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The Fresh Patch Podcast - Where Good Pets Get It.
Welcome to the Fresh Patch Podcast where we talk about everything, from dog training, to potty talk. It's time to save your rugs, and get REAL! Fresh Patch has been featured on Shark Tank, Oprah and the Today Show. We're here to discuss why every pet owner should have real grass and the benefits that come with it. So sit back, relax, grab some treats and cuddle your furry friend, you won't want to miss an episode!
The Fresh Patch Podcast - Where Good Pets Get It.
The Kitten On The Freeway And Other Vet Miracles
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A kitten found on the side of a Los Angeles freeway comes in cold, struggling to breathe, and ends up purring and bouncing off the walls a week later and that story says a lot about what great veterinary teams can do when preparation meets compassion. We’re joined by Dr. Kevin McKevley from Palms and Paws Veterinary Center in Santa Monica to talk about how pet care has changed for the better, why dogs and cats are living longer, and what pet parents can do right now to stack the odds in their favor.
We get into the biggest positive shift Dr. Kevin has seen across the industry: a stronger human-animal bond paired with better nutrition, earlier diagnostics, and more proactive medicine. We also talk honestly about the hardest part for many families, the cost of veterinary care, and why starting pet insurance early can protect your choices when emergencies hit. If you’ve ever had to weigh finances against treatment options, this conversation gives you a clearer framework and better questions to bring to your veterinarian.
Dr. Kevin shares the origin story of Palms and Paws, how mentorship shaped the business, and why they focus so heavily on leadership and training the next generation of vets. We also dig into practical, searchable takeaways for everyday pet health: balanced pet nutrition and AAFCO guidance, spotting food allergies, making slow diet transitions, and keeping puppies safe from parasites and viruses until vaccines fully kick in. Finally, we connect it all to routine and wellness, including why an indoor grass potty like Fresh Patch can support consistency, reduce anxiety, and lower exposure risks in high-rise and apartment living.
If you enjoy real-world vet stories and advice you can use today, subscribe, share this with a fellow pet parent, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one routine your pet depends on every day?
Thanks for listening to the Fresh Patch podcast brought to you by Fresh Patch. We hope you enjoyed the show. Give us a like or a follow, or shop all of our real grass supplies at freshpatch.com. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Youtube, Reddit
Welcome And Meet Dr. Kevin
SPEAKER_03You may know Fresh Patch from Shark Tank Oprah for the Today Show. This is the Fresh Patch Podcast where good pets get it. Sit back, put your paws up, and enjoy the show. Welcome everybody to the Fresh Patch Podcast. I'm your host, Drew, with my awesome co-host, Mr. Gabe, over here to my right for all the viewers. And we have an amazing, awesome guest on the pod today, Dr. Kevin McKevley from Palms and Paws in Santa Monica. Thanks for joining, Dr. Kevin. We're really thrilled to get you on the pod.
SPEAKER_02Happy to be here. What's up, you guys?
SPEAKER_03How are we doing? Doing great. You know, not bad for a Wednesday, you know, just getting through the week still. But uh, I know you are you're a busy man yourself, so how are you doing? You doing good today?
SPEAKER_02Uh amazing. Stoked to be here with you guys. Wish I was there in person. That couch looks super comfy. And uh yeah, I mean, uh my background is not as interesting. You guys are crazy with the podcast studio.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, this couch is open for you. Whenever you can make it up here, we'll uh we'll keep it nice and warm.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and maybe it'll just be a second podcast. You know, we just go round two. Let's do it. Awesome. So, yeah, before we really get started, just want to let all the viewers and listeners know, hit that subscribe button if you are watching on YouTube, uh, whatever podcasts you listen to, Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcast. Make sure to drop a like, comment, follow at Fresh Patch on all social media. Check out freshpatch.com for all your real grass potty needs. And Dr. Kevin, if you don't mind shouting out palms and paws for yourself, and we'll have that in the description for the viewers.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, check us out, palms pause official. We're doing some pretty exciting things right now. We are creating a community where people and pets flourish. We've got veterinary approved tips, we've got recommendations, including incredible collaborations with companies uh as amazing as Fresh Patch. And so at Palms Pause Official on Instagram, that's where you'll find me and the rest of the fam.
SPEAKER_03Beautiful. Thank you for that. So everyone listening, check it out. They are amazing, and I can't wait to see what's coming after this pod too. We have a lot of plans uh with this partnership, but let's dive into these questions, get to know you, Dr. Kevin, and go from there. So, Gabe, you want to start us off?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, absolutely.
How A Seven-Year-Old Chose Vet Life
SPEAKER_00So, um, you started your career studying veterinary science at Cow Poly Slow. Um, tell us a little bit um about yourself and why you kind of like initially dove into that field.
SPEAKER_02Listen, uh, I'll tell you this the vet life uh chose me uh at an early age. I was seven years old when I decided I wanted to be a vet. Wow. I loved animals, I loved helping animals, I loved helping people. And uh and my dad's a dentist. I knew I didn't want to do that. Uh but um my journey to Cal Poly Slow was pretty uh intentional. Um, you know, because when I got to high school, I realized that if I wanted to make this dream a reality, I really needed to pick a school that was gonna be setting me up for success. At the time, uh UC Davis and Cal Poly Slow were my my top choices, and uh Cal Poly Slow was my number one choice, if I'm being honest. And to go there was a dream. I stayed there five years. I double majored and uh I did animal science as my pre-veterinary concentration, and then I did dairy science, which is a house. And my interest there was in genetics and genomics, and um, Cal Poly is unique because they give opportunities for students to do what are called enterprise projects. So starting out even as a freshman, you can do these enterprise projects that get you incredible hands-on experience with small animals, horses, cows, they've got chickens, they've got all of the agricultural resources that you'd want as someone who's interested in becoming a veterinarian. So uh huge shout out to all the Mustangs out there. I love Cal Poly. And uh, when we have children someday, my wife and I, uh it's mandatory. They gotta go to Cal Poly slow.
