The Integrative Animal Health Collective

Dr. Susan Recker
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Dr. Susan Recker interviews animal health professionals and others involved in animal care.

  1. Jul 18

    Hilary Wilkie: intention vs reality in feeding dogs

    Hilary Wilkie is the founder of Thrive Dog Kitchen, and offers canine nutrition services. She believes in making it easier for dog parents to feed fresh, whole foods, whether that’s through frozen whole food blends or practical, evidence-based nutrition support. Her journey started thanks to her 13-year-old dog, Jessie. She was Hilary's greatest teacher. After years of off-and-on tummy issues and a surprise diagnosis of obesity, she turned to fresh food (with the support of her vet) to help her heal from the inside out. What began as a way to help one dog thrive turned into a mission to help as many as possible. Thrive Dog Kitchen was born from that mission and creates small-batch frozen blends made with locally sourced, human-grade ingredients in the Wairarapa. Thrive Dog Kitchen is also building a movement that helps New Zealand dog parents feel confident feeding their dogs fresh, one spoonful at a time. Since starting, Hilary has earned certifications from institutions in the US and Canada, and through the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies in Australia. Hilary believes nutrition is a foundational pillar of dog health, but not a silver bullet. Her approach is balanced, evidence-informed, and practical for everyday life.

  2. Jun 6

    Carolyn von Ah: integrative solutions, one step at a time

    Carolyn von Ah: My interest in natural nutrition grew from my work as a TCVM practitioner and osteopath. While my previous certificates touched on lifestyle and diet, I felt I was only scratching the surface. I wanted to dig deeper to ensure my canine patients could be as healthy and happy as possible. Because I couldn't find a structured, professional-grade course locally, I turned to CIVT. I wanted the ability to create recipes for my clients that weren't just based on TCVM principles but were also nutritionally balanced according to FEDIAF standards. The Certification in Small Animal Natural Nutrition course was exactly what I was looking for - it is, quite simply, the best and most well-organized program I have encountered. This qualification means I can now provide a truly holistic and evidence-based service to my clients.

  3. Apr 25

    Katherine Khoo: the human nutrition therapy road to animal nutrition

    Katherine says "As a nutritional therapist with over a decade of experience, expanding into pet nutrition felt like a natural next step, though it was a deeply personal journey that set me on this path. It began with my two senior dogs - Wendy and Nicol. Wanting the best for them as they aged, I started looking into proper nutrition tailored to their needs. When one of them was diagnosed with kidney disease, that search became even more urgent. Around the same time, my professional work was growing to encompass animal nutrition, and I knew I needed both the skills and a formal qualification to do it well. The name CIVT came up during my research and interestingly, I discovered that my dog's own vet had attended a CIVT course too. That gave me all the confidence to enrol in CIVT's Certification in Small Animal Natural Nutrition.I can honestly say that taking this course is one of the best investments I have ever made — personally and professionally. It is beautifully structured, and the support from the tutors and staff throughout was outstanding. Assignments were marked promptly and returned with thoughtful, constructive feedback. The depth of knowledge I gained in small animal natural nutrition has been invaluable. Most importantly, this course has given me the confidence to step into this field with real purpose and competence. I am so grateful I found CIVT."

  4. Mar 14

    Meg Rac: supporting the body, mind, and environment is part of training

    Meg Rac is the Founder & Head Trainer at Dynamic Canine. Meg brings a unique and well-rounded perspective to the world of dog training. Alongside her commitment to training canines, she also manages a diverse farm, which includes horses, cows and alpacas. In her leisure time, she enjoys all things equestrian, competing with her talented young performance horse. Her dog, Öcsi, who is prominently featured in the Dynamic Canine logo, successfully competes in weight pull competitions, obedience, and scent work trials in and around Melbourne. Meg’s background in science, combined with her love of learning, drives her to continually research in fields such as canine psychology, cognitive science, health and nutrition. This not only helps her stay at the forefront of the latest developments in the field, but it also allows her to understand the mental processes and emotions of both dogs and their owners, whilst recognising the significance of nutrition in behaviour and training. Meg remains dedicated to lifelong learning, constantly expanding her education to provide the most relevant and current information and training to her clients. Dynamic Canine was founded in Riddells Creek, with a mission to bring a new level of expertise to the dog training industry. The ultimate goal is to not only train dogs and build strong partnerships, but to promote their overall well-being, including behaviour, fitness, health and nutrition.

  5. Feb 14

    Tonya Coulthard: what do seals have to do with dogs?

