Stop the Itch: Scientifically Backed Itchy Pet Support/Consultations

Hi everyone,
My name is Tara and I offer a consultation service geared specifically towards itchy pets.

About me:
I currently hold my bachelor of science in animal biology from one of Canada's top animal science programs. I have practiced as a veterinary assistant and pet food consultant for 4 and 3 years, respectively. I have a deep understanding of the metabolism, endocrinology, immunology and physiology as well as several years of hands-on experience helping people with their pets skin issues.

Understanding the biological processes/mechanisms behind symptoms is extremely important in providing individualized treatment plans. Many common treatment plans do not consider the individual pet and the potential underlying causes for their specific symptoms but rather, offer "copy-paste" treatments and solutions. This is about as good as shooting darts blind, hoping you hit the board.

My approach is what most refer to as "integrative", but I prefer to call it scientifically sound. Although my personal plans are strictly holistic, I believe that there is a time and a place for conventional treatments/medications and I believe that having a veterinarian that you trust is important. Using immune-suppressing drugs like Apoquel and steroids, or blindly prescribing antibiotics without addressing all the potential root causes first is dangerous and detrimental to the animals. There are so many different reasons pets itch, everything from yeast, allergies, dermatitis, bacterial infections, and immune/gut imbalances. One can not simply use one overarching solution for everything. ALL of my treatment plans will include references to peer-reviewed scientific literature, you would be surprised at how many natural treatments are well proven and studied!

What makes me different than other pet health specialists/pet nutrition specialists?

Most pet nutrition specialist/health specialist programs are short certificate programs with only 7-50 hours of content. These programs only hit the very tip of the iceberg in the science of nutrition, immunology and companion animal physiology.
My bachelor's has given me the unique perspective of a scientist, and this allows me to truly understand what is happening to your animal on a fundamental level rather than just a surface understanding. I have studied for thousands of hours in one of Canada’s best animal science programs, where I learned animal nutrition, physiology, endocrinology, immunology, pathology and biochemistry.

My hope is that you will only need a maximum of 2 consults in order to get a handle on your pets issues, this is sometimes not achievable, but I believe that in the majority of cases 2 consults will suffice. I have come up with a fee that I think is fair to both the client and I, as I understand that by the time you have decided to try a consult with me, you have likely spent several hundreds or thousands at your veterinarian.

I am here for the animals and not the money (unfortunately one needs money to survive and pay student debts), so if at any point in our initial consult, I believe that your case is beyond my scope of expertise, I will offer you a refund for the session. If I can’t help you then I would rather you keep your money and take your pet to someone who can ❤️

If you have questions about what is or is not included in the service, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

What I Offer:
45 minute initial consultation - $75 Canadian (I charge in CAD but accept any currency conversion)
The first part of the consultation will include taking a detailed history of your pet and providing you with an understanding of the mechanisms behind your pets individual symptoms. The remainder of the consult will be used to create a plan for the diet, supplements and lifestyle changes needed to deal with the root issues of your pets itchiness. I DON'T SELL ANYTHING and have no affiliations. I will help you figure out a plan that is within your budget, as well as recommend products that are accessible in your region of the world. CONSULTATION IS ALL INCLUSIVE- the price includes any diet plans that I need to formulate as well as a treatment plan outlining everything that we discussed in our consultation for your reference. I also provide email support to my clients in case they have questions, I will never charge you for a simple question such as "is this treat ok?".

30 minute follow up consultation - $35 CAD
These follow-ups are for existing clients and are for discussions surrounding treatment plan modifications or new/persistent symptoms.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CONSULTATIONS:

1. ALL PAYMENTS ARE THROUGH PAYPAL AND THE PRICE IS IN CANADIAN DOLLARS. PAYMENT MUST BE MADE WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE APPOINTMENT OR THE APPOINTMENT WILL BE CANCELED.

2. ALL CONSULTATIONS MUST FILL OUT THE PET HISTORY FORM THAT WILL BE SENT TO YOU PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT

3. ALL CONSULTATIONS WILL BE HELD IN ENGLISH

4. CONSULTATIONS WILL BE HELD OVER MICROSOFT TEAMS.

5. TIME IS IN EASTERN-STANDARD TIME. PLEASE CONSIDER THIS WHEN BOOKING!

In my experience, many itchy dogs that are treated for "allergies" are actually dealing with yeast infections. I strongly recommend reading the post below if you have had no luck in proving your pet relief through traditional allergy treatment/diets.

What is yeast?

