Pet Labs

I’ve consulted pet owners and pet brands across 15+ countries. One lesson keeps coming back: formulating for marketing isn’t the same as formulating for pets. At Pet Labs (™️), my consulting work sits in two areas: - I work closely with brands to develop pet food and supplements that are grounded in science, not marketing trends. - I support individual pets (often those with existing chronic conditions, or those at risk) by correcting nutrition before disease becomes the norm. Whether I’m guiding a brand formulation or working with an individual pet, the questions I care about are the same - simple, but often overlooked: - Is this ingredient actually doing what it claims to do? - Is it present in a form and amount the body can use? - Does it support the animal long-term, not just on paper? Most pet products don’t fail in theory. They fail in real life. That gap (between what looks good on paper and what truly supports health) is where I spend most of my time. It’...

If “good food” was enough, half the pets I see wouldn’t be sitting in my clinic. This is what most pet owners think too. I see it every day at Pet Labs (™️): pets who look fine on paper, eating the “right” brands, supplements everywhere, but still struggling with: - recurring gut issues - skin flare-ups - low energy or unusual fatigue I wish more pet owners knew: nutrition isn’t just what goes into the bowl. It’s about bioavailability, ingredient synergy, and whether the diet actually supports the animal’s body long-term. That’s why I’m careful about what I recommend - whether it’s a home-cooked plan, a commercial diet, or a functional product I develop at Pet Labs (™️). I don’t chase trends. I don’t give one-size-fits-all advice. I focus on what works. Some people think I’m strict, but honestly, it’s the pets who teach me the most. I hug them daily (I bet none of you can say that about your clients 😅), watch them thrive on real food, and tweak things when scien...

Slipped into the "nice list" 😁 Pet safety tips for the holidays - Christmas food edition Things to avoid sharing with our pets 1. The Christmas drink (Egg Nog) : if it contains alcohol 2. Other alcoholic beverages, desserts, sweets 3. Christmas cake : if plums/raisins are present 4. Grapes (mostly from charcuterie boards or desserts, sweets and wines) 5. Bones : from meat dishes made of pork, turkey, chicken, duck etc 6. Stuffings or dishes containing too much of onions and garlic 7. Feeding left overs especially Fatty meals in high amounts at once 8. Sweets that contain xylitol or unknown sweeteners - mostly present in gummies Christmas is being with family. So, let's keep our furry members happier by adhering to these small safety tips Ah, I slipped into the "Nice-list" 😁. Did you too?  Happy Holidays! #petsafety #petcaretips #petfood #dogfood #puppyfood #vetcare #pethealth

Let’s talk Hip Dysplasia - and let’s talk about it honestly Continuing my Hip Dysplasia post as it's my duty to make pet owners aware of prevention If you missed reading that post it's here  Hip Dysplasia : a sustainable approach Everyone keeps saying hip dysplasia in dogs is “just genetics.” As a holistic veterinarian, I’m calling bold bluff on that Sure, genetics can play a role. And yes, inherited gut malabsorption issues may indirectly contribute (I’m still digging deep into that one). But blaming the bones alone? I’m not convinced. Here’s what we do know: 1. If a dog truly has genetically derived hip dysplasia, they should not be bred. Some countries already have strict ethical-breeding rules: dogs with confirmed genetic hip issues simply cannot mate. Why? Because the suffering gets passed directly to the next generation. And honestly, why would we intentionally create a future of pain? Whether a country has rules to not breed dogs with hip dysplasia ...

When an active young dog is unable to walk all of a sudden, it smells fishy A 2 year old male American Bully was presented to me last October with an inability to walk The pet patient was brought to me after 4 days of treatment for a limp. By then he had been on a course of injections. When I saw him, he barely could walk with his hind side. Low appetite. Hadn't passed urine for several hours The following x ray was taken on the very first day of the limp. The x ray angles are not perfect but I couldn't be fussing around just over that I used a combination of checking/feeling the dog, history, tests and the x ray. They revealed a low grade bilateral hip dysplasia In layman terms, this means that both sides of the hips have sockets that are too shallow to hold the ball of the joint - apparently in both the limbs These lead to painful hips, limping, painful knees (by ultimate CCL ruptures) and complete inability to walk I know that in most developed countries o...

