Nacho Average Dog Health Coach

Nacho Average Dog Health Coach Give your gentle giant more precious years through holisitc care designed for big dogs.

From cancer-fighting nutrition to preventative care using herbs, mushrooms and energy work.🐾​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
🐾​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​🐾​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ As a holistic pet health coach, I help pet owners achieve optimal wellness for their furry companions through a comprehensive, natural approach. Rather than just treating symptoms, I look at the whole pet - their diet, exercise, environment, and lifestyle factors. My services include customized nutrition plans using fresh, high-quality foods, guidance on natural supplements and remedies, recommendations for gentle exercises and activities, and tips for reducing stress and improving their living space. By addressing all aspects of your pet's health in a holistic way, I can help them live a happier, healthier and longer life, free from chronic issues. No more just masking problems with medications - we get to the root causes and let your pet's body heal itself naturally. If you want to unlock your pet's full vitality potential, book a consultation today. Your furry friend deserves this integrative, prevention-focused approach to lifelong health.

There’s no other way to say this: the standard feeding advice for giant breeds is failing them.“Just pick a large breed ...
03/19/2026

There’s no other way to say this: the standard feeding advice for giant breeds is failing them.

“Just pick a large breed formula.”

“Feed the same kibble for life.”

“Don’t give table scraps.”

Meanwhile, our dogs are developing cancer at alarming rates, struggling with chronic

inflammation, and living years shorter than they should.
I come from 20+ years as a professional chef. I
understand food on a molecular level, and when I turned that lens on canine nutrition, what I found made me furious.

We’re feeding our dogs the equivalent of fast food every single day and wondering why they’re sick.

In my practice, food therapy is the foundation of everything. I use TCVM principles to match foods to your dog’s individual constitution.

A dog with damp-heat inflammation gets a completely different protocol than a dog with kidney yang deficiency. Because they’re different dogs with different needs.

Tofu, my Cane Corso, will be 10 years old in a few months and is thriving, in a breed where 8 is considered old.

I don’t contribute that to luck but rather, intentional nutrition every single day.

When I work with clients, I build complete nutrition programs using food energetics, targeted supplementation, and real food.

This is the CrockPet diet framework combined with TCVM wisdom and my culinary training.

Your giant breed’s bowl is the most powerful health tool you have.

This is where you can make a HUGE difference (and your pup will enjoy the variety too, much like we don’t like eating the same meal 3 times a day! )

Get in touch to get started- DM me or go to link in bio to book a consultation.

New puppy? My Puppy Care Package includes a nutrition foundation plan so you start rght. Not after the problems start, but before!

What if I told you: your dog’s genes are not their fate.I believe this so strongly. Because if I’d known what I know now...
03/18/2026

What if I told you: your dog’s genes are not their fate.

I believe this so strongly. Because if I’d known what I know now about epigenetics when I had Nacho, everything might have been different.

Epigenetics is real science, not woo-woo. It’s the study of how the environment around your dog’s cells, including what goes into their body, what chemicals they’re exposed to, and what kind of stress they live with, can literally turn genes on and off.

Your Mastiff might carry genes associated with osteosarcoma.

Your Dane might have a predisposition toward DCM.

But carrying a gene and expressing a gene are two very different things.

This is where we can actually do something, and where my work in TCVM food therapy, medicinal mushrooms, and clinical herbalism comes in.

We can create an internal environment that keeps those dangerous genes quiet.

How do we do that?

With a fresh, species-appropriate diet, targeted herbal support, and mushrooms like turkey tail and reishi that modulate immune function at the cellular level.

Reducing the toxic load from over-vaccination and chemical parasite preventatives.

This is what is called prevention and what I harp on about day in and day out in my practice.

If you want to understand your giant breed’s unique constitution and build a plan that works WITH their biology, not against it, that’s exactly what I do.

Puppy parents: my Puppy Care Package is designed to get these epigenetic foundations right from the start.

Don’t wait for a problem to show up, get ahead of it today!!

Link in bio.



PreventionNotReaction

Everytime I see someone in a Mastiff group say “well, they just don’t live that long” with a shrug... it guts me.Because...
03/17/2026

Everytime I see someone in a Mastiff group say “well, they just don’t live that long” with a shrug... it guts me.

