Nuggets started a need for Dayna's rescue lab. She quickly realized that this was a product from which...

Toni and Emily bring back Sara from the traveling episode to talk about the importance of decompression for dogs! Sara shares her experience with decompression and how instrumental it was to her dog's relationship with herself and her father and fiance. Decompression is not just for rescue dogs; it is also essential for new puppies or dogs that have experienced trauma. Decompression allows for healing, growth, and, most importantly, confidence in and with their handler.   Sara shares her...

Toni and Emily are reminiscing about the past year, what their favorite episodes are, and what they have planned for season two! They talk about upcoming interviews and the new guests that will be making recurring appearances on the show!   Emily asks Toni what her favorite episodes to record were, and which were her favorite to listen to. There were a lot of episodes that they both feel like they learned A LOT from and benefit from listening to again and again to retain that information....

  Toni and Emily talk with Sara Moreno, who lives in Florida and has two Puerto Rican rescue dogs she often travels with. Sara talks about all the necessities and precautions she takes to ensure that her adventures with her dogs go safely and smoothly. When driving long distances with your dogs, it is important to ensure that they are safely secured in the vehicle and comfortable. Sara has a lot of experience going long distances with her dogs, especially nervous ones. Sara talks to Toni...

We talked a little bit about CBD in the last episode, and how beneficial it is to help bring the body to homeostasis, to support the immune system, inflammation, etc.  In today's episode, we take all this information and dive deeper into this topic. We are lucky enough to have Angela Ardolino as a guest. Angela Ardolino is a holistic pet expert and educator caring for animals for over 20 years. Angela owns and operates Fire Flake Farm, an animal rescue farm, and two locations of her...

Toni and Emily talk tips and tricks to help your dog handle fireworks on the fourth of July. Toni’s dog Desoto gets very nervous and upset around storms and fireworks, so Toni talks a lot about her experience keeping Desoto (red heeler) safe and comfortable during those times. Emily on the other hand, has not experienced a dog that gets upset around fireworks or storms, however she does have some advice on ways to take extra precautions when traveling or with skittish dogs to keep them from...

Toni and Emily talk with Lindsay again is all about cat enrichment. They continue to discuss cats with cat expert; Lindsay from a previous episode. If you don't remember from last week, Lindsay is the resident cat expert with tons of experience at home with her cat colony and from working at a veterinary clinic. The previous episode with Lindsay was focused on managing multiple cat diets, maximizing moisture content, and transiting a picky cat to a new food. This episode is going to focus on...

Toni and Emily receive an email from a listener ([email protected]) regarding needing advice about their cat! Toni reads the email about Clark the cat throwing up his food. Then Emily & Toni give advice as to different steps this cat owner can take to help her cat feel better, and prevent throwing up.    The email that Toni and Emily have received explains that Clark the cat has been throwing up his food lately. His diet has not changed, and going to the vet really stresses him...

Toni and Emily invite HPP assistant manager and certified cat lady: Lindsay onto the show to talk all things cats! Lindsay has 7 cats and knows the ins and outs of cat life. She has been through everything from picky eating to raw feeding and introducing a new cat. Toni and Emily talk in depth with Lindsay about how she recommends and handles transitioning cats and kittens to new food. Cats are very sensitive to textures, they even imprint on certain shapes, and textured foods. It can be very...

Toni and Emily discuss Therapy Dogs with Top Dog Therapy Team today. Top Dog Therapy Team focuses on making the maximum positive effort for our community. Their trainers and volunteers provide the momentum that helps us affect change. At Top Dog, they take their Nonprofit convictions and turn them into action by bringing joy to others through canine love. Toni and Emily talk about the history of Top Dog Therapy Team. Established in 2015 by Rodney Little and his Co-Founder Top Dog Sarge, the...

 Toni and Emily are talking about HEALTHY PET DAY!! It is a big annual event that celebrates Healthy Pet Day’s anniversary as a business. This is a huge event with a lot of prizes, vendors, rescues, and most importantly SALES! It takes place May 20-21 at all of our locations. Toni talks about the history behind the event, and how important it is to support small businesses.    Toni talks about the history and importance of Healthy Pet Day. How it started, and why it has been around for so...

Toni and Emily are talking about the importance of enrichment for dogs. There are SO many ways to engage your dog in mental stimulation with items you have at home, to fun toys and puzzles you can buy at your local pet store. Providing mental stimulation for your pup can also help prevent unwanted behaviors. Mental work is always going to tire a dog out quicker and longer than physical activity. There are some incredibly intelligent dogs out there that need to be using their brain for their...

Toni and Emily are talking with Bethann, who runs, and manages Orphans of the Storm. Orphans is a no kill animal shelter in Kittaning, PA. The builidng is located in a flood zone, that has caused devastation to their building, and animals in years past. They have acquired land above the flood zone and are raising over 4 million dollars to build out the safe and new facility of their dream. Toni and Emily have been volunteering, and organzing adoption events with Orphans since last...

Toni and Emily are talking with Heather from Petagogy! There are two Petagogy locations, one in Shadyside and the other in Greensburg. Heather shares her story about how Petagogy started, the family it has created, and their continued journey to serving pets healthy food in Pittsburgh, PA.     Toni and Emily talk to Heather about the pet industry and how it has developed over the years. She talks about some of the changes over the years, what excites her, and what she looks forward to...

Toni and Emily are going to talk to an incredible customer. Her name is Katherine and she is the dog owner of Maizie Gracie. Mazie became paralyzed in her back legs after showing some symptoms of lethargy, loss of appetite, etc. Katherine shares her journey with Maizie from day one, to today, where Maizie is happy, healthy, and running on all four paws again.     Toni and Emily ask Katherine about where Maizie came from, her breed and history as well as their history as pet owners....

Toni and Emily cover raw food for animals with a board certified veterinary nutritionist.  Susan G. Wynn, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition) is a 1987 graduate of the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her residency at University of Tennessee and became board-certified in Nutrition in 2016. Dr. Wynn was in clinical practice for 31 years, most recently with BluePearl Veterinary Partners as their nutrition specialist. She is currently the Senior Director of Scientific...

Toni and Emily are going to talk more about raw food on this episode. This is a topic that will require a lot of episodes to fully cover the in’s and outs of raw feeding for dogs and cats. We are going to talk about the different ways raw foods are processed, and Toni and Emily also want to take this time to talk about bacteria, and people's fear of it when it comes to raw food.    So, the first raw food company that Toni and Emily will talk about is Answers. They use fermentation as a way...