[ Guest Blog By Veterinarian Dr Michelle Ooi, BVSc (Hons), CVFT, CSAVA ]
There’s a type of diet that’s been touted as “healthy” by pet food brands - Grain-free dog food. But what does it mean for a diet to be grain-free? Essentially, they are meals made without cereal grains like wheat, corn, rice or barley, and they have become extremely popular in the pet food industry.
However, despite its popularity, in 2018 the FDA warned that many cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) [1], a serious heart disease, were reported in dogs eating certain grain-free diets. These unusual patterns of DCM appearing in breeds not normally prone to it, have led to debate.
So, are grain-free diets suitable for healthy dogs? The short answer is: It’s complicated. Grain-free does not automatically mean that a diet is unhealthy or healthy. First, let’s look at what we actually know.
What Does “Grain-Free” Actually Mean?
Let’s start with the basics. When we say grain-free dog food, we simply mean a diet that does not contain cereal grains such as wheat, corn, rice, barley or oats.
But here’s where things get interesting. When you take grains out of a dog food recipe, something else is usually added to make up the calories.. Depending on the recipe, this might be potatoes, sweet potatoes, tapioca, peas, lentils, chickpeas or other carbohydrate sources. So, grain-free doesn’t necessarily mean carbohydrate-free. Protein or fats can also be used to replace the calories from the carbohydrate sources.
Therefore, you can have two grain-free dog foods that look completely different nutritionally. One could be primarily made up of animal ingredients, while another could rely heavily on peas, lentils or potatoes.
This is why I always encourage pet owners to look beyond the words “grain-free” on the front of the packaging. The word itself tells you what is missing, but doesn’t tell you what has replaced it. And contrary to what you may have heard, dogs are not inherently unable to digest grains. Most healthy dogs can digest properly cooked grains and obtain useful nutrients and fibre from them.
So if your dog is perfectly healthy and happily eating a complete and balanced diet containing some grains, there is generally no reason to remove grains simply because they have been labelled as “bad”.
The Biggest Misunderstanding: Grain-Free and Heart Disease
Now we get to the part that has caused the most confusion: DCM and grain-free diets. In 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began investigating reports of dogs developing DCM while eating certain diets, many of which were grain-free and contained relatively high proportions of peas, lentils, other pulses and/or potatoes [1].
That sounds alarming, and understandably so. But there is an important distinction. The FDA did not establish that grain-free diets cause DCM. What they identified was an association between reported cases of DCM and certain diets. Many of the reported diets happened to be grain-free and contained substantial amounts of legumes or potatoes. It's also worth noting that the FDA closed this investigation in December 2022 without establishing a causal link between grain-free diets and DCM.
In the FDA's analysis of reported foods, more than 90% were grain-free, while 93% contained peas and/or lentils and 42% contained potatoes or sweet potatoes. That is worth investigating. An association is not the same thing as proving that one ingredient is responsible for causing the condition. Think of it this way. If I noticed that many dogs with a particular health problem ate the same type of dog food, I would certainly want to investigate that food. But I couldn't immediately say, “This food caused the disease.”
There could be other factors involved. This is particularly important because DCM is a complex disease. Genetics, nutritional adequacy, individual metabolism and other dietary factors may all play a role. Researchers have also found some interesting clues involving taurine, an amino acid that plays an important role in normal heart function. Some dogs with diet-associated DCM have shown low taurine concentrations, although taurine deficiency does not explain every case [2].
The particularly interesting study looked at 24 Golden Retrievers with DCM and taurine deficiency. The dogs were eating several different diets, many of which were rich in legumes and labelled grain-free. The researchers found an association between diet and low taurine status in a proportion of the dogs.
But here's another interesting piece of the puzzle. In another group of dogs with DCM, heart function improved after changing their diet. And importantly, some dogs improved even after being switched from one grain-free food to another grain-free food [3]. That tells us something important: It probably isn't as simple as “grains = good, grain-free = bad”. The bigger question is: What is actually in the diet, and is the overall formulation nutritionally appropriate?
So if your healthy dog is currently eating grain-free dog food, please don't panic just because you have seen a headline saying grain-free food causes heart disease. Instead, take a closer look at the food itself.
Does Grain-Free Mean The Food Is Healthy?