Because I totally get ut. I’ve been the one holding my dog, hearing the worst news, wishing I’d known sooner what I know now.

Nacho changed everything for me. Losing him to hemangiosarcoma broke me open, and what grew from that heartbreak is my entire life’s work.

I became a certified holistic pet health coach and canine nutritionist because I refuse to accept “that’s just how it is” when it comes to our giant breeds.

I specialize in large and giant breed dogs because they deserve someone in their corner who understands their unique needs.

Over the next 7 posts, I’m laying it ALL out. The stuff the industry won’t tell you.

The things that can actually move the needle on your dog’s lifespan.

Food therapy. Herbs. Mushrooms. The truth about vaccines and chemicals. Epigenetics.

Prevention.

This isn’t fluff, it’s the work I do every day with my clients, and it changes everything.

If you’ve got a giant breed puppy or you’re thinking about getting one, my Puppy Care Package is designed to set them up for SUCCESS from the very beginning. Link in comments

Because the best time to start is before the problems show up.

Save this, share and tag your giant breed friends!

Let’s rewrite the story on how long our dogs get to stay with us.


CanineNutrition

We are celebrating launch day of our podcast The Whole Pack today!!Go listen to the first episode on any platform you li...
03/17/2026

We are celebrating launch day of our podcast The Whole Pack today!!

Go listen to the first episode on any platform you listen to your favorite podcasts - give us a follow and a comment, we'd appreciate your support!!

After Nacho died, I didn’t feel like cooking at all. Not for myself, not for anyone. The kitchen that had always been my...
03/14/2026

After Nacho died, I didn’t feel like cooking at all. Not for myself, not for anyone.

The kitchen that had always been my sanctuary just felt empty. And when I finally came back to it, I didn’t start with anything complicated.

I boiled water. I dropped in three spices. And I sat on the floor next to Tofu and drank the simplest cup of tea I’d ever made.

That tea was CCF: cumin, coriander, fennel.

An Ayurvedic daily ritual that’s been used for thousands of years to gently support digestion and bring the body back to balance.

I didn’t know it at the time, but that small moment was the beginning of everything you’ve been reading in this series.

Swipe through for the recipe and a breakdown of what this tea does in both Ayurveda and TCVM.

This tea is the gateway. It’s what I give every client who feels overwhelmed by the doshas, the Kitchari, the herbs, the protocols and says “where do I even start?”

You start here. Three seeds in hot water. You pour some over your dog’s food. You drink the rest.

For three minutes you’re sharing a healing ritual older than recorded history.

This tiny act changes something. Not just your dog’s digestion (though that happens fast: bloating calms, stools improve, appetite stabilizes). It changes the relationship.

You go from feeding your dog to nourishing them with intention. Once that shift happens, everything else starts to feel doable.

If this series lit something up in you, if any of these posts made you think differently about your dog’s health, that feeling is worth following.

Whether it’s a chronic GI issue that won’t resolve, skin that flares no matter what you try, weight that doesn’t make sense, a cancer diagnosis that left you gutted, or simply wanting to give your dog every possible advantage for a long, vibrant life... this is the work I was put here to do.

Ayurveda and TCVM aren’t replacements for your vet.

They’re the missing piece your vet doesn’t have time to explore.

And I’m here when you’re ready. ❤️

Link in bio to book your consultation.

I have a confession to make:When Nacho was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, I didn’t know what that word meant. I had to ...
03/13/2026

I have a confession to make:

When Nacho was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, I didn’t know what that word meant. I had to learn.

A vascular cancer ( tumors made of blood vessels) had been silently building inside him while he looked perfectly healthy on the outside.

That’s the thing about cancer. By the time you see it, you’re already behind.

And that’s exactly why I became obsessed with prevention.

What most of us don’t realize is that cancer doesn’t just appear. Both Ayurveda and TCVM describe a slow cascade: chronic inflammation that goes unaddressed, stagnation in the body’s circulation and lymphatic system, and a weakened immune system that stops catching abnormal cells before they multiply.

It builds quietly. For months. Sometimes years.