SPEAKER_03Shipping them up north. Yeah, there you go.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's awesome. I'm amazing. Yeah, not many people can say that they grew up to do the job that they wanted to do when they were seven. When I was seven, I wanted to be a stand-up comedian, so thank God that dream fell through, but that's that's really awesome.
SPEAKER_02Hey, there's there's still time.
SPEAKER_03Yes, there's still time, there's still young.
SPEAKER_00I gotta get onto those open mic nights.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, right. And you're you got something in common too. Your dad's a dentist at spell cubes now.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I wasn't lying. My dad's a dentist, and I definitely knew I didn't want to do that. So got something in the comments.
SPEAKER_02Um listen, uh, I tell the team this all the time. Yes, it was a childhood dream, it's still my dream now. We're getting to help people and animals in Los Angeles. Come on, it doesn't get any better than that.
SPEAKER_03Pretty cool, doesn't get any better, yeah. Making a huge impact, of course, as well. And um, that's that's incredible that you've, I mean, since seven years old is is obviously you knew, you knew. So that kind of leads us into our next question,
The Biggest Upgrade In Pet Care
SPEAKER_03too. You've seen a lot of changes in the veterinary world over the years. So, what is one of the biggest, most positive shifts you've witnessed in how we care for our pets today versus say 10, 20 years ago, maybe when you were seven, you know, and what what what what the difference is now? You're kind.
SPEAKER_02It's way uh way over 20 years ago that I'm seven, but I appreciate that. Um You look good, Doctor.
SPEAKER_03You look good, all right?
SPEAKER_02I think one of the biggest shifts, I mean, there have been so many, but dogs used to sleep outside when I was a little kid. Now they sleep in bed with us. They've got the best nutrition that's existed for them, they've got the best medicine diagnostics, things that are going to extend their longevity and their quality of life. So the huge paradigm shift is the advancements in the human-animal bond, and then the advancements that we've made overall in veterinary care. And that again includes earlier diagnostics, um, to forecasts for disease instead of being reactive when an animal gets sick, and the better nutrition. All of these are reasons why dogs and cats are living longer than they have in history. Amazing.
SPEAKER_03Wow. Yeah, that's a great, I mean, and yeah, exactly. And you know, you're connected with Cal Poly Slow, I'm assuming, still, like you were just mentioning stuff. So has this been reflected in the you know college realm of veterinary sciences and stuff? I'm assuming there's been a shift there as well. So people are kind of shifting their approach on how they're dealing with our with our pets.
SPEAKER_02You know, I think as an undergrad, they they've got a small animal veterinary center on campus. So yes, they're bringing the best of the veterinary world to that campus. And in veterinary school, Western University of Health Sciences, that's my veterinary alma mater. And they're also very driven to provide gold standard. And so when you're in veterinary school, they're drawing from the past as well as the present and the future to bring students right up to the edge of our knowledge. And so, yeah, the transformation is a byproduct of just refining constantly. The good work is never done, and growth is a massive part of being a doctor of any kind because you are dedicating your life to lifelong learning and improvement. So, yeah.
SPEAKER_03There we go. Beautiful answer. Yeah, that's amazing. I mean, let's make sure we still, you know, everyone needs to be educated and stuff. I know we've talked, we've had other guests on the pod too that are, you know, outside of veterinary school and stuff, but there's just so much education in the pet space nowadays, too. I mean, obviously, we live in a digital age, so it's given to us a little easier and everything. So um that that's amazing. So definitely.
SPEAKER_00And there's been so much change, like even with like human health in the last 20 years, and so it would totally make sense that there's you know a lot of evolving ideas as far as or like in the veterinary space, and you know, it's no surprise too that a lot of those old ideas, those important ideas kind of hold true as well.
SPEAKER_03Exactly. Pretty interesting. Do you uh do you ever get to spend time entering uh students teaching them the next generation of vets?
Training Future Vets In Real Clinics
SPEAKER_02I know you're a busy man, so you know, um yeah, I I think that's one of the greatest privileges is getting to share your knowledge with other people, especially the next generation of veterinarians. So we have agreements with different universities in the country and uh actually a few outside of the country as well, where people have uh spent third and fourth year clinical rotations with us. And so they'll get to follow me around as well as uh any of our other five doctors at palms and paws and get really kind of tossed into clinical, the clinical side of veterinary medicine. And we we employ the Socratic method, and so we are constantly asking students what their thoughts are and what they think of a case or of diagnostics to really push them to the edge of their knowledge and see how they're thinking. Um so we lead them uh through questions to the right answer. And uh, and that's that's what worked best for each of us as we were going through veterinary school, getting to rotate through hospitals that deeply care about what they're doing, enough to bring students in and share their knowledge. Um, it's just uh it's an essential part of furthering the profession. And we've got some high school students, their seniors that are also coming in and shadowing. These are people that are uh like I was super excited to make their their journey into veterinary medicine. And uh, and I got started at 15 years old pushing a broom around at Dr. Ron Kelps practice. Uh we've got high school students that are shadowing doctors and uh getting their start there too. So we're starting at the high school level, we've got college students intermittently, and then of course our uh our veterinary school friends.
SPEAKER_03Amazing. Yeah, and that's really cool that you know, like you you mentioned stuff from all over the world, not just our country. You know, you guys are hitting every angle that you can, which is amazing, you know, getting these students educated to the best possible way. So that that's amazing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's really important to you know make sure the next generation of veterinarians are like getting that experience and you know are ready to go when when it's their time. So that's that's really awesome.
SPEAKER_02And I mentioned they're they're on the cutting edge as well. So every now and then I ask them what they think, and they're like, Oh, have you heard of this new treatment? And then I get to look it up and they get to teach me something also. So it's it's a great way for us to stay sharp uh by inviting these students in. And uh, so it's it's definitely mutually beneficial. Everybody benefits when we're collaborating like this.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's so cool. And I I feel like we're the same, we feel the same way, like on a funnier scale. Like our younger, like we have two coworkers that are younger, and they're always like teaching us new trends, teaching us new things, marketing, you know, TikTok stuff, yeah, new phrases. And I'm just like, I'm lost, man. I thought I was still pretty young, but you know, some of these things I just go right over my head. So uh yeah, that that's funny. That's good.
