Holistic Pet Health
Cat or dog, you’ve come to the right place! Holistic veterinarian Dr. Jean Hofve and cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy are here to help!
Cat or dog, you’ve come to the right place! Holistic veterinarian Dr. Jean Hofve and cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy are here to help!
When your veterinarian recommends bloodwork, what does it actually mean? What is a CBC? What does “elevated creatinine” really tell you? How concerned should you be about SDMA, thyroid levels, or glucose spikes? In my new ebook, Understanding Your Cat's Bloodwork, I explain what common laboratory tests measure—and what they don’t. You’ll learn how blood values relate to real disease, how to avoid common misunderstandings, and why lab results must always beinterpreted in context. I wrote this to help you understand the numbers, and not panic over the ones printed in ...
Pets can be environmentally expensive. U.S. dogs and cats consume roughly a third of America’s animal-derived energy. Some analyses have blamed pet food for as much as 25–30% of the environmental impacts from animal production, including land use, water use, fossil fuels, fertilizers, and agricultural chemicals. That sounds alarming—but most estimates are based on theoretical models, not direct measurement. The results depend on how emissions are measured and allocated, and what assumptions the authors rely on. The most frequently cited analyses are also the most unrealistic. Pet food primarily uses ...
Updated 2/9/26 FIP is a particularly nasty disease—one that causes great confusion and distress. The name itself is misleading; the only absolutely true point about the name is the "feline," since it is not especially infectious, nor is it always peritonitis (inflammation in the abdominal cavity). Unfortunately, the disease is virtually 100% fatal in its active form. As a rule, FIP develops primarily in young cats under 2 years of age, or in older cats age 10 and up. It is fairly rare in the middle years. A study of ...
The pet food industry wants the federal government to let it govern itself. It's not like they've ever killed tens of thousands of pets with dangerous, contaminated food... wait, what? They have? Good grief!
B.E.A.M. stands for Behavior, Energy, Appetite, and Mood, and it gives you a quick, reliable snapshot of your pet’s overall wellbeing. When BEAM looks bright, things are good. When BEAM goes down, something’s off — even if you don’t see an obvious symptom yet. Genetics, Epigenetics, and the Exposome Modern medicine often focuses on genes, as if they are the cause of disease (they’re not). CRISPR-based drugs and genetic editing are the hottest areas of research right now. But genes are not the whole story. DNA is the blueprint that ...
Worried about hairballs or kitty constipation? Discover how Vaseline—safe, effective, and natural—can bring your cat real relief and comfort.
Feline hyperthyroidism has become one of the most common senior cat diseases. Learn how to spot the signs, understand possible causes like diet and environmental toxins, and explore treatment options from medication to radioactive iodine therapy and holistic options.
Updated 11/18/25 Bird flu (avian influenza, H5N1) has gotten a lot of headlines over the last year. If you're a subscriber to our free monthly newsletter, you've read a lot about it. [And if you're not... go here to sign up right now! littlebigcat.substack.com] 3/3/26 Update: A massive outbreak is currently happening in Pennsylvania. This is of special concern because there are raw pet food manufacturers based in or sourcing from Pennsylvania, including Rebel Raw, Hare Today, BJ's Raw Pet Food, Born Wild Raw Pet Food, and Happy Critter Pet Food. ...
The story of copper toxicity from commercial pet food is really a "series of unfortunate events." You might be interested to see what goes on behind the scenes and how the pet food industry--how it's completely profit motivated and fundamentally uninterested in the health of our pets.
Dr. Jean has more than 30 years of experience as an integrative feline veterinarian. She offers both brief (30-minute) or full virtual consultations to guide you to the best health plan for your cat.
Dr. Jean is now offering no-cost nutritional consulting for both cats and dogs with high quality Standard Process supplements.
Updated 12/22/25 This is Brody, who is a very good dog. Giving is a wonderful thing, and we all have good intentions when shopping for our loved ones. You can easily picture a child opening a beautiful box with an adorable kitten inside, or of covering their eyes and leading them into a room where a puppy wearing a big bow is waiting. We have these joyful images lingering from our own childhood, as well as from social media, TV ads, and movies. A pet may feel like ...
Fleas! Everyone hates these nasty, blood-sucking parasites. Our war against fleas is epic and ongoing, but each of us must fight our own individual battles. There are three fronts to fight on: the pet(s), the home, and the outdoor environment. But before we sound the battle cry, we need to know our enemy! WHY ARE FLEAS SUCH A FIERCE ENEMY? "Fleas come with three basic marching orders, or biological imperatives: to survive, to eat, and to reproduce." Fleas have a number of strategic advantages in this war: Masters of ...
Learn how to most effectively use Dr. Jean's favorite Omega-3 supplement for pets and people!
Veterinary Practice News publishes an annual "Top Medical Conditions in Cats," based on insurance claims made to pet health insurance companies. For 2017, the list includes: 1. Bladder or urinary tract problems (aka feline cystitis, FIC, or FLUTD 2. Periodontitis/Dental disease 3. Chronic kidney disease 4. Vomiting 5. Hyperthyroidism 6. Diabetes 7. Diarrhea 8. Lymphoma 9. Upper respiratory infection per cat 10. Allergic dermatitis One notable addition to the list this year was lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph glands, which are all over the body. This cancer ...