Meet Dana Brigman
I Work With Dogs.
All the Pieces of Them.
I’m Dana Brigman, a Certified Canine Nutritionist, Certified Holistic Pet Health Coach, Certified Dog Trainer and Behaviorist, and whole-dog wellness practitioner.
My work is centered on one species: dogs.
I help dog parents make sense of nutrition, digestion, inflammation, pain, behavior, medications, supplements, stress, environmental exposures, aging and natural wellness — especially when those things stop looking like separate problems.
I’m Not a General Wellness Influencer Who Happens to Talk About Dogs.
Dogs have been my professional work for more than a decade, and they are the reason I kept adding disciplines to my education.
I started in professional dog training and behavior. That work taught me to observe dogs closely — movement, posture, arousal, fear, pain, sleep, environment, relationships and the small changes pet parents sometimes do not realize are significant.
Then the questions got bigger.
Why did some behavior change when food changed? Why did pain show up as reactivity? Why did digestive problems and anxiety so often travel together? Why were some dogs technically “stable” but still not thriving? Why did one dog respond beautifully to something that did very little for another?
Those questions pushed me deeper into canine nutrition, fresh and raw feeding, gut health, aromatherapy, herbs, homeopathy, bodywork, energy medicine, recovery, senior health and whole-dog wellness.
Certificates Are Important. Using the Education Is More Important.
I have worked with hundreds of dogs across training, behavior, nutrition and holistic wellness. They have not all walked in with tidy, one-problem-at-a-time cases.
Nutrition & Feeding
Fresh, raw and gently cooked food, homemade diets, recipe review, food sensitivities, weight, nutrient balance, senior nutrition and feeding around chronic health concerns.
Chronic & Complicated Dogs
Dogs with recurring digestive problems, allergy and yeast patterns, pancreatitis, kidney and liver concerns, cancer, seizures, chronic inflammation, recovery issues and multiple moving pieces.
Behavior & Nervous System
Fear, anxiety, reactivity, aggression, stress, trauma and behavior changes that may also deserve a closer look at pain, nutrition, digestion, sleep or underlying health.
Seniors & Longevity
Aging dogs, muscle and mobility support, appetite changes, cognitive support, recovery, comfort, nutrition and the everyday decisions that can create more good days.
Yes, I’ve Done the Homework.
No single certification created the way I work today. My education intentionally crosses disciplines because the dog in front of me does not divide himself into separate departments.
Nutrition & Fresh-Food Feeding
- Certified Canine Nutrition education — Companion Animal Sciences Institute, 2019
- Certified Raw Dog Food Nutrition Specialist — Dogs Naturally Magazine University, 2020
- Certified Holistic Pet Health Coach — Dr. Ruth Roberts, DVM, 2023
- Pet Whole Food Supplement Specialist — Standard Process, 2025
- Continuing education in fresh feeding, raw feeding, home-prepared diets, digestive support, supplementation, senior nutrition and nutrition for chronic health concerns
Dog Training & Behavior
- Certified Dog Trainer and Dog Behaviorist — National K9 School for Dog Trainers, 2011
- Professional Member — International Association of Canine Professionals
- Professional experience with fear, anxiety, reactivity, aggression, stress and behavior modification
- Former Board Member — American Pit Bull Foundation
- Former Operation SideKick Lead Trainer
- Training consultant experience with rescue and humane organizations
Essential Oils & Aromatherapy
- Advanced animal aromatherapy education with veterinarians experienced in veterinary aromatherapy
- Non-veterinary member — Veterinary Medical Aromatherapy Association
- Aromacology and advanced animal aromatherapy education with Nancy Brandt, DVM
- Center for Aromatherapy Research & Education training in essential-oil chemistry, Raindrop Technique, Vitaflex and emotional release
- Certified Practitioner — Animal Raindrop Technique
Homeopathy, Herbs & Supportive Modalities
- Homeopathic Pet Educator Certification, 2020
- Herbal Pet Educator Certification, 2021
- Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Master
- Healing Touch for Animals education
- Emotional Freedom Technique training
- Canine massage and kinesiology taping
- Pet First Aid education
- Iridology education and assessment training
- Continuing education in medicinal mushrooms, CBD, targeted supplements and natural wellness modalities
Education does not stop when the certificate arrives.
