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When Signs and Symptoms Play Decoy Few things drive me (and probably all pet parents!) crazier than vague, overlapping symptoms that you just aren’t able to put your finger on. If you’ve ever found yourself staring at your dog or cat and thinking, “something’s off… but what?” then you aren’t alone, because I’ve been there… Read more: Gut Instincts: How IPL’s At-Home Stool Testing Can Verify What Your Pet’s Body Is Trying to Tell You

You’ve probably heard of lion’s mane mushroom by now—maybe in a podcast, maybe in your local health food store, or maybe because your hippie coworker puts it in their morning tea (guilty as charged…). But did you know this fuzzy little fungus isn’t just for humans? It can work wonders for your pet’s brain, too.… Read more: Lion’s Mane Mushroom For Pets: The Furry Brain Booster Everyone Should Know About

Let’s talk milk. Not the pasteurized, ultra-processed, vitamin-zapped kind currently crowding your grocery store shelves; I mean the real deal. Raw milk. The creamy, enzyme-rich, immune-boosting superfood that’s been quietly healing humans and animals for generations. Sound dramatic? Good! Because the truth is, raw milk products and raw milk diets are some of the most… Read more: The Healing Power of Raw Milk Diets

Let’s be honest: when you hear the term fecal transplant, your first reaction probably isn’t awe-inspired curiosity. But when it comes to Microbiome Restorative Therapy (MBRT), a term coined by Dr. Margo Roman, suddenly we’re not just talking sh*t — we’re talking total gut ecosystem renovation. MBRT vs FMT MBRT is a multi-step, holistic approach… Read more: Talking Sh*t & Taking Names With MBRT 💩

Ever wished your pet could just tell you what’s up with their health? I can only imagine what they might say if they weren’t feeling well…. “I feel inflamed.”“My hormones are a mess.”“I might be hoarding heavy metals like a tiny toxic dragon!” …yeah, me too. While our fur kiddos can’t spill the tea directly,… Read more: Furensic Files: Investigating Your Pet’s Health Status Through HTMA

In my blog Allergies vs Sensitivities Part 1- Defining & Decoding, we learned the difference between an allergy, a sensitivity, and an intolerance. I also explained how the immune system works, which parts of the immune system are hyperreactive when it comes to allergies and sensitivities, and what symptoms your pet may exhibit if they’re… Read more: Allergies vs Sensitivities Part 2- A Holistic Approach to Management

Have you ever watched your pet itch, lick or bite themselves and wonder- are they just scratching an itch, or is it something more insidious? Not all reactions (be they to food or environmental triggers) are created equal — and knowing the difference is key to resolution rather than just symptom suppression. Let’s get sciency… Read more: Allergies vs. Sensitivities Part 1- Defining & Decoding

You know me, and you know that I’m a little bit nutty at baseline, so this topic is absolutely perfect for me! Let’s talk coconut oil and MCT oil: two powerhouse fats that are as beneficial as they are misunderstood. From skin issues to brain health, these healthy oils offer a lot more than just… Read more: A Little Nutty, A Lot Healthy: The Benefits of Coconut Oil & MCT Oil for Pets

If you’re a devoted cat parent seeking natural, holistic alternatives for your feline’s health, understanding hyperthyroidism is essential. This common yet complex endocrine disorder has become an epidemic among cats, but with awareness, the right nutrition, and a proactive approach to environmental health, there’s a lot we can do to help our kitties with one… Read more: A Holistic Approach to Hyperthyroidism in Cats

When we think of chiropractic care, we often imagine humans seeking relief from back pain or injury, but did you know that our pets can benefit just as much (if not more because of lack of bias) from this holistic therapy? Chiropractic care is an excellent tool to add to the toolkit for pet parents… Read more: Exploring Chiropractic Care for Pets

If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know I’m not one to reach for a supplement first, and I will always choose whole foods over a lab-made chemical any day. Luckily two powerhouse nutrients that I do feel deserve a discussion in the holistic pet space: colostrum and glutathione, can absolutely be… Read more: Colostrum and Glutathione: Two Unsung Heroes for Your Pet’s Health

If you’ve ever wandered the aisles of a pet store or scrolled through the supplement options on Amazin, squinting at labels that sound more like chemistry experiments than actual food, you’re not alone. Choosing a supplement for your beloved fur baby (or scaly sidekick—I see you, reptile parents!) can feel like decoding a foreign language.… Read more: How to Choose a Quality Supplement for Your Pet (Without Losing Your Mind)!