Two of the most studied cancer-prevention compounds on earth have been sitting in kitchens for thousands of years:

Turmeric, which both Ayurveda and TCVM use to fight inflammation and break up the stagnation that precedes tumors.

And Ashwagandha, which contains a compound called Withaferin A with NINE documented ways it fights cancer at the cellular level.

The most powerful of it all: It blocks the growth of new blood vessels that feed tumors. The exact mechanism behind hemangiosarcoma.

I can’t read that research without thinking of Nacho.

Swipe through for the science on both herbs, a tip about black pepper that will blow your mind, and a recipe I make every single week: a Golden Anti-Cancer Bone Broth that works as a Rasayana (deep rejuvenation food) in Ayurveda AND a Qi and Blood tonic in TCVM.

Please know that you don’t need a diagnosis to start preventing.

If your dog is over five, a large or giant breed, if cancer runs in their lines: the time to act is now.

Not with fear, but with food, intention and with the same herbs healers have trusted for millennia.

And pour yourself a mug of that broth too. Remember my tagline: One kitchen, two species.

Ashwagandha dosing should be guided by a professional. Let’s build your protocol - link in bio to book a consultation!

As I am deep in my studies and learning more and more about Ayurveda, one concept I stuck with me:Digestion matters more...
03/12/2026

As I am deep in my studies and learning more and more about Ayurveda, one concept I stuck with me:

Digestion matters more than nutrition.

It doesn’t matter how perfect the recipe is if the body can’t break it down and USE it.

Ayurveda calls this digestive capacity Agni: your dog’s internal fire.

When Agni is weak, food just sits there. It ferments. It becomes what Ayurveda calls Ama , toxic sludge that clogs the system and becomes the foundation for chronic disease.

I made Tofu and Oslo a pot of Kitchari last night. Swipe through for the full recipe.

If your dog won’t touch it at first, don’t panic. Drizzle a tiny bit of bone broth on top. The smell opens the appetite. Give it two meals before you decide they “don’t like it.”

You’ll know it’s working when the gut sounds quiet down, which usually happens within 24–48 hours. Stools will firm up and you’ll see their energy shift.

I’ve had clients message me in awe on day three because their dog hadn’t had a solid stool in months and suddenly everything clicked.

The mung beans are doing the heavy lifting here with an astringent quality that Ayurveda says actually pulls toxins from the digestive tract.

And unlike every other legume on earth, split yellow mung beans don’t cause gas (the hull removal during splitting changes everything).

But you MUST soak them overnight. Skip that step and you’ll get the opposite result.

One more thing: temperature matters. Serve this warm, not hot or room temp. Cold food forces the body to expend energy warming it before digestion can even begin, which is the last thing a struggling gut needs.

You’re not trying to stoke a fire here, you’re trying to let an overwhelmed system rest.

Warm food meets the body where it is. No extra work required. This is one of the biggest mistakes I see in fresh feeding.

I reach for this recipe during GI flares, post-antibiotic gut repair, IBD management, and seasonal resets.

Simple and ancient, and it works! Things don’t have to be complicated if we just quiet down and use common sense

Link in bio if you’re interested in exploring this concept further and how it can apply to your dog!

I had a client once who was doing everything «right.» Organic fresh food. Home-cooked. Beautiful ingredients. And her do...
03/11/2026

I had a client once who was doing everything «right.» Organic fresh food. Home-cooked. Beautiful ingredients. And her dog’s digestion was a disaster: gas, gurgling, loose stools, the works.

She was devastated. «I’m spending all this money and time and he’s WORSE.»

When I assessed her dog through an Ayurvedic lens, it clicked immediately. She had a classic Vata dog: thin-framed, anxious, cold-natured, and she was feeding him a raw, cold diet straight from the fridge with cruciferous veggies.

For a Pitta dog that runs hot? That diet would’ve been great.

For her Vata boy? It was like throwing ice water on a flickering candle.

This is the thing nobody talks about in the fresh feeding world: the same meal can be medicine for one dog and a disaster for another. It depends entirely on their constitutional body type and what Ayurveda calls their ‘Dosha’.

Swipe through to learn the three doshas (with breed examples you’ll instantly recognize) and find out which one sounds like YOUR dog. I promise you’ll have at least one «oh my god, that’s my dog» moment.

