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My Dog Is Better Than Your Dog

My Dog Is Better Than Your Dog

By: Dr. Lily Chen
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Welcome to My Dog Is Better Than Your Dog — where science meets soul as we explore what's possible when we reimagine pet care. I'm Dr. Lily Chen, integrative veterinarian and believer that our animals deserve extraordinary medicine. Each week, I talk with leading experts, pioneering vets, and devoted pet parents pushing the boundaries of animal health. Microbiome restoration, energy medicine, cancer hope, nutrition, and the mind-body-pet connection. Real science. Deep stories. A little magic. ✨ Follow IG: @dr.lilychen | @integrativepet | @the.unicorn.vet 📧 mydog@integrativepet.comDr. Lily Chen
Episodes
  • Can Your Dog Live to 25 w/ Dr. Gary Richter

    Can Your Dog Live to 25 w/ Dr. Gary Richter
    Jun 14 2026
    What If Your Dog Could Live to 25 w/ Dr. Gary RichterYour dog's cells are aging right now, and by the time you notice the stiffness, the slowing down, the gray around the muzzle, it has already been happening for years.Dr. Gary Richter has spent over 25 years in integrative veterinary medicine asking what else is possible. He is the author of Longevity for Dogs and Longevity for Cats, founder of Ultimate Pet Nutrition, and right now he is building PetMetrics, a wearable biometric monitor for pets that works like an Apple Watch crossed with veterinary medicine.This conversation goes places I did not expect. We start with the three things that matter more than any supplement or technology for your pet's longevity, and they are free. Then we get into what is available right now that most pet parents have never heard of: UC-II collagen, Adequan, plasmalogens, and peptides like BPC-157. And then Dr. Richter walks me through gene therapy research that can literally instruct aging cells to go backwards.He said something that stuck with me. It is not at all out of the realm of possibility that pets living well over 20 is going to become the norm.After this conversation, I believe him.KEY INSIGHTS:✨ The three most important things for your pet's longevity are diet, exercise, and lifestyle. They are free. No amount of stem cells, peptides, or gene therapy will overcome a body not getting the basics right.✨ Most pets are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D even when eating a good diet. Test before supplementing, especially vitamin D as too much can cause kidney failure.✨ UC-II collagen is significantly more effective than glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support, yet most pet parents and veterinarians have never heard of it.✨ Adequan is one of the most underutilized tools in small animal medicine. Dr. Richter cannot keep it on the shelf. If your pet has arthritis, ask your vet about it.✨ Plasmalogens are fatty acids that are an integral part of cell membranes and decline as pets age. Low levels are linked to organ failure, cognitive decline, and neuropathy.✨ Peptides like BPC-157 are being used for gut support, tissue healing, muscle repair, and cognitive support. They are just beginning to enter mainstream veterinary medicine.✨ PetMetrics is a wearable device in development that will monitor your pet's heart rate, respiration, sleep, and activity levels in real time, flagging problems before they become emergencies.✨ Pets are hardwired to hide illness. By the time symptoms appear, a disease process has often been going on for far too long. Early detection changes everything.✨ Yamanaka factors are a set of genes that can literally tell mature cells to go backwards in age. Researchers at Harvard are actively working on controlled applications for both animals and people.✨ Aging is not magic. It is biology. If we can make it run faster through poor lifestyle choices, it stands to reason we can make it run slower through the right ones.✨ Loyal's longevity drug targets insulin-like growth factor as a function of aging. Dr. Richter says if clinical trials show it is safe and effective, he will use it in his practice without hesitation.📥 Download our free Longevity Guide with all the supplements and modalities mentioned in this episode.RESOURCES: Dr. Gary Richter:Instagram @petvetexpertHolistic Veterinary Care: https://www.holisticvetcare.comUltimate Pet Nutrition: https://www.ultimatepetnutrition.comPetMetrics: https://www.petmetrics.com Prodrome Sciences (plasmalogens): https://www.prodromesciences.comFOLLOW:Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.comInstagram: @integrativepetThreads: @integrativepetTikTok: @integrativepetSign up to our newsletter to get more holistic pet care tips 🐶🐈‍⬛Dr. Lily Chen:Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vetThreads: @the.unicorn.vetLinkedIn: Lily Chen, DVM, CVA
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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • A Good Probiotic Is Not Enough w/ Billy Hoekman