    I’m Tonya Coulthard, co-founder of B&T Pets, a Canadian women-owned and operated company committed to improving the healthspan of pets through single-ingredient, minimally processed treats made from ethically sourced novel proteins. My path to founding B&T Pets wasn’t a straight line. I earned my MSc from the University of British Columbia in 2005 and spent 18 years working alongside scientific researchers studying some of the most prevalent human diseases — including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, asthma, and COPD. I loved my career, but over time I felt pulled towards a chage — one that allowed me to be home more with my children, who were then just 4 and 6 years old. That change led me to a new question: How else could I make a meaningful impact? Our first dogs, Baron and Tessa, were both allergy dogs. We struggled to find trusted Canadian-made treats with clean, single ingredients — and that challenge became the beginning of B&T Pets. Today, our Bullet carries forward their legacy and reminds us every day how lucky we are to be his humans. As we neared the end of Baron and Tessa’s time with us, I watched a 5-month-old Bullet zoom around the backyard and I kept wondering: “How can we delay the onset of age-related illness and debilitating pain — not just for Bullet, but for every pet?” That question changed everything. It became the spark that shifted me from employee to entrepreneur — and gave B&T Pets its purpose. Today, every small handmade batch is prepared from Canadian-sourced ingredients (except kangaroo) and designed to support longevity, mobility, and overall wellbeing. From seal (which I affectionately call my heart protein) and venison to kangaroo, duck, rabbit, and walleye — every protein has a purpose. We believe that our pets depend on us to make the right choices for them — we want to help others make those choices too.

  6. Jan 17

    Laura Sheldon: intuitive massage for anxious animals

    Laura Sheldon is a Fear Free Certified and Certified Small Animal Massage Therapist with nearly 20 years of experience as a veterinary technician, bringing a deep understanding of anatomy, pathology, and medical conditions to her bodywork sessions. Throughout her clinical career, she gravitated toward the pets who needed emotional support the most—fearful, anxious, and reactive animals who often struggled the most in the traditional veterinary setting. She first began using gentle massage techniques simply as a way to help these pets relax, not realizing that the methods she had intuitively developed were grounded in massage therapy principles. It wasn’t until a close friend—who is a human massage therapist—pointed this out that Laura recognized the impact of what she was doing. This sparked a passion that led her to pursue formal training, expanding her skills to include therapeutic techniques for pain relief while deepening her toolkit for supporting anxious, fearful, and touch-sensitive animals. Today, Laura works exclusively as a mobile massage therapist, meeting pets where they feel most secure: at home. Her practice is evenly divided between behavioral-focused massage—treating anxiety, reactivity, and touch sensitivity—and therapeutic massage for pain relief and mobility. She believes that massage therapy is just as powerful for emotional wellbeing as it is for physical comfort, and she takes great pride in bringing ease, safety, and connection to every animal she works with. “Your pet’s comfort and wellbeing is my passion!” guides her in every session.

  7. 12/06/2025

    Mary Ellen Goldberg: rehab certification took conventional education in pain management to a new level

    Mary Ellen Goldberg LVT, CVT, SRA, CCRVN, CVPP, VTS-lab animal medicine (research anesthesia-retired), VTS-Physical rehabilitation-retired, VTS-H (anesthesia/analgesia): Mary Ellen Goldberg is a graduate of Harcum College and the University of Pennsylvania in 1976. She worked at Virginia Commonwealth University in the Division of Animal Resources and for Research Scientists advising on their choices for anesthesia and pain management on their protocols. She was a member of VCU’s IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) for 10 years. She has been the instructor of Anesthesia and Pain Management at VetMedTeam, LLC since 2003. She is a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner through IVAPM (International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management). Mary Ellen is retired as a Surgical Research Anesthetist certified through the Academy of Surgical Research. She is a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Veterinary Nurse. (CCRVN). She is currently a member of the IACUC at the Manheimmer Foundation, Inc. Mary Ellen was chosen as NAVTA’s Veterinary Technician of the Year 2017. In 2019, Mary Ellen received the VTS-anesthesia, analgesia – honorary title from the Academy of Veterinary Technician Anesthesia and Analgesia in November 2019. She received the IVAPM Lifetime Achievement Award in January 2021. Mary Ellen has written several books, and contributed numerous chapters regarding anesthesia, pain management and rehabilitation. She has worked in various aspects of veterinary medicine from small animal and equine to mixed practice, coccidiosis research for a pharmaceutical company, zoo animal medicine and laboratory animal medicine since 1976.

  8. 11/09/2025

    Kathy Tupper: osteopathy from humans to animals

    Kathy Tupper started her professional life as a Technical Officer in Pathology, but she quickly transitioned to her career as a therapist when she earned her Associate Diploma in Health Science (Massage Therapy) over 28 years ago. Her friends and patients brought in their pets for treatment, and Kathy was amazed at how well they responded to a gentle, listening touch. Kathy worked for 20 years in an Osteopathic clinic in Sydney, during which time she completed a 5-year degree and Masters of Osteopathy at the University of Western Sydney. Treating her friends' pets always gave her great joy - and was a welcome relief from all the study. Osteopathy in the Cranial Field has always been Kathy's passion, and she has been fortunate to receive amazing mentoring while pursuing further education with many post graduate qualifications both in Australia and overseas. Her graduate diploma in Animal Biomechanical Medicine was a gift to herself to be able to integrate something she genuinely loves with the delight of communicating with and and helping animals. After moving to Queensland, Kathy opened Bribie Animal Osteopathy. After many years of treating humans, she looks forward to seeing more of her furry/scaly/feathered friends and their lovely owners.

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Dr. Susan Recker interviews animal health professionals and others involved in animal care.

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