Hello everyone, this is Krista with Episode #142 on the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. Because I'm going to be expanding my Wag Out Loud business with exciting things to come, I wanted to let you know that as of January 2022, I'm going to go from releasing weekly episodes to releasing bi monthly episodes. Putting the show on is super important to me, but to do it right, and all on my own, I've decided to bring you the same awesome guests and content, but just with a lesser frequency. And that's going to give me more time to work on other fantastic projects in the canine health and wellness space. So stay tuned for some exciting future announcements. Did you know that hotspots often occur in dogs with weakened immune systems? So once the skin is red and raw, it's primed for infection, which then creates a vicious cycle of itching, scratching and further trauma to the skin. What exactly is a hot spot? Well, it's an itchy, inflamed area of the skin that an affected dog obsessively scratches, licks and bites, which then creates an open sore. So treating hotspots involves not only healing the wound, but also finding and resolving the underlying cause to prevent reoccurrence. Welcome to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast, where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition, and overall wellbeing. If you'd like to support the show, check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode. Jessica Shipman has been active in the pet industry as a blogger and influencer for 8+ years. She’s an All Pet Voices Co-Founder and BlogPaws Executive Team Member who is experienced in web development, content strategy, digital marketing, and project management. She’s passionate about making connections, bridging gaps, her dogs Luna and Ralph, and llamas. Chloe DiVita has a passion for pets and for business, and her dog Onyx. In 2009, she had the opportunity to combine those, when her mom and a couple of others started BlogPaws. Since that time, she has also co-founded All Pet Voices where her and Jessica create many forms of content for pets that educates, entertains, and inspires. Welcome dog lovers to yet another informative Wag Out Loud pawdcast episode. And today we have not one, but two experts on the show. We have Jessica Shipman and Chloe DiVita. And they are from All Pet Voices. And they're both going to be talking to us about Pet Health 5, a monthly dog wellness check. So you know, I'm all about wellness. So I'm excited to have this conversation. Ladies, thank you so much for being here. And I'm going to ask each of you to introduce yourselves and tell us why are you so passionate about canine health? Yeah, thank you, Krista. This is Chloe DiVita from All Pet Voices. And I've been in the pet industry now for goodness, since officially since 2009. But I actually had a dog blog that I started way back in 2006 that I kept up for a while that covered my Greyhound and her best friend that was a ferret. A lot of what I learned, you know, I feel like I kind of grew up in the online world and digital marketing. And it really brought, I think forward not only the passion for dogs and for pets in general, but also just for learning how to get more good quality information out there. So I love what you're doing Krista, with this podcast and I know Jessica and I both are super passionate about just making sure people know where to get good information, what good information is, and you know the options so that you can make the best educated decisions for the health of your dog. Absolutely. And I am Jessica Shipman. I am the other co founder of All Pet Voices. And I found my way into the pet industry when I adopted my first dog as an adult. I always grew up with dogs and cats. But right after college, I got my first dog accidentally signed up for Twitter saw that there is this whole digital community of pet lovers. You'll probably hear us mentioned BlogPaws. Chloe was one of the you know, initial team members there it is something that we are still continuing today. But that is kind of how we connected. I continued, you know, to grow my knowledge, and I grew up with dogs all the time, but it was very much you know, grocery store food treat things like that didn't even really realize until I had a dog of my own all the options that are out there. And I think that's something that Chloe and myself are a big proponent of is, you know, knowing the information, but also understanding that the right choice isn't the right choice for every person for every dog for every family. And so just knowing correct, you know, quality information is a big piece of it and that's one of the reasons why we started Pet Health 5, which I'm going to let Chloe talk a little bit about too. Yeah, I'm excited about this campaign that you ladies are starting. Yeah. And, you know, it comes from a passion we both have and things that we've seen out there, which is just sometimes, as pet parents, even though we want the best, and we want to provide the best, we don't always know the best. And that is broad, not just in food, but overall wellness. So nutrition is a piece of that for sure. But also just understanding like, the norms for your dog, just like any human who, you know, our rate, our temperature supposed to be 98.6, some of us run low, and some of us run high. And knowing that helps us know if we're off. And the same goes for our