Pets
Exceptionally Natural Pet Products
My guest today is Debbie Guardian, Founder and President of Opie & Dixie, LLC, a small business that makes exceptionally pure pet care products. We’ll be talking about pet care, and also about principles of choosing pure ingredients, which apply to all products. In 2008, after a bout with breast cancer and an education on toxins, Debbie was reminded that what we put ON our bodies seeps right INTO our bodies. Unable to find the same toxin-free ingredients for her pets that she insisted upon using for herself, Debbie decided to develop her own line of safe, 100% natural products for both cats and dogs. While all her products are safe enough to be used by humans, they were developed for animals. Her ingredients are natural, organic and sourced in North America; her balms have been USDA Certified Organic. She steers clear of sulphates, parabens, propylene glycol and other chemicals, including synthetic fragrances. She believes in a complete “eco” brand, right down to their eco-friendly packaging. They use biodegradable labels that are made using plant-based, non-toxic ink and are printed on environmentally-friendly paper. Their containers are made of recyclable, BPA-free plastic and eco-friendly tins. They even print all our collateral on 100% recycled, 50% post-consumer waste paper which is processed chlorine-free, using soy-based ink. www.opieanddixie.com
Caring for Your Dog Naturally
My guest today is holistic veterinarian Dr. Deva Khalsa, author of the bestselling book Dr. Khalsa’s Natural Dog. We’ll be talking about the things that dog owners often do out of love for their pet, which might not be so good for them. Dr. Deva earned her degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 1981. Since beginning her holistically oriented veterinary practice over 25 years ago, Dr. Deva has been incorporating homeopathy, acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, nutritional advice, and allergy-elimination techniques. Today her work is a blend of sophisticated holistic techniques and traditional veterinary medicine designed to best enhance the natural strengths and attributes of her patient. Dr Deva has a reputation as a life-saver for ailing animals who would not have survived had they not been brought to her for treatment. 
She is often featured as a veterinary expert on radio and television, from National Public Radio, to Martha Stewart’s Veterinary Satellite Radio show, to her many appearances on major television networks. Dr. Deva also developed her own line of nutritional supplements through Deserving Pets as a gift to the animals she loves so dearly. Dr. Deva firmly believes that by enabling our furry friends to maintain optimum health through daily nutrition and diet, we will be able to allow them to live their lives to the fullest, by staving off many of the most devastating illnesses and ailments. www.doctordeva.com| www.deservingpets.com
Caring for Your Dog Toxic-Free
My guests today are Leslie May and Johann The Dog, authors of the Raise a Green Dog blog and website. This very popular blog began in November 2007 and has grown over the years into a complete website, with educational pages, tips, tricks and product information to help dog lovers learn more about being green and helping their dog live a healthier, happier life. We’ll be talking about toxic chemicals your dog may be exposed to in typical dog products and how to choose and find safer alternatives. Leslie grew up in a green and organic family, before being green was popular. After adopting Johann as a puppy from a no-kill animal shelter in the Indianapolis area in September of 2004, she wanted to be sure that he was not only safe from the environmental dangers that he may encounter in his life, she also wanted eco-friendly, healthy and safe products for him to eat, play with, sleep in, and be and live around, inside and out. Fortunately knowing how to live an eco-friendly, healthy and organic lifestyle gave her a ‘leg up’ in helping find information, tips and products that would keep Johann the happiest and healthiest dog he could be. She quickly discovered that healthy and green information and products were not easy to find for other dog lovers. That’s when Raise A Green Dog was born….with one goal in mind: to bring valuable, green lifestyle information to dog lovers, so they can enjoy a long and happy life with their dogs, and help the environment at the same time. In her spare time, Leslie enjoys life in the mountains of NE Georgia with her dogs, Johann (YoYo) and Gracie, and her kitties, Wolfie and Wiggy; and enjoys competing in dog agility and hiking the many mountain trails with Johann and Gracie. http://debralynndadd.com/category/debras-list/raise-a-green-dog and blog.raiseagreendog.com.
How to Choose and Find a Holistic Vet for Your Pet
My guest is Linda Ferguson, Managing Director of VetLocator, an online directory of more than 40,000 veterinary and pet health care professionals including Emergency, Holistic and House Call specialty directories. VetLocator also helps pet owners get immediate dialogue with both pet professionals and other pet owners in the community in their very popular Q&A section called Ask A Pet Pro, which has 100s of pet owner questions and answers covering a wide variety of topics related to pets. Raised from an early age by a mother who embraced holistic solutions and a natural lifestyle, Linda knows the negative impact industrialized living has on the health of all living things, which is why having holistic alternatives for pet owners while serving all pet owners is important to her. In 2002, she used her skills as an internet marketing maven to to help launch VetLocator after seeing the need for pet owners to have choices on who to choose to take their pets to. We’ll be talking about holistic choices for pet care, why choose a holistic vet, how to choose the best holistic vet for your pet, and more. www.debralynndadd.com/debras-list/vet-locator