Yeast is a fungal organism naturally found as part of the natural dermal microbiome of every animal species, including humans. Under the right conditions, yeast can proliferate and overtake other microbes, causing what is known as a “yeast infection”. Malassezia pachydermatis and Candida albicans are two commensal species of yeast commonly found on domestic dogs and cats.

Symptoms of Yeast Infections

Yeast infections can be very irritating to the skin and can result in an intense inflammatory response. It is important to keep in mind that yeast prefers to live in the damp/dark parts of the body such as the paws, armpits, between skin folds and around the ge****ls and in the ears. Animals who are experiencing yeast infections may have any of the following symptoms: (Becker, 2015)

Musky/Cheesy odour (similar to Doritos, Cheetos, or bread)
Red itchy/flaky skin
Thickened skin/elephant skin (primarily in ears)
Greasy skin
Recurrent or chronic ear infections (otitis)
Secondary bacterial skin infections

Comorbidities:

Staphylococcus sp. infections

Causes of Yeast Infections

The Immune System:

Under normal immunological circumstances, your dog should be able to keep the commensal yeast population at bay. Dogs who experience chronic yeast infections often have an underlying dysfunction of the immune system. The loss of proper immune function can be induced by drugs such as steroids, non-steroid immune suppressors or chemotherapies which work to suppress the immune system. There are two key parts of the immune system that are important in recognizing different pathogens (invaders) in and on the body.
The first are the white blood cells, which contain a special receptor on their exterior that is designed to recognize pathogens and tell the white blood cell to “turn on”. These receptors are inherited genetically and the more variation one has, the more one can recognize different kinds of pathogens. This can be a big problem for some purebred dogs, as the receptors lack variation and so sometimes, the dog just doesn’t have the right receptor to recognize the yeast which results in no immune response.

The second are immunoglobulins such as IgG, IgM and IgE. These are antibodies which bind to pathogens allowing other cells to destroy them. A deficiency in these antibodies can result in decreased immune function. The cause of these deficiencies is still unknown to scientists however, it is thought to have a genetic reason.

Dogs with allergies will often give themselves a bacterial skin infection from bacteria introduced through the nails when scratching. Antibiotics are given to treat these skin infections, but they will also kill the commensal bacteria that compete with the yeast for the same food, controlling the population. The more frequently that antibiotics are given, the more chronic the yeast infections will become. This is why it is critical that antibiotic use be followed with a cycle of pre/probiotics. (See: Fido’s Flora or Love Bugs by The Adored Beast Apothecary)

Leaky Gut:

The process of kibble manufacturing produces Maillard reaction products called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGEs are formed when proteins are heated alongside certain types of sugars. Low levels of AGEs are produced when we cook food, including meat (meat also naturally contains some sugars), and the Maillard reaction is what gives our food its delicious smell. Unfortunately, the high carbohydrate content of kibble, combined with the high heat extrusion process means that it has a lot more AGEs than we see with regular cooking. AGEs have been proven to damage the microbiome, activate inflammatory responses and have been linked to many inflammatory diseases such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis and the early progression of age-related diseases. Carbohydrates themselves can also have inflammatory effects, particularly in animals that aren’t equipped to handle them as well as humans. All of this inflammation can lead to an increase in the levels of cytokine expression, (a class of proteins used for immune signalling) resulting in inflammation of the small intestine. (Anderson et al., 2018) The inflammation can lead to the loss of the mucosal lining that protects the gut, resulting in further inflammation. The final result is the formation of small gaps between the cells of the small intestine, allowing proteins to leak through into systemic circulation. The immune system responds by attacking these “foreign” proteins, furthering the cycle of inflammation. This disease is called Leaky Gut. This hyperactivity of the immune system combined with the lower levels of healthy commensal bacteria caused by a leaky gut can lead to yeast infections. (Becker, 2016) Animals with leaky gut may come up as “allergic to everything” on allergy tests. This is because allergy tests check for antibodies, which the body will create when it encounters anything that isn’t supposed to be there. Once the leaky gut is healed and no longer leaking proteins into the body, most animals will no longer show allergy symptoms to the foods that they initially tested positive for.

Moisture:

Yeast proliferates in dark, moist conditions. This is often why animals experience yeast infections in their ears or between armpits/toes. It is important to keep ears dry and to use drying ear cleaners that don’t leave the ears wet. Cotton balls can gently be placed in the ears during baths or when swimming to prevent water from entering the ear canal. Wipe between the toes after walks to remove dirt or buildup.

Customer Testimonials Below:

Please take a moment to share your experience below. This service relies almost completely on word of mouth so testimonials help me immensely ❤️

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