dogs. And so, you know, Jessica and I talk a lot about the health of our pets. Sure. We have a lot of discussions around what's going on with our dogs. Right, who's going to the vet this week? Oh, yes. So that it really kind of was born out of that is my dog in particular, I have a dog who has high blood pressure, atypical Addison's, IBD, a small intestinal disease. So many issues. And so staying on top of that, and just knowing when he's off a little bit is really important. So things like what his normal body temperature is, he actually runs low, he runs at 100.7. And most dogs are in the range of 101 to 102.5. But knowing that he runs low means that if I take his temp and I think he's off, and it's showing it like 102, that's high for him, it might be in the normal range. But for him, I know it's high. And that helps me gauge you know, how how to how I should I be taking action? Do I need to call the vet do I need to watch him actually keep a journal where I log things about what I see, so that if a trend emerges, I can go alright, something’s up. I need to call my vet. But I feel like as much as a lot of dog lovers want to have that, or would do that, if they knew they just don't aren't aware of what they should know. And what little signs might make a big difference for you to be able to act more quickly. Oh, my gosh, you have hit it on the head. And especially now that you know, through the pandemic, a lot of veterinarians were doing telemedicine, so the more that we can do at home and know our dogs and what seems out of line, you know, catching something early, it's being proactive, which I absolutely love. So, before we dissect the Pet Health 5, how is this campaign going to work? Yeah, Jessica, you start. All right, there's, there's aspects. Yeah, um, but the biggest component of it is that it is going to be a email signup. And so we're going to be sending out reminders monthly on the fifth of every month to remind you to do five things, and a bonus thing every month, that'll change. But five things the same five things every month, which we'll dissect in a little bit. And it's just that little nudge to, you know, get it done to take a few moments with your pet or multiple pets that you have? Sit down, examine them, be comfortable with them, have them be comfortable with you. But also I know, Krista, when we first met, one of the biggest things I felt like we bonded over was being an advocate for your dog, right? Like you are the one that knows your dogs the best. And so this is just going to help you get to know your dog even better. And just kind of a gentle reminder every month to you know, make sure you do it amongst all the other things that are busy in your life. Wow, what a great idea. And having us all on the same page, having the reminder, you know, it's just like we get reminders on the monthly breast exam. Okay, that's great. I, let's get it done. So you have five wellness checks in this monthly routine. And how long should this monthly check take each of us? So the idea is, that's why it's Pet Health 5. So on the fifth of the month, you're going to get your reminder email, we're hoping you take five minutes to just check these five things. And really, they should be fairly quick. they encompass doing a body scan, which you know, means looking at your dog from, you know, nose to tail, kind of taking a look to see if you see anything maybe like my dog just has warts. They're pretty harmless, but I just watch them and I know where they are and how many he has. So a new one pops up and go, Oh, there's another one. And it's just good to monitor those kinds of things. But also do a little bit of a feel, right? You want to feel your dog's body is there a new lump those kinds of things. You know, you want to check so, but it shouldn't take you more than you know, a minute or two to sort of take a look and feel over your dog and note down any thing that you you find or that you notice. So that's the first one, then you're also going to do a temperature check. You're going to check their weight, and you're going to check their teeth. So dental teeth, gum stuff, and then you're gonna check their heart rate. Most of this is observational, right? You're you're looking, you're just, obviously, you know how to take a dog temperature, although I will say, Krista, I don't know if you were at SuperZoo. But Jess and I were there and we met a company that is coming out with like, a, an under arm or under leg, I guess, thermometer to make it much easier. And it's, yeah, it's gonna be for consumers. But I don't think it's out yet. But it's coming. And we're really excited about that. Because, like having to put the thermometer in the back end… Yes, the usual spot. right, yeah, right. But you can honestly, my dog is so used to it, because we do this every month that he just gets a treat. And he sits there and he's fine, right. So it is one of those things that the more you do it, the more accustomed your dog gets to how you touch them and feel them, which can be another great training for when they are at the vet. And I think that's a big piece is that, you know, the goal is to be in that five minute timeframe, it might take a little bit longer the first time or two that you do it. But don't get discouraged, because you're going to become more comfortable, and your dog is going to become more comfortable. And then, you know, some of these things, they