This is probably the biggest lesson I want pet parents to take away from this article. “Grain-free” is not a synonym for “healthy” or “low-carb”. Removing grains from a recipe doesn't magically make dog food more nutritious. What matters is what goes into the recipe instead.
For example, a grain-free dog food may replace rice or wheat with potatoes, tapioca, peas or lentils. These ingredients aren't automatically “bad” either. Peas, lentils and potatoes can all provide useful nutrients when appropriately incorporated into a balanced diet. The concern comes when we focus so much on what has been removed that we forget to ask what has replaced it.
Some grain-free formulations can contain substantial amounts of legumes or starchy ingredients. In some diets, several forms of the same ingredient may appear in different places on the ingredient list — for example, peas, pea protein and pea starch. This is one reason I encourage pet owners not to judge a dog food simply by its marketing claims. A diet can be grain-free and still be highly processed, heavily reliant on starches, or poorly formulated.
There is also an important nutritional consideration here. Pulses such as peas and lentils have useful nutritional properties, but their amino acid profiles differ from those of animal proteins. Pulses are relatively low in methionine compared with lysine, and methionine is one of the precursors involved in taurine synthesis [4]. Again, the takeaway is balance. The ingredient itself isn't necessarily the problem. The overall formulation matters.
Are There Any Benefits to a Grain-Free Diet?
Absolutely. This is where I think we need to move away from the idea that “grain-free = dangerous”. The real question isn't whether dog food contains grains. It is what the food contains instead.
A thoughtfully formulated grain-free diet can take a very different approach. Instead of relying heavily on one or two starchy replacements, it can use a variety of whole-food ingredients, including quality animal proteins, vegetables, fruits and appropriate sources of fibre and carbohydrates. The nutritional composition of grain-free diets varies considerably, so the ingredients used to replace grains really do matter.
What could a good grain-free diet offer?
For some dogs, choosing the right grain-free food can be a perfectly reasonable way to provide a nutritious, complete diet.
More variety from whole-food ingredients
One potential advantage of a thoughtfully formulated grain-free recipe is that removing grains creates an opportunity to build the recipe around other whole-food ingredients.
Instead of making a grain or starch the centre of the recipe, a food can place greater emphasis on quality animal proteins alongside a range of fruits and vegetables. This can provide different sources of fibre, vitamins, minerals and plant compounds, while also making mealtimes more interesting from a nutritional perspective.
Of course, simply adding fruits and vegetables doesn't automatically make a food healthier. What matters is how the entire recipe comes together.
Useful option for dogs with specific sensitivities
There are some dogs that do better when certain ingredients are removed from their diet. True food allergies in dogs are relatively uncommon, and grains are not necessarily the culprit, but if a dog has a confirmed sensitivity to a particular grain or ingredient, avoiding it can be appropriate.
This is why I don't recommend assuming that every itchy or sensitive dog needs to immediately go grain-free. Ideally, work with your veterinarian to identify what your dog actually reacts to.
Carbohydrate source matters
Grain-free doesn't automatically mean low- or no-carbohydrate, and the type of carbohydrate used can affect how a diet is digested and how a dog's blood glucose and insulin responses change.
Research has found that different carbohydrate sources can produce different post-meal glucose and insulin responses in dogs [5]. The response in a dog’s body after eating a recipe using potato or tapioca can be very different from one that uses sweet potato or pumpkin. The method of processing of these carbohydrates also matters. So again, grain-free is not the magic word. The formulation is.
Dogs can thrive on the right formula
This is perhaps the most practical point. Every dog is an individual. When I assess a diet, I'm not just looking at whether it contains grains. I'm looking at the bigger picture: Is the dog maintaining a healthy weight? Are their stools good? Is their coat healthy? Are they energetic? Are they enjoying their food? And, most importantly, is the diet complete and balanced for their needs?
A well-formulated grain-free diet can absolutely tick those boxes. There is an important difference between a grain-free food that is built around quality animal proteins, vegetables and fruits and one where the first several ingredients are simply different forms of starch and legumes. So if you're considering grain-free dog food, don't stop at “Does this contain grains?” Ask instead: “What has been used in place of the grains?”
What Should You Look For When Choosing a Grain-Free Dog Food?