SPEAKER_02Maybe uh off camera, you guys could get me up to speed on like the language of the youth.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Definitely. Yeah, we'll uh we'll pull Linda in for that one, a marketing assistant, because she's uh she she even like judges us sometimes when we don't know. And I'm like, hey, I I I don't you gotta you gotta let me let me marinate this for a second, you know. So we'll teach you, Dr. Kev, don't worry.
SPEAKER_00Pass on the education that we've received. Yeah. Great, awesome.
Why Care Costs More And How To Plan
SPEAKER_00So um kind of shifting towards like things that you've seen within like the veterinary field. What do you see as like the single biggest issue or challenge like being practiced widely among like veterinarians and that sort of thing? Um and like in your opinion, like how can the pet owner community kind of come in and and help fix some of these things?
SPEAKER_02It's an interesting question because I think again, medicine has advanced and animals are living longer than they have in history for all the reasons that I mentioned. I think the cost of care is a huge challenge. It is a huge challenge, and part of that is the level of care, the amount that we are able to do in terms of more complicated diagnostics, um, better treatments. These things all cost more in some cases, in many cases, we're using the same technology and the same treatments that you would receive in a human specialty hospital. You know, and so that increased cost is definitely something that I talk to people a lot constantly. And at palms and paws, we we always do the right thing. You know, we will always explore options, we will talk about absolute best case scenario. And if we need to tension that down a little bit or find something that is more feasible economically, we want the best outcome for this pet, no matter what. And so there are instances where, you know, having that discussion with your vet and determining, okay, what's going to give us the maximum amount of impact uh in the most financially judicious way. You know, those are important conversations. I can't tell you how many times we we give things away. You know, we, you know, because we want to sleep well at night knowing we're doing everything we can for this pet. And so there are instances where, you know, uh we we explore a payment plan or we just, you know what, uh, we're gonna do this on the house today because we're gonna sleep better knowing that we're taking care of your pet um and taking care of you too. And so the more we give away, the more it comes back to us. That's how I've always lived. And uh, and so in terms of how can you know, pet parents help with this issue, I think one of the one of the things that can help or be very helpful is getting pet insurance at a young age. Pet insurance, you know, companies that are going to help pick up 90% of illnesses and emergencies, um, that is huge. You know, I'm a veterinarian, I'm part owner of palms and paws. I still have pet insurance because if my cat or my family's animals need to go to the specialty hospital, it could still be five to ten thousand dollars very quickly. And that would be a hardship for me and my family. And so having an insurance company in place that could cover 90%, that's something that I recommend for everybody out there. And I always recommend talk to your friends and family, find out which insurance company has worked best for them. It's a bit of a moving target sometimes, but oh hey, pop.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, we had we had a guest. I didn't introduce him before because he was he was sleeping on the patch down here. This is my dog. This is Oakley, our white chef. Let's see if we can come here, bud.
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh, that year is incredible. Are you kidding me? Okay. Oh my gosh, now we're talking. The real guests here. Yeah, not the real stuff.
SPEAKER_03Sorry for the distraction.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I didn't mean to cut you off, but yeah, no, long and short, you know, getting getting pet insurance is um is uh is a great way to kind of level the playing field a little bit. And I used to work emergency and critical care, and people would swagger into the ER when they had pet insurance because they weren't worried about the cost, they just wanted what whatever was best for their pet. And as a veterinarian, I wish everything was free. I would love to be unleashed so that I could just run and do whatever's best for every single patient. Again, fortunately, as part owner, I I get to do and and allow our other vets to do whatever is necessary to help animals when they're in need and people when they're in need. But pet insurance can help a lot. So that's definitely the biggest things I can recommend.
SPEAKER_00No, absolutely. And it's definitely something that's like looked over, especially, you know, there's a lot of people of the younger generation, generation, Gen Z, like getting dogs um, you know, younger in their life and or just pets in general, you know. And so that's great information to have for sure. And as a lifelong dog owner, I've definitely had those difficult conversations before where you know finances come into the come into the picture, and then all of a sudden it's you know, it can make decisions much harder when dealing with pets. Definitely, yeah, you know, it's like you said, it can be a real burden on your family. So yeah.
SPEAKER_03Um great thing about modern day too, you know, a lot of employers pay attention to this too. So I know some employers do offer pet insurance as well, which is a huge plus for, you know, younger people coming out of college or whatever, they're maybe scared, but it's like, hey, you got those same benefits that you're getting for yourself through your job, which is I think is so cool that you know employers are starting to pay attention to that. Pets are our kids, you know, like especially my our generation. Like, we're really we're having kids still, but like not at a bigger rate as back in the day, you know. We're really taking those fur babies in as our pets, so it's it's really cool to see employers, you know, paying attention to that. So awesome. Thank you for that, Dr. Kevin.
SPEAKER_02And of course, look, we we we treat patients like we would treat our own family members, our own pets, you know, and so anything we can do to like reduce the the barriers to success, we try to do. And I believe every vet out there has the the the same goal, the same intention of you know, doing whatever's best for that animal. And uh, like I said, I wish it was all free. That would be that would this job is already a dream, but yeah, we that would unleash all of us, which would be amazing.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, absolutely incredible.
Building Palms And Paws From Scratch
SPEAKER_03Well, let's let's uh yeah, let's uh you know, with your all your experience and everything, let's dive into palms and paws. And you know, what tell us a little about the origin story? What year did you and Dr. Nimoy meet, decide to start the business? What's what's happening with palms and paws?