might sound pretty, you know, simple and things like that. But we're still going to provide you some tips on how to actually do them just like, you know, there may be some people out there that are like, Oh, how do I actually take a temperature of a dog if I've never done it before, you may not have experienced the back end. So we will also be providing some tips along the way, as well as creating some other great and you know, content health information for other questions that come up as well. Pure genius. Oh my gosh, you guys, well, we can all give five minutes a month, I think to enhance our dog's wellness. So we are going to take a break here shortly. But why don't we go over the first of the five wellness checks, and we talked about body scan. So I would assume we're talking, you know, just pay attention to their skin and coat. Is there dander? Are there fleas and ticks? Chloe, you mentioned lumps and bumps. could those be something? Could it just be an enlarged lymph node? And if that is the case, then obviously there's another underlying issue. Ears. I mean, I know ear infections smell awful. So just sniffing in your dog's ear and looking for inflammation. Eyes, are they clear? Are they gunky? Paws, spread your dog's paw because that's a common place for you know, allergy signs or sores. Make sure their nails are short, and I could go on and on just about this first one. Yeah, yep, and body scan. body scan is actually one even though we're going to be reminding you once a month to do it. I always like to recommend every time you're snuggling up with your dog just to you know, obviously you're petting them and you're ribbing them anyway so it's a great thing to do regularly even more so then once a month. But absolutely like I know my dog Ralph, he got into an incident with a neighboring dog and he actually has a scar on his nose and so I keep an eye on that to make sure that he you know, hasn't reopened it or done anything like that. Allergies, fleas and ticks, huge thing, especially depending on the area that you live in. Out here in Colorado, we are a little bit more fortunate that they're not as prominent, but back when I lived in Virginia, ticks were such a huge issue almost all the time. So definitely keep an eye on those. Love it. All right everybody. We are gonna take a quick commercial break and we will be back for your other for wellness checks… the tips that Chloe and Jessica are giving us so hold tight and we will be right back. Thanks to our sponsor of today’s episode, ABSC Organics, makers of the ABSC Pure Organic CBD Oil.  This is the ONLY CBD oil for pets that has been tested safe and effective in multiple clinical trials with the highly- respected Colorado State University Veterinary Medical School.  In a pretty much unregulated industry, you need to have trust in the CBD oil that you give to your four-legged family members.  Produced in the United States, each batch is tested for purity and CBD concentration and has been clinically proven to be safe and non-toxic.  These products have no psychoactive ingredients and ABSC Organics has many loyal customers, myself included, who use their CBD oil with their pets for years to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.  I highly recommend these products and encourage you to go to check them out at www.petpainfree.com.  If your pet suffers from epileptic seizures, joint pain from osteoarthritis, or a host of other conditions, know that ABSC Organics uses their research to manufacture trustworthy products that provide symptomatic relief for pets. And don’t forget to use the code WAG15 to receive 15% off your first order! Well, we are back for part two with Jessica and Chloe talking about this absolutely brilliant program and campaign, the Pet Health 5, the monthly dog wellness check. And these ladies are going to make it as simple as possible to take five minutes, once a month to make sure that your dog is healthy and well. So we already went over number one, what a body scan might entail. Ladies, let's talk about heart rate, what should we do and look for as far as heart rate? So heart rate in in dogs is a little bit different. And we're in this is one of those places where we will give you in the email some information, right? So we're not just saying hey, check your heart rate, we're gonna explain how and we're gonna let you know like what you should be looking for. If you have a small breed if you have a large breed, because there is some differences. There can even be differences just breed, like breeds in general can have some differences. So we are going to provide, you know, information for you so you know where you're starting. But when it comes to heart rate, you know, the average rate, heart rate of a small dog is between 80 and 130 beats per minute. That's like a resting heart rate. Obviously, that will be one of the key things is you want to make sure you're doing this when your pet has been rested and not like after you just went for a half hour run. Right? So you know, that's that's definitely an aspect. But you know, if you're talking about a large dog, the average heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. So you'll definitely want to know, you know, when you're taking it if you're falling in that average, but it's just helpful to know what your dog's average is, you know, 60 to 100 is still a pretty wide range. Sure. So, every every