The Whole Pack

Where animal care professionals come together for the animals.
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The Whole Pack brings together professionals across the animal care world to explore the many ways we support animals and the humans who love them. Hosted by Melissa Sherman and Sunny Gandara, the podcast features honest conversations with practitioners, educators, and experts from different modalities, all working toward the same goal of animals thriving. thewholepack.substack.com

  1. 5d ago

    The Weight of Hope

    Episode 29 Hope can carry us through a frightening diagnosis, chronic illness, and long stretches of uncertainty with our animals. It can keep us looking for answers and believing things can get better. But what happens when hope starts to feel heavy? In this episode of The Whole Pack, Melissa and Sunny talk about the point where trying to help can become a constant search for one more treatment, supplement, test, or answer. When we’re focused on changing a diagnosis, improving a lab value, or finding the thing we’ve somehow missed, it can become harder to see the animal who is actually in front of us. They explore the difference between staying hopeful and becoming consumed by the search for a different outcome, why practitioners need to be careful not to feed a caretaker’s anxiety, and how stepping back can help us look at quality of life more clearly. Sometimes the most important question isn’t What else can I do? It’s whether what we’re doing is helping our animal live their life. Hope doesn’t have to disappear. But sometimes it needs to change shape. Timestamps 00:00 When hope starts to feel heavy 03:00 What happens when we’re searching for one more answer 08:00 Seeing clearly when you’re too close 09:00 Looking at patterns and quality of life 13:00 A diagnosis isn’t the whole animal 17:00 When hope becomes a frantic search 19:00 Letting hope change direction 21:00 The practitioner’s role in difficult conversations 23:00 There’s always something we can do 24:00 Supporting the caretaker, too Join the Conversation Have you ever found yourself so focused on finding an answer for your animal that it became difficult to step back and see how they were actually doing? Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional veterinary or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your veterinarian or a qualified professional regarding your animal’s health. If you enjoyed this conversation, consider subscribing to The Whole Pack on Substack or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow The Whole Pack: Instagram: @thewholepack_ Facebook: @thewholepack YouTube: @thewholepack Connect with the hosts: Melissa Sherman – Calming Creek Website: calmingcreek.com Instagram: @calmingcreekhealing Sunny Gandara – Nacho Average Dog Health Coach Website: nachoaveragedoghealthcoach.com Instagram: @nachoaveragedoghealthcoach This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thewholepack.substack.com

    The Weight of Hope

  2. Sep 22

    The Search for the Perfect Answer in Your Pet’s Health

    Episode 28 When something is wrong with our animal companion, it’s natural to want an answer. Maybe there’s a food we haven’t tried, a supplement we’re missing, another practitioner who will see what everyone else has missed, or one underlying cause that will finally make everything click. But what happens when there isn’t one perfect answer? In this episode of The Whole Pack, Melissa and Sunny talk about the pressure pet guardians and holistic practitioners can put on themselves to keep searching, fixing, and trying something new, especially when dealing with chronic illness or complicated health issues. They explore the difference between looking for useful information and looking for certainty, why “finding the root cause” doesn’t always mean finding one single thing, and how the desire to help can sometimes turn into the need to fix. They also discuss what it means to move from “How do I fix this?” to “How can I support this?” Sometimes good care isn’t about finding the perfect protocol. It’s about listening, simplifying, paying attention to what’s actually helping, supporting quality of life, and making the next best decision with the information you have. Because more information doesn’t always create more clarity, and accepting uncertainty doesn’t mean giving up. Timestamps 00:00 The search for the perfect answer 04:00 Does every health problem have one root cause? 06:00 Are you looking for information or certainty?08:00 The pressure practitioners feel to have the answer 12:00 Moving from fixing to supporting 16:30 Why a sustainable plan can be better than a perfect one 18:00 Acceptance, quality of life, and knowing our limitations 21:00 When do you keep searching, and when do you let something be? Join the Conversation How do you know when to keep searching for answers and when to let something be? The Whole Pack is a subscriber-supported podcast. If you enjoy these conversations, subscribe for free to support the show and never miss an episode. Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional veterinary or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your veterinarian or a qualified professional regarding your animal’s health. If you enjoyed this conversation, consider subscribing to The Whole Pack on Substack or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow The Whole Pack: Instagram: @thewholepack_ Facebook: @thewholepack YouTube: @thewholepack Connect with the hosts: Melissa Sherman – Calming Creek Website: calmingcreek.com Instagram: @calmingcreekhealing Sunny Gandara – Nacho Average Dog Health Coach Website: nachoaveragedoghealthcoach.com Instagram: @nachoaveragedoghealthcoach This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thewholepack.substack.com

