Proactive Paws

🍠 Sweet potatoes are a great add to your dog’s bowl. They’re packed with beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that dogs convert into vitamin A to support healthy vision, skin, immune function, and overall cellular health.

And sweet potatoes are also great for your dog’s gut. They contain resistant starch, pectin, and other prebiotic fibers that feed beneficial gut bacteria. As these fibers are fermented, they produce beneficial short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which help support the gut lining, immune system, and a healthy intestinal environment. Interestingly, a recent peer-reviewed study found that dogs with skin allergies had fewer gut bacteria that produce these beneficial compounds, highlighting the close connection between gut health and immune health.

One of my favorite nutrition tricks is to steam, cool, and serve sweet potatoes. Steaming helps preserve beta-carotene while making it more available. Refrigerating cooked sweet potatoes overnight converts some of the starch into gut-friendly resistant starch that feeds beneficial bacteria. Finally, serving sweet potatoes with plain full-fat yogurt, a hard-boiled egg, sardines, herring, or fish oil helps your dog absorb more beta-carotene.

Whenever possible, choose organic sweet potatoes and leave the peel on, as the skin contains extra fiber and polyphenols that help nourish beneficial gut bacteria while also reducing exposure to pesticide residues.

Sweet potatoes come packaged in a whole-food matrix rich in beta-carotene, vitamins, minerals, and prebiotic fibers. Cooling them overnight also helps reduce the blood sugar response by increasing resistant starch.

🍠 How much should you feed?

• Small dogs (under 20 lb / 9 kg): 1–2 teaspoons daily
• Medium dogs (20–50 lb / 9–23 kg): 1–2 tablespoons daily
• Large dogs (50–90 lb / 23–41 kg): 2–4 tablespoons daily
• Giant dogs (over 90 lb / 41 kg): Up to ¼–½ cup daily

Remember, healthy add ins can make up about 10% of your dog’s daily calories.

🌱🐶 NEARLY 7 IN 10 DOGS TESTED SHOW EXPOSURE TO W**D KILLER (GLYPHOSATE).

A new peer-reviewed study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry finds that 68% of dogs tested had glyphosate detected in their urine. Researchers estimate dogs may have around 35 times greater glyphosate exposure than the average person, and the highest glyphosate level detected was nearly 40 times higher than the highest level previously measured in humans.

The study couldn’t pinpoint a single source: researchers believe dogs are likely exposed through multiple everyday sources, including treated grass, parks, soil, dust, food, drinking water, and by licking their paws after spending time outdoors.

Why does this matter?

Glyphosate can deplete glutathione (the body’s master antioxidant), increase oxidative stress and inflammation, stress the liver, disrupt the gut microbiome, and suppress the body’s natural detoxification pathways.

That’s exactly why we created Liver Lift™: it provides nutrients that help support the body’s own detoxification and antioxidant systems.

💚 NAC, glutathione, and glycine help replenish glutathione, one of the body’s most important detox molecules.

🥦 Broccoli sprouts provide sulforaphane, which activates the Nrf2 pathway, a key detox and cellular defense system that laboratory studies suggest glyphosate can suppress.

🌿 Milk thistle, TUDCA, SOD, and carnosine help support healthy liver cells and antioxidant defenses.

🌱 Humic and fulvic acids have been shown in laboratory studies to bind glyphosate, while chlorella has been studied for helping the body eliminate certain environmental contaminants through the digestive tract.

💚 Learn more about Liver Lift™ and use code DAILYDETOX.

🐟 THE LONGEVITY FOOD YOUR DOG & CAT SHOULD BE EATING

One of the world’s largest nutrition studies found that women who regularly ate small fish had a 32% lower risk of dying from any cause and a 28% lower risk of dying from cancer over 9 years. Sardines may be small, but they’re one of the most nutrient-dense whole foods you can share with your dog or cat.

Every sardine provides:

• 🧠 Omega-3s (EPA & DHA) to support brain health, heart health, joints, kidneys, skin, and a healthy inflammatory response in dogs and cats.

• ⚡ CoQ10 to help fuel your pet’s mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses that produce energy inside every cell.

• 💪 High-quality protein + leucine to help dogs and cats maintain muscle as they age.

• 🦴 Vitamin D + calcium (especially from the edible bones) to support strong bones and healthy muscles.

• 🛡️ Selenium to support antioxidant defenses and immune health.

🧩 Nutrition researchers also talk about the “food matrix effect”—the idea that whole foods often provide greater benefits than isolated supplements because their nutrients work together naturally.

