When Love Isn’t the Question:

What Kora and Lois Taught Us About Prevention

A few Saturdays ago, we were standing in the shop talking about nutrition, prevention, and how to do better for our dogs.

This week, I watched one of my best friends lose another piece of his heart.

Ethan isn’t just a client. He’s one of my best friends. And if you’ve known him over the years, there’s a good chance you knew his dogs, too—Kora and Lois. They weren’t just “his dogs.” They were constants. Anchors. Family through moves, careers, heartbreak, joy, and everything in between.

Lois—a red heeler rescued at five months old—was with him for nine short years. She lost a brief, unfair battle with lung cancer. Just ten months before that, he said goodbye to Kora, his GSP, who also battled cancer.

Two incredible dogs.Two losses that came far too close together.

I’m writing this torn up. And I think that’s exactly how it should be.

When Love Isn’t the Question

Ethan did everything he could for Lois when it mattered most. Mushrooms. CBD. Diet changes. Support. Hope. Anyone who has walked that road knows the feeling—throwing everything you have at something you love, knowing it still might not be enough.

And this is important to say clearly:

This is not about what he didn’t do.

This is about what most of us were never taught early enough.

Why We Hosted the Nutrition Clinic

At our recent nutrition event, we had Etty Gorman with us—someone with a deep background in both commercial food formulation and raw, species-appropriate nutrition. What we talked about that day wasn’t trendy. It wasn’t brand-driven. It was foundational.

We talked about:

• Synthetic vitamins versus nutrients from real food

• What “complete and balanced” actually means—and where it falls short

• Starches and carbohydrates that don’t belong in a dog’s bowl

• Protein sources that aren’t truly meat-based

• How metabolism, inflammation, and long-term health are shaped quietly over time

  
  

These aren’t topics that matter only when a dog is sick.

They matter years before that.

Prevention Doesn’t Start at Diagnosis

Research continues to show that dogs metabolize fat and animal-based nutrition very differently from carbohydrate-heavy diets. Dogs fed species-appropriate, higher-fat diets show markers associated with better metabolic health—lower blood sugar, improved fat utilization, and less long-term metabolic stress.

Health starts in the bowl.

A well-fed dog is going to have a stronger immune system. That doesn’t mean we control everything. But it does mean we influence more than we think.

Cancer and chronic disease don’t appear overnight. They build slowly, quietly, often invisibly.

By the time symptoms show up, we’re usually reacting—not preventing.

After reading this, Ethan shared something with me. He said if there’s anything he would want other dog owners to take away from this experience, it’s a few simple things:

Pay attention to changes in eating habits:

• If your dog suddenly skips meals or loses interest in food, don’t brush it off. That can be an early sign that something bigger is going on.

• Feed them well from the start - A strong immune system is built over time.

• What goes in the bowl matters more than most of us realize.

• Don’t be afraid to advocate for your dog. Work with your vet. Ask questions.

• Push for answers if something doesn’t feel right.

  
  

  You know your dog better than anyone.

  
  

Those aren’t dramatic statements. They’re hard-earned ones.

Supportive Tools Are Not Time Machines

Medicinal mushrooms, CBD, and dietary shifts absolutely have a place. They can support the immune system, reduce inflammation, and improve quality of life. But they work best as part of a long-term foundation—not as a last stand.

That’s the part that hurts the most.

Imagine if this education were standard from the beginning.

Imagine if transparency were the rule, not the exception.

Imagine if “normal” pet care weren’t quietly setting dogs up for chronic stress inside their own bodies.

Dogs are with us for far too short a time.

That truth should change how we care for them from day one.

Why We Keep Teaching

This is why we talk about nutrition. This is why we host clinics. This is why we push for real, species-appropriate food and honest conversations.

Not to create fear. Not to assign blame. But because love deserves informed effort—not silence.

If this message makes you pause, reflect, or ask questions, that’s a good thing. That’s where better choices begin.

This one’s for Kora and Lois.

Lois Kora

And for everyone who loves a dog deeply enough to want to do better while there’s still time.

Cody O’Kelly P.S. For those who like to dig into the research themselves, here are two of the resources referenced above:

• University of Helsinki canine metabolism study:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41046069/

• Summary article on that research:https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/dogs/canine-metabolism-responds-better-fat-carbs-research-suggests

• Medicinal mushrooms and immune support in dogs:https://www.dogcancer.com/articles/supplements/medicinal-mushrooms-for-dogs/

Knowledge is power. Use it.