Once upon a time, before the age of ultra-processed foods and synthetic supplements, nature provided everything we needed for vibrant health- one of the most powerful, time-tested sources of nutrition- raw milk! That’s right—this ancient, unprocessed food has been nourishing mammals (including humans and their pets) for thousands of years, providing a powerhouse of essential… Read more: The Unfiltered Truth About Raw Milk

If you’ve ever heard the phrase “trust your gut,” you might be surprised to learn that it’s not just good advice for humans—it applies to your pets, too! Your furry companion’s gut microbiome plays a crucial role in their overall health, so keeping it happy and diverse is one of the best things you can… Read more: Why Health Starts With The Gut (Microbiome)

Tremella mushroom (Tremella fuciformis), also known as “Snow Fungus” and, my personal favorite, “Jelly Mushroom,” has been revered in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and skincare for literal centuries. It has some really exceptional abilities in an all-natural package that far exceed simple skin care however, and I think it’s important to start with the components… Read more: The Tremendous Tremella Mushroom

As pet parents, we go to great lengths to ensure our fur babies are happy and healthy- I know that I personally feed my pets better than I do myself most days! But what if the biggest threat to their well-being is lurking right inside our homes? Many everyday household products contain toxins and chemicals… Read more: How Hidden Household Toxins Can Harm Your Pet

Have you ever wondered why that one friend who eats kimchi, drinks kombucha, and talks about “gut flora” like it’s their full-time job (aka, me!!) always seems to have boundless energy? Well, it turns out, they might be onto something. Fermented foods are packed full of beneficial microorganisms, and they don’t just work wonders for… Read more: Bringing the variety of nature back inside through Wild Fermented Probiotics

In recent years, the world has increasingly focused on sustainability and environmental preservation; climate change has become a common discussion rather than a topic that causes eye rolling and avoidance. Within this topic, agriculture—especially livestock farming—has come under scrutiny for its environmental impact. Often we talk about livestock farming, or ranching, in blanket terms, but… Read more: Regenerative Ranching: A Better Way for Cattle and the Planet

What are Mitochondria? I’m very excited to really break down my fresh feeding model and explain why I feel like it’s the absolute best to optimize cellular function. But to understand why I created this model, let’s first learn about mitochondria! Mitochondria are present throughout the body; they’re particularly prevalent in the skeletal muscles, heart,… Read more: Mitochondria & the Vital Paws feeding model

What is a model? By basic definition: a model is a representation, structure, or description that one follows or repeats. In terms of a raw feeding model, it’s a breakdown of ingredients meant to represent the ideal ratios for a fresh food diet. There are many ways to feed fresh food, and using these models… Read more: Nutrition Basics- Fresh Feeding Models

Organs are incredibly nutrient dense and are an integral part of a fresh food diet. Aside from some very specific exceptions, no fresh food diet for cats or dogs should be without organs. They provide a wide variety of vitamins and minerals in a very small package, which is great- you never want to have… Read more: Nutrition Basics – Organ Extravaganza!

Should you give your dog a bone? The short answer is yes, probably. The long answer is still yes, but with a bit more detail. Lets start with a short story. The photo above is my dog Copper, and as you can see, he has excellent teeth. They’re white! They’re straight! They’re healthy! My opinion… Read more: Nutrition Basics- All About Bones

What are Omegas? The best place to start this conversation is with an explanation and comparison of Omegas. Specifically, I’m talking about Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, or PUFAs. These PUFAs can be broken down largely into Omega 3’s, Omega 6’s and Omega 9’s. However, because we’re able to synthesize Omega 9’s in the body, these don’t… Read more: Oils and Omegas- the Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Here’s what we know about Avian Influenza thus far, and what steps you can take to be safe and feel secure.

Struggling to figure out how much food to feed your dog can be stressful. There is a method to the madness, and this article will take you through each step to make it simple.

Taking a natural approach to hypothyroidism isn’t impossible. If you can understand the physiology, the basic labs, and some natural methods to optimize thyroid function you’re more than halfway there!

Water is the most important nutrient we can provide for our pets (and ourselves). No matter our species, our needs remain the same- no one can survive without water, and plenty of it! This can be expanded beyond just water to moisture in general. So that begs the question, why don’t we prioritize hydration for… Read more: Nutrition Basics- Why Worry About Water?

These three terms are very important, in fact one might even call them the three P’s that lead to the prettiest perfect poop! All joking aside, these P’s seem to be all anyone is talking about these days, and for good reason. For years we’ve heard about the importance of probiotics and their effect on… Read more: Pre, Pro and Postbiotics

Why Bother? First, because they deserve it. It’s simple, but true. No animal on this planet (including you!) should be eating ultra processed, dehydrating, poor-quality, shelf stable junk for every meal, every day for their entire lives. But beyond the fact that they simply deserve a species appropriate diet, there are some very major health… Read more: Transitioning Cats to Fresh Food

Introduction My name is Kara, and the most important thing to know about me is that I’m a pet parent and animal enthusiast, just like yourself. I’m also a Nurse Practitioner with a decade of experience in human medicine, so believe me when I say I’ve treated everything from a stubbed toe to a stroke!… Read more: The Pet Feed Pandemic