Serving guide: Feed 1 fresh sardine or 2 canned sardines (packed in water) for every 20 lb (9 kg) of body weight, 2–3 times per week. For cats and small dogs, simply feed a proportionally smaller amount.

🌿 Longevity hack: Top your pet’s sardines with a pinch of fresh parsley, dill, basil, or cilantro. These herbs are rich in polyphenols, natural plant compounds that complement omega-3s and add a wider variety of antioxidants to your pet’s bowl.

Tip: If you choose canned sardines, look for BPA-free cans. BPA is commonly used in can linings to help prevent corrosion, but it can also act as an endocrine disruptor.

🎆🧨 FIREWORK SEASON IS HERE—SUPPORT YOUR DOG NOW.💣🐾

For many dogs, the stress of fireworks doesn’t end when the holiday is over. Anxiety can linger for days or even weeks after the last boom.

A new peer-reviewed, randomized, placebo-controlled study found that dogs given the probiotic L. plantarum LP815 for 4 weeks had significantly lower anxiety, recovered more quickly after stressful events, slept more consistently, and displayed calmer everyday behavior.

If your dog struggles with fireworks, support their gut-brain connection now, and continue for at least 3–4 weeks after the holiday to help ease the lingering emotional effects of this stressful experience and promote a calmer recovery.

If you want to explore a science backed probiotic option for your dog, comment BETTERBELLY and we’ll DM you the link.

🌱🌻 SMALL SEEDS. BIG DIFFERENCE.🐕

A peer-reviewed study, highlighted in the journal Animals, found that adding just 3% freshly ground flaxseed or sunflower seeds🌻 to dogs’ diets improved skin health, produced softer, shinier coats, and increased beneficial fatty acids incorporated into the skin and hair, helping strengthen the skin’s natural protective barrier.

Why does this matter?

Healthy skin is your dog’s first defense against allergens. A strong skin barrier locks in moisture while helping keep irritants out.

🌻 Sunflower seeds are rich in linoleic acid and vitamin E, supporting healthy skin, immune function, and a resilient coat.

🌱 Flaxseed provides plant omega-3s (ALA), fiber, and antioxidant-rich lignans that nourish the skin from within.

💡 Tip: Use raw, organic, freshly ground seeds whenever possible. Pre-ground seeds are much more susceptible to oxidation and rancidity.

🥄 Daily Serving Guide
• Small dogs: ¼–½ tsp each
• Medium dogs: ½–1 tsp each
• Large dogs: 1–2 tsp each
• Giant dogs: Up to 1 Tbsp each

Healthy skin also starts in the gut. The gut microbiome helps regulate inflammation, immune balance, and skin health, making it an important target for dogs with itching, allergies, ear infections, or excessive licking.

Emerging research suggests omega-rich seeds and probiotics work synergistically: fatty acids support the skin barrier and inflammation, while probiotics support the gut-skin axis.

Comment “BETTERBELLY” and we’ll send you the link to Primitive Probiotics™, our multi-strain formula designed to support gut, immune, and skin health from the inside out—along with good food, of course. 🐾

🐾 Vets prescribe medications like Apoquel to control itch, but these drugs don’t address one of the newest areas of allergy research: the gut-skin axis. Scientists are discovering that the microbes living in your dog’s gut play a major role in training the immune system and influencing skin health.

In a recent peer-reviewed, randomized, placebo-controlled study, researchers kept dogs on their regular Apoquel treatment and simply added the probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG. After 90 days, dogs receiving the probiotic experienced about a 40% reduction in allergy-related skin lesions, roughly double the improvement seen with Apoquel alone.

That’s one reason Dr. Karen Becker developed PRIMITIVE PROBIOTICS™ differently. Instead of relying only on strains commonly used, it combines species-aligned canine strains, wild canid microbes, soil-based organisms, and research-backed strains like L. rhamnosus GG to better reflect how dogs naturally evolved to acquire beneficial bacteria. The goal isn’t to just add bacteria; it’s to help support canine microbial diversity, gut barrier function, immune balance, and healthier skin from the inside out.

No probiotic replaces veterinary care, and dogs with allergies often benefit from a comprehensive plan, but if your dog is already using anti-itch medication, supporting the gut microbiome may be one of the most overlooked ways to help them feel more comfortable.

🐶 Comment “BETTERBELLY” and we’ll send you more information about PRIMITIVE PROBIOTICS™.

