124. Why Our Pets Are Sicker Than Ever: Additives, Toxic Load & the Limits of Conventional Care with Dr. Judy Jasek
In this episode of Your Natural Dog, Angela Ardolino is joined by Dr. Judy Jasek, a holistic veterinarian with decades of clinical experience, for a candid conversation about why our pets are sicker than ever. Together, they unpack how modern pet care, from highly processed supplements and foods to so-called “inactive” ingredients like fillers, binders, gums, starches, and spray-dried additives, can quietly disrupt detox pathways, burden the liver and kidneys, and undermine gut health, especially in older pets. Angela and Dr. Jasek also explore how the pet industry has changed over time, why marketing buzzwords can be misleading, and what pet parents can do instead to support the body’s natural ability to restore balance and resilience.
Episode Recap:
Episode Recap:
- Angela introduces Dr. Judy Jasek, who explains why she identifies as holistic rather than “integrative,” and they discuss how the terms ‘holistic’ and ‘natural’ can be overused, both in pet care and supplements. (00:00)
- Why supplements can be a trap for well-meaning pet parents who want “natural” alternatives, and how health is the body’s natural state, we just need to support the body, not “create health” with products. (04:32)
- Angela and Dr. Judy call out “natural” supplement labels that hide harmful inactive ingredients, including common fillers like microcrystalline cellulose (wood pulp), and how many additives exist primarily to make manufacturing cheaper or easier (binders, bulking agents, flow agents). (07:02)
- They break down how big companies use buzzwords and emotional marketing to sell inferior pet foods and pet supplements, and why understanding where ingredients truly come from matters more than the label claims. (10:45)
- They talk about the common “senior dog spiral,” where joint pain leads to drugs and stacking interventions that overload detox systems. (16:00)
- The rise of cancer in younger pets and how much the landscape has changed across Dr. Judy’s career. They also talk about immune-suppressing allergy drugs and how turning off symptoms can create bigger downstream problems. (23:03)
- Angela talks about the rise of countless pet joint supplements, and the most popular pet joint supplements, like Cosequin, the problems with these isolates, and how hard it can be to even find full ingredient lists for many of these popular supplements. (28:05)
- The conversation highlights how corporate-owned veterinary systems often treat lab numbers and symptoms rather than treating the whole animal, leading to more drugs, more tests, and fewer answers for pet parents. (32:13)
- They dive into why inactive ingredients matter just as much as active ones, exposing how common fillers, sugars, and gums can fuel inflammation and gut imbalance in pets. (35:50)
- Angela and Dr. Judy highlight how foods like mushrooms, ferments, and small amounts of veggie fiber can support gut health by working with a pet’s natural instincts. (45:25)
Episode Resources:
- Download Angela’s Resources including her Additives to Avoid, her Cosequin Ingredient Breakdown, and more at AngelaArdolino.com/podcast-downloads
- Dr. Judy Jasek’s Animal Healing Arts
- Follow Dr. Judy Jasek & AHA on Facebook, Instagram and SubStack
- Have a question about your pet that you want answered on the podcast? Email us at Carter@yournaturaldog.com
- Sign up for episode reminders and updates from Your Natural Dog with Angela Ardolino
- Visit Angela Ardolino’s website for more holistic pet health education: www.AngelaArdolino.com
Follow Your Natural Dog on Facebook and Instagram and if you want to see what Angela is up to, follow her on Facebook or join our CBD & Holistic Pet Advice Facebook Group.
Creators and Guests
Host
Angela Ardolino
Angela Ardolino is a holistic pet expert who has been caring for animals for over 20 years. Angela owns and operates Fire Flake Farm, her animal rescue farm, as well as her two locations of a natural pet salon and shop, Beautify the Beast, and is founder of CBD Dog Health, which offers high quality, all-natural medical cannabis products designed specifically for pets and MycoDog, a line of mushroom extract and adaptogen tinctures for dogs. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Angela also founded the House of Alchemy, LLC, Miami Children’s Theater, and Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine. In 2013, Angela was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and knew that she needed to find alternatives to the toxic medications being offered to her. After hearing of the benefits of CBD oil and experiencing the life-changing results first hand, Angela set out to destigmatize medical cannabis and CBD oil so she could spread awareness around its holistic healing powers.