If you've decided that a grain-free diet is suitable for your dog, don't stop at the words “grain-free” on the packaging.
Here are a few things I would look at.
1. Look beyond the first marketing claim
Turn the packet around. What are the main ingredients? You want to see a sensible balance of quality animal proteins, fats and other whole-food ingredients rather than a recipe that appears to replace grains with large amounts of starches and legumes.
And remember, ingredients are listed by weight before processing, so the ingredient list alone doesn't tell you the complete nutritional picture. The first few ingredients should be the protein, followed by fruits or vegetables and lastly, superfoods or added vitamins.
2. Check that the food is complete and balanced
This is more important than whether the food contains grains. Your dog needs the right balance of protein, fat, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Food that looks “natural” or contains an impressive list of ingredients isn't necessarily nutritionally complete. Look for a food that is formulated to meet recognised nutritional requirements for your dog's life stage. A good tip is to check if they’re certified complete and balanced using AAFCO, NRC or FEDIAF guidelines.
3. Ask who formulated the food
There are some questions I wish more pet owners asked:
- Who actually formulated the recipe?
- What nutritional standards does it meet?
- Does the company conduct appropriate testing or feeding trials?
- Can they provide nutritional information?
A transparent pet food manufacturer should be able to answer reasonable questions about what goes into your dog's bowl.
4. Look at the whole food, not just the buzzwords
“Natural, premium, holistic, grain-free.” These words can sound reassuring, but they don't tell you everything you need to know. When choosing dog food, I would much rather see pet parents focus on nutritional adequacy, ingredient quality, formulation and transparency.
For example, fresh dog food can be an option for pet owners who want to see recognizable whole-food ingredients in their dog's meals. One example is The Grateful Pet, a Singapore-based pet nutrition company offering gently cooked and raw fresh dog food. Their grain-free recipes are made in Singapore and use whole-food ingredients alongside animal proteins and functional ingredients.
What I particularly like about this approach is the emphasis on transparency. Pet parents can actually see and understand the ingredients that go into their dog's meals, rather than choosing a food simply because it has a “grain-free” label. It also avoids relying on excessive supplementation or additives to compensate for poorly bioavailable ingredients.
Of course, as with any dog food, I would still encourage pet owners to check that the particular recipe is nutritionally complete and appropriate for their individual dog.
5. Don't change your dog's diet based on a headline
Finally, please don't abruptly change your dog's food because you've read one alarming article online. If your dog is healthy and thriving, there may be no reason to make a dramatic change.
If you're concerned about their current diet, speak to your veterinarian. We can look at your dog's breed, age, health history, body condition, current food and individual nutritional needs before deciding whether a change is actually necessary.
Conclusion:
The DCM controversy has taught us something important about pet nutrition: we shouldn't judge a food based on one ingredient or one marketing claim. The absence of grains isn't what makes dog food healthy (or unhealthy). What matters is the whole diet. The ingredients, their proportions, nutritional formulation, quality control and whether it meets your dog's individual needs.
And if you do choose grain-free dog food, be curious. Look at what has replaced the grains. Pay attention to the amount and variety of legumes and starches. Check that the food is complete and balanced. Ask questions about formulation and quality control.
Most importantly, don't let the label make the decision for you. Your dog deserves more than a buzzword on a bag.
References
[1] https://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20201222194256/https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/fda-investigating-potential-connection-between-diet-and-cases-canine-heart-disease
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30543707/
[3] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0209112
[4] https://oup.silverchair-cdn.com/article-minimal/6423170
[5] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10391544/
About Dr Michelle Ooi
Dr Michelle Ooi holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours) from the University of Queensland, Australia. She began her career across various government sectors — spanning wildlife conservation, pathology and animal welfare — before moving into clinical practice.
An athlete since childhood, Dr Michelle has always approached health holistically, which naturally drew her to Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. She is certified in Veterinary Food Therapy and Small Animal Acupuncture, and is committed to integrating these principles alongside conventional veterinary medicine — combining Eastern and Western approaches for a more comprehensive, individualised approach to nutrition and care.
Drawing on her own experience as a lifelong athlete, she believes the same fundamentals that support human health — nutrition, movement and environment — are just as critical for pets. Her goal is to help pet owners cut through the noise and make informed, evidence-based choices for their animals' lifelong health.
