Animal Wellness Veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker

The FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which was signed into law in 2011, requires that all human and pet food manufacturers maintain a written FDA-approved Food Safety Plan that puts into effect a zero-tolerance policy on potentially pathogenic bacteria in food for people and feed for animals.

Today I’m talking with fellow veterinarian Dr. Jon Geller, founder of the Street Dog Coalition, a wonderful organization committed to protecting and honoring the special bond between all humans and their animal families by providing free medical care and related services to pets of people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. Following are the highlights of our discussion.

Dr. Karen Becker interviews Niki Tudge, founder of the Pet Professional Guild, regarding the importance of force-free dog training to foster a healthy and positive environment for your pet.

Catabolic steroids are widely overused in veterinary practice. Learn how these drugs can be dangerous to your pets when used inappropriately.

Last year was a wonderful year for pet health care, and I’d like to personally thank you for tuning in to our discussions. We covered a number of pet health issues, like the best pet supplements and tips to improve your pet’s quality of life. We also featured interviews with top experts who shared their knowledge on topics like species-appropriate nutrition and holistic veterinary medicine.

Dr. Karen Becker, a proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian, talks about canine coronavirus (CCV), a highly contagious but relatively mild disease when it occurs alone. For more information go to: https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2015/07/12/canine-coronavirus.aspx 

Two pet parents, Sharon Castle and Morgan Hickey, discuss their experiences with their veterinarians and how their personal decision to switch to fresher pet foods helped improve their pets’ health.

Deborah Glottman, a vet tech who’s president of Vermont Veterinary Technician Association, and Heather Darbo-McClellan, a vet tech educator, talk about the role of nutrition and why it should be a central focus in vet tech education.

Drs. Ryan Yamka and Joseph Bartges, who are both board certified animal nutritionists, discuss ways on improving education for vet and vet tech students, such as ensuring transparency and honesty from pet food companies.

Renaldo Webb and Alan Hansbury, who are founders of two different human-grade pet food companies, Pet Plate and Meals for Fido, respectively, discuss the fresh pet food movement and why they are passionate about providing pets with high-quality fresh food diets.

Dr. Susan Guttschow, Program Director/Instructor at Gateway Technical Challenge, and certified veterinary technician Ed Carlson discuss the importance of nutrition when it comes to teaching vet students and vet tech students.

Holistic veterinarians and CANWI founders Drs. Karen Becker and Donna Raditic discuss the importance of the Student Partnerships in Animal Nutrition (SPAN) Program, which gives vet students and vet tech students access to updated information about different pet diets.

Dr. Karen Becker interviews Dr. Richard Patton on animal nutrition, and how it can be improved to benefit the life of pets.

Dr. John Robb gives an update on his Protect the Pets movement to transform and bring back morals to the practice of veterinary medicine

Sebaceous adenitis is an inflammatory skin condition that destroys the sebum-producing sebaceous glands; it is seen primarily in dogs .  For more information go to https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2019/08/18/sebaceous-adenitis.aspx 

I’m a big fan of crate training and recommend it to every dog guardian I know, especially those who need to housetrain a puppy. Whether your canine companion is a puppy or a senior, providing him with his very own cozy space has a number of great advantages for both of you.

Dr. Becker sits down with Dr. Robert Silver to discuss his use of cannabis, hemp, and CBD in the treatment of pets.

Brachial plexus avulsion is a medical term to describe damage to the nerves that feed a dog's or cat's front legs. This type of injury is usually serious because it means significant damage has occurred to the nerves running to the front leg or legs. Physical therapy with a certified animal rehabilitator is usually the best treatment option.

Vestibular disease is a disorder that affects a dog's body balance systems; the most common type is the peripheral form, which occurs outside the central nervous system. It is important to know the causes, recognize the symptoms and how to treat this disease.

Warts, or papillomas, typically affect young, immunosuppressed and older dogs. In this video, Dr. Becker discusses how dogs typically get them, which are at highest risk and when to consider getting them removed.