Petworking

About Petworking

A podcast focused on Pet Care and Animal Health

Publisher

Peter Kenseth

Category

kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Apr 2023

Latest episode

22 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

84 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   22 Sept 2026

   Moving Toward, Not Away: Megan Sprinkle on Nutrition, the Vet Channel, and Why It Takes a Village

   There are fewer than 100 board certified veterinary nutritionists in the country. Megan Sprinkle is one of them. She is also the host of Vet Life Reimagined and head of veterinary affairs at Golden Child, the vet-formulated fresh food brand. I had the pleasure of appearing on Megan's show earlier this summer, so it was a treat to return the favor. We got into the inflection point facing veterinary care, the thin nutrition education most vets actually receive, whether "vet-formulated" means anything, and how you build a pet food company from day one. Megan brought a frame I keep thinking about: she has always moved toward what she wants, never away from what she doesn't. Give it a listen.In this episode: Why Megan knew the exam room was never her destination, and how a broad definition of "veterinarian" opened every other door The nutrition education gap, in her words: two hours of small animal nutrition lab at Auburn. Not two credits. Two hours. Enrichment and gamification of feeding, from zoo nutrition to companion animals, and what Farmer's Dog acquiring Woof signals My thesis that the vet channel is the next frontier for non-therapeutic brands, and Megan's healthy skepticism about "vet-formulated" as a buzz term Inside Golden Child: building from the who, the drizzles, shipping frozen D2C, and an overwhelming response from vets Why there is no single fix for access to care, and the two-clinic story that reframes the whole problem Building better community for pet parents, and a nutrition hotline to make those 90-ish experts more reachable Chapters: 00:00 Welcome Megan Sprinkle 02:00 The inflection point in veterinary care 03:20 Never wanted clinical practice 05:40 Moving toward, not away 11:25 Marine mammals to zoo to nutrition 19:00 Farmer's Dog buys Wolf, and enrichment in the bowl 21:30 The nutrition education gap 26:40 The vet channel and the "vet-formulated" question 32:10 Building Golden Child from day one 46:45 The product line: diets and drizzles 48:40 What she would change: no single solution 54:30 Community for pet parents and the nutrition hotline 59:25 Parting words 01:00:25 Peony, and why food is love

2. 

   6 Aug 2026

   Freezer Space Is Finite: Building a Brand One Lick at a Time

   Debbie Hendrickx spent 18 years as a Nordstrom buyer before a 2 AM idea sent her to a Seattle dog park with an orange cart and two flavors written on a cup in Sharpie. Nine years later, Swell is a premium frozen dog treat brand in 1,600 stores across the US and Canada. Peter Kenseth talks with Debbie about building a physical product the hard way, from the co-manufacturer problem that made her sell her house and buy a factory, to cold chain economics, channel strategy, and why she built her brand on independent pet. They get into trade show math, a DTC subscription idea that doesn't require her to ship a single box, and the thesis at the heart of it all. Ingredients make a product. A memorable experience makes a brand.

3. 

   9 Jul 2026

   The Fresh Shelf-Stable Bet: Wellness Reenters the Category on Its Own Terms

   Wellness Pet Company exited fresh frozen a few years ago. At Global Pet Expo, they reentered the category on their own terms with protein bowls, a fresh shelf-stable pouch that needs no freezer, reseals, and lands at $4.99.Peter Kenseth sits down with Greg Kean, SVP of Innovation and Nutrition at Wellness Pet Company, and Lina Gearity, who joined from Procter & Gamble six months ago to lead insights. Together they get into the product development story, the consumer testing behind it, the economics of the pack size, the nutrition, the vet channel, and the case for rotational feeding. What we cover:- Why Wellness left fresh frozen and how they came back without the cold chain- The Culinary Institute of America chef who paired aromatics to each protein- Building for the human experience, not just the dog- The 6.2 oz, $4.99 strategy and whether a larger size is coming- Full AAFCO profiles, digestibility testing, and "veterinarian recommended" on the label- The vet channel as the next frontier for non-therapeutic nutrition brands- No-transition feeding and what it means for the ten-day switch- The rotation debate, emotional and nutritional- Arlo, and the personal origin of Wellness's sensitive skin and stomach dietChapters:00:00 Welcome, and celebrating Old Mother Hubbard's 100th02:00 The protein bowls genesis02:55 Why Wellness exited fresh frozen04:10 What the product had to accomplish05:20 Meet Kyle, the CIA chef behind the aromatics07:20 Palatability, senior dogs, and picky eaters09:30 Cold chain challenges across the category11:25 Fresh shelf-stable vs traditional wet food13:35 Two years of development and consumer insights15:45 The package that actually dispenses22:20 The 6.2 oz and $4.99 decision27:50 No compromise on nutrition30:00 The vet endorsement and the vet channel34:25 The nutrition education gap and vet burnout38:00 No transition required39:40 The rotational feeding question43:10 What consumers really want from variety46:00 Why this industry matters #PetIndustry #PetFood #FreshPetFood #PetNutrition #Petworking #DogNutrition #CPG #AnimalHealth #WellnessPet

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 52 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

80

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60