A few days ago, Pax and I went for a swim.
Unfortunately, this time, it came along with one of the most physically painful experiences of my life..
And strangely enough, I walked away thinking: that was still worth the pain!
Let me explain.
If you’ve been part of our community for any length of time, you already know this about Pax: If there’s water nearby, he’s in it.
Streams. Rivers. Lakes. The ocean. Flat or large surf. He doesn’t mind.
Water is his happy place.
So we went to the beach so he could chase waves.
On this particular day, I sat down on the sand next to a man and a woman who had been watching him. They asked how old Pax was.
When I told them he’s six, they looked genuinely surprised:“He runs and plays like a puppy!,”
Of course I asked if they had a dog.
“We do,” they said. “He’s almost a year old.”
I didn’t wait a second to throw in a follow up question: “Is he neutered?”
They paused.
“We’re thinking about it.”
Now, I’m usually not the kind of person who inserts himself into someone else’s life-decisions, especially on a beach, of all places.
But here’s the thing.
With everything I’ve learned over the years about hormones, long-term health, and the unintended consequences of conventional spaying and neutering, staying silent didn’t feel right.
It felt a bit like watching someone struggle in the water and telling myself, I’m sure someone else will help.
So I carefully spoke up for their dog’s "crown jewels" and their importance in long-term hormone health, mobility, and longevity.
I shared what we now know about hormone health in dogs and the risks linked to traditional spay and neuter, such as cruciate ligament injuries, chronic inflammation, and some cancers.
And I pointed them to our Hormone Health for Dogs resource so they could learn more and make an informed, confident decision.
You could almost see their relief. They thanked me. More than once. The husband even said something along the lines of “I told you so” to his wife — not something I’d recommend, gentlemen!
And as they walked away, I felt like one dog’s future just changed for the better.
I expected that conversation about dog hormones and spay and neuter alternatives to be the most memorable moment of my day.
What I didn’t know yet… was that the ocean had another surprise for me.
After saying goodbye to my new friends, I walked down to the water for a quick dip
I placed my hand down to submerge and instantly, I felt a sharp stubbing pain in my hand.
I got stung by a sea urchin!
The pain was brutal!
Within seconds, it felt it going up my arm — as the venom spread through tissue.
My hand throbbed. My fingers felt like they were on fire, and I was thinking, how could such a seemingly small creature cause so much pain!?
Naturally, Pax was worries to seem me in distress. Aren’t dogs amazing?
Anyhow, once I got home, I did what I always recommend doing in situations like this:
I soaked my hand for about 20 minutes in a simple 1:1 mixture of vinegar and my herbal SkinSpray.
And the pain almost completely disappeared.
It didn’t slowly fade or “kind of” improve.
It just stopped almost completely, with a little bit of sensation that was easy to handle
And as I stood there afterward — hand fine, crisis over — it reminded me how often the difference between panic and peace comes down to being prepared before something happens.
That’s as true for our dogs as it is for us.
The next time you or your dog gets a cut, scrape, or irritated patch of skin, here’s a simple natural wound-care approach I’ve used for decades with excellent results.
Simple natural wound care steps
First, gently rinse the area with cool or room-temperature water and make sure there’s no dirt, sand, or hair left behind.
Pat it dry with sterile gauze.
Then spray SkinSpray directly on the area (I have a few bottles around the house).
Generally, I like the wounds to be covered by a bandaid, bandage or a piece of sterile gauze, and apply SkinSpray by saturating the material to provide more continuous effect of the herbs.
Change the dressing twice daily.
Unlike hydrogen peroxide or other harsh chemicals, SkinSpray is gentle, made from natural herbs, and supports healthy skin healing instead of disrupting it.
Why this herbal spray matters
My grandfather was a herbalist and I based this formula on what he taught me throughout the years we spent together.
It is composed of time-tested plants like calendula, goldenseal, witch hazel, and yucca, which work in synergy to support natural healing, reduce inflammation and redness, and soothe discomfort
Our customers, family, friends, and I use SkinSpray for cuts, scrapes, insect bites, stings, hot spots, incisions, and now sea urchin stings too.
Before launching this product many years ago, I didn’t realize how often dogs and people would need a safe, herbal wound spray.
As I said, I keep several bottles around our house at all times, and I make sure I have extras on hand for friends and neighbors, too.
You would not believe how often dogs and people get injured!
A safer alternative to harsh wound care
I use every product I have formulated but SkinSpray is especially meaningful to me.
My grandfather took me often on walks through hills and meadows collecting plants, then drying them on his rooftop. Those memories — and herbal healing lessons — stayed with me.
I can’t tell you how frustrated I get seeing the conventional wound care methods.
Overuse of antibiotics, harsh toxic chemicals that damage skin cell and slow down healing.
At the same time, I understand why people use the stuff I would never use on Pax and I. They have been scared and fear mongered into the belief that they have to use that “s…t.”
Did I just say that? With herbs, healing is reliable, safe and easy!
Make SkinSpray part of your first aid kit
So, if you haven’t used SkinSpray yet, this is an invitation to try it and make it part of your home and dog first aid kit.
It is a herbal, non-toxic skin and wound care spray created for both dogs and people, and it comes with an unlimited lifetime guarantee.
Seriously, there is nothing like it.