You're crazy! Healing pets through food? "You must not be knowing your subject" My journey to becoming a veterinary nutritionist in Sri Lanka - and probably the first professional formulator of fresh pet food and pet supplements who is also a veterinarian and a veterinary nutritionist Veterinary nutrition to me was mostly a self studied subject. I studied it so deeply that I got an "A" grade at uni but I was barely present at nutrtion lectures. I had my math done I was determined that one day, I would specialize in probably nutrition or in a subject that can help me do better in my clinical practice Graduated with a top grade but I didn't want to immediately pursue a post graduate that didn't involve clinicals, which is what mostly happens. I took my time exploring my interests and passions and at one point I realized, nutrition is my thing. I also weighed the risks and benefits before pursuing my post grads in veterinary nutrition In p...

This month has already twisted me in several ways - with pets 😅 1. A septic Golden Retriever that had turned yellow  Lesson - not every pet who turns yellow has a liver disease or is poisoned Serum creatinine was at 11.23 and septic (Acute Kidney disease due to pyelonephritis and sepsis related cholestasis)   Zero injections but put him on just one oral medication. He's back to his self in about 3 days 2. A racing horse with hind limb weekness Marwari horses have a predisposition to calcium deficiency due to improper feed. Inadequate calcium and Cattle feed given to such horses can make the horse deficient in calcium and amino acids further exacerbating hind limb weakness The horse couldn't get up. The owner made arrangements to hoist her for once, I had to put her on injections due to urgency, drained her multiple abscesses from a previous recumbency, changed her nutrition and she's recovering 3. A kitten with a liver enlargement (hepatomegaly) on ultrasound...

Becoming Vet - Dr. Romela How did you become a vet? Did you always want to be a vet? Subconsciously, I think I did but I was in a different world not knowing my calling There was actually a list of childhood ambitions from being an astronaut to a piano music teacher to a doctor... I never even knew there were vets until I was 15 years old 🤦 My father and I shared this craze of saving fry (baby fish) from just dead pregnant fish in our fish tank, to rare different types of fish; Guppies, Mollies, Angel fish, Fighters etc. I used to admire music and play doctor with imaginary pets Surprisingly, I never was a fan of dogs until I was 15 years old. It's not that I hated dogs but I was scared of them and resisted myself from even feeling a dog. My mother and my sister were dog lovers. Despite my resistance there came in Spot Mc Delgado (after our surname "Salgado") rescued from a hospital car park His character surprised me. It was like a mini-human. That w...

As the founder of Pet Labs (™️) I had the opportunity to attend a workshop for the South Asian Women Entrepreneurs on Digital Skill Development organized by the United Nations ESCAP Coming from a medical background my digital skills are not the best but this workshop was a great learning opportunity on integrating digital skills into business plus a good networking experience with next level women from South Asia 🇱🇰🇮🇳🇵🇰🇧🇩🇳🇵🇧🇹🇲🇻 The panel discussion about bridging the digital divide among women entrepreneurs was insightful too Most of all we made new friends - growth mindsets - next level thinkers - persevering women I hope to make use of these skills as an entrepreneur in my businesses, may not be all at once, but gradually with time #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #youthentreprenuership #womanentrepreneur #womanentrepreneurs #southasia #vetentrepreneur #veterinaryentrepreneur #petentrepreneur #petentrepreneur #southasia ...

Is feeding fish enough for my cat/dog? It's a common question from my clients at the practice Straight answer: No, not enough Explaination: ✅ Fish are a source of animal proteins Amino acids are the structural units of proteins. Essential amino acids are the amino acids that are essential to the body and are not synthesized by the body. Hence, must be supplied through the diet ❌ Fish do not contain all essential amino acids such as taurine ✅ Fish contain vitamins, minerals, omega 3,6 fatty acids ❌But not every fish contain those nutrients in equal amounts 💡Example : Sprats contain a lot of calcium and neglible amounts of omega 3 fatty acids while mullets are relatively high in omega 3 fatty acids and low in calcium As a result I see cats and dogs: ✅ Contracting contagious diseases soon due to lowered immunity ✅ With fatty liver ✅ With signs of early ageing (poor cognitive syndrome, doggy dementia, premature greying, early joint pain) ✅ Heart issues (Dilate...