[ Guest Blog By Veterinarian Dr Michelle Ooi, BVSc (Hons), CVFT, CSAVA ]
There’s a type of diet that’s been touted as “healthy” by pet food brands - Grain-free dog food. But what does it mean for a diet to be grain-free? Essentially, they are meals made without cereal grains like wheat, corn, rice or barley, and they have become extremely popular in the pet food industry.
However, despite its popularity, in 2018 the FDA warned that many cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) [1], a serious heart disease, were reported in dogs eating certain grain-free diets. These unusual patterns of DCM appearing in breeds not normally prone to it, have led to debate.
So, are grain-free diets suitable for healthy dogs? The short answer is: It’s complicated. Grain-free does not automatically mean that a diet is unhealthy or healthy. First, let’s look at what we actually know.
What Does “Grain-Free” Actually Mean?
Let’s start with the basics. When we say grain-free dog food, we simply mean a diet that does not contain cereal grains such as wheat, corn, rice, barley or oats.
But here’s where things get interesting. When you take grains out of a dog food recipe, something else is usually added to make up the calories.. Depending on the recipe, this might be potatoes, sweet potatoes, tapioca, peas, lentils, chickpeas or other carbohydrate sources. So, grain-free doesn’t necessarily mean carbohydrate-free. Protein or fats can also be used to replace the calories from the carbohydrate sources.
Therefore, you can have two grain-free dog foods that look completely different nutritionally. One could be primarily made up of animal ingredients, while another could rely heavily on peas, lentils or potatoes.
This is why I always encourage pet owners to look beyond the words “grain-free” on the front of the packaging. The word itself tells you what is missing, but doesn’t tell you what has replaced it. And contrary to what you may have heard, dogs are not inherently unable to digest grains. Most healthy dogs can digest properly cooked grains and obtain useful nutrients and fibre from them.
So if your dog is perfectly healthy and happily eating a complete and balanced diet containing some grains, there is generally no reason to remove grains simply because they have been labelled as “bad”.
The Biggest Misunderstanding: Grain-Free and Heart Disease
Now we get to the part that has caused the most confusion: DCM and grain-free diets. In 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began investigating reports of dogs developing DCM while eating certain diets, many of which were grain-free and contained relatively high proportions of peas, lentils, other pulses and/or potatoes [1].
That sounds alarming, and understandably so. But there is an important distinction. The FDA did not establish that grain-free diets cause DCM. What they identified was an association between reported cases of DCM and certain diets. Many of the reported diets happened to be grain-free and contained substantial amounts of legumes or potatoes. It's also worth noting that the FDA closed this investigation in December 2022 without establishing a causal link between grain-free diets and DCM.
In the FDA's analysis of reported foods, more than 90% were grain-free, while 93% contained peas and/or lentils and 42% contained potatoes or sweet potatoes. That is worth investigating. An association is not the same thing as proving that one ingredient is responsible for causing the condition. Think of it this way. If I noticed that many dogs with a particular health problem ate the same type of dog food, I would certainly want to investigate that food. But I couldn't immediately say, “This food caused the disease.”
There could be other factors involved. This is particularly important because DCM is a complex disease. Genetics, nutritional adequacy, individual metabolism and other dietary factors may all play a role. Researchers have also found some interesting clues involving taurine, an amino acid that plays an important role in normal heart function. Some dogs with diet-associated DCM have shown low taurine concentrations, although taurine deficiency does not explain every case [2].
The particularly interesting study looked at 24 Golden Retrievers with DCM and taurine deficiency. The dogs were eating several different diets, many of which were rich in legumes and labelled grain-free. The researchers found an association between diet and low taurine status in a proportion of the dogs.
But here's another interesting piece of the puzzle. In another group of dogs with DCM, heart function improved after changing their diet. And importantly, some dogs improved even after being switched from one grain-free food to another grain-free food [3]. That tells us something important: It probably isn't as simple as “grains = good, grain-free = bad”. The bigger question is: What is actually in the diet, and is the overall formulation nutritionally appropriate?
So if your healthy dog is currently eating grain-free dog food, please don't panic just because you have seen a headline saying grain-free food causes heart disease. Instead, take a closer look at the food itself.
