Sardines
What 51% of the dogs in my care taught me about pet health.
It started with a number I couldn’t ignore.
I was deep in building DC Dog Sitter — managing schedules, hiring staff, putting out the daily fires that come with scaling a service business — when I started paying closer attention to the intake forms. Specifically, the medications.
Roughly half of the dogs in our care were on some form of Prozac.
I’ll say that again. More than half.
Now — I’m not here to say that no dog ever benefits from behavioral medication. Some absolutely do. But when you’re looking at your own data and seeing that 51% of the furry companions in your care are on an antidepressant, you have to stop and ask: what is going on?
That question sent me down one of the deepest rabbit holes of my life.
I started reading. Listening to podcasts. Watching documentaries. Questioning everything I’d been told about what our pets needed — starting with the brown kibble in the bowl that I, like most people, had assumed was enough.
It wasn’t.
Along the way, I found people who were asking the same questions — and had been asking them a lot longer than I had. People like Dr. Karen Becker, an integrative wellness veterinarian who became the first vet to give a TEDx talk on species-appropriate nutrition. And Rodney Habib, the creator of Planet Paws — the largest pet health community on Facebook — and co-author with Dr. Becker of the New York Times bestseller The Forever Dog. Dr. John Robb, a Connecticut veterinarian who built the Protect the Pets movement and has spent years fighting for titer testing over routine re-vaccination. Dr. Thomas Seyfried. Dr. Richard Patton. Daniel Orrego. And many others.
These are the people who changed how I think about what it means to care for an animal.
As Maya Angelou said — “When you know better, you do better.”
And I took that seriously. What started as a rabbit hole became a professional pursuit. I went on to earn a Postgraduate Certification in Integrative Pet Health Coaching — because once you see what’s possible for your animals, you can’t just keep it to yourself.
Here’s the question that still haunts me — and should haunt all of us:
If science is more advanced today than it has ever been, and we’re supposedly doing everything right for our pets — then why are they living shorter lives than ever before?
That’s not a conspiracy theory. It’s a data point. And it deserves a real answer.
I could take you down every branch of that rabbit hole — the pet food industry, the over-vaccination pipeline, the grip that big pharma and major food corporations have on veterinary education and practice, the lack of species-appropriate nutrition being taught in vet schools. But this is a Saturday post, so let me give you three things you can do right now to start advocating for your pet.
Titer Before You Vaccinate.
Beyond the core vaccines administered in the first year of life, do not automatically re-vaccinate annually. Instead, titer first. A titer is a simple blood test that measures whether your pet still has the antibodies they need. If they do — and in my experience, they often do — there’s no medical reason to re-vaccinate.
There are now multiple online titer services that partner with veterinary research hospitals around the country, and most will test your pet for under $80. I titer my own crew regularly, and so far, every single one has shown sufficient antibodies without needing a booster.
One more thing on this — and I don’t say it lightly: recent studies are showing a direct correlation between vaccines and cancer at the injection site. This is not something to dismiss. Do the research. Ask the questions. Advocate for your animal.
Sardines.
If there is one food I would tell every pet owner to add to their dog’s bowl, it’s sardines. Small fish. Massive benefits.
Sardines are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins D and B12, amino acids, and Coenzyme Q10 — a powerful antioxidant that many people have never even heard of. Here’s what all of that translates to for your pet:
Brain health. The DHA in sardines supports cognitive function, memory, and neurological development — especially important for puppies and senior dogs.
Heart health. CoQ10 supports healthy cardiovascular function and circulation. It’s one of the few natural sources of this antioxidant, and as dogs age, their bodies produce less of it.
Joint mobility. Omega-3s reduce inflammation in the joints, which means easier movement and less discomfort — particularly for older dogs or dogs with arthritis.
Dental health. CoQ10 has been shown to support gum tissue health. This one surprises people, but it’s real.
Immune function. The combination of omega-3s, selenium, and vitamin D works together to strengthen your pet’s immune system and help protect against disease.
Kidney protection. Sardines contain phosphorus and other minerals that support kidney function — one of the most common areas of decline in aging pets.
A shiny, healthy coat. If your dog’s coat is dull or their skin is dry and flaky, omega-3s help restore moisture, reduce itching, and bring back that healthy shine.
And here's the bonus — sardines are small and short-lived, which means they carry significantly less mercury than larger fish and don't accumulate the ocean plastics and toxins that build up in longer-living species. Their bones are soft and completely safe to eat. You can serve them whole or gently broken into chunks.
I pick mine up at the usual places such as Trader Joe’s, Costco, Amazon. Go for wild-caught, no salt added, packed in spring water. Two to three times a week, open a can and add it right to your pet’s food. That’s it. Simple. Powerful. Affordable.
Small fish. Big benefits.
Focus on the four pillars.
Every pet needs four things: engagement, appropriate socialization, training, and physical fitness. Not just one. Not just two. All four.
This is something I learned building DC Dog Sitter — and DC Dog Adventures — from the ground up. The dogs who thrived weren’t just the ones with the best food or the most expensive vet. They were the ones whose owners invested in the whole experience. The mental stimulation. The social confidence. The physical outlet. The structure.
If you focus on these four pillars, you will have a happier, healthier pet. And they’ll sleep like a dream at the end of the day.
I knew some of this when I started. I loved my animals and I thought I was doing right by them. But I didn’t know what I didn’t know — and nobody told me there were deeper questions to ask.
So I asked them anyway. And I kept going — all the way to earning a certificate in pet health coaching.
Now I know. And I can’t unknow it.
So this is me — on a Saturday — sharing what I’ve learned with the people I care about. Because your pets deserve someone in their corner who’s willing to dig deeper.
If you found this helpful, share it with a fellow pet owner. Send it to that friend who just adopted a pet. Forward it to the person who loves their dog but doesn’t know where to start. This is how we raise the bar — together.
Chase what lasts. Even — especially — for the ones who can’t advocate for themselves.
If this resonated, subscribe to The Jenn Files. I write about business, money, resilience, and grit — cutting through the noise so you can build something that can’t be broken.