Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lori Wells-bauer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Lori, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share a customer success story with us?
As a small animal pet nutrition counselor, I help hundreds of pet owners navigate the stress of receiving a disease diagnosis for their beloved dog or cat. Knowing that time is limited and precious, many pet owners come to me to develop personalized disease management diets for their pet. The goal being to help bring comfort and healing to their pet while also extending their pet’s life. I feel truly honored to help bring the same peace and comfort to my clients as they hope to extend to their best friend.
One success story comes to mind as I think about a time when I helped a client achieve a really great result! I met Sundae, a gorgeous Bernese Mountain Dog at the Wild Blue Dogs Camp in Lake Tahoe, Ca. Every year I attend camp as a speaker, with the goal of helping campers find the right diet and supplements for their dog.
This last year I was introduced to Sundae’s pet parents who just received the worst news. Sundae was diagnosed with lymphoma, cancer of the lymphatic system. Sundae’s pet parents almost didn’t come to camp since Sundae seemed off/sad/disconnected. They decided to go anyway, and it was the best thing they could of done, because they found me!
We met and talked about Sundae’s diet, how certain foods were not great for a lymphoma diagnosis. Sundae’s owners were mostly feeding Royal Canin Large Breed while supplementing with home cooked chicken and other things they thought would be helpful. My goal was to create a science based ketogenic diet that wouldn’t fuel the cancer, while Sundae’s pet parents took her to her chemotherapy appointments. I even created a separate diet that helped decrease uncomfortable symptoms related to chemotherapy so that Sundae could retain her joyful spirit.
9 months later, I received word that Sundae developed stage 3 kidney disease due to the chemo she underwent. Sundae’s vet prescribed a kibble diet but thankfully I was given the opportunity to alter the diet I created to help heal the kidneys! Since changing over to the new diet, Sundae’s kidney disease has gone from stage 3 to stage 2! The best new yet, is that Sundae is now in remission which means that the cancer cells have either been destroyed or are no longer growing and spreading. Sundae is bursting with vitality and energy and I am looking forward to seeing her and her people at this year’s camp, an idea that Sundae’s pet parents thought impossible when they were first given the tragic diagnosis.
As pet parents, we would do anything for the health and happiness of our pets. When clients come to me I get to witness some amazing miracles, like I have with Sundae’s transformation. I am passionate about helping pet parents find a health promoting diet that focuses on species appropriate, whole food nutrition. All the diets I create are fully balanced to support health and longevity. I specialize in home cooking, for various life stages (puppy, adult, senior) or for disease management cases.
Lori, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
From a very early age I have always been naturally drawn to the energy of animals. After graduating college with a degree in Communications at Sacramento State University, I discovered that my true passion in life was to support the human-animal bond. I have followed this passion in a variety of ways, beginning as a volunteer with my “furkid” Izzy, as a pet therapy team through Pet Partners International. Visiting hospitals, convalescent homes, and assisted living facilities was an eye opening and transformative experience. Seeing how beautifully an animal can touch a person’s life through these visits expanded my heart to help animals in other meaningful ways.
It was then that that I took a job at a local Humane Society where I advocated and supported small animal adoption programs and outreach. Knowing that I could do even more to support pet parents, I took a job managing an independent pet store for over 7 years, who’s mission aligned with mine. It was through this experience that I became passionate about helping pet owners like myself, improve the health, wellness and longevity of their pets. My experience in the store fueled the discovery I had with my my own dog Izzy, that an animal is only as healthy as the food they are given. Food is medicine! Knowing that food is the building blocks of life, I have learned that finding the right nutrition can be the key to overall healing success.
During this time I dove into two separate educational programs (4 years total). The first program was at Portland Community College through their Nutritional Therapy Program that lead to a certification in human nutrition and the other program was through the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapy as a Certified Natural Animal Therapies Consultant. After graduating from both colleges I felt I had the skills to start my own Pet Nutrition Consultation Business in order to help pet owners all over the world.
As a pet parent myself, I can really empathizing with pet parents and what they are going through on the road to healing.
I had one amazing “furkid” named Izzy Santosha who truly was my soul dog. Izzy has been my greatest teacher, leading me down the path I am passionate for for the past 25 years! Izzy was rescued from maltreatment and abuse when I lived in Florida as an AmeriCorp Vista volunteer. Izzy suffered from mange, yeast infections, food sensitivities, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic ear infections, as well as extreme fear and anxiety.
After moving to California, I discovered a holistic veterinarian who talked to me about the importance of a raw diet and boosting overall health and vitality through nutrition. Izzy was definitely not thriving on her current prescription diet, that much we could see. After switching Izzy to a raw food diet most all her symptoms began to disappear. She no longer had constant bouts of diarrhea, ear infections or multiple skin issues. She also was a more confident dog and didn’t suffer from anxiety any more.
Sticking to a holistic model of health for Izzy, whenever “dis-ease” would manifest, instead of suppressing her symptoms (like traditional medicine), I always worked to create healing plans for Izzy in order to support her own body’s natural healing capabilities. Along with nutritional therapy, I have used biofeedback (Glacier Peak’s Sensitivity test), chiropractic care, acupuncture treatments, laser therapy, ozone therapy and Traditional Chinese Therapy to help Izzy through the healing processes.
Healing is a process that changes over-time. Looking back to when I adopted Izzy and how frustrated and helpless I felt, I can really empathize with my current clients. Just as I have found help along Izzy’s healing journey, it is my mission and passion to help other’s in need.
For the past 20 years I have helped thousands of pet owners fuel health and longevity for their pet. I use a multifaceted approach, by utilizing whole foods nutrition, herbal therapies and nutrient pharmacology, while also recommending integrative options available in order to bring the body back into a healthy balance. An animal’s body is an interconnected and intuitive system that we can trust is doing everything to protect the body from disease. There are so many organic and integrative tools that can give the body exactly what it needs to heal. Just like in the success story I wrote about, even a scary cancer diagnosis can have solutions for pet owners.
When clients work with me, I provide the tools they need to individually and uniquely help their animal at any stage of life. I also tap into the relationship that the pet owner has with their animal, including the energetic connection they share, just like the one I shared with Izzy. Unfortunately with modern medical practices the pet owners relationship and intuition aren’t part of the healing plan. I trust my client’s gut when they say they don’t feel comfortable with something or when they notice a symptom or behavior that has been brushed aside.
Our animals are our soul mates, or partners, our healers and we have a deeper, more meaningful connection to our pets than we have with even our own family and friends. I know that with Izzy, I would take even just one more day with here if I could, which is why with every client I help, my goal is health and longevity at any age or stage of life. I want every client to have as much time as possible with their best friend.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
I believe in the value of building a positive and encouraging relationship with my clients. This is the main foundation of my small business, it’s personal and it’s values based. With a degree in communications and marketing, many people I talk to are surprised to find I don’t put lot of time into social media and advertising. I think these forms of communication miss the mark when it comes to building a relationship with someone that is personal. The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is focusing on my current clientele and the relationship I have with them. It is through the personal journey I feel honored when a current client refers a friend or family member to me. I have always trusted that the people who need me most will find me.
The other strategy I use is to listen to my intuition and follow its lead. For example, I rarely do interviews or articles about my business, but something about the initial email I received from Canvas Rebel connected with me. I truly feel, that someone who is reading this article now needs my help. Perhaps this article popped up on someone’s social media or they are a current reader and they have been searching for help to no avail. I have seen that in life, if we trust our intuition and go where it leads, we will find the help that we need and I trust that process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wellspetnutrition.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellspetnutrition/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thedogbond/
Image Credits
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