Does Grain-Free Mean The Food Is Healthy?
This is probably the biggest lesson I want pet parents to take away from this article. “Grain-free” is not a synonym for “healthy” or “low-carb”. Removing grains from a recipe doesn't magically make dog food more nutritious. What matters is what goes into the recipe instead.
For example, a grain-free dog food may replace rice or wheat with potatoes, tapioca, peas or lentils. These ingredients aren't automatically “bad” either. Peas, lentils and potatoes can all provide useful nutrients when appropriately incorporated into a balanced diet. The concern comes when we focus so much on what has been removed that we forget to ask what has replaced it.
Some grain-free formulations can contain substantial amounts of legumes or starchy ingredients. In some diets, several forms of the same ingredient may appear in different places on the ingredient list — for example, peas, pea protein and pea starch. This is one reason I encourage pet owners not to judge a dog food simply by its marketing claims. A diet can be grain-free and still be highly processed, heavily reliant on starches, or poorly formulated.
There is also an important nutritional consideration here. Pulses such as peas and lentils have useful nutritional properties, but their amino acid profiles differ from those of animal proteins. Pulses are relatively low in methionine compared with lysine, and methionine is one of the precursors involved in taurine synthesis [4]. Again, the takeaway is balance. The ingredient itself isn't necessarily the problem. The overall formulation matters.
Are There Any Benefits to a Grain-Free Diet?
Absolutely. This is where I think we need to move away from the idea that “grain-free = dangerous”. The real question isn't whether dog food contains grains. It is what the food contains instead.
A thoughtfully formulated grain-free diet can take a very different approach. Instead of relying heavily on one or two starchy replacements, it can use a variety of whole-food ingredients, including quality animal proteins, vegetables, fruits and appropriate sources of fibre and carbohydrates. The nutritional composition of grain-free diets varies considerably, so the ingredients used to replace grains really do matter.
What could a good grain-free diet offer?
For some dogs, choosing the right grain-free food can be a perfectly reasonable way to provide a nutritious, complete diet.
More variety from whole-food ingredients
One potential advantage of a thoughtfully formulated grain-free recipe is that removing grains creates an opportunity to build the recipe around other whole-food ingredients.
Instead of making a grain or starch the centre of the recipe, a food can place greater emphasis on quality animal proteins alongside a range of fruits and vegetables. This can provide different sources of fibre, vitamins, minerals and plant compounds, while also making mealtimes more interesting from a nutritional perspective.
Of course, simply adding fruits and vegetables doesn't automatically make a food healthier. What matters is how the entire recipe comes together.
Useful option for dogs with specific sensitivities
There are some dogs that do better when certain ingredients are removed from their diet. True food allergies in dogs are relatively uncommon, and grains are not necessarily the culprit, but if a dog has a confirmed sensitivity to a particular grain or ingredient, avoiding it can be appropriate.
This is why I don't recommend assuming that every itchy or sensitive dog needs to immediately go grain-free. Ideally, work with your veterinarian to identify what your dog actually reacts to.
Carbohydrate source matters
Grain-free doesn't automatically mean low- or no-carbohydrate, and the type of carbohydrate used can affect how a diet is digested and how a dog's blood glucose and insulin responses change.
Research has found that different carbohydrate sources can produce different post-meal glucose and insulin responses in dogs [5]. The response in a dog’s body after eating a recipe using potato or tapioca can be very different from one that uses sweet potato or pumpkin. The method of processing of these carbohydrates also matters. So again, grain-free is not the magic word. The formulation is.
Dogs can thrive on the right formula
This is perhaps the most practical point. Every dog is an individual. When I assess a diet, I'm not just looking at whether it contains grains. I'm looking at the bigger picture: Is the dog maintaining a healthy weight? Are their stools good? Is their coat healthy? Are they energetic? Are they enjoying their food? And, most importantly, is the diet complete and balanced for their needs?
A well-formulated grain-free diet can absolutely tick those boxes. There is an important difference between a grain-free food that is built around quality animal proteins, vegetables and fruits and one where the first several ingredients are simply different forms of starch and legumes. So if you're considering grain-free dog food, don't stop at “Does this contain grains?” Ask instead: “What has been used in place of the grains?”