month, you take your dog's heart rate when they're resting, and it's 60. And then one month, all of a sudden, that is 100. That's the reason for you to go wait a minute, you know, maybe I should check their heart rate for the rest of the day, every hour and see if it stays here. And if so you might call your vet and say I noticed this thing, right. And to me, to both of us, one of the things I think that's powerful about this campaign, and since signing up and having this is that ability to say to your vet, I noticed this, and I need to have a talk about it, because I'm worried it could be a problem. And your vet becomes more informed because you're more informed. This just helps with the relationship you have with your vet and with how your vet can help you with your pets’ health. Absolutely. And I assume you know, you can always get a baseline when you're at the veterinarian next time. Just ask, you know, what is normal for my dog? As far as heart rate or pulse? For sure. Yeah. And it's really you know, and we'll explain this. But it's actually pretty simple. You just need to have a clock with a timer so that you can time for 15 seconds and you put your heart or your hand over your dog's heart, usually the left side of their chest. And you just count how many beats in those 15 seconds you get. And then you multiply by four. And that's their heart rate for the minute. Interesting. And can you also do it in the femoral artery there on the rear leg? You can but depending on the breed, it could be harder to find. So usually the chest and because of the strength of the dog's heart, it's easier to feel it there. But you could, that is possible. Got it. Okay, awesome. Next one. Temperature. We were talking about that a little bit. Yeah, and this is another one that definitely varies between breeds between dogs, just like with humans, our temperatures aren't all the exact same. So it is a great place, like what Chloe was mentioning for her dog Onyx to really know what that baseline temperature is. And to understand even though the normal range for dogs can be anywhere from 101-102.5, you know, if your dog tends to be closer to 101, if they're at that higher end that could indicate that something is up and might be something that you want to bring up to your vet. And one of the things Chloe was mentioning is you know, it helps build that conversation, that relationship that you have with your vet, but I feel like generally when I go to the vet, they ask, you know, is everything okay? How are things going and unless there's something that's like you know, this is wrong. Sometimes I feel like I don't actually know unless I am doing these things I know that like their temperature has been consistent, their body scan has been good, their heart rate has been good. And then the other two things that are coming after this as well. But I think that really helps you also feel confident and like, yeah, things are good, or, you know, no, there's something going on. You know, let's check this out, let's have a conversation about it. But with temperature, we did you know, allude to earlier on that there is the more traditional rectal method of measuring your dog's temperature, we are excited that there are new things coming out to make that a little bit easier, a little bit more comfortable for all parties involved. And we'll of course, share more information about that on our emails as well. But that's pretty much what it is, is you're going to be sitting taking the temperature, it's also like Chloe was mentioning, make sure that it's not after you just went on a big hike or a run or anything, because you know, our temperatures are gonna raise as we are more active. And so that's the same with dogs as well. Right. So there’s the key components for temperature. I love it. And we have to remember that dogs, you know, they have this insulating layer of hair and fur when it's cold. But for them to stay cool is more difficult for them, because they don't have the same cooling system of sweat glands that we do. So we really need to watch for signs of heatstroke overheating, you know, the excessive panting, and so forth. But knowing how to take their temperature, you know, to gauge where they are. I love that. And I think too many of us with all of these five wellness checks, we just say, oh, you know, we'll have it done at the vet whenever we go next. But being on top of it at home, you both have said it many times, you know your own dog, you know when there's a red flag. So I just I'm so excited. I hope you can feel that. Yeah. Okay. On to number four. This is a biggie, literally. Weight. Yeah, wait. And I will say this is the one that depending on the size of your dog, could be a little bit more difficult. So if you have a really like, if you're talking about St. Bernard, or you know, a Newfie or something, you probably have to take them somewhere to weigh them, I don't think you're going to be picking them up. So there is that I will, I will say that. But I also know that like at least here and I've heard this for other places, you know, we're in Denver, Colorado, but I know your vet has a scale right in their office. And most vets will let anyone go in and just weigh their pet, and just walk in and put your pet on a scale, there's also a lot of local groomers will have a scale that they'll let you go in and use. So chances are if you have a larger breed dog, there is