Are you tired of feeling like you need a second job just to buy pet food?

You're not alone. Prices keep climbing, and if you’ve ever stood in the pet food aisle doing mental math and wondering what bill to skip this week, this episode is for you.

I’m breaking down six smart, realistic ways to save money on pet food without cutting corners on quality. These are the exact strategies I’ve used with my own pets, my foster pets, and shared with adopters who want to feed their pets well without draining their bank accounts.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:
• How to buy in bulk without wasting a dime on spoiled food
• The auto-ship trick that saves money without creating a stockpile disaster
• What to look for on food labels so you stop paying premium prices for cheap fillers
• How to rotate proteins for savings and better nutrition
• Simple portion and storage hacks that stop you from literally throwing money away
• The safe, healthy human foods that stretch your pet food budget further than you think

Feeding your pets well doesn’t have to feel impossible. A few small tweaks can mean big savings and healthier meals for your pets.

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Love the show? Please share it with another pet parent who wants less chaos and more clarity. Please leave a 5-star review to help others find real-life, judgment-free advice.

🎧Get your free guide: 10 Tips for Bonding With Your Pet

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Big pet challenges we help pet parents solve include: puppy training, cat behavior, pet budgeting, stress-free vet visits, solutions for multi-pet households, and more.

Contact: Amy@petparenthotline.com

©Ⓟ 2025 by Amy Castro.

Does a single vet visit feel like it could wipe out your bank account?

You're not alone and you're not doing anything wrong. Too many pet parents walk into the clinic hoping for a quick checkup and walk out hundreds of dollars poorer, without knowing how it happened or how to avoid it next time.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the real cost of veterinary care and giving you a smarter way to plan ahead, so you’re not caught off guard, financially drained, or forced to choose between your budget and your pet’s health.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

• The most common budgeting mistakes pet parents make and how to avoid them
• Key questions to ask your vet before the invoice hits your inbox
• Cost-saving strategies to keep your pet healthy without sacrificing your financial sanity

You shouldn’t have to panic every time your pet needs care and with a few proactive steps, you won’t have to.

GET YOUR FREE VET VISIT BUDGETING GUIDE WITH BONUS SAVINGS TIPS!

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Love the show? Please share it with another pet parent who wants less chaos and more clarity. Please leave a 5-star review to help others find real-life, judgment-free advice.

🎧Get your free guide: 10 Tips for Bonding With Your Pet

Follow:
🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify


Big pet challenges we help pet parents solve include: puppy training, cat behavior, pet budgeting, stress-free vet visits, solutions for multi-pet households, and more.

Contact: Amy@petparenthotline.com

©Ⓟ 2025 by Amy Castro.

Thinking about adding another pet to your family? Before you give in to those puppy-dog eyes or kitten purrs, hit pause. Because while one more pet can be wonderful, it can also turn your home upside down if the timing or reason isn’t right.

In this episode, I’m sharing 4 essential gut checks to help you decide if it’s truly the right time to expand your pack. After adopting out pets to thousands of families and taking in hundreds of owner surrenders, I’ll give you the honest questions no one else asks, but every pet parent needs to answer, before saying yes to another lifelong commitment.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:
• Why “what’s one more?” is a dangerous mindset for pet parents
• How to tell if your current home environment is stable enough for another pet
• The real cost, time, money, and energy of adding to your furry family
• The one reason you should never adopt, no matter how cute that face is

If you’ve ever wondered if you’re truly ready for “just one more,” this episode is your gut-check. Listen before you say yes, you and your pets will thank you.

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Love the show? Please share it with another pet parent who wants less chaos and more clarity. Please leave a 5-star review to help others find real-life, judgment-free advice.

🎧Get your free guide: 10 Tips for Bonding With Your Pet

Follow:
🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify


Big pet challenges we help pet parents solve include: puppy training, cat behavior, pet budgeting, stress-free vet visits, solutions for multi-pet households, and more.

Contact: Amy@petparenthotline.com

©Ⓟ 2025 by Amy Castro.

Feel like the more you try to fix your dog’s behavior, the worse it gets?

If you’re dealing with barking, leash pulling, jumping, or flat-out ignoring commands, the problem might not be your dog: it might be what you’re accidentally reinforcing without realizing it.

In this episode, I’m joined by professional dog trainer and behavior consultant Bradley Phifer, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KSA, Executive Director, CCPDT to unpack the everyday mistakes that teach dogs to keep misbehaving, even when you're trying your best to stop it.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL FIND OUT:
• How unintentional habits like acting excited when you get home, high-pitched baby talk, or ignoring jumping up periodically can reinforce bad behavior
• Why “management” isn't a shortcut, it’s a critical part of lasting training
• What to do when your dog’s behavior is taking over your life (and how to get it back)

If your dog’s behavior is going from frustrating to unmanageable, and nothing you’ve tried is working, this episode will show you where things are breaking down and how to shift the pattern starting today.

CONNECT WITH BRADLEY PHIFER
WEBSITE | https://bradleyphifer.com/

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers: https://www.ccpdt.org/

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Love the show? Please share it with another pet parent who wants less chaos and more clarity. Please leave a 5-star review to help others find real-life, judgment-free advice.

🎧Get your free guide: 10 Tips for Bonding With Your Pet

Follow:
🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify


Big pet challenges we help pet parents solve include: puppy training, cat behavior, pet budgeting, stress-free vet visits, solutions for multi-pet households, and more.

Contact: Amy@petparenthotline.com

©Ⓟ 2025 by Amy Castro.

