It's Maria's MutS and Stuff.
What a great idea on iHeartRadio.
Welcome to Maria's Mutts and Stuff. And with me today is the Chief Nutrition Officer of bow Wow Labs, JOHNA.
Devereaux.
So, John, I know you're very, very busy, so I really appreciate that you took some time out today to talk about pet stuff. First, let's talk about your job at bow Wow Labs. Tell us exactly what your job.
What your job is, yes, So, as the chief nutrition officer, I am primarily there to write blogs and educate and form pet parents how to best support their dog's health about dog focus. So I do focus mainly on dogs, and then as future products come out, I am an integral role in the formulation of those products.
Got it.
You have a very crucial job when it comes to dogs, for sure. So I know that Pet Choking Prevention Day was this past Saturday, the twenty second, But basically that's something pet parents should be concerned with three hundred and sixty five days a year, twenty four to seven. Correct, I mean right, there's always that chance God forbid. So let's talk a little bit about that because I know you are pretty much of an expert in that.
Yeah.
Absolutely, I think awareness is the way that you prevent this, because if we think about it, choking is one hundred percent preventable.
So I read a stat Is this true that you know pet parents spend on VET bills like four hundred and fifty million dollars on choking when they're pet Is that a correct number?
Because it's crazy.
Well, there's and there's over a million visits to veterinarian hospitals and emergency clinics each year due to choking alone, which is it's incredible. And what's most incredible is that no one really has been talking about this.
All right, that's.
Something you know, your alarms to hear that, and that is the reaction of most pet parents are like, what do you mean?
Dogs can choke? And it is a very common occurrence.
Sure, I mean I know it is just from having dogs all these years. But I was just blown away by the number and also over a million pet visits and you're right, it's not very I feel like it's one of those things that's not talked about a lot actually at all.
Right, right, it's not, and it's you know, I think when you create awareness, then you are allowing and empowering a pet parent to be the best pet parent they can be and setting up dogs for success and cats too. You know, it's a little bit different. Dogs normally, what they're going to choke on most of the time is going to be food related versus cats, which are going
to be non food related. And so when we think about how dogs are going to choke, it's because they're either getting a chew or treat that is too small, or if it's a long term chew, you know, they're putting it in their pause and when they get down to that last one inch they no longer have that tactile ability to hold on to it, so they put it in their mouth and then they usually swallow it whole. And that can present a variety of different potential hazards.
One being a full.
Obstruction where there is no air going down the trachea, so there's sutt of stress and there's panic, but they're not breathing. It can also be potentially a partial obstruction, so you know, it's not as much of an emergency per se, but it's still an emergency.
Right Sure, your dog is getting the breathing.
Is labored, but it hasn't completely stopped, but there is that partial obstruction. And then the i'll say best case scenario with air quotes, it would be in a steel obstruction where it has gone down into the esophagus and has become lodged, thinking like perpendicular to the esophagus. So you'll notice that your dog is potentially, you know, rubbing their net against the rug trying to kind of move
something down their throat. All three occurrences would obviously require veterinary care even been able to remove the obstruction, which I'd like to talk about in a minute, but you know that's going to be the way for food and treats. And then another really common occurrence with dogs are balls. People love to play ball with their dogs as much as their dogs love to play ball, but a lot of people are giving balls that are too small for
their dogs. I really should not fit inside a dog's mouth because if it does, has the potential to go right up against that airway if they're too aggressive as they go to catch it in the air, and that can block that that airway. So cats, it's a little bit different. We think like tinsel, hair bands, hair ties, plastic bags or plastic pieces because they're just mischievous and get into everything and just try to swallow.
The right but just as bad.
Yeah, hazard it sure.
I mean I'm honestly, as you're talking and talking about it, it just brought back a memory of and my last dog. I stopped giving him raw hide the raw hide sticks because you know, we know, and we're eating something when you get to the end, like if you're eating a popsicle, you stop when you get actually to the you know, the cardboard thing, whatever, the wooden stick. But with a dog, they just keep going and I just remember, you know,
the dog is like is choking. So yeah, I mean, just listening to you, it's bringing back all those memories, and I just the easiest thing was okay, I'm just not going to give this to you anymore.
Sorry, you know.
Yeah, I had a similar experience, and I think a lot of pet parents have and we do tend to kind of push it out of our mind. Luckily for me, I didn't have you know, any hazard vet resulted in my dog's going to the vet. But the same was with bully sticks, and I took bully sticks away. It was only when I started working for bow Wow Labs and understood they were there was a safety device, right that was meant to hold these sticks to prevent them
getting to that last one inch. And I jokingly say, you know, the Bowou Buddy and working at Bowou Labs brought ballistics back into my dog's lot.
Eve.
Oh yeah, and the c's.
Been happier ever since.
