Cyndi Smasal - Integrative Pet Specialist

09/29/2026

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09/19/2026

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🚨 A HUGE NEW STUDY IS CHALLENGING WHAT PET PARENTS HAVE BEEN TOLD ABOUT GRAIN-FREE DOG FOOD.

A 2026 Veterinary Medicine and Science study analyzed Dog Aging Project data from 47,000+ dogs and found grain-free diets were NOT associated with increased odds of developing new heart problems.

🤯 More than HALF of owners who reported feeding grain-free were WRONG when researchers checked the ingredients. Foods that sounded grain-free actually contained rice, corn, wheat, barley or oats.

Researchers also followed 7,113 dogs for two years. Dogs that switched to grain-free had FEWER newly reported heart diagnoses than dogs that never ate grain-free, while dogs consistently eating grain-free showed no significant difference.

Both grain-free AND grain-containing foods can contribute to nutritional DCM. So can poorly formulated raw and homemade diets.

Peas, lentils and potatoes aren’t inherently “bad,” and adding grains does NOT magically make food cardioprotective—there’s ZERO taurine in grains!

The bigger question is whether the finished food provides enough bioavailable protein and essential amino acids for the dog eating it.

And here’s the overlooked problem: AAFCO “all life stages” foods meet nutrient requirements for growth and reproduction, but adult dogs often need far fewer calories than growing puppies.

So owners feed less to prevent obesity. But when you cut food, you don’t just cut calories—you cut protein, amino acids, vitamins and minerals too.

A food can meet AAFCO requirements on paper, yet a lower-calorie dog eating less receives less of EVERY nutrient, not to mention some dogs genetically don’t make enough taurine for heart health.

🐕 The question isn’t “grain-free or grain-inclusive?”

It’s: Is THIS dog getting enough protein, essential amino acids and other critical nutrients for the calories they actually consume? That’s the nutritional DCM conversation we should be having.

Calories change. Nutrient needs don’t.

08/02/2026

... it's never enough...
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My dog died today.

And as I sit amongst the sharp shards of my broken heart, I feel immense loss. And love. And gratitude.

We have relationships with other species because they give us something extraordinary we don’t have with humans; we connect in ways we can’t with our own kind.

If you’re lucky enough to have an animal trust you, and love you, they flesh out parts of us nothing else can. And then, all too soon, they die.

We choose to fall deeply in love with things with remarkably shorter lifespans, which means, by default, we’re signing up for serial pain (this also explains why I became an exotic animal vet first, caring for tortoises and birds with an 80+ year lifespan… to avoid the inevitable as long as possible). But eventually, deep calls to deep, and the brave choose to care for blessed creatures with exceptionally shorter lifespans, meaning we knowingly embrace serial heartbreak.

Because along with excruciating loss, there’s so so so much love. And our potential for incredible growth and evolution—if we can stop and absorb all the invaluable lessons.

Our animals help us become the best, most forward versions of ourselves, if we lean into what they’re trying to teach us, and guide us toward understanding. This is the work; to see the potential for expansion through the ache of knowing what’s coming.

I helped my beloved transition today.

My heart is eviscerated, again.

So why do we continue to love 🐾 so deeply? Because the soul connection with an animal is supernatural. And we are better humans after interacting with animals. And they are cherished, unique gifts. How can we be so lucky?

Thank you, sweet boy, for teaching me and the world so much… 18.5 years is a job well done, see you soon, on the other side, precious Homer. 💫

12/08/2025

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Feeding your dog minimally processed, balanced foods instead of ultra-processed options like dry kibble may help them live longer and healthier lives.

A year-long study by The Farmer's Dog compared senior dogs eating fresh, minimally processed food to dogs eating standard extruded kibble. Researchers found that because kibble is cooked and dried under high heat and pressure (extrusion), it produces high levels of harmful compounds called AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products) which are linked to accelerated aging. Minimally processed foods, by contrast, contain far fewer AGEs.

Dr. David Turner, a world-renowned AGE scientist, explains: “Research shows that feeding ultra-processed pet food high in AGEs speeds up aging in dogs and cats.”

AGEs can accelerate organ aging, one reason kidney failure is common in cats, and may even promote cancer growth in pets. A recent long-term study published in Nature Medicine confirmed that food processing itself-not just nutrient content, affects body weight and overall health, highlighting the hidden risks of ultra-processed diets.

11/13/2025

09/29/2025