I Was Wrong About Holistic Pet Health

I feel really sorry for the girl’s obvious sadness and disappointment. It’s a hard life lesson to learn. But it will make you stronger to loose some of your illusions and naïvity. Stay authentic and don’t grieve over lost ‘friends’ who weren’t real friends in the first place.

I have been binge watching all your content. I must say, you do realize, you can find information to support any position you want to take. You seem to have personality characteristics of ADHD and narcissistic traits and conspiracy theorists. You go "all in" on one narrow path. Once there's a pothole, you turn the opposite way. You are talking the same way here, as the people who you are disagreeing with. Dogs are different than humans, you said that, but then you start comparing the 2. High heat cooking DOES produce unhealthy compounds. Humans are not cooking food at the temperature kibble is. People need to feed the best they can afford to feed. Kibble has added vitamins and minerals sprayed on them to make them "balanced and complete".

In 2021 I lost my dog, cat & mom to cancer within months of each other. I got a pup to help me cope, and 4 years later, at only age 4 he passed from cancer. A rare type of lung cancer, 8 cm tumour on his lung. This made me so scared/devastated and searching for answers that quickly became a swirl of extremist views and how horrible kibble is, how raw is the answer, but also risky because of potential contamination etc etc. The most exhausting thing is, there is no alignment on views that can be 100% assuring to everyone. The scary thing is, good intentions can lead to more harm if you don’t know what you are doing.

I appreciate you modeling changing your mind when you learn new information. It's a crucial skill for all of us.

I raised my kids and all of our animals without modern doctors. My animals live a long time and my kids are grown adults now. They’ve never use the medical system for anything. I’m not buying it. I do think there’s a time and place for the modern system and it definitely serves a purpose. But if you know how to stay healthy, you shouldn’t need it short of an accident or something real major.

im sorry but kibble is really highly heat treated and add synthetic vitamins are added that dogs dont process well. common sense alone tells me its crap.

This video was 8 months ago, but I remember this Facebook group I tried to join to learn about cat nutrition and in my answers I stated that I didn’t believe in raw feeding our pets unless someone had some credible information (which I have yet to see a vet who supports raw feeding). The group told me that I was too “closed-minded” to join their group, and I was so offended at first because, I am the complete opposite of closed-minded. But then I realized that these people were most likely in an echo chamber and very pro raw food and anyone who isn’t is wrong.

This intro reminded me of that.

🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆

I appreciate your honesty! I found you on tik tok when I was researching better food options. I felt so confused with all the information out there! Thank you for coming out and explaining what you learned! That took courage!

WE HAVE A CAT THAT IS 13 YEARS OLD; NEVER BEEN TO THE VET (THOUGH SHE HAD HER INITIAL SHOTS BY THE TIME WE ADOPTED HER. SHE'S HAPPY, AND APPEARS IN VERY GOOD HEALTH.

It would be awesome to find information on better treatments for Osteosarcoma. Holistic or new treatments.

i wondered why i couldnt find your interview with carna 4 founder any longer... now i know

I relate to this sentence so much 2:18:05
“you can always expect more crying from me”
As a cat rescuer I feel like that’s all I do is cry 😭😭😭

You’re just drinking the propaganda koolaid dude. You’ll see as more truth comes out how corrupt our food and vet care have been. UC Davis came out with research about how harmful spay/neuters are now but all vets pushed that disinformation for decades and decades. So sad maybe they paid you off. I once thought of you as open minded and sensible but you’re just like all the other NPCs …obedient slaves to the system.

You two are brave and great, for saying perhaps you were wrong and you feel like you got somethings wrong. Painful, honest and real. Thank you❤

No vet no vaccin no kibble.
Pet in super form ❤

I want to genuinely thank you for being part of a much-needed movement in the dog industry, regardless of how you currently feel about the content you’ve shared. I really understand what it takes to be honest, open, and willing to course-correct publicly. That’s not easy — at all.

I also know the feeling of thinking you’ve found the golden nugget, only to later realize you may have been misled. I promote healthy, holistic care too — both in diet and training — and even then, I don’t claim to have all the answers. There is so much noise and confusion out there.

As you said, we’re not vets or scientists. Most of us don’t have access to raw data or the ability to measure everything precisely. And the truth is, not all gurus are honest or reliable. Steven Gundry, for example, raises a lot of red flags. Matt D’Avella’s video “The Problem With Self-Help Gurus” really captures this issue well. Blind trust is risky — especially today.

We have to stay curious, skeptical, and grounded.

Regarding JFK, I don’t think there was malicious intent — he simply didn’t know then what we know now. Today, many people are far more confident questioning vaccinations and their long-term effects on both humans and dogs, especially after what the world experienced post-2020.

On nutrition: just because a dog doesn’t like raw food doesn’t mean it can’t be gently cooked. That’s still far healthier than relying solely on kibble. Kibble has its place — emergencies, convenience, occasional use — but it shouldn’t automatically be the gold standard.

Vets aren’t bad people either. Most enter the field with good intentions, but the reality is that business pressures exist, and that affects every system we’re part of. Curiosity and open-mindedness are essential — for all of us.

I truly don’t believe what you’ve shared on your platform is a lie or “wrong.” They’re tools. And tools, when used thoughtfully by loving dog owners, can empower people to make better decisions for themselves and their dogs.

Please don’t give up. Keep questioning. Keep learning.
We need more people like you in this industry.

Do you feel that freeze dried food is better than kibble for dogs?

Makes me wonder why you all switched? Open up your Bank accounts…

RFK switched because he serves Trump and Big Pharma.

Now that I've watched this (after your most recent video on the pet industry scams), I have a better understanding of your shift. I don't necessarily agree with all (or even most) of it, but I can see your perspective. There are some key take-aways from this:

1) We all need to do whatever we feel works best for our animals,

And

2) We need to leave others to do the same, without judgment.

