Better Dog Care works with dogs in all life stages and with a wide range of nutritional needs, from healthy dogs whose owners simply want to feed well to dogs with complicated medical histories and multiple diagnoses.
You do not need to know exactly which service you need before getting in touch. If you are not sure where your dog fits, submit a brief service request and I will help you determine the appropriate place to start.
Healthy Dogs
Not every dog needs nutritional help because something is wrong. I work with healthy dogs whose owners want a correctly balanced fresh-food diet, whether cooked, raw, or a combination, as well as owners who want knowledgeable guidance on commercial foods and practical ways to improve what they are already feeding.
The goal is not to follow a particular feeding philosophy. It is to choose an approach that is nutritionally appropriate for the individual dog and realistic for the household.
Puppies, Seniors & Active Dogs
Nutritional needs change with growth, aging, activity, and workload. I work with puppies after weaning, adult dogs, seniors and geriatric dogs, as well as working, hunting, show, and sport dogs.
These dogs may be perfectly healthy, but life stage, body condition, activity level, recovery needs, growth, and other practical factors can substantially change what makes sense nutritionally.
Weight Management
I work with dogs that need to lose or gain weight, including dogs whose calorie needs do not seem to match what standard feeding recommendations predict.
For weight-loss cases, appropriate veterinary evaluation is important before formulation so medical causes that may be contributing to weight gain can be ruled out or addressed.
Food Sensitivities & Feeding Challenges
Some dogs arrive without a neat diagnosis but have ongoing feeding problems: chronic digestive upset, suspected food sensitivities, recurring skin or ear problems, poor appetite, selective eating, or unclear reactions to foods and treats.
Depending on the situation, I may help with a structured elimination and tolerance-testing process, a carefully selected fresh-food plan, or another feeding strategy that reduces guesswork and gives us useful information about what the dog actually tolerates.
Commercial Feeding
You do not need to feed a fully fresh diet to work with Better Dog Care. I also help owners choose commercial foods when that is the most practical or appropriate option.
My commercial-food work is backed by more than 25 years of investigating pet food ingredients, formulation, manufacturing, labeling, regulation, recalls, company ownership, and product changes. Commercial diets are not treated as a moral failing here. The question is always the same: What is appropriate for this dog?
Special Needs & Diagnosed Medical Conditions
For dogs with diagnosed medical needs, I provide individualized nutritional support, including in coordination with veterinary care and within the veterinary treatment plan.
A substantial part of my work involves dogs whose needs do not fit neatly into one category. I frequently work with dogs who have more than one diagnosis, where the nutritional priorities for one condition have to be balanced carefully against the needs of another.
Complicated is allowed.
Kidney & Urinary Conditions
Chronic kidney disease, kidney failure, glomerulonephritis, proteinuria, urinary tract problems, and bladder stones including struvite, calcium oxalate, urate, and cystine stones.
Liver & Gallbladder Conditions
Liver disease, elevated liver enzymes, portosystemic shunts (liver shunts), microvascular dysplasia, copper storage disease, and gallbladder or biliary problems.
Gastrointestinal & Pancreatic Conditions
One of my primary areas of expertise, including both straightforward and complex chronic cases: pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), IBS, protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), SIBO, colitis, reflux, chronic GI sensitivity, and other persistent digestive disorders.
Food Allergies & Intolerances
Food allergies, food sensitivities and intolerances, chronic itching and skin problems, recurring ear problems, and cases requiring structured elimination diets.
Neurologic & Spinal Conditions
Seizure disorders and epilepsy, degenerative myelopathy (DM), intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), and other neurologic or spinal conditions where nutrition may play a supportive role.
Cardiac Conditions
Heart disease, including dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD), congestive heart failure, hypertension, and other conditions that require careful nutritional adjustment.
Other Chronic Conditions
Chylothorax, arthritis and other chronic joint or inflammatory conditions, including senior dogs and dogs with multiple long-term health problems requiring careful adjustment.
Cancer & Supportive Nutrition
Individualized nutritional support for dogs with cancer, including dogs in treatment, remission, or with additional medical conditions that affect dietary choices.
Endocrine & Metabolic Conditions
Diabetes, Cushing’s disease, Addison’s disease, hypothyroidism, elevated triglycerides, and other metabolic conditions where diet needs to be considered as part of the complete medical picture.
Not Sure Where Your Dog Fits?
That is fine. Submit a brief service request through Get Started and tell me what you would like help with. I will review the information before you purchase anything and let you know which option is the best fit.