SPEAKER_02So 2021. Um I I called my mentor, I mentioned Dr. Ron Kelp, an amazing veterinarian. I got started at 15 and a half, pushing a broom around in his hospital. And we've stayed in touch over the years. Um, he's an incredible, incredible leader, mentor. And um, I called him when I was planning on phasing out of emergency and critical care. And I said, Hey, I'm thinking about starting a practice. You know, talk me out of this if you think this is a mistake. He said, You know what? I've got to introduce you to a friend of mine. And uh within a couple weeks, I was sitting in Dr. Jeffrey Nimoy's backyard, and we immediately clicked. Um, our our third partner, um, Lou Gatto, um came for our subsequent meeting. And Jeffrey is a veterinarian and a lawyer. He has yeah, he he used to run one of the biggest specialty hospitals in Southern California, and he has uh started um many companies, and this was the first foray into the veterinary field. He is an incredible mentor, leader, coach, and he's just a blast to work with. And um, and meeting Lou, he founded um Gatto McPherson. And Gatto McPherson is a CPA firm that specializes in veterinary practices. He is um he has helped more veterinarians with their tax returns and their finances than probably anybody else in the world. And he is also an incredible leader, visionary, and just an amazing person. So the three of us got together and um we had meetings on and off for the two years leading up to actually opening our doors at palms and paws. The name is emblematic of who we are and what we do. You know, I don't know if you guys can throw up our logo at any point, but it's a palm and a paw. It's right here, actually.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, there we go. You know, yeah. No, we'll we'll we'll throw it up in the yeah, we'll get we'll get the viewers to see. No, I I've always loved your logo, it's so cool. I mean, it's yeah, it's ever since we started working with each other, I was like, yeah, this is just it makes sense, you know, just makes sense.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's it's a reflection of how we operate. We are a people company that does veterinary medicine and does, you know, cre and has created this community for pets and pet people. And so that hand or the palm is a reflection of our love of people. People and the paw, uh, obviously, our love of pets. And so um, it took us a while to come to that name, but when we did, we all knew that that was the perfect way to touch people's hearts and to uh explain who we are just at a glance. And we opened our doors in 2023 at the start of January, and we started out with one veterinarian working there, which was me. And we have grown the team. We have uh grown uh incredible leaders at this hospital, and now we've got over 30. I think we've got 35 people on our team now. Wow. We've got six veterinarians, and it's just been amazing seeing the growth of people that started out with us who previously were veterinary assistants or they were kennel assistants, meaning they just did laundry and kept the hospital moving smoothly. Now these people at palms and paws are leaders, they are running teams. And so getting to see their growth and their lives change has been a huge privilege. And um, and you know, I gotta I gotta shout out my partners, Jeffrey and Lou. They are just such incredible visionaries. And Jeffrey opened my eyes to the idea and the fact that you know we need to be a leadership-based company and we thrive and we are successful, but in a huge part because of our others-oriented leadership. So we literally we want everyone on the team thinking of others in a way that allows them to bring out the best in them, help them thrive personally as well as professionally. And if we can think, like imagine if you could get every single person on your team thinking, how can I make everyone else's day better today? How can I make this client's day better? How can I help this pet leave here happy? If you can get everybody thinking like that operationally and strategically, that's where magic happens. And so um, that has been one of the biggest things that Jeffrey has shared with me, and that is one of the biggest cornerstones at Palms and Paws Veterinary Center and the rest of our companies.
SPEAKER_00Amazing, amazing the true embodiment of palms and paws, you know. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. I think it was goes throughout the entire business, yeah, which is pretty awesome.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah, you guys are doing and is when you were officially established.
SPEAKER_02That's when we first that's when we first met, and uh, and we um but we had we had started um the the palms and paws journey conceptually uh at around that time. Yeah, yeah, amazing.
SPEAKER_03And it's grown so much into like the marketing side of things too. Obviously, that's kind of how we got connected in the first sorry andrew, I'm gonna back up for a second.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. Go for it. Jeffrey has been Jeffrey got started on this journey in 2019. 2019 is when this concept originated. And so like I got brought in a little bit later, but again, he gets he gets the credit for dreaming of this amazing enterprise.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's amazing. And it was only meant to be that you guys got connected, it sounds like, you know. I mean, it's been a dream, it's been a dream, Drew. Seriously, that's amazing. That's amazing. Cool. So Gabe, I think you, yeah, you're gonna take the next the next few.
SPEAKER_00So absolutely. So, you know, you mentioned you guys have been open since it was 2023, right?
SPEAKER_0321 or 23. We opened up.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so you've been around for
A Freeway Kitten Saved By Kindness
SPEAKER_00a couple years. Do you have any like significant stories that maybe like made an impact on you? And then oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, thousands. Yeah, sure.
SPEAKER_00I bet, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, mostly like and every week we get something amazing, you know. And I'll share one. This happened last week. A kitten was brought to us after being found on the side of the freeway. Oh and this kitten was somewhere between eight and ten weeks old, tiny. Wow, and uh this animal was raced in by cats, and um, the temperature was 94 degrees, extremely low, okay. Um, struggling to breathe, so weak, she could barely lift her little head. And we were able to triage her. The whole team just dropped what they were doing. They hopped on this little kitten, got a catheter place, we ran some diagnostics, and she had a collapsed lung. And um, so we were able to do the procedure called a thracocentesis uh to remove additional air that was around that lung, the lung reinflated. And we've been treating her supportively after the first 24 hours. This kitten was eating, she was purring, she was like really showing incredible signs of life. A week later, this cat is bouncing off the walls, rolling on her back for pets. This cat that was found on the side of the freeway is absolutely incredible. And you know, I I was telling my wife this story, and she said, I knew our next cat was going to be black and white. And I said, Hang on a second. Classic. The the best part of this story is that one person decided to stop on the side of the freeway and pick up this cat. Okay, here in Los Angeles, you guys are in Oxnard, you're close. And you drive through this town. Yep, hundreds, maybe thousands of people drove past and either were completely oblivious that this kitten was there lying on the ground, or they saw it and thought, ooh, that's terrible, and they kept driving. Yeah, one person, and like that gives me goosebumps. The fact that one person had that level of kindness and care to pull over on the side of the freeway, scoop this little kitten up, bring them to the nearest veterinary hospital. And I don't even know this person's name. Like they they came in and then they left. So huge shout out to this person. Whoever you are, you're amazing. And maybe we can use the power of social media to find this person. But um, yeah, it's a huge example of kindness in this world and others oriented. Hello, it brings up full circle, okay? This person was so others oriented and saved this little kitten's life. And so um, yeah, we get stories like that on a on a on a regular basis that touch our hearts. That's the most recent one that comes to mind.
