A dog who just finished antibiotics and is now dealing with loose stool, gas, itchy skin, or a new infection is showing a pattern that holistic veterinarian Dr. Katie Woodley sees constantly in practice. Antibiotics can be lifesaving, but they also reshape the bacterial population living in a dog's gut. The gut can recover fully. It just needs the right support to get there.

Why antibiotics disrupt the gut microbiome

Antibiotics are necessary for serious infections, and Dr. Katie prescribe

By Dr. Katie Woodley, integrative veterinarian and founder of The Natural Pet Doctor

High-Pressure Processing, or HPP, is a nonthermal food-safety process that uses intense pressure to reduce pathogens without cooking raw pet food. A common commercial protocol uses approximately 87,000 PSI, although the exact pressure and treatment time vary by manufacturer and recipe.

When properly validated, HPP can achieve a 5-log reduction in targeted organisms such as Salmonella, pathogenic E. coli, and Listeria monocytogenes. It generally preserves overall nutrient composition, but it can affect enzyme activity, bacteria, texture, color, and protein structure.

Key Takeaways

• What is HPP? A nonthermal safety process that uses intense pressure. Some raw-food manufacturers use approximately 87,000 PSI for three to four minutes to achieve a 5-log reduction in pathogen load.
• Is HPP food still raw? HPP does not use sustained external cooking heat, so the food remains uncooked and is generally
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What if, instead of trying to hide one more supplement in your cat’s food, you gave your cat a few organic dried herbs to explore—and let them choose what they wanted?

This is different from a traditional garden. There is no soil, planting, or watering involved. Dr. Woodley recommends using about one tablespoon of each organic dried herb, leaving enough space between the piles for the cat to explore each one individually.

This practice is often connected with zoopharmacognosy, the study of how animals interact with substances found in nature in response to physical or emotional needs.

The Quick Answer

Functional medicine testing for pets may be helpful when a dog or cat has recurring digestive or skin symptoms, improves only temporarily with supplements, has a history of repeated antibiotic use, or has completed an initial veterinary workup but important questions remain.

Functional gut tests and microbiome tests can provide information about intestinal inflammation, digestive function, immune activity, intestinal barrier markers, and bacterial imbalances. However, these tests do not diagnose every disease and should not replace veterinary examinations, bloodwork, urinalysis, parasite screening, imaging, or emergency care.

The Natural Pet Doctor | Written by Dr. Katie Woodley, DVM (holistic veterinarian)

Key takeaways

• Reflux can be "silent." A dog may swallow, gulp, or lick instead of vomiting.
• Normal bloodwork doesn’t rule it out. Routine panels don’t test for acid in the esophagus or gut motilit
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