I continue to study because canine nutrition and natural wellness are not static fields. Research changes. Testing changes. Products change. We learn more about the microbiome, nervous system, aging, inflammation, medications and nutrition every year.
I also learn from the dogs. Real dogs have a marvelous way of reminding you that the textbook answer and the answer for this dog are not always identical.
There Is No Standard Protocol for a Dog I Haven’t Met.
I do not believe every itchy dog needs the same supplement, every dog with diarrhea needs the same probiotic, every dog with pancreatitis should eat exactly the same diet, or every senior needs a shopping cart full of products.
I want the history.
What changed? What came first? What keeps coming back? What has already been tried? What medications and supplements are being used? What is actually in the food bowl? What does the stool look like? Is the dog maintaining muscle? How is the dog sleeping, moving and recovering? Is there pain? Stress? A recent procedure? A medication change?
Sometimes nutrition is the obvious place to start. Sometimes it is the gut. Sometimes pain deserves another look. Sometimes I want you back at your veterinarian asking a better question.
And sometimes the smartest thing we can do is stop throwing ten random remedies at an already overwhelmed dog and figure out which piece deserves attention first.
Real Dogs. Real Pet Parents. Real-Life Results.
Reviews do not guarantee that two dogs will have the same outcome. They do show you what it can feel like to have someone look at the bigger picture with you.
The Dogs Changed the Questions I Asked.
Before dogs became my career, I spent more than two decades in corporate America. I eventually walked away from that life and built a career around dogs.
Training and behavior came first. My own dogs pushed me toward health and nutrition.
I have loved dogs with complicated health histories. I have lost dogs far earlier than I thought I should. I have also had the gift of sharing life with dogs who made it into their twenties.
Each one changed what I wanted to know.
They are why longevity became more than a nice marketing word to me. They are why I care about the food bowl before there is a crisis. They are why I keep studying seniors, cognition, mobility, the gut, inflammation, recovery and the everyday choices that accumulate over a lifetime.
And they are why my goal for your dog is not perfection.
It is more good days. Better resilience. Better decisions. Better food when we can. More comfort. More understanding. And as much healthy life as we can reasonably support.
Better Decisions. Not More Noise.
Dog parents have access to more information than ever before. Unfortunately, that does not mean the information is easier to use.
One Facebook comment tells you to eliminate every carbohydrate. Someone else says your dog needs seventeen supplements. One person swears a product changed everything. Another says it is toxic. Your veterinarian has one perspective. A nutritionist may have another. And meanwhile your actual dog is standing in the kitchen waiting for dinner.
I help you sort through that.
I want you to understand why we are considering something, what we are hoping to support, what we should watch for, what can wait and when the question belongs back in your veterinarian’s hands.
The point is not to follow Dana forever.
The point is to become better at understanding your own dog.
Dog-Specific Support From North Myrtle Beach — and Beyond.
Grand Strand & North Myrtle Beach
Local canine nutrition, wellness and select in-person support throughout the Grand Strand and surrounding communities.
Brunswick County & Wilmington
Regional and online support for dog parents throughout southeastern North Carolina and the Carolina coast.
Not Local? No Problem.
Many canine nutrition and holistic pet health services are available through online consultations, so I work with dog parents well beyond the Carolinas.
Start With Your Dog.
If your dog has a complicated health history, recurring symptoms, food concerns, a new diagnosis or you simply want a more thoughtful plan, tell me what is going on.
Looking for ongoing education, Q&A, classes and member resources? Explore Membership →