What Should You Look For When Choosing a Grain-Free Dog Food?
If you've decided that a grain-free diet is suitable for your dog, don't stop at the words “grain-free” on the packaging.
Here are a few things I would look at.
1. Look beyond the first marketing claim
Turn the packet around. What are the main ingredients? You want to see a sensible balance of quality animal proteins, fats and other whole-food ingredients rather than a recipe that appears to replace grains with large amounts of starches and legumes.
And remember, ingredients are listed by weight before processing, so the ingredient list alone doesn't tell you the complete nutritional picture. The first few ingredients should be the protein, followed by fruits or vegetables and lastly, superfoods or added vitamins.
2. Check that the food is complete and balanced
This is more important than whether the food contains grains. Your dog needs the right balance of protein, fat, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Food that looks “natural” or contains an impressive list of ingredients isn't necessarily nutritionally complete. Look for a food that is formulated to meet recognised nutritional requirements for your dog's life stage. A good tip is to check if they’re certified complete and balanced using AAFCO, NRC or FEDIAF guidelines.
3. Ask who formulated the food
There are some questions I wish more pet owners asked:
A transparent pet food manufacturer should be able to answer reasonable questions about what goes into your dog's bowl.
4. Look at the whole food, not just the buzzwords
“Natural, premium, holistic, grain-free.” These words can sound reassuring, but they don't tell you everything you need to know. When choosing dog food, I would much rather see pet parents focus on nutritional adequacy, ingredient quality, formulation and transparency.
For example, fresh dog food can be an option for pet owners who want to see recognizable whole-food ingredients in their dog's meals. One example is The Grateful Pet, a Singapore-based pet nutrition company offering gently cooked and raw fresh dog food. Their grain-free recipes are made in Singapore and use whole-food ingredients alongside animal proteins and functional ingredients.
What I particularly like about this approach is the emphasis on transparency. Pet parents can actually see and understand the ingredients that go into their dog's meals, rather than choosing a food simply because it has a “grain-free” label. It also avoids relying on excessive supplementation or additives to compensate for poorly bioavailable ingredients.
Of course, as with any dog food, I would still encourage pet owners to check that the particular recipe is nutritionally complete and appropriate for their individual dog.
5. Don't change your dog's diet based on a headline
Finally, please don't abruptly change your dog's food because you've read one alarming article online. If your dog is healthy and thriving, there may be no reason to make a dramatic change.
If you're concerned about their current diet, speak to your veterinarian. We can look at your dog's breed, age, health history, body condition, current food and individual nutritional needs before deciding whether a change is actually necessary.
Conclusion:
The DCM controversy has taught us something important about pet nutrition: we shouldn't judge a food based on one ingredient or one marketing claim. The absence of grains isn't what makes dog food healthy (or unhealthy). What matters is the whole diet. The ingredients, their proportions, nutritional formulation, quality control and whether it meets your dog's individual needs.
And if you do choose grain-free dog food, be curious. Look at what has replaced the grains. Pay attention to the amount and variety of legumes and starches. Check that the food is complete and balanced. Ask questions about formulation and quality control.
Most importantly, don't let the label make the decision for you. Your dog deserves more than a buzzword on a bag.
References
[1] https://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20201222194256/https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/fda-investigating-potential-connection-between-diet-and-cases-canine-heart-disease
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30543707/
[3] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0209112
[4] https://oup.silverchair-cdn.com/article-minimal/6423170
[5] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10391544/
About Dr Michelle Ooi
Dr Michelle Ooi holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours) from the University of Queensland, Australia. She began her career across various government sectors — spanning wildlife conservation, pathology and animal welfare — before moving into clinical practice.
An athlete since childhood, Dr Michelle has always approached health holistically, which naturally drew her to Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. She is certified in Veterinary Food Therapy and Small Animal Acupuncture, and is committed to integrating these principles alongside conventional veterinary medicine — combining Eastern and Western approaches for a more comprehensive, individualised approach to nutrition and care.
Drawing on her own experience as a lifelong athlete, she believes the same fundamentals that support human health — nutrition, movement and environment — are just as critical for pets. Her goal is to help pet owners cut through the noise and make informed, evidence-based choices for their animals' lifelong health.