SPEAKER_00There you go. Amazing, amazing, yeah. I know that's it's like you said, you know, others oriented and like it all kind of you know works back to your guys' whole thing and palms and paws, and you know, how how that runs through the entire business. And so it feels like you know, kind of kismet, like it was meant to be that these kind kind of things happen, and you know, you have these these amazing stories to share.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and it just goes to show like imagine that one person, like if everybody kind of like what you were saying before, you get your team all on the same page, all on the same strategy. If this was happening in the world, you know, there was more people like that person that you know stopped, like how much of a difference that would make, you know what I mean? And yes, it is tough. I get like what you're saying, you know. We've been to LA, that area, it's busy, you know, people are driving around, you know, maybe not paying attention to something like that. You might miss it, but if we have a little bit more of a keen eye, like we huge difference can be made, you know. So um maybe yeah, let's try to use this pod when we release it. Try to find this person. I think that'd be such a fun, fun thing to do. Give them some, you know, a reward in some way, maybe. I don't know, you know, but um, I think that's a great idea. Let's try to see find out the mystery uh savior. Absolutely. Is there a name for the kitten? Did you guys name it at all?
SPEAKER_02Or um, so a few different names. Miracle is kind of the front runner right now. That's a good one. Makes sense. Freeway uh uh was was the first name. And uh yeah, those are the two front runners as far as I know. It changes week to week with this team when we get animals like this. So uh I'll I'll keep you guys updated.
SPEAKER_03There we go. Yeah, I feel like both of those names are pretty applicable. Pretty good, yeah. Maybe we could get further. What freeway was it the 10? You know, just name name it the 10. That'd be good. So funny. Cool. So um
The Mystery Of The Floppy Ear
SPEAKER_03I actually want to, you know, looking at Mr. Oakley over here um as he just fell asleep, which is great. Yeah, he's taking advantage of that couch, obviously. Um I had some, I forget if it was you, Gabe, or somebody else just recently told me. So I adopted Oakley about two and a half years ago now, and he's always had the little one ear up, one ear down situation, and he's got some scarring and whatnot. We're like, okay, we don't know his story, you know. Maybe he got in a fight at some point. Like, what's up with that crunched ear, you know? And I just had someone recently tell me, like, my dog had both ears up, went and got it neutered, came out with one ear down. So I wanted to ask you if that's a thing. Have you seen that before? Um I have not.
SPEAKER_02I'm gonna have to look into that. I have never experienced that with any of my patients. I've never heard that described either. You know, um, usually I would think that you know, uh Oakley over there may have had some prior trauma, you know. So if that that if there's a little bit of fibrosis or scarring in that ear once it healed, that would make sense to me. Nerve damage would also make sense to me. Some dogs, it's it's as they age, you know, if the weight of that pinna, that ear, um, exceeds the the strength of the cards, we'll start to see it sag or flop. Um, but I I don't know that I could draw a correlation with uh uh another surgery. I would expect if that was the cause, I would expect both ears to be kind of symmetrically uh changed like that. So gotcha.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, no, that that's exactly what I was thinking. I was like, I'm pretty sure it's like a nerve damage thing, but I was like, wouldn't both ears probably but he's got a little like cauliflower ear kind of thing.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so that's definitely some some scarring from a prior injury.
SPEAKER_03Gotcha, yeah. Probably a fight or something, or just maybe got smashed in a door or something type of thing.
SPEAKER_02Like uh, I mean with the describe, probably some kind of uh altercation. Yeah. But um, I'll ask him next time I see him.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, there we go. Perfect. I thought that was just the perfect time to you're the expert, you know. And I heard that and I was like, I gotta ask somebody. I was like, I that's good, I have no idea, you know.
SPEAKER_02We gotta we gotta make this more exciting. Uh homie just fell asleep on the couch over there.
SPEAKER_03We gotta he's a he's a spoiled guy, you know. He just takes advantage of of the times for you know, because he's always following me around and stuff throughout the warehouse, throughout the office. So when he gets time to decompress a little bit, he does. He loves his podcasts, he's always in here, he he knows.
SPEAKER_02Exhausting being that vigilant, so he deserves it.
SPEAKER_03Definitely, definitely sweet.
Social Media That Educates And Builds Community
SPEAKER_03Uh, so like I mentioned before, too. I know we uh we met because of marketing. Shout out to Greta Rose as well. It's been amazing working with her and and everything. She is incredible. So what made you guys decide to take on social media at palms and paws? Um, and how has that journey been? And um, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, great question. So we we started with our social media presence shortly after we started the hospital, and it was really difficult to get anything produced or put out there just because we had one vet and we had a team that was doing laps around this hospital. We were in a growth spurt. And so while we started in 2023, I would say we really kicked off our social media efforts and started posting consistently and making sure that we had certain criteria, you know, shooting and cinematic, making sure that, you know, we're really intentional about what we're doing, um, starting in October, November of last year. And so we had about 800 followers then. We've grown it to, I mean, at the at the time of this podcast, we're just over 16,000. And the whole reason that we want to do this is to extend our reach. So we we are a veterinary center in Santa Monica, and I'm so proud of the impact that this team and this hospital has had in our community. We've got people that commute from the inland empire, we've got clients from San Diego that move there and they still schedule appointments with us. Same thing in San Francisco. We've got people that schedule their business meetings around rechecks with us so that they can continue care with us. But we want to extend our ability to help people and inspire people. Um, and social media is the best way to do that on a global scale. We launched our media company um over this past year. And the whole goal of palmspapaws.com is to create content that not only puts a smile on people's faces and brings them closer to their pets, but also creates a community where people are brought together to experience more joy with their pet. And it's all veterinary inspired, it's veterinary approved, you know, between Jeffrey, myself, and then the other veterinarians at Palms and Paws. We're making sure that we're curating information and experiences for pet parents uh to just live life to the fullest and do so under kind of veterinary guidance. So um really proud of what we've accomplished so far. Every month we release a new edition. So we've got uh an edition that includes our podcast. We're gonna have to get you guys on that. Yeah, we've got recipes, we've got, we've got stories, we've got um, you know, touch and massage exercises, we've got behavioral enrichment, and we try to target the six senses, the five classic senses, and then that sixth intangible sense that dogs and cats have. Um, and so we're having a lot of fun with it. The growth has been incredible just since we launched, and I'm excited to see where this goes because we we want to be able to touch people all over the world. Amazing.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's I mean, the best way to do it is social media this day and age. So you guys are on the right track with that one.