    The Search for the Perfect Answer in Your Pet’s Health

  3. Sep 15

    When Loving Your Animal Turns Into Anxiety

    Episode 27 When you love an animal deeply, you notice things. A change in appetite. A different walk. An unusual behavior. That attentiveness can be an important part of caring for them. But after illness, trauma, or loss, attentiveness can sometimes become hypervigilance. Instead of noticing what is happening, we begin searching for what might go wrong. In this episode of The Whole Pack, Melissa and Sunny have a vulnerable conversation about pet-parent anxiety, grief, and the fear of missing something. Sunny shares how losing three dogs under traumatic circumstances affected the way she watches her animals today, while Melissa talks about navigating her own fears after losing Loki and while caring for her senior dog, Cooper. They explore the difference between attunement and hypervigilance, reassurance-seeking and “cyberchondria,” intuition vs. anxiety, anticipatory anxiety with aging and chronically ill animals, and why looking for subtle signs can sometimes become a trap. Most importantly, they talk about finding the space between paying attention and actually enjoying the animal who is still here. Because sometimes the bravest form of care is allowing a good day to simply be a good day. For additional notes join us on The Whole Pack on Substack. Timestamps 00:00 When attentiveness becomes hypervigilance 01:30 Sunny shares the losses that changed how she watches her dogs 05:30 Attunement vs. hypervigilance 10:00 Reassurance-seeking, Googling and “cyberchondria” 16:00 Intuition vs. anxiety 20:30 Anticipatory anxiety and losing the present moment 23:00 Why more information isn’t always more care 26:00 Letting a good day be a good day The Whole Pack is a subscriber-supported podcast. If you enjoy these conversations, subscribe for free to support the show and never miss an episode. Disclaimer:This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional veterinary or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your veterinarian or a qualified professional regarding your animal’s health. If you enjoyed this conversation, consider subscribing to The Whole Pack on Substack or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow The Whole Pack: Instagram: @thewholepack_ Facebook: @thewholepack YouTube: @thewholepack Connect with the hosts: Melissa Sherman – Calming Creek Website: calmingcreek.com Instagram: @calmingcreekhealing Sunny Gandara – Nacho Average Dog Health Coach Website: nachoaveragedoghealthcoach.com Instagram: @nachoaveragedoghealthcoach This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thewholepack.substack.com

    When Loving Your Animal Turns Into Anxiety

  4. Sep 8

    You Are Part of Your Pet's Health Plan

    Episode 26: Your dog has the carefully planned meals, the supplements, the walks, the appointments, and the wellness routine. And you had a bag of chips for dinner. Sound familiar? In this episode of The Whole Pack, Melissa Sherman and Sunny Gandara talk about something that often gets overlooked in pet wellness: the person doing the caring. Our animals aren't biologically the same as us, but we live together. We share environments, routines, movement, stress, rest, and relationships. And when caring for an animal becomes a source of constant pressure, perfectionism, or exhaustion, it may be time to look at the health of the whole household. Melissa and Sunny talk about nervous-system regulation, shared healthy habits, simplifying food preparation, the pressure to do everything perfectly, and why depletion isn't a measure of how much you love your animal. Plus, they each commit to one small thing they'll do for themselves. In this episode: Why you belong in your animal's wellness plan The connection between household stress and our animals Why wellness doesn't always require another product or protocol Making healthy habits work for both ends of the leash Letting go of perfectionism in pet care Why caring for yourself isn't taking away from your animal Simple places to start without adding another thing to your list What about you? What's one small thing you could do this week to make life a little healthier or easier for both you and your animal? For timestamps, additional takeaways, and more ways to continue the conversation, join us on The Whole Pack on Substack. Timestamps 00:00 Health happens in a household 02:00 When the pet eats better than the person 04:30 Health isn’t only something we purchase 06:00 Melissa’s experience with Maisy and Noodle 08:00 Stress, anxiety, and the household nervous system 10:00 Why your own regulation matters 12:30 Making wellness simpler instead of adding more 14:00 Small changes and finding room to rest 16:00 Let your dog teach you how to be present 16:30 Making food preparation work for both species 18:00 Perfectionism and the wellness trap 20:00 Exhaustion isn’t proof of devotion 22:00 Melissa and Sunny choose one thing for themselves 25:00 You are part of your animal’s care plan Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional veterinary or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your veterinarian or a qualified professional regarding your animal’s health. Follow The Whole Pack: Instagram: @thewholepack_ Facebook: @thewholepack YouTube: @thewholepack Connect with the hosts: Melissa Sherman – Calming Creek Website: calmingcreek.com Instagram: @calmingcreekhealing Sunny Gandara – Nacho Average Dog Health Coach Website: nachoaveragedoghealthcoach.com Instagram: @nachoaveragedoghealthcoach This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thewholepack.substack.com

