The Pet Nutritionists

08/28/2025

🐾 𝐃𝐎𝐆 𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒: If your dog struggles with allergies, arthritis, digestive issues—or even long-term concerns like cancer—Your Vet may never mention the one thing that could make a difference: their FOOD.

This Vet-recommended homemade dog food course shows you how to cook healthy, balanced meals that support your dog’s health—using just your crockpot, with only 15 minutes of prep time.

✅ 30 Vet-approved crockpot recipes (no rice or other grains) designed to ease common health problems
✅ Prep each recipe in 15 minutes—cook in one crockpot, nothing else
✅ Created by a Certified Pet Nutritionist + approved by a board-certified Veterinarian
✅ Save hundreds compared to The Farmer’s Dog or other subscriptions
✅ 23 easy-to-follow video lessons + 141-page workbook
✅ Lifetime access. One payment. No subscriptions.

Your dog deserves more than a scoop of kibble.

This is your chance to feed them better—for less!

And yes, your crockpot is all you need. Get the course now for just $97 👉 https://www.thepetnutritionists.com

08/27/2025

🐾 𝐃𝐎𝐆 𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒: If your dog struggles with allergies, arthritis, digestive issues—or even long-term concerns like cancer—
Your Vet may never mention the one thing that could make a difference: their food.

This Vet-approved crockpot course shows you how to cook healthy, balanced meals that support your dog’s health—using one appliance, the crockpot, in only 15 minutes of prep.

✅ 30 Vet-approved, grain-free recipes designed to ease common health problems
✅ Prep in 15 minutes—just one crockpot, nothing else
✅ Created by a Certified Pet Nutritionist + reviewed by a board-certified Vet
✅ Save hundreds compared to The Farmer’s Dog or other subscriptions
✅ 23 easy-to-follow video lessons + 141-page workbook
✅Lifetime access. One payment. No subscriptions.

Your dog deserves more than a scoop of kibble.

This is your chance to feed them better!

Get the course now for just $97.
👉 https://www.thepetnutritionists.com

08/19/2025

Think twice about giving your dog an antibiotic and/or steroids.

A new study by Washington University and Kansas State University shows dogs treated with antibiotics were 3X more likely to develop knee ligament tears 😱 AND those given steroids were 3.5X more likely, compared to dogs not given these medications. 😱

🤔 SAY WHAT??

Yes, you read that correctly, folks.

WHAT TO DO: There's a difference between a synthetic joint supplement (as recommended by your vet), and natural supplements derived from plant and animal sources. Homemade bone broth is great for providing glucosamine, chondroitin and collagen. Start investing in your dog's joints from puppyhood, but do it with natural products that the body knows how to process, not synthetic ones that will probably pass through your dog without providing any benefit at all.

Here's a link to study: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1625530/full?fbclid=IwY2xjawMRdHlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEwekFEWFF4dGJsaTNYSGJPAR7I-nH-Jy9Ini_VqFa18M3-fjL9PNFuxQzyogVzhuEr4yMW5MeQgRb6dw_VjQ_aem_LeIZl9430b5bYgcKgdURkQ

07/16/2025

What Shapes Your Dog’s Microbiome Most – Diet, Environment or Genetics?

The microbiome is the invisible engine behind your dog’s health — from digestion and immunity to mood and skin. But what influences it most: diet, environment, or genetics?

✅ Diet: The Biggest Mover

Research consistently shows that diet is the strongest modifiable factor affecting your dog’s gut microbiome. Switching from dry kibble to fresh and gently cooked food, or high-protein raw diets can reshape the microbial population in just days.

👉Reference: Pilla & Suchodolski, Front. Vet. Sci., 2020: "Diet remains the strongest modifiable factor."
👉Reference: Coelho et al., Microbiome, 2018: "Canine gut microbiome responds rapidly to dietary changes."

✅ Environment: The Silent Sculptor
Where your dog lives, plays, and sleeps matters. Dogs exposed to varied environments — parks, soil, other dogs, humans — develop a more diverse microbiota. Puppies born via vaginal birth and raised in homes with other pets tend to have more resilient microbiomes.

👉Reference: AlShawaqfeh et al., PLoS ONE, 2017: Environment during neonatal life is key.

✅ Genetics: The Immune Blueprint
Your dog’s breed and immune system influence which microbes are tolerated or rejected. While not easily changed, host genetics set the tone for microbiota composition and stability.

👉Reference: Honneffer et al., World J. Gastroenterol., 2014: "Host and environment shape the microbiome, but diet exerts the most pronounced changes."

✅ What This Means for You
While you can't change your dog's genes and only partly influence their environment, YOU CAN CHANGE THEIR DIET.

Make homemade dog food today: It's affordable, quick and easy to do!

https://www.thepetnutritionists.com/

07/16/2025

07/15/2025

A'HA! Blue Buffalo is getting into the game of the growing trend of pet parents looking for fresh pet food!

This shows that people WANT to feed their dogs better food instead of processed kibble.

New pet innovation positions General Mills’ brands to lead in key category growth spaces.

08/28/2024

We have a weight problem. Too much fat in the food, not enough exercise, too many snacks. No, not just people, but our dogs! One study said that almost 83% of our dogs are overweight! 😱

Canine obesity leads to a litany of health problems: diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, liver and urinary tract malfunctions, pancreatitis, disc disease, ruptured cruciate ligaments, hip dysplasia, surgical complications, compromised immune system, and cancer -- and can take years off your dog’s life.