a place within you know, pretty close to you that you could just pop in. And maybe it's a different stop once a month, because you know, you just do that. But if you wanted to kind of keep an eye on that on your dog's weight, that is a way you can do it. I am lucky enough that my little dog here, I mean, he weighs 38 pounds. So he's not tiny, but he can be picked up. So you just take your weight. Yeah, pick up your dog stand on the scale. Now you have a total weight. Obviously, their weight is total weight minus your weight. Correct? Exactly. So easy. Math. Everybody can do it. Yeah. So it is it is possible. This is serious, because you probably know, over half of all the dogs in the United States are overweight or obese. Yep. So this is a telltale sign of so many different health issues. Diabetes, heart problems, arthritis. So this is crucial for us to understand what the proper weight versus an obese or overweight dog looks like. And I know there's in addition to actually weighing your dog, what are some other ways that we can look at that indicate proper weight versus overweight? We will be talking about in our email, you know, the rib test. You know, as you as you feel your dog because that was one of the hard things if you have a big fluffy dog, they can gain some weight and hide it pretty well, because they're big and fluffy anyway, right? So you always want to you know, as you're feeling your dog along their ribs, you should be able to feel the ribs without them protruding, right protruding is too skinny, but you should be able to sort of gently go along the side and tell that there are ribs there and kind of be able to count them. There is a visual that a lot of vets will put up in their office that kind of shows the scale right there, like rate your pets from like, you know, like one to eight or something I forget the full range. But, you know, you want this sort of gauge where you're looking down at them over the top. And you can see that from the ribcage to their abdomen, it comes in a little bit, there's that little… They have waistline. Your dog should have a little waist. And then you just want to make sure again, you know, not protruding, but you can feel the ribs if you can't feel ribs, there's way too much stuff between your finger and the rib. And it's not fur. There's another way that you can look from the side. And if your dog's abdomen is lower than or the same level as their chest, right. Oh my gosh, that is an overweight dog. So yeah, just by looking …not, good, everybody. So when they're looking at you with those puppy dog eyes, they don't need all those treats. Don't let your dog do that. Because you're doing a disservice when it comes to weight. Well, I like to encourage like people, Krista, I know you're big on this too. And just I kind of laugh at some of the things that we give our dogs but like, stop giving them a treat, maybe give them a piece of broccoli. Or a blueberry. You're right. Yeah, exactly. Yes. You know. Yeah. And I think that will be part of it, too, is like, you know, we mentioned that there'll be one sort of new thing each month. So there's always going to be these five things, we're going to send you a checklist, we're just going to send you the ability to have a log, we know some people like to do it digitally. Some like to have something printed, however you want to keep track of it is fine. But we will give you a log in case you would like something given to you. Because that's what becomes amazing to have six months down the line, about six months of logs of these things that you can actually show your vet and say, Look, I've been keeping track, Everything's been great. Or, you know, we had a month that was kind of off, maybe it's gotten better, maybe it's not, but you just want to have that discussion with them to see if there's anything you should be worrying about. Because maybe, maybe they lost a little weight. You can't explain why. Right. You know, and that's important to note as well. So we're gonna have all that in there. And then in addition, every month will have something in there so like February's dental health month, we'll probably go a little bit more in depth about dental health. As summer comes around, we'll probably talk about heatstroke and what to look out for right there'll be something related to sort of a season or the month, that sort of continues to educate everybody on things you can just look for at home. Perfect. Well, speaking of dental, as we're about to wrap up here, the fifth wellness check is teeth and gums. So could one of you walk us through what we should be looking for? Yeah, absolutely. So, as with all of these, you're going to want to look for the baseline. Depending on how old and how rigorous you are about, you know your dog's dental health. Now, there may be already some existing plaque and tartar, discolorations, things like that. So you're gonna want to create that baseline have a you know, understanding of what color your dog's teeth are, what color their gums are, and then continue to check that if there are discolorations, make sure that they don't change get bigger get worse. You're also going to want to look for the health of your dog's overall teeth. Notice if there's any cracks or breakage or splitting or the teeth are starting to change significant colors. And then of course, you're going to want to look at the whole mouth as well as make sure