SPEAKER_00The people, yeah.
SPEAKER_03You know, we're doing the same thing over here, trying to just spread the word, you know, get fresh grass. Your guys' social media is amazing.
SPEAKER_02Like, I love seeing what you guys do, and yeah, it's just so fun. Like every time I see those videos, I just end up smiling because everything is so happy and positive. Uh, you guys are you guys are really inspiring to us, and I'm sure so many other people. Yeah, thank you.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, thank you for the kind words. Shout out to our marketing manager, Adrian and Linda, the whole team, everyone's putting in the effort with you know, our social posts and everything, Corey behind the camera. So, yeah, we really we want to make a positive impact, of course, and you know, keep things fun, but also educate people on the benefits of Fresh Patch, you know, the real grass, you know, usage and everything.
SPEAKER_00So and I'm sure you could really relate to it's pretty fun working with animals. So yeah, you know, we get that that loosens it up a little bit, you know.
SPEAKER_02A blast, but I I I work with an amazing team. Um, and you gave Greta Rose a shout out. I need to do one too. She is also a visionary, she is artistic, she is incredible. Getting to work with someone of her caliber is a dream come true. And she she is our brand architect and she can code. She has done such an amazing job with our beautiful website and all of the episodes that we produce. So huge shout out to Greta Rose. Um, yeah, I just uh we're we're so grateful we all get to work together. It's the best.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, no, she is so great. And when I joined the podcast with you guys briefly, it was like I was thoroughly impressed because you know, we've been doing this for a year, but she's just so soft spoken, like she just she knows what she's doing, and I was like, you guys, you guys got a good, you know, good thing going on over there with her and just all the ideas and plans you have. So uh we're excited to see the continuation, of course, us being along on that journey as well as partners in the space. So um, yeah, we're really, really excited for you guys, for us. And um, you know, I think that kind of leads into our next question in in a sense, and I know Gabe, I'll take it for a second. Yeah, sure, sure.
Expansion Plans Across From The Shelter
SPEAKER_03Um, we did talk about this when we were down, and the the viewers will see a video uh testimonial very soon, uh probably actually be released before this episode is released. But you were talking to us about future plans, possible expansions on that street where palms and paws is. So if you can give some information, I don't know if you don't want to give too much, but uh, you know, what what are some plans for expansion of palms and paws? Like I can give you some nuggets, all right.
SPEAKER_02So um look, the backstory is uh you know relevant. Um, you know, we picked our location because it is right across the street from the Santa Monica animal shelter. We wanted to be able to work with these animals. Any animals that are brought in there, we get to help administer care, we get to do surgeries that are needed. So it is a massive um, it's a massive privilege to be right across the street. And currently we have our Palms and Paws Veterinary Center. Um, we are going to be opening kind of our encore on 9th Street, and this encore is going to be an incredible three-story building. The ground floor is gonna provide additional parking for our clients and our team. The second floor is where we're gonna be putting in an urgent care with some specialty services to extend our reach. And the third floor is where we're gonna be running things like the media company and all of our palms and paws operations. So stay tuned. You guys are for sure getting invited to the building, and uh we're we can put some fresh patch on the roof and uh yes over the roof. But um, yeah, appreciate you asking. This is part of our long-term goal, and my my hope is that in the next three years that project is complete, and so um so excited, and uh this will just allow us to extend our reach and our care for all of our clients and pets that we serve.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's amazing. Wow, that's a that's a great game plan, and we are more than happy to provide as many fresh patches for that roof as possible. We want to make a dog run, a doggy, just the potty area, you let us know. We're we're there, okay?
SPEAKER_00Sweet.
Simple Nutrition Rules That Actually Help
SPEAKER_00Um, so just to kind of like bring it back to maybe like some like uh just some general advice uh that you would give to pet parents. Um if you could give every pet parent like one piece of nutritional advice that would drastically improve their pet's health, what what would that be?
SPEAKER_02Another great question. So nutrition is so complex, just like people, every person's a little bit different, every dog and cat's gonna be a little bit different. So the frustrating but simple answer is we need to find what works best for your pet. Um, you know, if they're allergic to a protein like chicken or beef, then that can declare itself by itching or um gastrointestinal signs, you know. So making sure that we figure out what works best for your pet. That's where talking to your primary care veterinarian is going to be essential. And, you know, broad strokes, making sure that the diet is balanced. There are a list of diets that you can look at on AFCO, uh. It's an incredible resource for pet parents out there. And this is the regulatory body that ensures that our diets are as safe and balanced as possible. And so if you are, you know, between veterinary visits and you want to explore what options are that are AFCO approved, that regulatory body is where I send people all the time to make sure that they're selecting diets that are balanced nutritionally and uh and safe. So that is that is broad strokes, a really easy recommendation that everybody can follow. And, you know, if you notice that the diet you're currently using is not on that list, then a gradual transition from one diet to another is uh going to be gentlest on your pet system. You know, I we see a lot of problems when there's like a really hard shift. You know, somebody runs out of dog food and they pick up, you know, a bag of old Roy at Walmart or a gas station, and uh and that's where we get into some trouble. So just a really gradual and gentle transition from one diet to another is uh best way to mitigate, you know, risk of a uh adverse reaction. So hopefully that answers your question.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, definitely. That's great advice. And uh, I mean, we've been talking about the changes and how you know pet ownership has been over the last like even 20 years. Like You know, I feel like twenty years ago it's like you go to the store, you get the bag of kibble, and then that's what you feed them for the rest of their lives, you know, and it's just through this podcast too, like we've we've talked to uh, you know, dog food companies. Yeah, you know, we've learned so much about you know, uh animal diets and how important it it is for them to be balanced and that sort of thing. So that's really cool that there's a resource like readily available for people.