Lean dogs live longer, healthier lives than those who are overweight. A 14-year study showed that dogs fed 25% fewer calories than their free fed littermates lived nearly two years longer and showed fewer visible signs of aging. They also were a full three years older before they needed treatment for arthritis.

The majority of their owners are in denial. A recent study found that veterinarians considered 47% of their patients (dogs) to be overweight, yet only 17% of the owners agreed. If you can’t easily feel your dog’s ribs and shoulder blades, it’s time to face reality and put your dog on a diet.

Pet Nutritionist is soon coming out with a new course on "How to Make Fresh, Homemade Dog Food". Ditch the kibble and all its unnecessary carbs which is making dogs fat.

Comment below if you'd like more info on the upcoming course!

09/25/2023

https://youtu.be/lH5M6C1EgLg?si=y3qahO9ctHzDqHt2

Instead of “can dogs eat rice?” the question should really be “should dogs eat rice?” And the answer is quite simple: no. But why not ... 📌 Want to learn ho...

09/19/2023

If you want to solve allergies, you have to fix your dog's diet! It makes sense because the skin is the first barrier the body has to protect itself from the environment.

Full study: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/15/1881

08/29/2023

Is Purina Pro Plan a good dog food? NO! 🚫 Here's why:

🔺 It's Ultra-Processed
The individual ingredients in dry dog foods are heated several times during processing, which can cause a significant loss of enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Processed foods are also linked to higher mortality rates.

🔺 High Pesticide/Herbicide Foods in the Top 5 Ingredients
The top 5 ingredients are known to carry a large pesticide/herbicide residue. The crops are spray-dried with Roundup, leaving them with more glyphosate/herbicide residue than other crops, even genetically modified ones. Glyphosate is an antibiotic that can kill beneficial gut bacteria and has been linked to cancer and other diseases.

🔺 GMO Foods In The Top 5 Ingredients
Corn and soybean meal are known GMO foods, they are lacking in nutrients compared to non-GMO foods. GMO crops also strip nutrients from soils, require increased pesticide risk and may be involved in bee die-off.

🔺 Rice
Rice is highly inflammatory for dogs and they simply do not need this type of carbohydrate. Purina uses rice as a cheap filler. Plus, arsenic is a significant concern with rice since it naturally absorbs arsenic that can contaminate the water it’s grown in. Arsenic is linked to chronic health issues.

🔺 Natural Flavor
There's nothing natural about "natural flavor". It's added to make processed food more palatable but natural flavor is often either MSG or animal digest, both low quality ingredients with limited safety studies.

🔺 Contains Menadione
Menadione is a synthetic form of Vitamin K that is not required in dog food. It may be linked to immune system dysfunction, oxidative damage to cells, liver toxicity, and allergic reactions.

Purina's "Pro Plan Specialized" line is marketed to dogs with specific issues such as sensitive stomach or weight management needs, and yet their ingredients are high in pesticides and GMOs that can affect sensitive digestive systems. 🙄

Rice is used which is a concern as it can be contaminated with arsenic that is linked to chronic health issues. Regarding ingredient quality, Purina Pro Plan lines use inflammatory seed oils like soybean and sunflower oil, and glycerin which is a sugar that dogs don’t need. These recipes have unnamed animal protein like fish oil, fish meal and poultry byproduct, which make it difficult to know the source or quality of these ingredients.

All-in-all, Purina is a HORRIBLE dog food. Period.

08/29/2023

Trazodone for Dogs: Side Effects & Natural Alternatives

Depression and anxiety are not just human conditions; animals like dogs can also suffer from them. Trazodone is an antidepressant drug commonly used to treat depression, anxiety, and other behavioral issues in dogs.

Most common side effects of giving trazodone to dogs:

-Gastrointestinal Upset (vomiting, nausea, etc.)
-Increased Drowsiness And Sedation
-Tremors Or Seizures or Shakes
-Changes in Appetite
-Dilated Pupils
-Increased Thirst And Dry Mouth
-Difficulty Breathing Or Shallow Respiration
-Ataxia (Loss Of Muscle Control)
-Colitis (Inflammation Of The Colon)
-Arrhythmia
-Increased Aggression
-Hyperactivity
-Priapism (Persistent And Painful Er****on Of The P***s)

Natural Alternatives to Trazodone:
-St. John’s Wort
-Lavender
-Valerian Root
-Kava Kava
-Passionflower
-CBD oil

Natural supplements can be an effective alternative to Trazodone in treating depression and anxiety in dogs such as:

-Omega-3 fatty acids
-L-5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP
-S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe)
-B Vitamins
-Magnesium
-Zinc

Certain foods may help manage depression and anxiety in dogs, such as probiotics and pumpkin seeds. Probiotic-rich foods like kefir, yogurt, and sauerkraut keep the gut microbiome in balance and support overall health.

Pumpkin seeds are a source of tryptophan, which is an essential amino acid that helps produce serotonin and has been linked to improved mood.

SUMMARY: Natural alternatives like herbs, supplements, foods, and lifestyle changes can be effective in helping manage depression and anxiety in dogs without the side effects associated with Trazodone.