The Clean Pet Food Revolution
Greetings Dog Lovers! I’m so excited about today’s show. We have Dr. Ernie Ward with us and he’s an internationally recognized veterinarian known for his work in the areas of general small animal practice, life extension and longevity, practice management and leadership, long-term medication monitoring, special needs of senior dogs and cats and pet obesity. Dr. Ward is the Chief Veterinary Officer and co-founder of Wild Earth, a plant-based sustainable pet food company, and the Executive Director of Education for VerticalVet. He has authored three books, been a frequent guest on television programs and served as the resident veterinarian for the “Rachael Ray Show” from 2007 until 2014. Dr. Ward also authors "The Vet Is In", a monthly column for Dogster Magazine, was named "Speaker of the Year" for the two largest veterinary conferences in the world (VMX and WVC), the "2018 Veterinary Journalist of the Year" by the New York Pet Fashion Show, and is a highly sought after veterinary media expert.
Dr. Ward, why did you write this book?
How long did it take to do the research, gather the science and actually write it?
So, it’s long been known that some of the meat found in pet foods (especially low-cost products) comes from animals that are known as “four D”: dead, dying, diseased, or disabled animals unfit for human consumption. What exactly is factory farming?
Can you share some of the statistics concerning the pet food industry?
And you say that pet food is also a major cause of climate change? How so?
What is the solution?
You say that you have some exciting plant-based research and that dogs should not be fed an ancestral diet.
Dogs originally were carnivores, but we’ve evolved them to be omnivores?
What about their teeth? For example, cows have broad, flat teeth that are ideal for grinding down plant matter and dogs have narrow pointy teeth that are ideal for cutting into meat.
Why do you think that plant-based is healthier for most pets?
Are any other nutrients that do need to be supplemented?
What are the best non-meat high quality plant proteins?
Do you have any cautions against home-prepared plant-based diets? Are some inadequate and unbalanced?
You’ve co-founded the plant-based pet food company Wild Earth, makers of the world’s first high-protein plant-based dog food. Can you share more about the products?
Why is Wild Earth dog food better than other vegan recipes?
Since it’s a kibble, do you have a high heat process like the regularly extruded kibble? Any carcinogens?
What does the future hold for the pet food industry?
https://wildearth.com
The Clean Pet Food Revolution: How Better Pet Food Will Change the World
FB and IG: @DrErnieWard
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Special thanks to Dr. Ward for being on the show. Catch you next time!
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The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a veterinarian, licensed nutritionist or other qualified professional. The host as well as guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experience and conclusions, and Wag Out Loud LLC neither endorses or opposes any particular views discussed here.