🥦 RESEARCH SUGGESTS BROCCOLI MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL LONGEVITY FOODS YOU CAN ADD TO YOUR DOG’S BOWL.🐾

Broccoli is one of nature’s richest sources of sulforaphane, a remarkable plant compound that doesn’t just work as an antioxidant. It helps switch on your dog’s own built-in protective systems, supporting detoxification, cellular repair, healthy inflammation, and defense against oxidative stress.

In a peer-reviewed dog study, a single dose of sulforaphane activated natural anti-cancer defenses within just 24 hours. In longevity research, sulforaphane has also extended lifespan by more than 50% in animal models, making it one of the most exciting plant compounds being studied for healthy aging.

Broccoli is also rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and prebiotics that nourish the gut microbiome and support long-term health.

🥦 One simple trick: finely chop broccoli and let it sit for up to 90 minutes before serving it raw. This gives broccoli’s natural enzyme time to produce more sulforaphane, helping maximize one of its most valuable protective compounds.

Sometimes the most powerful longevity foods aren’t expensive supplements. They’re already sitting in your refrigerator.

The Evolutionary Mismatch Problem🐾
When viewed collectively, the wild prey studies, domestic self-selection studies, microbiome science, and nutritional geometry framework point toward what many scientists now recognize as an evolutionary mismatch problem.
Carnivore physiology evolved expecting:
• fresh, low glycemic load
• high moisture intake
• substantial animal fat
• high protein density
• intermittent feeding
• physical exertion
• natural microbial diversity Modern pets often experience the opposite:
• ultra-processed ingredients
• high refined starch exposure
• low moisture intake
• continuous food availability
• sedentary lifestyles
• altered circadian rhythms
• microbiome disruption
• highly processed fats
This mismatch may help explain why obesity, diabetes, chronic gastrointestinal disease, inflammatory disorders, and metabolic dysfunction have become increasingly common in companion animals.
The emerging science does not support simplistic dietary extremism. Dogs and cats can clearly benefit from functional fibers for microbiome health; they need them for a balanced microbiome. But the comparative nutrition evidence also strongly suggests that many modern high-starch diets diverge substantially from the nutrient patterns that carnivore metabolism evolved expecting. The goal is not to eliminate all carbohydrates, but to distinguish between excessive starch and healthy roughage. There’s a huge difference between biologically supportive prebiotic fibers and industrial starch overload. Catch my latest article, link in comments 🐾

Arthritic knees 🐶🦴🔥 do not just lose cartilage. They also lose hyaluronic acid, the joint’s natural “gel”💧 that helps cushion and lubricate movement.

When that gel starts to break down, joints can become drier, rougher, and more irritated. That means more friction🔥, more stiffness, more inflammation, and more pain with every step, jump, and climb.

That is one reason Dr. Karen Becker included hyaluronic acid in Mobility Matrix™, alongside UC-II® undenatured collagen, eggshell membrane collagen, glucosamine sulfate, MSM, creatine monohydrate, and other science-backed ingredients designed to support not just cartilage, but the entire musculoskeletal system.

Because mobility is not just about “joint support.” It is about helping protect the cushioning, lubrication, muscle power, connective tissue, and comfort pets need to keep moving well.

If your dog is slowing down on stairs, hesitating to jump, struggling to get up, or just not moving like they used to, do not ignore it.

Comment MATRIX and we will send you the link.

🐾 What’s Hiding in Some Dog Toys? Common Plastic Chemical Linked to Anxiety in New Animal Study

Researchers presenting at ENDO 2026, one of the world’s leading endocrinology conferences, reported that lab animals exposed early in life to DEHP, a plastic softening chemical commonly used in some PVC products, developed significantly more anxiety- like behavior as adults.

While this study was has not yet been published, it adds to growing concerns about all of the endocrine disrupting chemicals found in the environment. DEHP and related phthalates have been detected in soft vinyl pet products, including toys, bowls, collars, bedding, and other flexible PVC items.

Step 1: choose pet toys made with materials such as natural rubber, organic cotton, h**p, wool, and food grade silicone, to help reduce unnecessary exposure.

Step 2: use GABA to your advantage, if your pup has anxiety. When the researchers targeted GABA pathways (one of the brain’s primary calming systems), the anxiety improved . This is especially relevant because the gut microbiome can influence GABA signaling through the gut brain axis.

This is one reason Dr. Karen Becker includes the GABA-promoting strain LP815™ in PRIMITIVE PROBIOTICS™. In a placebo controlled study, dogs receiving LP815™ showed improvements in fear, aggression, noise sensitivity, separation related behaviors, sleep quality, and overall emotional balance.

🐶 Want a science backed probiotic that supports both digestive and emotional wellness? Comment BETTERBELLY and we’ll send you the link.