Holistic, bioregulatory veterinarian Dr. Marlene Siegel returns to Beautifully Broken to explain what happens downstream when a pet’s hormone feedback loop is removed — and why hormone imbalance in dogs may be behind rising joint injuries, anxiety and chronic disease.

After spay or neuter, luteinizing hormone (LH) can climb to more than 30 times normal, and LH receptors sit in the thyroid, gut, brain and cruciate ligament. Dr. Siegel covers UC Davis research on neutering age, ACL (CCL) tears and cancer risk, ovary-sparing spay, and how to care for an aging dog as Freddie shares the story of his senior dog, Mr. Higgs.

In this episode

How hormone imbalance affects dogs and cats long after spay or neuter
What the research says about neutering age, joint health and cancer risk
Why pet anxiety and behavior problems may be on the rise
How ovary-sparing spay works and who it suits
How to support a senior dog with heart disease or a collapsing trachea
How to choose a raw dog food and why to test, not guess

This episode is for education only and is not veterinary advice. Talk to your veterinarian before changing your pet’s care.

Connect with Dr. Siegel

drmarlenesiegel.com (courses, consults, Empowered Pet Parent course)

evolovestore.com (raw food and essential nutrients)

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Connect with Freddie

The Biological Blueprint

Website and Store

Instagram

YouTube

Book A Call

Episode highlights

00:00 Dr. Marlene Siegel returns 01:35 The Ted Lasso post that set Facebook on fire 03:21 Curiosity: the skill we've lost 04:58 How the algorithm feeds on anger 06:42 What bioregulatory veterinary medicine is 08:33 The spay and neuter conversation begins 09:08 Our pets live the life we choose for them 10:00 Pets as the canary in the coal mine 10:50 A short history of spay and neuter 13:00 UC Davis research: early neutering and joint health 14:07 Ovary-sparing spay and vasectomy 16:08 Who should (and shouldn't) keep hormones 18:47 The LH feedback loop explained 20:24 Freddie's grandmother and what hormones do for bones 22:56 Hormones, behavior and the rise of pet anxiety 25:45 Mineral deficiencies and toxic interference 29:30 Molecular hydrogen water for pets 30:12 Mr. Higgs at almost 17 31:24 Supporting an aging pet: inflammation, lymph and fascia 34:00 Preparing for a pet's transition 40:49 Peptides for pets, and the cancer caution 44:00 Infrared, halotherapy and cold plunge for dogs 48:30 Choosing a pet food you can trust 53:30 Why dogs depend on food for vitamin D 59:31 Where to find Dr. Siegel

Read the full transcript

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