I'm glad I never let you (or anyone else) influence me to go entirely one way or another; I've always picked the parts I believed would benefit my dogs, and if they didn't, I'd try something else. Never been anti-vaxx with my dogs, either; they're up to date on their core vaccines, and I'd rather use Nexgard Spectra to guard against fleas, ticks, heartworm, etc. than trust in any holistic/topical treatments (since these have been ineffective at best, caused negative reactions at worst). I also have been feeding kibble while supplementing with other things, and like trying new recipes to see whether it has a positive impact on my dogs' wellbeing.

In sum, I've maintained a balance. The people who would tear others down for feeding kibble and suggesting dogs are better off dead than eating it are zealots. So are the people who do the same regarding people feeding their dogs raw diets.

I watch(ed) your videos because I found them informative; I think there's still value to be found in them, even if you have changed your views.

I just hope that going forward, you continue to give people space to make their own choices, and encourage them to make informed ones.

Thanks for being authentic.

GLAD JFK is a in my life! He is a force! He gets shit done

Dude he is great. He is doing great things.

Amazing! Think above and beyond the topic at hand, we absolutely need more of this in the world. MORE people being able to change their minds.

Labels are so interesting. And so much more important now than they were in the past. Democrat, Republican independent, they weren’t instantly fighting words. To us hippie was a life style not what you’re eating. You had to define yourself more eloquently or explicitly. Gay was a man’s name, not a state of his genital preferences. Rainbow was a thing in the sky and a collective of people. People still lived in closets about almost all aspects of their life adventures and meanings. Life wasn’t simpler it was just not so public. I don’t feel any freer now than before. But it’s interesting to reminisce and identify the differences.

I’ve been so overwhelmed trying to do the best for my pups. I’m in Australia and both my dogs have such different needs. I have always done 1/2 kibble and then store bought raw or cooked options, or tinned which didn’t go well, bones never went well either. I’ve just put them both onto gently cooked food and so far so good. Again, it’s trial and error and it doesn’t mean I won’t give them other foods. My lil guy got the worst bloody stools from raw and my grey girl happily ate it but I had to add fibre or it was horrible. My pups are healthy for their age but I think they might be able to do a tad better. I vaccinate, both are desexed and I get their teeth cleaned yearly. I see them slowing down and just want to help them have the best life they can for the time they have left. I’m giving anxiety meds and arthritis/anti inflammatory meds because I’ve tried the natural options without success. I’ve accepted I’ve made mistakes but I’ve done the best I can and admire you guys for sharing your experience, so many of us can relate. 💕🐾

In my opinion there is room for both.

Can i just add the obvious fact that the funding is just not there for pet food research like human nutrition research, you cannot compare apples to oranges. The water is sooo muddy sometimes with finding out true facts, just like humans were told that seed oils are healthy, and we should quit eating high fat butter, and meat, which is Bull&*$@

Ita honorable to admit ones mistakes but for the love of God take down the old videos .... why is that misinformation still up on the channel.... you have put a small attention text in the video description but you have not done so in the titles ... I have watched at least 3 of your old videos without realizing until the end...

Something that i think needs to be said here is that there are arenas of thought that delve into the philosophy of science that i think are important, especially from a racialized standpoint. There are also critical theoretical lineages that do the same. And i can't help but think that, sometimes, holism also begins to connote the thinking of the ethnic other. So often, westerners take from other cultures without understanding the entire epistemological systems to which they belong, and this fuels the denigration of ethnic thought as primitive and non scientific. And i say this because Chinese medicine was shown. Also, I'm Black. Holism means a couple things to me that they wouldn't to you. A turn toward self sufficiency when i can't trust a medical industry that has treated us as experimental subjects and has failed to understand our bodies and cultural expressions of pain, grief, etc. It has also meant that sometimes i do trust what grandma says over what a doctor says. Black women created the very practice of midwifery in the U.S. and then we're banned from it THROUGH licensing requirements. But they had the knowledge, and the certifications came AFTER the knowledge did.

So, here, there needs to be yet another nuanced take that may not be able to be handled on your own.

Now, my dogs and i are vaccinated, they eat great quality kibble and vet recommended supplements. Same for me. I have a doctor and listen to her. But there are still layers to this that if you're not careful, you perform a common, but insidious function.

So impressed with you two! Just subscribed

I felt anxiety watching this

As a pre-vet student I have had done a semester long research on vaccine hesitancy. Which in return I’m not against vaccines however I do believe a titer testing for antibodies before booster vaccines needs to be conducted on each pet before booster vaccines to make sure the need for booster is needed/ effective for the pet. Since some pets can be hormonal non responders and the vaccines not full be effective for them.

I just found you today while looking for recommendations for easy to chew kibble for a senior dog, and Wow, I did not expect this! I love Dr. Mike, and have seen those videos, so nice to see that. That one Dr. is an idiot as is RFK, I said what I said! You guys are very brave and I wish you the best.

Edit to add: one nutritionist I like is Chris van Tulleken. He has a very reasonable balanced view on UPF. It sounds very much like what you're trying to achieve.

It’s called “integrative” health care, there is room and a great need for both.

Holistic and traditional care complement one anouther .I have struggled emotionally and financially trying to keep up with both .

Holistic for humans and pets have caused immense health anxiety and income depletion.

I feed my dog good quality kibbles as treats; and home cooked food as main two meals everyday. I do believe fresh good quality whole foods provides good nutrients so as some good quality kibbles. My cavapoo is turning 10, he has good health, still looks like a young dog. Good food, daily walks, living environment, lots of love from human parents … all these things add up to longevity!