    You Are Part of Your Pet's Health Plan

  5. Sep 1

    Stop Calling It Woo-Woo

    Why We Need to Stop Calling It Woo-Woo “This is going to sound a little woo-woo, but…” Have you ever said that before explaining something you believe in or a modality you practice? This week, Melissa Sherman and Sunny Gandara examine why the term “woo-woo” has become a catch-all for everything from animal communication and Reiki to acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, homeopathy, and other complementary approaches, despite these practices having very different histories, evidence, training, and claims. They talk about skepticism, the pressure practitioners feel to prove their work, and why dismissing something we don't fully understand isn't the same thing as thinking critically about it. Melissa also shares her experiences with animal communication and energy healing, while Sunny talks about some of the experiences that challenged her own skepticism and made her willing to stay curious. And importantly, being open-minded doesn't mean believing everything. They close with a conversation about discernment, responsible claims, and why practitioners still need to earn your trust. In this episode: Why “woo-woo” can unintentionally diminish holistic work Skepticism vs. curiosity Why some complementary modalities become mainstream Animal communication, energy healing, and personal experience Talking about your work without apologizing for it Why practitioners don't need to convince everyone Staying curious without abandoning critical thinking Choosing practitioners with discernment What do you think? Is there something you once dismissed as “woo-woo” that you eventually became curious enough to explore? For expanded show notes and conversation starters, join us on The Whole Pack on Substack. Timestamps 00:00 Why we’re talking about the term “woo-woo” 02:00 Sunny’s experience with Nacho and exploring holistic care 04:00 Are we diminishing our own work before anyone else can? 07:00 Ancient practices, modern science, and what gets taken seriously 09:00 Why some modalities become mainstream and others don’t 13:00 Skepticism, evidence, and our need to understand how something works 17:00 Do practitioners feel pressure to prove themselves? 20:00 Animal communication, validation, and trusting what you experience 23:00 Energy healing and observing change 26:00 Stop convincing. Start inviting curiosity. 28:00 Open-mindedness, discernment, and choosing practitioners wisely 30:00 What we’re calling it instead of “woo-woo” About The Whole Pack The Whole Pack is hosted by Melissa Sherman and Sunny Gandara, two holistic animal-care practitioners having honest conversations about the work, the animals, and the humans behind it. We believe holistic care can include curiosity, critical thinking, collaboration, and more than one way of looking at animal health. If you enjoyed this conversation, consider subscribing to The Whole Pack on Substack or wherever you listen to podcasts. The Whole Pack is subscriber-supported. If you enjoy conversations like this, subscribe for free so you don’t miss what’s coming next. Follow The Whole Pack: Instagram: @thewholepack_ Facebook: @thewholepack YouTube: @thewholepack Connect with the hosts: Melissa Sherman – Calming Creek Website: calmingcreek.com Instagram: @calmingcreekhealing Sunny Gandara – Nacho Average Dog Health Coach Website: nachoaveragedoghealthcoach.com Instagram: @nachoaveragedoghealthcoach Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional veterinary or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your veterinarian or a qualified professional regarding your animal’s health. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thewholepack.substack.com

