Are We Killing Our Pets with Dr. Judy Morgan | Improvement Warrior Podcast Episode 91
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Podcast Introduction
Hey Improvement Warriors, Jason Yun here. Welcome back to the Improvement Warrior Podcast. If you’re new, this is the show where we go beyond calories and cardio and talk about the things that actually move the needle: light, mitochondria, circadian biology, and now… the animals who share our homes.
I recently lost my own dog on 1/1/26.
That experience, combined with everything I’ve learned about how environment and inputs shape biology, made me ask a hard question: Are we accidentally killing our pets with the very care we think is protecting them?
Today I’m sitting down with Dr. Judy Morgan, DVM, CVA, CVCP, CVFT—integrative veterinarian, bestselling author, and one of the loudest, most consistent voices for naturally healthy pets. She retired from clinical practice after 36 years and now educates millions of pet parents on real food, reduced chemical load, smarter vaccination, and traditional Chinese veterinary medicine.
This conversation is going to challenge a lot of what you’ve been told at the vet’s office. Grab your notebook. Let’s go.
Are We Killing Our Pets?
We love our pets more than ever. We spend more on them than any generation before us. Veterinary medicine has more tools, more diagnostics, and more specialty hospitals than at any point in history. And yet our dogs and cats are sicker, dying younger of cancer, kidney disease, and immune-mediated conditions that were once uncommon.
That contradiction sits at the center of this conversation with Dr. Judy Morgan.
Dr. Morgan is not a fringe voice. She is a conventionally trained veterinarian who practiced for 36 years, owned hospitals, and then walked away from the clinical model because she could no longer watch the same preventable patterns repeat. Her message is consistent: the inputs we give our pets—food, vaccines, and chemicals—have changed dramatically while we have been told everything is “science-based” and therefore safe.
Ultra-processed kibble dominates the market. Many formulas are designed around cheap ingredients, high-heat processing, and marketing claims that do not translate into longer, healthier lives. “All life stages” foods and limited feeding trials give a false sense of security. Dr. Morgan and other integrative veterinarians have watched patients improve dramatically when they switch to fresh, raw, or properly formulated homemade diets. The difference is not subtle.
Vaccination is another area where protocol has outpaced individual need. Core vaccines save lives. Annual boosters for every possible disease do not. Titer testing exists. Informed consent exists. Many clinics still default to the schedule that is easiest and most profitable rather than the one that is most appropriate for that specific animal.
Then there are the preventatives. Isoxazoline-class flea and tick products have been linked to neurological events in a subset of dogs. Monthly chemical exposure is now treated as non-negotiable. Dr. Morgan argues that we should treat it as a risk-benefit decision, not an automatic subscription.
None of this requires abandoning veterinary medicine. It requires becoming an informed advocate. Ask for titers. Read the inactive ingredients. Question whether the prescription diet is meant to be temporary or lifelong. Give your pet real food, real sunlight, and real movement. Reduce the total toxic load the same way many of us are now doing for ourselves.
Jason Yun’s own recent loss of his dog gives the episode emotional weight. This is not abstract theory. It is the lived experience of someone who followed conventional advice and still lost a companion too soon.
The pets in our homes did not evolve to eat extruded pellets, receive yearly multi-valent vaccines, or live under constant pharmaceutical coverage. They evolved to eat prey, live outdoors part of the day, and have owners who pay attention. The good news is that the most powerful interventions—better food, fewer unnecessary chemicals, and smarter use of veterinary tools—are available right now.
I just received an email from an old fitness pal, informing me that his dog’s cancer had resurfaced. That’s not bad luck…it’s a bad environment and the ultimate canary in the coal mine for the Pet owners.
Listen to the episode. Then look at your pet differently. They only get one life. We should stop shortening it by accident.
Timestamps & Show Highlights
- 0:00 – 7:45 — Jason’s cold open, personal story of losing his dog, why this episode matters, and the core thesis: light + environment + inputs apply to pets too.
- 7:45 – 14:20 — Dr. Judy’s background: 40+ years in practice, shift from conventional to integrative, why she left clinical work to educate at scale.
- 14:20 – 22:10 — The rise in chronic disease: cancer, kidney failure, allergies, IBD. What’s changed in the last 20–30 years?
- 22:10 – 31:40 — Ultra-processed kibble and “all life stages” foods. Why feeding trials and marketing claims don’t equal health. Fresh, raw, and homemade options.
- 31:40 – 41:15 — Vaccines: core vs. non-core, titer testing vs. automatic boosters, over-vaccination risks, and informed consent.
- 41:15 – 49:50 — Flea, tick, and heartworm chemicals (especially isoxazolines). Detox realities and safer alternatives.
- 49:50 – 57:30 — Antibiotics, steroids, and “quick-fix” drugs. Gut microbiome damage and why treating the patient (not just the symptom) matters.
- 57:30 – 64:00 — Practical first steps every pet parent can take this week: food upgrades, asking for titers, reducing chemical load, light and outdoor time.
- 64:00 – 67:50 — Where to find Dr. Judy, her books, courses, store, and closing thoughts on becoming your pet’s advocate.
Outro
That’s a wrap on this episode of the Improvement Warrior Podcast. Huge thanks to Dr. Judy Morgan for bringing four decades of experience and zero sugar-coating.
If this conversation made you look at your pet’s bowl, vaccine record, or flea treatment differently, that’s the point. Share this episode with every pet parent you know. Leave a review so more people find it.
All the resources, links, and Dr. Judy’s sites are below. Go to ImprovementWarriorFitness.com for more.
Get outside with your dog today. Real sunlight beats another bag of kibble. I’ll see you on the next one. Stay curious, stay dangerous, and keep improving.
Resources
- YouTube episode: https://youtu.be/Y3QwKNXXQSs
- Spotify episode: Listen on Spotify
- Dr. Judy Morgan’s main site & store: https://drjudymorgan.com / https://naturallyhealthypets.com
- Dr. Judy U (courses): https://www.drjudyu.com
- Naturally Healthy Pets Podcast (Dr. Judy’s show)
- Books by Dr. Judy Morgan (available on her site and Amazon): Raising Naturally Healthy Pets, From Needles to Natural, and others
- USE CODE YUN50 for 50% off any book published on her site.
- Truth About Pet Food (Susan Thixton): https://truthaboutpetfood.com
- Improvement Warrior Fitness: https://www.improvementwarriorfitness.com
Connect with Dr. Judy Morgan
- Website & Store: drjudymorgan.com · naturallyhealthypets.com
- Online Courses: drjudyu.com
- Linktree: linktr.ee/drjudymorgan
- Instagram: @drjudymorgan
- Facebook: facebook.com/JudyMorganDVM
- X: @DrJudyMorgan
- YouTube: youtube.com/@DrJudyMorgan
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drjudymorgan
- Email: info@drjudymorgan.com