there aren't any sores. Look at their tongue. I know my dog, Ralph has a mostly pink tongue, but he has a big black spot in the middle of it. So I always keep an eye on that making sure that it's, you know, it's still the same black spot as it's always been, but really looking at gums, teeth, their mouths and their tongue. Yeah. And breath is a major sign. Puppy breath is not a good thing. That means that there is infection, inflammation, possibly abscesses. So you ladies are hitting the nail on the head. Because we know that periodontal disease affects other organs in the body. overall health does start in the mouth and people listening know why I am not a huge fan of kibble. You know, it's a dry processed food. And so many dogs fed that diet are really in a state of dehydration. So there's a way that you can even check your dog's gums. For you know, if your finger can slide over the gums and glide easily, then there's enough moistness and they are hydrated. But if not, if it's sticky or tacky, then that could indicate dehydration so you can address it, then. Yeah. And being like in your dog's mouth, it might be the first couple of times, it might be an experience for both of you. But it is something that again, will get easier with time. It is important. I know the very first time after I had Ralph, and I took him to the vet. And I found out after that, that he actually had a cracked tooth. And I felt terrible, because that meant that I wasn't looking at him close enough. And he had been living with this tooth for who knows how long, right? And so I think it is super important to actually get up in there and look, and both of you feel comfortable with what's going on. And you know, while you're there, doesn't hurt to maybe do a little bit of brushing. It doesn't hurt at all. That's what we should be doing. Just yeah, 30 seconds a day. And you're so right, because when you're brushing your dog's teeth, you will see if there is something going on, it's a great time, not just monthly, we're talking daily. Well, ladies, I am so excited and grateful to you for putting this you know, it's like an aha moment. Why didn't this exist to begin with? Yeah, exactly. So where can everybody find out more information about you two, All Pet Voices, and this new campaign that you're putting into place the Pet Health 5? So definitely. We are @AllPetVoices in all of the places. And our website is Allpetvoices.com And this is going to be launching here mid November. So you're going to if you go to that site, you cannot miss Pet Health 5.          Instagram: @allpetvoices          Facebook: @allpetvoices     TWITTER:  @allpetvoices Okay, perfect. And all of these links to find Allpetvoices.com, is going to be in the show notes as well as the URL. Ladies, this has been wonderful. And I'm so excited that you created this program, any parting words? I think really, what I just want to encourage everybody is that we you are the advocate for your dog. And the more you know, the better choices you can make. And the better discussions you can have with your vet and the more in control you can feel of your dog's health. So something like this is really just meant to help guide you there. And I just want to encourage everybody to, you know, not only sign up for the program, so they get that reminder and do the things to keep those logs and have the conversations because everybody your pet, you, everybody will be in better health, both physically and mentally and emotionally. If you just are in a little bit more control and have a little bit more knowledge. Absolutely. Jessica? Yeah. Chloe nailed it. And I just want to say thank you so much for having us here today. And I think we all have the same goal to improve lives of our dogs, but also dogs everywhere. And I think this is a step forward in that direction. I agree. Well, thank you, both of you for being here. We appreciate you. Everybody, go to Allpetvoices.com. And sign up for free for these monthly reminders for Pet Health 5. Thanks, ladies. Thank you. Again, thanks to ABSC Organics, makers of the ABSC Pure Organic CBD Oil for sponsoring this episode. I highly recommend these products and encourage you to go to check them out at www.petpainfree.com.  If your pet suffers from epileptic seizures, joint pain from osteoarthritis, or a host of other conditions, know that ABSC Organics uses their research to manufacture trustworthy products that provide symptomatic relief for pets. And don’t forget to use the code WAG15 to receive 15% off your first order! Thanks for listening. You'll find some helpful links in the show notes and if you enjoy the show, please be sure to follow and listen for free on your favorite podcast app. And please, please share your feedback. Visit WagOutLoud.com for great product recommendations with discounts, amazing online events and fantastic resources. That's also where to visit our Bark About It page where you can suggest topics, guests or products. Be advised that this show offers health and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You're encouraged to do your own research and should not rely on this information as a substitute for nor does it replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your dog's health, you should always consult a veterinarian or a nutrition expert. Have a tail wagging day and we'll catch you next time. Hey Winston was that another tail wagging episode?