    A Good Probiotic Is Not Enough w/ Billy Hoekman
    Jun 7 2026
    Why a Good Probiotic Is Not Enough and What Your Dog Actually Needs for Real Gut Health w/ Billy HoekmanIf you have ever told your vet your dog is already on a good probiotic, this episode is going to make you think differently about that.Billy Hoekman is back. He is Vice President of Nutrition and Communication at Green Juju, and he has been in pet nutrition for 15 years. The last time he was on the podcast, the probiotic line was still in development. Now it is out, the clinical research is done, and the results are worth talking about.We get into why microbial diversity matters far more than finding the right probiotic strain, why the Amish kids Billy works with on farms in Pennsylvania do not have allergies, and what that tells us about our pets living in our clean modern homes. He also shares why every single one of the longest-lived dogs in recorded history had one thing in common.And then there is the clinical research. Two months, 47 dogs, and results that honestly surprised even the lab. Gut inflammation normalized in 98% of the dogs. The body's ability to detoxify improved by 57% on average. And the symptom improvements showed up exactly where you would expect them in real life.If your dog has allergies, skin issues, anxiety, or gut problems, this one is worth your full attention.KEY INSIGHTS:✨ A good probiotic is not a category. It is a principle. Your dog needs microbial diversity from food, fermented products, the environment, and supplements that reflect what nature actually provides.✨ The Amish kids Billy works with on farms in Pennsylvania do not have allergies. They are barefoot all summer, swimming in ponds, surrounded by animals and soil. Constant microbial exposure is not a coincidence.✨ Every one of the longest-lived dogs in recorded history slept outside. Our sanitized modern homes have removed something important from their lives.✨ True health is resilience. If your dog is fine only on the exact right diet and supplements but falls apart the moment something changes, that is managed health, not true health.✨ Green Juju's probiotics are grown from whole fermented foods: kombucha, wild fermented vegetables, and raw milk from an Amish farmer in Pennsylvania. The soil probiotic contains 500 plus naturally occurring species.✨ Beta-glucuronidase, which measures how well the body detoxifies, dropped by an average of 57% in two months across 47 dogs.✨ Calprotectin, the marker for gut inflammation, normalized in 98% of the dogs. Nine started with high inflammation. At the end, 45 out of 47 were in normal range.✨ Symptom improvements tracked by size. Large dogs: panting and lethargy. Medium dogs: gas and diarrhea. Small dogs: anxiety and excessive licking. If your small dog seems anxious and licks constantly, that may be a gut issue.✨ 44% of dogs showed a reduced immune response to gluten. When the gut heals, immune overreaction to many things starts to come down.✨ Dr. Lily rotates her fecal microbiome restoration patients through Green Juju's Soil, Farm, and Leaf probiotics as part of her standard post-protocol.✨ You can run your own case study. Order a gut health test from Innovative Pet Labs, start a probiotic, and retest in two months.RESOURCES: Green Juju: https://www.greenjuju.comInstagram: @greenjujukitchenFacebook: facebook.com/greenjujukitchenClinical Research: email info@greenjuju.com or william@greenjuju.comInnovative Pet Lab: https://www.innovativepetlab.comFOLLOW:Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.comInstagram: @integrativepetThreads: @integrativepetTikTok: @integrativepetSign up to our newsletter to get more holistic pet care tips 🐶🐈‍⬛Dr. Lily Chen:Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vetThreads: @the.unicorn.vetLinkedIn: Lily Chen, DVA, CVA
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • What Your Dog's Body Is Trying to Tell You About Pain and How to Listen w/ Charlotte Speller

    What Your Dog's Body Is Trying to Tell You About Pain and How to Listen w/ Charlotte Speller
    May 31 2026
    Charlotte Speller spent 15 years as a dog behavior trainer before becoming a veterinary physiotherapist. And the thing that changed her path was something she kept seeing that nobody was talking about.Dogs labeled as difficult, grumpy, or reactive who were actually in pain. Not a behavior problem. A body problem. Nobody had caught it yet.That observation sent her into physiotherapy, where she now combines her understanding of animal behavior with hands-on physical rehabilitation. She works with post-surgical recovery, chronic arthritis, and dogs who have been told there is nothing more that can be done.We talk about the subtle signs most pet parents miss, why your dog hesitating before jumping in the car might matter more than you think, how a tiny wince across her own dog's face turned out to be the first sign of osteosarcoma, and why she wants to make herself redundant by getting to dogs before there is ever a crisis to fix.This is a conversation about prevention, about paying attention, and about what happens when we stop waiting for things to get bad before we ask for help.KEY INSIGHTS:✨ Dogs labeled as grumpy, reactive, or difficult are often in pain. Behavior changes can be the first and only sign that something is wrong physically.✨ Watch for what has changed, not what is dramatic. Hesitating before jumping in the car, avoiding slippery floors, taking themselves off to a new spot to lie down, not wanting to be touched. These are the early signs.✨ Noise sensitivity can be a pain signal. If a dog that was never bothered by loud sounds suddenly becomes anxious around noise, the body may be bracing because sudden movement hurts.✨ Charlotte's dog Brutus showed one single wince when asked to jump into the van. That was the first sign of osteosarcoma. It is that subtle. Please do not feel guilty for missing things this small.✨ A step that is six inches high is roughly the equivalent of a dachshund climbing pyramid steps. We never think about how our home environment is physically taxing on small dogs with every single trip up and down.✨ Nobody ever taught our dogs how to move properly. They just fly up and down the stairs, jump off furniture, and we never think to build the strength and body awareness that would protect them.✨ Physiotherapy offered as a last resort, after medications have stopped working, is heartbreaking. Charlotte describes getting dogs into her clinic who could have been helped years earlier if she had been part of the plan from the start.✨ When the first anti-inflammatory is prescribed, that is the moment to also bring in physiotherapy. One manages symptoms. The other works on the root cause. They should always go together.✨ Prevention is the goal. Charlotte said something that stayed with me: you go to the gym not because something is wrong, but because you want to stay healthy and functional. Why would we not think the same way about our dogs?✨ Before your vet appointment, send a video. It gives your vet something to work with immediately instead of spending the whole visit trying to describe what you are seeing at home.RESOURCES:Charlotte SpellerLead the Way Physio: https://leadthewayphysio.co.ukFacebook: Lead the Way Physio and Behavior TrainingInstagram: @leadthewayphysioEmail: charlotte@leadthewayphysio.co.ukFOLLOW:Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com Instagram: @integrativepet Threads: @integrativepetTikTok: @integrativepetSign up to our newsletter to get more holistic pet care tips ⁠🐶🐈‍⬛Dr. Lily Chen:Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet Threads: @the.unicorn.vetLinkedIn: Lily Chen, DVM, CVA
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    1 hr and 22 mins
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