Serious about nutrition. Less serious about sounding serious.

My work in canine nutrition began in 2001, when I started an in-depth investigation of the commercial pet food industry: what goes into dog food, how products are formulated and manufactured, how the industry is regulated, and how marketing claims compare with what is actually in the bag or can.

That work became the Dog Food Project, an independent educational resource created to help dog owners better understand pet food ingredients, labeling, manufacturing, and the companies behind the products they buy.

In 2005, my work expanded into individualized fresh-food diet formulation. Since then, I have formulated diets for healthy dogs as well as dogs with a wide range of diagnosed medical conditions, from relatively straightforward nutritional needs to complex cases involving multiple concurrent diagnoses.

My Background

My interest in nutrition is grounded in a long-standing background in science. My education included eight years of biology and six years of chemistry, followed by a 2½-year professional apprenticeship that included nutrition and dietetics as part of the curriculum and state examinations in Germany.

I later completed the Animal Care Certificate through the University of Guelph, including coursework in animal nutrition, and have continued studying canine nutrition, nutrient requirements, pet food formulation, ingredients, supplements, and related research throughout my career.

But formal education is only one part of the picture.

More than two decades of hands-on formulation have taught me how different dogs can be, even when they arrive with the same diagnosis. Nutritional requirements may be well established, but turning them into a diet that works for a particular dog takes experience, careful analysis, and an understanding of the whole case.

How I Approach Diet Formulation

I do not begin with a feeding philosophy or a predetermined formula.

I begin with the dog.

That means looking at age, body weight and condition, activity level, health and diet history, diagnoses, relevant diagnostics, medications, supplements, food tolerances, and the practical realities of feeding in that household.

Fresh-food diets may be cooked, raw, or a combination of both. The goal is not to fit every dog into the same style of feeding, but to develop a plan that meets established nutrient requirements while also making sense for the individual dog and owner.

For dogs with diagnosed medical needs, nutrition is used in a supportive role alongside veterinary care and within the veterinary treatment plan.

Experience With Complex Cases

A substantial part of my work involves dogs whose needs do not fit neatly into one category.

A dog may have kidney disease and pancreatitis. Another may have cardiac disease alongside gastrointestinal problems. Diabetes may need to be managed alongside another condition that changes what can reasonably be fed.

This is where individualized formulation becomes especially important. The nutritional priorities for one diagnosis may need to be balanced carefully against the requirements of another.

Over the years, gastrointestinal and pancreatic disorders in particular have become one of my primary areas of expertise, along with kidney and urinary disease, liver and gallbladder disorders, cardiac disease, food sensitivities, neurologic conditions, endocrine disorders, cancer-supportive nutrition, and other chronic health problems.

Commercial Dog Food Research

Fresh-food formulation is only one side of my work.

I have been researching commercial dog food since 2001, including ingredients, formulation practices, manufacturing relationships, labeling and regulation, recalls, company ownership, and product changes.

That background allows me to help clients who prefer commercial foods. I do not believe every dog owner needs to feed the same way, and while I always advocate for feeding fresh, whole, real foods, commercial diets are not treated as a moral failing here at Better Dog Care.

The question is always the same: What is appropriate for this dog?

More Than Nutrition on Paper

Dogs have been a major part of my life for decades, not only through nutrition but through training, trialing in dog sports, showing in conformation, and simply sharing my home with them.

That matters to me because a feeding plan does not exist in isolation. It has to work for a real dog living in a real household, with preferences, routines, medical considerations, budgets, and owners who need something they can actually maintain.

After 25 years of investigating the pet food industry and more than 20 years of formulating individualized diets, that practical perspective remains at the center of Better Dog Care.

Good nutrition should be scientifically sound, individually appropriate, and realistic enough to live with.