Getting to the Root Cause of your Dog’s Problems

Root Cause is on Pet Parents’ Minds

Overview of the problem most pet parents face

Most holistic pet parents these days ask about treating the root cause of their pet’s discomfort or disease. Over 1/2 of the dogs veterinarians see are diagnosed with allergies or inflammatory bowel diease or flat-out cancer. Most also have storm phobia and separation anxiety and the vet clinics often put emotional issues on the back burner and address the itchy skin or the digestive upset.

Allopathic medical doctors will tell you that allergies are life-long and require management of disease. They are taught that inflammatory bowel disease is managed with prescription diets and medications. If they address mood disorders, they will tell you they are managed with medications. This is the point where most pet parents call a holistic veterinarian, like Dr Truli. The allopathic story starts not sounding right. The constant medications and rechecks are draining financially and time-wise.  And the situation is managed, but not ultimately manageable!

What Do We Mean by Root Cause?

Root cause is misleading, isn’t it? Like a child asking “why?” The question can go on and on and never reach a ground-level “root” answer. But there are answers that help give us direction and give us a better understanding of what our pets are experiencing.

Root Cause Can Refer to a Deeper Dysfunction that Underpins all of Your Pet’s Problems

Proper Actual Diagnosis

The very first step Dr Truli takes is to review your medical records thoroughly. We can build on test results, glean more information in a holistic mindset or fill in gaps in the actual objective medical testing if there are any. Sometimes the root cause is something like hypothyroidism that no one suspected, Cushing’s disease or heavy metal toxicity and mold toxicity that Western Medicine denies exists for pets. We can find and treat these issues and unlock the healing potential your pet already owns.

The Biome

The gut-skin axis, the gut-mind axis, the gut-joint axis are all buzzwords in the gut biome approach to investigation and treatment. We can now test your dog’s poop and get a map of the types and numbers of bacteria, parasites and other residents of the gut. This community is called the gut biome. It can be fed different fiber types, given friends in the form of probiotics and even receive a fecal transplantation to start fresh. Research is ongoing into what particular probiotics and probiotic fibers would favor results to help your dog with gut, skin, allergy, mind, and joint health issues. Dr Truli has worked with Animalbiome and MiDog for many years.

 

Functional Medicine

In this context, functional medicine for your cat or dog would be vitamin and mineral investigation and whole foods supplementation to  get the body functioning well again. Did you know 75% of dogs in America have insufficient Vitamin D3 and do not make it from the sun? Did you know 95% of dogs have a disfavorable omega3 to omega 6 fatty acid ratio in their red blood cells? Did you know we can now accurately measure minerals and heavy metals in your dog’s fur to see a 5-month average of their nutrition and toxin exposures? Dr Truli has been working with these tests and treating pets with functional medicine for over 10 years.

Plant Partners

Herbal medicine can treat so much more than we know. You can look up herbal ideas online or receive advice from relatives, friends and online social media groups, but do you really know what those treatments are doing as side-effects? Or is there a better solution and you are wasting precious time for your pet? Dr Truli is an herbalist and been practicing herbal medicine for over 10 years of her 25 years as a veterinarian.

Energy

You can look at root cause as the energy behind the physical reality of the problem, or even the energy to find enough strength to heal. For instance, did you hknow there are effective EMF treatments for separation anxiety? EMF for arthritis pain relief and to speed healing after injury, inclusing surgical injuries? Dr Truli can provide hands-on treatments with laser therapy, red light therapy, EMF, electrostim acupuncture, Reiki, and more. Many of these treatments can be done at home by you!

Beyond the Physical to Find Root Cause

Perhaps your dog has had repeated biome treatments, functional medicine nutritional perfection, Herbal and TCVM care, EMF home care, physical therapy, and all-the-things and still seems too quiet, too cautious, too close to another break out of problems. The root cause may be a multi-generational inherited or a vaccine induced injury that requires classical homeopathic care to root out the cause and restore health. Dr Truli also accepts new patients for classical homepathic care (as of August 2025). Availability subject to change as homeopathy takes lots of doctor time and patient spots are limited.

 

A Veterinarian That Thinks Root Cause First

Dr Truli is qualified, certified and experienced in so many modalities of holistic medicine that she can adapt the diagnostic and treatment plan to your needs. In honor of that mission, all services are provided in your home. You’ll find a full partner in finding the path to wellness for your pet. Your home empowers you and gives you and your pet the comfort to have an open and thorough consultation.

 

Email DrTruli@VetVMD.com to inquire further. Please provide your full name, pet’s name, your phone to text, your address, times and days you prefer for a house call and a description of your goals and urgency. Dr Truli can schedule for most of the Tampa Bay area.