    Stop Calling It Woo-Woo

  6. Aug 25

    The Healing Power of Sound for Animals with Dr. Meghan Barrett

    How Music, Vibration, and Sound Therapy Can Support the Animal Nervous System Can music do more for our animals than simply provide background noise? This week, Melissa Sherman and Sunny Gandara are joined by Dr. Meghan Barrett, holistic veterinarian, sound therapy practitioner, musician, and founder of Muse Holistic Veterinary Care in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dr. Meghan shares how her lifelong love of music eventually merged with veterinary medicine and how she now incorporates sound into her work with animals. They explore how animals respond to music and vibration, music versus individual frequencies, live versus recorded sound, why different animals may prefer different instruments, and how sound can become part of a lower-stress veterinary environment. Dr. Meghan also shares a simple way to experiment with music at home and why creating positive associations with sound before a stressful event may make it more useful when your animal actually needs it. In this episode: Music, sound, and the animal nervous system Tuning forks and individual frequencies Why not all classical music is calming Different musical preferences across animals Live vs. recorded sound Sound in veterinary and recovery environments Using music intentionally at home Learn More About Dr. Meghan: Muse Holistic Veterinary Caremuseholisticvet.com The Muse Method E-Coursemuseholisticvet.com/muse-method-ecourse Listen to Dr. Meghan's Music for Animals on YouTubeA great place to start if you'd like to experience the music discussed in this episode with your own animal.Animal Music by Dr. Meghan Barrett Soul Songs for Animalsdrmeghanbarrett.bandcamp.com/album/soul-songs-for-animals Connect with Dr. Meghan Instagram: @drbarrettvetInstagram: @muse.holistic.vet TikTok: @drbarrettvet Facebook: Muse Holistic Veterinary Care YouTube: Dr. Barrett Vet For the full show notes, timestamps, conversation starters, and additional resources from Dr. Meghan, head to The Whole Pack on Substack. Try a little experiment this week and tell us what your animal thinks. Bonus points if you discover your dog is secretly a jazz snob. Timestamps 00:00 Meet Dr. Meghan Barrett 02:00 How veterinary medicine and music came together 07:00 Discovering how animals respond to music 08:00 What therapeutic sound may be doing for the nervous system 11:30 Music vs. frequencies and tuning forks 14:30 Is classical music actually calming for animals? 16:00 Recorded music vs. live acoustic sound 17:30 Do different species prefer different sounds? 19:30 Music in veterinary hospitals and during recovery 22:00 Creating a low-stress veterinary environment 25:00 How to start experimenting with sound at home 27:00 Creating positive associations with your animal’s music 29:00 Melissa and Meghan on playing music for animals 30:30 What Meghan would say to skeptics 33:00 Meghan’s new holistic pet care course 35:30 Where to find Meghan’s music and work 38:00 One final tip: music at mealtime The Whole Pack is a subscriber-supported podcast. If you enjoy these conversations with people doing fascinating work for animals, subscribing helps us keep making them and makes sure you don't miss what's next. Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional veterinary or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your veterinarian or a qualified professional regarding your animal’s health. If you enjoyed this conversation, consider subscribing to The Whole Pack on Substack or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow The Whole Pack: Instagram: @thewholepack_ Facebook: @thewholepack YouTube: @thewholepack Connect with the hosts: Melissa Sherman – Calming Creek Website: calmingcreek.com Instagram: @calmingcreekhealing Sunny Gandara – Nacho Average Dog Health Coach Website: nachoaveragedoghealthcoach.com Instagram: @nachoaveragedoghealthcoach This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thewholepack.substack.com

