Hi there this is Krista with episode #127 on the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. are you enjoying our podcast and the topics that we cover? Would you like to be a part of the conversation? Well, I'm bringing back past guests on the Clubhouse phone app to revisit hot topics from the Show. And of course, all dog lovers are invited to take part by asking questions or commenting. We've had some great discussions with lots of interaction, and we'd love to have you join us. If you've already joined Clubhouse, be sure to become a member and follow the Wag Out Loud Club. Or if you're interested in joining Clubhouse and just need an invite, let me know and I can text that to you. Clubhouse is super easy and lots of fun!

Can dogs eat nuts? Well, I'd say for the most part, dogs should avoid eating nuts. Most nuts aren't technically toxic for dogs, but they are high in fat, making them difficult for dogs to digest in large quantities. And too much fat in a dog's diet can cause upset stomach and even lead to pancreatitis. Most commercial nuts are also packaged with salt and other chemicals, which can dehydrate or even poison dogs. The absolute worst not offender is the macadamia nut. NEVER EVER give your dog macadamia nuts, as they are the most toxic, even in limited quantities. Just a few macadamia nuts can cause real short term neurological problems for dogs such as tremors, dizziness, or even temporary paralysis. To play it safe, that's why I encourage that dogs avoid eating nuts all together.

Welcome to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition and overall well being. If you'd like to support the show, check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode.

Dr. Tori Countner is a small animal integrative veterinarian in Southern California. Dr. Tori believes that pet parents shouldn’t be overwhelmed with how to care for their companions, and aims to teach simple and tangible ways to incorporate better health and wellness into their daily lives. She lives in San Diego with her husband and two dogs.

Hello dog lovers back for a third time because she always has such great info to share is Dr. Tori Countner and she is going to introduce us to Gua Sha Massage: More Than a Beauty Hack. Dr. Toryi thanks so much for being with us again. Could you please introduce yourself and tell us why you started your practice? What did you see that was lacking in traditional veterinary medicine?

Yes, so thank you so much for having me on. It's always so fun to be here. I'm Dr. Tori Countner and I started Balanced Pet Vet as kind of a reaction to what I saw in general practice. I saw a lot of older dogs, you know, arthritic older dogs, and they couldn't move as well. And they were just kind of aches and pains that really diminished their quality of life. And so I wanted to seek out another way to help them just by instead of just throwing medications at them. So I got trained in acupuncture, laser therapy, and now I do a lot of Gua Sha massage and a lot of integrative therapies that hopefully help prevent aches and pains and extend their quality of life. And you know, through diet, supplements and these other modalities we can really help our dogs in their golden years and throughout their life and with preventative medicine. So that's why I started Balanced Pet Vet and yeah, everybody's really responded well to it. And I hope to kind of incorporate this more and more into veterinary medicine.

Yay. And I wish you were closer to me. I'm in Colorado and Dr. Tori is in the LA area.

But yeah, San Diego, San Diego, San Diego. No, I kind of bounced back and forth. But now now I'm in mainly San Diego. A few reasons. Yeah.

Wonderful. Well, Dr. Toryi you're the one that suggested this topic of Gua Sha massage and I had never heard of it b