When your dog’s limping or your cat won’t stop scratching, it’s tempting to reach into your medicine cabinet, but should you?

In this episode, I’m joined by returning guest Dr. Zoo, my vet and the veterinarian for Starlight Outreach and Rescue, to tackle one of the most Googled questions in pet parenting: “Can I give my pet human over-the-counter meds?”

We’re breaking down what’s safe, what’s dangerous, and what might help when the vet is closed and your pet needs relief now.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL FIND OUT:
• Which common human medications can be deadly to pets - even in small amounts
• Safe, vet-approved options you can keep on hand for pain, allergies, and stomach issues
• Natural remedies hiding in your fridge or pantry that actually work

Stop guessing, Googling, or asking that know-it-all in your dog mom Facebook group who thinks garlic cures everything. This episode gives you the real answers, so you’re ready the next time your pet needs help.

CONNECT WITH DR. ZOO: https://familyahfriendswood.com/

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Love the show? Please share it with another pet parent who wants less chaos and more clarity. Please leave a 5-star review to help others find real-life, judgment-free advice.

🎧Get your free guide: 10 Tips for Bonding With Your Pet

Follow:
🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify


Big pet challenges we help pet parents solve include: puppy training, cat behavior, pet budgeting, stress-free vet visits, solutions for multi-pet households, and more.

Contact: Amy@petparenthotline.com

©Ⓟ 2025 by Amy Castro.

You’re staring at another $200 vet bill and wondering if skipping a month of flea, tick, or heartworm meds will really matter.

• Your dog barely goes outside.
• Your cat’s never seen a flea.
• And those preventatives are not cheap.

But what if that one skipped dose turns into a $3,000 emergency—or worse?

In this episode, I’m joined by veterinarian Dr. Linda Atkins to cut through the fear, guilt, and confusing advice around parasite prevention. We’re talking flea meds, tick risks, heartworm horror stories, and how to protect your pets without flushing your money down the drain.

If you’ve ever asked, “Do I really need to do this year-round?”, this is the episode you can’t afford to miss.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL FIND OUT:
• When skipping a dose is no big deal, and when it could be deadly
• How your pet’s lifestyle, your location, and even your backyard shape real parasite risks
• How to protect your pet and your wallet without falling for fear-based sales tactics or bad advice from well-meaning friends

Because no one wants to be the pet parent who saves $15… and ends up with a $3,000 regret.

CONNECT WITH DR. LINDA ATKINS
Valley Cottage Animal Hospital, Valley Cottage, NY

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
• Companion Animal Parasite Council – https://www.petsandparasites.org/
• American Heartworm Society – https://www.heartwormsociety.org/

Send us a text

Love the show? Please share it with another pet parent who wants less chaos and more clarity. Please leave a 5-star review to help others find real-life, judgment-free advice.

🎧Get your free guide: 10 Tips for Bonding With Your Pet

Follow:
🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify


Big pet challenges we help pet parents solve include: puppy training, cat behavior, pet budgeting, stress-free vet visits, solutions for multi-pet households, and more.

Contact: Amy@petparenthotline.com

©Ⓟ 2025 by Amy Castro.

Think getting a pet would make life better? Instead, your bank account’s drained, your dog won’t stop barking, your cat’s peeing everywhere, and you’re up at 2 a.m. searching for answers.

That’s why I created The Pet Parent Hotline - your lifeline for real-world pet parenting. In this quick trailer, you’ll find out what this show is all about, why it’s different from every other pet podcast out there, and how it’s here to help you create a life that works for you and your pets.

Hit follow now so you don’t miss the first six episodes dropping August 10, 2025!

Send us a text

Love the show? Please share it with another pet parent who wants less chaos and more clarity. Please leave a 5-star review to help others find real-life, judgment-free advice.

🎧Get your free guide: 10 Tips for Bonding With Your Pet

Follow:
🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify


Big pet challenges we help pet parents solve include: puppy training, cat behavior, pet budgeting, stress-free vet visits, solutions for multi-pet households, and more.

Contact: Amy@petparenthotline.com

©Ⓟ 2025 by Amy Castro.

Ever feel like you're the only one who remembers to feed the dog, clean the litter box, or refill the water bowls? You’re not alone, and you don’t have to keep doing it all.

This bonus summer episode gives you a complete system to get your household to step up and share the pet care load, without nagging, yelling, or turning into the resentful pet parent you swore you’d never be.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

• The communication traps that keep you stuck doing everything yourself
• How to host a productive “pet care reset” meeting that works
• Step-by-step ways to assign tasks fairly and create accountability
• What to say when someone forgets their pet care job without starting a fight

If you’re ready to stop being the unpaid CEO of Pet Operations and finally get the help you deserve, this episode is your action plan.

Bonus download mentioned in the episode: Get your FREE guide to getting help with pet care.

PS: You might hear us call the show Muddy Paws and Hairballs. That was our old name. Now we’re focused on helping you—the pet parent—not just your pets. You’re in the right place.

Send us a text

Love the show? Please share it with another pet parent who wants less chaos and more clarity. Please leave a 5-star review to help others find real-life, judgment-free advice.

🎧Get your free guide: 10 Tips for Bonding With Your Pet

Follow:
🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify


Big pet challenges we help pet parents solve include: puppy training, cat behavior, pet budgeting, stress-free vet visits, solutions for multi-pet households, and more.

Contact: Amy@petparenthotline.com

©Ⓟ 2025 by Amy Castro.