    The Healing Power of Sound for Animals with Dr. Meghan Barrett

  7. Aug 18

    How to Choose a Holistic Pet Practitioner You Can Trust

    When your animal is sick, aging, or struggling, choosing someone to help can feel incredibly vulnerable. And when fear enters the picture, it can become even harder to know who to trust. In this episode, Melissa Sherman and Sunny Gandara move beyond credentials and talk about what pet parents should actually look for when choosing a holistic pet practitioner. They discuss how to research someone before hiring them, questions worth asking, why competence alone isn't enough, and the green flags that can signal a thoughtful, ethical practitioner. They also get into the red flags: guaranteed results, practitioners who discourage veterinary care or diagnostics, pressure tactics, lack of transparency, and anyone who can't acknowledge the limits of their expertise. And for the practitioners listening, Melissa and Sunny turn the conversation around: What are you doing to demonstrate that you're worthy of someone's trust? In this episode: How to research a practitioner Questions to ask before hiring someone 🟢 Green flags to look for 🚩 Red flags to take seriously Why collaboration and referrals matter Transparency around products and affiliate relationships How practitioners can build trust through integrity and communication This conversation builds on our previous episode about certifications and credentials, but you don't need to hear that episode first. For the full show notes, timestamps, complete green and red flag lists, and Sunny's conversation starters, head to The Whole Pack on Substack Timestamps 00:00 If credentials aren’t enough, who should you trust? 01:30 Why fear changes the way pet parents make decisions 03:30 Researching practitioners, reviews, referrals, and social media 06:00 Does the practitioner actually have experience with your animal? 08:00 Competence, care, and integrity 09:30 Questions to ask before hiring someone 13:30 🟢 The green flags of a trustworthy practitioner 16:00 🚩 Guarantees, pressure, and other red flags 18:00 Veterinary care, diagnostics, medications, and “natural” treatments 19:30 For practitioners: how do you demonstrate trustworthiness? 23:00 Why reviews and referrals matter 25:30 The right practitioner may not tell you what you want to hear 29:30 Sunny’s takeaway and questions for listeners The Whole Pack is a subscriber-supported podcast. If you enjoy these conversations, subscribe for free to support the show and never miss an episode. Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional veterinary or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your veterinarian or a qualified professional regarding your animal’s health. If you enjoyed this conversation, consider subscribing to The Whole Pack on Substack or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow The Whole Pack: Instagram: @thewholepack_ Facebook: @thewholepack YouTube: @thewholepack Connect with the hosts: Melissa Sherman – Calming Creek Website: calmingcreek.com Instagram: @calmingcreekhealing Sunny Gandara – Nacho Average Dog Health Coach Website: nachoaveragedoghealthcoach.com Instagram: @nachoaveragedoghealthcoach This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thewholepack.substack.com

    How to Choose a Holistic Pet Practitioner You Can Trust

  8. Aug 11

    What Does Certified Actually Mean in Holistic Pet Care?

    Certifications, Credentials, Experience, and What Really Makes a Qualified Practitioner When someone calls themselves a certified animal communicator, nutritionist, herbalist, pet health coach, or holistic practitioner, what does that certification actually tell you? In this episode, Melissa and Sunny unpack the often-confusing world of credentials in holistic pet care. They explore the difference between certification and licensure, why certification programs can vary dramatically in rigor and scope, and why education alone doesn't necessarily tell you whether someone is a skilled, ethical practitioner. They also get into experience, scope of practice, imposter syndrome, the temptation to collect “just one more certification,” and why being willing to say I don't know or that's outside my scope can actually be a sign of a practitioner you can trust. This is the first half of a two-part conversation. Next, we're flipping the question around: How do you actually decide who to trust with your animal? In this episode: Certification vs. licensure How to evaluate training and credentials Education vs. real-world experience Scope of practice and professional integrity The certification/imposter syndrome cycle What credentials can and can't tell you For the full show notes, timestamps, conversation starters, and more from this episode, head to The Whole Pack on Substack. Timestamps 00:00 What does “certified” actually mean? 03:00 Why pet parents may assume certified means licensed or regulated 05:00 When a certificate is really a certificate of completion 06:40 Certification vs. professional licensure 08:15 Scope of practice and why knowing your limits builds trust 12:00 How to evaluate the quality of a certification program 15:30 Education vs. experience 18:00 Are you collecting certifications because of imposter syndrome? 20:00 Why good practitioners should be willing to change their minds 22:00 When certainty and superiority become red flags 25:00 Imposter syndrome and the “one more certification” trap 27:30 Twenty certifications or hundreds of real-world cases? 30:00 What credentials can and cannot tell you 31:15 What’s coming in Part Two Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional veterinary or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your veterinarian or a qualified professional regarding your animal’s health. If you enjoyed this conversation, consider subscribing to The Whole Pack on Substack or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow The Whole Pack: Instagram: @thewholepack_ Facebook: @thewholepack YouTube: @thewholepack Connect with the hosts: Melissa Sherman – Calming Creek Website: calmingcreek.com Instagram: @calmingcreekhealing Sunny Gandara – Nacho Average Dog Health Coach Website: nachoaveragedoghealthcoach.com Instagram: @nachoaveragedoghealthcoach This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thewholepack.substack.com

    What Does Certified Actually Mean in Holistic Pet Care?
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

The Whole Pack brings together professionals across the animal care world to explore the many ways we support animals and the humans who love them. Hosted by Melissa Sherman and Sunny Gandara, the podcast features honest conversations with practitioners, educators, and experts from different modalities, all working toward the same goal of animals thriving. thewholepack.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Where animal care professionals come together for the animals.
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Whole Pack
  • Show Website
    The Whole Pack

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