SPEAKER_02And it's free. So like go hit them up.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, for sure. Yeah. No, what interests me with this topic too is the allergy side of things. You know, like Abe was saying, we've talked to so many guests on this podcast with dietary things, you know, raw food companies, and it's just so interesting to me that like meat for a dog they can be allergic to. So I wanted to kind of get your opinion on that too, how that's evolved over the years. Have they always been kind of allergic to certain meats? I mean, they're carnivores, so to me, it's like they can eat any type of meat, you know, type of thing, and they'll be good. But um, yeah, I don't know. Any input on that, yeah, that side of things.
SPEAKER_02You know, again, it's a complex issue. And um, you know, I I've got a cousin who developed a gluten allergy late in life, you know. I mean, everything. So just like um, just like people can develop allergies, so can dogs and cats. Gotcha. Just paying attention to, okay, I grabbed a chicken, you know, version of this diet, and now my dog is itching like crazy, or my cat is really uncomfortable. Um, you know, those are subtle things that you can pay attention to to try and draw a correlation or causation. And that's that's key. I think, you know, I think people, you know, are are a huge part of why dogs are living. I mean, I touched on it already. Uh, but the the extended longevity is because people are just aware of things too. You know, if a dog was itching after a meal 20 years ago, they'd say, Oh, that's just a dog being a dog. Now people are dialed in. And so if they notice that their dog is itching like crazy after a specific shampoo is used, or after they walk in a certain area or travel to a different part of the country, you know, these are things that people are really dialed into now, which previously probably got overlooked. So yeah, but figuring out what works best for your pet, talking to your primary care veterinarian. And um, yeah, if you notice a big shift in, you know, signs of allergies or gastrointestinal upset, even if your dog or cat's been on the same diet for an extended period, it could be a factor. So it's worth exploring. Gotcha.
SPEAKER_03No, it makes total sense. You know, you know, bring it into the human side, it makes sense. I have plenty of friends that, like you said, you know, get a gluten allergy later in life, or just you just all of a sudden are allergic to something. So that makes total sense for a lot of people.
SPEAKER_00I was actually like for a period of time, like allergic to chicken, which was interesting. There we go. So I mean, yeah, if it happened to humans, clearly it could happen to dogs, yeah. So it's important to pay attention to that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah,
How Real Grass Supports Routine And Health
SPEAKER_03cool. So let's tie things back into Fresh Patch and the real grass now. So obviously, like I was saying, you made us an amazing testimonial, which you know, you were you had us you had a trick there. You're super nervous when we went down there to do this, and you just killed it. I mean, we were just so impressed with that testimonial, and we're like, ah, he was he was fibbing us, you know, like he he knows what to do on camera and everything. But uh, so that was that was great. We enjoyed that shoot a lot. And you know, you've talked about how the environment impacts mental physical health. So, how can something as simple as having real grass indoors keep a consistent routine or minimize harsh chemical cleaners actually support a pet's physical and mental um wellness?
SPEAKER_02Well, first of all, you're very kind because I was um but what I've what I the the place that I'm at now is I'm I'm uh I'm so I'm spread so thin that um that I don't have time to be embarrassed anymore. I just have to like I just have to uh plow through. Um but uh and you guys also made it easier. Team is incredible and so supportive. So uh huge shout out to you guys. Um look, something that I talk to people often about is you know, allowing animals to have consistency of routine is so incredible at reducing the potential for anxiety. And can you imagine if you had no idea when your next uh access to water or your next meal was gonna be, or when you were gonna be able to go to the bathroom? Yep, but I've got people in a car ride and 20 minutes in they're like, hey, we gotta stop at a Starbucks, gotta go to the bathroom, yeah, and and we make it happen. But like what's the level of anxiety that you would feel if you had no options or you didn't know when your next opportunity was gonna be? And so I try to explain this and convey it to pet parents all the time. We need to create consistency, a schedule where they can rely on, okay, I'm gonna get fed at these intervals, I'm gonna get free access to water, I'm gonna go for walks at certain times. And dogs in particular are paying very close attention to our habits. You know, they're looking to us, okay, you picked up the car keys, you're putting your shoes on, grabbing the leash, great, time for a walk. Yeah, you know, but having consistency of routine is massive at helping to establish um, you know, a lower anxiety lifestyle. So having fresh patch either available on a patio or indoors and allowing them access to urinate and defecate, eliminate and relieve themselves. That is another way that we can help animals not only be more comfortable, but reduce their anxiety. Everybody's been in a home at one point where they see a dog kind of like antsy, whining, tiptoeing near the door. Yeah, you know, and some people are oblivious. They're like, oh, they're just anxious or they're just excited because the mailman was here. Maybe they need to use the restroom, you know. So um having them have free access is massive. And as I said in the testimonial, for people that are in high-rises, super metropolitan or cosmopolitan areas where you have to actually walk a good deal or take an elevator and walk to get to a fresh patch of grass, or to walk to any patch of grass and know that every dog in town is eliminating on that thing, in addition to wildlife, you know, um, that's where the potential for spreading, you know, bacterial infections, viral infections, parasites, you know, those densely populated areas where there's a thin little strip of grass that animals are using to eliminate on, um, you know, it's just an opportunity for infection. Bad. All right. So um having these fresh patches of grass indoors or uh in a safe space is a huge way to reduce anxiety, to encourage consistency, that human-animal bond, and also uh reduce the potential for exposure to environmental infections.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. I mean, that was round of applause, round of applause there. I mean, that was beautiful. That was awesome. That's uh and I'm glad you point uh uh pointed out like the human side of things. Like we have free will. Like, you know, you said, you know, you're on a car ride, it's 20 minutes in, hey, let's pull over, I gotta go to the bathroom. Like giving that to your pet is so crucial, you know what I mean? So it's it is and I I love hitting that point on our marketing as well. Sometimes, you know, it's just like we have the free will, give them the free will too, you know. It just it just makes sense. And also what you said about wild animals, I've never thought of it like that, too. Like the common spaces out in these uh you know, metropolitan areas, wherever it's like you don't know what squirrel or raccoon or something, you know, is going on that thing as well, or sniffing around. So that's a that's a really good point, you know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah,
Puppy Safety Before Vaccines Finish
SPEAKER_00absolutely. And I I kind of want to dive a little deeper into that because I know like a large part of our clientele are new puppy owners. Um you know, you know better than probably anybody that when you're bringing home a puppy and you know they're still so young, they're way more susceptible to a lot of these diseases. Um and then also, you know, like getting them used to going on the grass, like whether that's scent or texture or that sort of thing, um can be really helpful at you know, as young an age as possible. Um would you uh could you speak to that a little bit?