Sure, there's a lot of devices on the market now that are you know, available that provide that sense of security with the asterisk. Right, No matter how much you do, you should never leave your dog unattended with something consumable.
I have a rule that.
I live by if if I give my dog a treat and I can't get to the front door, look back and see that it is completely swallowed and consumed, I do not give that treat because anything, if you think about it, could be a choking hazard. If you have you know, an aggressive chewer, or an excitable cheer, or an inhaler. You know, some of a dog that gulps even the smallest of treats can go down, you know, and issues.
Yeah, you always be.
Aware of the duration that something takes to be consumed and make sure you're there because if something goes wrong, you can actually act and help to prevent what could be a tragedy.
Right right now, it's a very good rule. I like that. I'm gonna remember that. That's good.
It's common sense, but it makes sense, and it's probably it's one of those rules that's so simple.
But a lot of people don't think about it.
Well, a lot of people think, you know that I'm going you know, I'm leaving the house, my dog's gonna be bored, and they use consumable choes with dogs specifically to entertain them in their absence, right, And what I charge people to do is that's a great idea, but let's not do it in that capacity. Let's leave out a lick matt. Let's leave out you know, a frozen
tree filled puzzle toy or something. They're not going to have that potential to swallow it whole or a piece of it the wrong way, because that would be I mean, that would be the worst way to come home.
Oh my goodness, of course, every pet owner's nightmare. I mean, you're right, the absolute worst.
But no, but that's it. That's a very good that's very smart.
Yeah, there are there are so many alternatives then leaving you know, your dog behind with something that you think, oh, I'm gonna leave him with a bully stick or raw hide or whatever so he doesn't chew the couch, and it's like, no, not a good idea. Yeah, right, So those are all very good for people to know about to prevent a dog choking. What this is probably common sense because my thought is anytime my dog was choking, it would be to open his mouth and get whatever
he's choking on out of his throat. Is that the first best thing that we can all do?
Well, I would say the first thing that you have to do is stay calm, right of course, yes. Or you know, dogs and cats their energy beings and they're going to feel your energy if you're stressed and if you're nervous, correct to be cautious, especially around dogs, because if they are in a state of distress.
They could unintentionally bite.
Should just be you want to open wealth and you want to look in before you just start randomly putting your finger in their mouth, because if something is blocking the airway and you can see it, you may be able to do they call a finger sweep, where you take your finger and come from the side and remove it from the airway. But you have to be really careful because there is the potential that you push it down further. So you have to be calm, and you have to be, you know, very much in a state
of is this something that I can do? And if not, have someone you know driving a car as you're on the phone with your pet with you, or if you're alone, get in the car with your pet and immediately calling as you're driving, because time.
Is a essence. Sure, but I alas encourage every pet parent to do a CPR class.
There are a lot of classes that are online right now, you can't. I prefer to do them in person because I like actually being able to work on a mannequin. I feel like, just for myself personally, it just kind of sank in all of the techniques. But just having that that level of education as to what to do makes you better prepared. God forbid you ever need it. And so it's not as you're not as panic stricken.
Right and you're talking about a human CPR.
Class, correct, Oh, a specific one for animals?
Okay, so American Red Cross has them.
You can I mean, gosh, what's available today that wasn't twenty years ago? Sure, go on, just say PETSPR course in my in my area, and you'll probably find four or five that you can go to or ask your vet if they know of someone reputable. And I would, I would highly encourage everyone that has a pet to go out there and take a pet CPR class.
That's a great idea. That's really a great idea. I don't know why, and even of course I just write it right away. Assume of a person one and you kind of use the same techniques, but of course it's very different with an animal.
You know, how the how the animal is going to be laid down.
Sure, a person act is on the ground, you have to have an animal on a certain side, So it is it is very different. Yeah, I mean similar ideas, but different, but different of course.
Yeah, no, no, that's that's real. I mean that's genius. Of course, it's common sense.
That's a great idea, And especially now you know in this time there are a lot more classes and things available that you're right, twenty plus years ago he didn't have as well as the Internet that you can always search for the classes, you know, as opposed to going through a phone book way back when. Yeah, I just totally dated myself on that. One because I'm sure I know there are people who are listening to go, what's a phone book? But these are great tips. So let's
talk a little bit. Because I went to bow Wow Labs, I went to your website and I saw the device and I had never seen that before. So let's talk a little bit about the device that you know holds onto the stick so to help prevent the animal from choking. Because I have to be honest, I never saw that before and I'm like, wow, that's so cool.
Well, we created the category.