Here’s what to notice as you swipe: the FOOD recommendations differ completely by type. Every ingredient, every cooking method, every spice is chosen to either warm, cool, stimulate, or ground, depending on what that specific body needs.

This is what 5,000 years of observation, wisdom and pattern recognition over milllenia does. No guessing and no trends, just common sense.

On the last slide, there’s something you can do TONIGHT.

One tiny kitchen trick that takes 30 seconds, requiring no special ingredients. If your dog has any Vata tendencies (anxious, gassy, picky eater, dry coat), try it. I’ve seen it shift digestion in days.

The slides tell you the «what», but if you want the full picture, your dog’s specific constitution, their imbalances, and a food plan built just for them, book a consultation with me (link in bio) - I’d love to help!!

I lost Nacho to hemangiosarcoma.In that grief I stopped asking “why him” and started asking “why does this keep happenin...
03/10/2026

I lost Nacho to hemangiosarcoma.

In that grief I stopped asking “why him” and started asking “why does this keep happening to so many of our dogs?”

Western medicine is brilliant at crisis care.
Broken bone? Surgery. Acute infection? Antibiotics.

I’m grateful for it. But somewhere along the way we turned emergency medicine into a lifestyle.

We built an entire system around suppressing symptoms; masking them, medicating around them and creating dependency on pharmaceuticals that don’t heal at the core. Never asking what the body is actually trying to say.

Our dogs are paying for it. Cancer rates climbing. Chronic disease is the norm. More money on vet care than ever. Sicker animals than ever.

So I went looking for something older. Something that trusts the body instead of overriding it.

I found TCVM: 3,000 years of understanding how food, energy, and balance keep disease from taking root. Then I found Ayurveda, over 5,000 years old. The oldest healing system in recorded history. Built on one radical idea:

The body already knows how to heal. It just needs the right support from nature.

Not synthetic chemicals. Not lifelong prescriptions. Whole foods prepared with intention. Herbs used for millennia. Gentle methods that work WITH the body.

We’ve become so far removed from nature that we forgot what the old healers always knew: The kitchen is the first pharmacy.

Food is medicine. Healing starts in the bowl.

I was called to go back to the old ways. To a time when we were attuned to what the body needs. When healing was an act of nourishment, not suppression. Now I’m bringing you with me.

This is Part 1 of 5 on Ayurveda for Pets. I’m going to give you real recipes, real herbs, and real aha moments that might change everything about how you feed your dog.

Sunny Gandara, CHPHC, CPCN
Nacho Average Dog Health Coach
Beacon, NY | Virtual consults available
Link in bio to book

03/10/2026

I'm thrilled to share I'll be co-hosting a brand new podcast with my wonderful colleague and friend Melissa Sherman - Calming Creek and the first episode debuts one week from today, March 17th!

Make sure to follow us on IG/FB The Whole Pack and on Substack for some juicy conversations between practitioners! We'll be dishing out honest (and maybe not so popular) opinions, and shining a light on all different aspects and views on holistic health for our pets and what that may mean.

Mark your calendars! A 9-minute teaser episode is now live on Substack! :)

03/03/2026

Yesterday, I was sitting in a packed vet waiting room, shoulder to shoulder with worried pet parents… and almost every chart I overheard came with a long list of meds… plus more being added.

Then a woman quietly said something I can’t shake: “𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬.”

That sentence landed in my body like a bell. 🔔

And it’s the reason I’m diving even deeper into ”𝐓𝐂𝐕𝐌 (𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞) and 𝐀𝐲𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝𝐚 right now.

Not to “replace” anything, but to remember the older, steadier ways of healing, the ones that focus on building resilience instead of living in constant reaction mode.

I’m sharing this because I know I’m not the only one feeling it…

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲?

Do you feel you’re given enough options for your dog or cat, beyond pharmaceuticals? 🐾

I was inspired to post about senior care for Full Circle Veterinary Hospital this week, as I too now have a "senior" in ...
03/03/2026

I was inspired to post about senior care for Full Circle Veterinary Hospital this week, as I too now have a "senior" in my girl Tofu.

Share this post with someone you think would find it useful!

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