SPEAKER_02For sure. So um that tactile sensation is nice for them to get used to, you know, it makes it a little bit more rote in terms of of behavior to eliminate there instead of on a rug or carpeting. Um so getting them used to that using positive enrichment, positive reinforcement, that's gonna and in terms of limiting the potential for exposure to parasites, viruses, bacteria that puppies are incredibly susceptible to until two weeks after their final round of vaccines, having them on a protected patch of grass, fresh patch of grass, is uh is going to help mitigate as much risk as possible. You know, we still want to encourage socialization um even at an early age, but we want to do it safely and in a really controlled environment. And so um, yeah, I mean, if you're a client of mine, you've heard me say it, I don't want those little puppy toes touching the ground or communal areas until after they're fully vaccinated, uh, two weeks after they're fully vaccinated, uh, to allow their antibodies to get to cruising altitude. And so uh best practice is always chatting with your veterinarian, finding out the risks in your area and uh the safest way to proceed with a young puppy. But yeah, that is such a uh vulnerable age. We want to keep them as safe as possible.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. And that goes out to you, new puppy owners, if you're dealing with those issues, if your dog's within the vaccine vaccination process, check out fresh patch. It's a great option for you to kind of like mitigate some of those issues and get your dog started start going on grass early.
SPEAKER_03And we just released it. Okay, it's long, it's a long episode, but we did just release our puppy parent bundled as well. Uh, so check it out, freshpatch.com. We give you all the necessities to bring that new puppy home, fresh grass, training sprays, treats to reward them for using the patch correctly, a fresh pad for all, a little insurance policy for your floor. So check it out, freshpatch.com. And yeah, that's thanks for all the information. And then I that was really cool. I didn't know um the two-week thing. That's really good, you know, advice for people. Like, I mean, some people might just think, oh, they got their last shot, you know, and we're good to go. So thanks for pointing that out as well. Of course. Sweet.
Collaborations, Conferences, And Closing
SPEAKER_03So this pretty much wraps it up, but wanted to talk a little bit about collaborations, future collaborations, fresh patch, palms and paws. I know we have a lot of um ideas in the pipeline with Greta Rose with you and everything. So uh for all the viewers, check out palms and paws, check out fresh patch. We have a lot of fun things in the works, and I cannot wait to continue our partnership journey with you guys. And I also just remember too, will you be at the AVMA conference in Anaheim in two weeks or a week and a half now, I think. Yeah, two weeks.
SPEAKER_01Coming up. We'll have to see if my boss wants me off work.
SPEAKER_03There we go. Yeah, so we will be there actually all weekend long. We're gonna have a little kiosk set up and hopefully meet more veterinarians like you and educate them on Fresh Patch and that this product is available. So if you can make it out, we'd love to see you. Um, if you have any connections, let me know if you know anybody that might be there. I'd love to talk to them and stuff. It'll be Gabe and I running the little kiosk booth. I'm actually doing a uh 20-minute like seminar. Um, I'm gonna be up on stage talking about Fresh Patch too. Helpfully educate you know all the vets out there that maybe not know about our product and everything. So yeah, we're uh really excited to you know get into that community. And you are, like we said during the testimonial, one of our first vet you know partners. So um thank you for you know doing what you're doing for Fresh Patch and just all the pets in the area.
SPEAKER_02So grateful to know you guys, to collaborate with you both, uh and the entire team. And uh this is just the beginning. The best is yet to come, as I always say. So super excited to be on this journey with you guys and uh excited for uh for what comes next.
SPEAKER_03Definitely beautiful as we are as well. So we'll wrap it up now for all the viewers watching on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, like, comment, follow at Fresh Patch on all social media, whatever podcasts you listen to, Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts, drop us a follow, subscribe, like, comment. Uh, we love the support. Freshpatch.com for all your real grass potty needs, treats, poop bags. We got it covered for you. And of course, check out Palms and Paws Official and their website as well. And thank you, Dr. Kevin. This was amazing. And you know, we'll get you up here soon. We promise.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, looking forward to the Palmspaws Official on Instagram and palmspaws.com if you want to learn more about what we're cooking up. So excited, and uh yeah, we'll see you guys soon. Awesome.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and thank you, everybody, and we will see you on the next episode of the Fresh Patch Podcast. Thanks for listening to the Fresh Patch Podcast, where good pets get it. We hope you enjoyed the show. Give us a like or a follow and shop all real grass supplies at freshpatch.com.