So back in twenty eighteen, we were the first brand to ever come up with a safety device, and within the last twelve to eighteen months, there's been a lot of companies that have come on board because we basically had to, you know, create the niche in the pet space and to provide the education as to why it
was so important and how it would help people. And it all started because the founder had been giving his dog a bully stick and left the room and the dog was choking and he rushed the dogs the veterinarian. Thank god, you know, the dog survived and at leaving he said, you know, what do I do? Because I want to give my dog the benefits and the vet said, no,
just don't give a bully stick ever again. And the pet parent went, you know, Scott is his name went back and was like, well, I don't like that answer, which I wouldn't have liked that answer, sure.
Of course, of course.
Yeah, it's like, well, don't ever own a dog again, Like, oh, okay, that's not the answer, right, right.
That's not going to work for me at home.
And he saw the only thing online regarding advice was to give it advice gripts, which is a big no, right, don't ever give vice grips attached to a coople to your dog because they'll bite on it and break it two day.
Yeah, So he designed.
This safety device where it allows the dog to put their paws on top to get all of the benefits of long term choes like bully sticks and collagen sticks and cheese chews without that tazard of swallowing that last one inch. And I will say a lot of people say, well, if it's so much of a risk, why give my dog a chew? Right, It's a very understandable question, and I think it's one that makes sense. The oder is that providing choose to dogs offers a variety of benefits.
So it offers mental stimulation. As we kind of mentioned earlier, the act of chewing actually stimulates and releases neurotransmitters that helps to relieve stress and anxiety. It's one of those reasons that when dogs are stressed, they're chewing on stuff, correct, So if an appropriate outlet to chew, and it also provides a mechanical action in the mouth to help reduce plaque and to stimulate saliva, which is going to provide
oral health benefits. And then of course our dogs love, you know, love to chew on things, right for all of the above reasons, but also because it tastes good, So you know, I think the fact of the matter is is that the bow Wow Buddy provides a solution to a common issue and still allows a dog to have all of the benefits and enjoyment of the chewing experience, which, let's be honest, it's it's instinctual.
Of course they're trying to chew, So.
Yeah, no, that makes sense. It's it's true.
No, it's very true, and you're right, I mean, it's what it Besides all of the benefits for a dog to chew, it's what they're meant to do. You know, it's like dogs need a job and all the things that people don't realize, like, oh, you mean, it's not just here to lay around my house so I can pet it. No, that's not the only reason, you know, So you could keep your dog very happy. And if your dog is happy, then you will be happy because your dog is probably satisfied.
And not destructive.
And that, you know, because too many dogs wind up back in shelters because people don't know how.
To deal with a dog being a dog, right.
They don't, they don't understand it.
I mean, I hate to say it, but it's very common that dogs aren't getting the exercise they need exact And one of that's great about chewing is that mental simulation does kind of tire them out.
Yes, really, you know, as.
A as a clinical pet nutritionist, I'm going to say, you know, you give them the choose, but you also have to modify the lifestyle to make her a happy dog. Right, you have to give them what they what craven are designed for, which is to move exactly.
Know you're you're you're so correct in so many ways. I mean, I feel like we can say this until we're blue in the face and people are starting to realize it more than before. But yes, and that doesn't mean just letting your dog out in the backyard to run around a little bit to do its business and come back. That's not the exercise it needs, you know.
And I mean it's absolutely not. And I will say one of the most beautiful things about having a partnership with with dogs different than cats for obvious reasons. But with dogs is you mentioned earlier that they're not just there so that we can pet them.
And love them.
Is bi directional and there is no better way to bond with your dog than to enjoy nature with them. Too many of us are stuck inside and we don't breathe oxygen, and we don't get sunlight anymore. We're just like we become in our surroundings. And having a dog allows you an opportunity to have an excuse I have to go outside right, bond and you both get to enjoy the exercise. You know, You're both bodies end up benefiting from being opizing together.
So yeah, I mean, and you can talk to any dog behaviorists, any dog trainer. That's the rule one oh one. Take your dog out for a walk, and it's great for you as well. Walking's the best exercise. You know, everybody always wants to be in better shape. Take your dog out for a walk, and you're right, it's all connected.
So and if you're bored, get a weighted vest that'll make your work out happen.
Oh my goodness, yes, yes, absolutely no, you're right. You're so right on all of this, all these points, but especially on that. So okay, So for my listeners who are intrigued, just like I was, by the bow Wow buddy, you can definitely check it out at bow Wow labs dot com because I thought that was a really cool It's a cool little gadget and it's perfect and for all the reasons that you can still like you said that you should and still could give a stick to
your dog. So well, JOHNA, this has been very informative, and I really do appreciate all of your knowledge, and you know, from all of your knowledge and expertise in this and sharing it with us, because you know, like you said, dogs can choke, cats can choke all year. It's not just because the prevention Day was one day
in June. So right, yeah, well, thank you, and I do appreciate you so Johnna Devereaux, thank you for all your expertise as always and as I said before, definitely check out bow Wow labs dot com for more information.
Thank you.
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