I reached out to Heather a year ago when I learned that my 13 year old dachshund, Nessa, had stage 3 kidney failure. She was stable but was losing interest in the Science Diet kidney formula that the veterinarian had recommended. I had always been interested in making her food for her, especially given all of the recalls, and that moment seemed like the right time. Within a week of my initial outreach, Heather had created a nutrition plan for Nessa working with my veterinarian office to review all previous bloodwork and visit notes. After just three months of the homemade diet, her bloodwork (BUN and creatinine specifically) were within normal range. Those results speak to the power and benefits of homemade diets formulated by a nutritionist. In such a short amount of time, the significant changes I saw made me an instant believer and I decided that I will continue to work with Heather for Nessa's lifetime, and for any other dogs that come into my life in the future. Though Heather is extremely responsive and thorough over email, meeting her in-person for a check-up visit was such a pleasure. She is personable, professional, accommodating, and you can just tell she loves what she is doing. Nessa can tell too - she loves Heather! I feel so lucky to have found Heather and feel confident that Nessa will be healthier and happier in the (hopefully, many) years she has yet to live. read more

When we became parents of a 10 week-old puppy, it was if we'd never owned a dog! Everything was new. From challenges with feeding, to unexpected illness and other situations that were unfamiliar, Heather has been unflagging in her support of us and Callie, our now 16-month old lab. Heather has had suggestions for what to feed Callie in the face of lots of allergies, how to supplement her diet, and how to respond in several behavioral situations where we felt like we needed an expert's opinion. Since our last lab had cancer, but lived a longer-than-expected life due to changes we made in her diet, we knew we wanted to feed Callie "right" from start. Heather's deep knowledge of every animal's individual nutritional needs has been invaluable. She is patient, kind and a resource I consult not only regularly, but with great confidence in her abilities! And that's why I'm so excited that Heather is opening WILD Pet Provisions, an actual physical location that I can walk to when I need food for Callie, advice from Heather, or just destination with a treat at the end! read more

I have to agree with the person who said that we have to be careful who to trust when it comes to the care and feeding of our pets and Heather is great! I am a small-animal veterinarian and have worked with Heather a lot through the years and thoroughly enjoy her work ethic and dedication to the pets that she sees. She is very knowledgeable about pet animal nutrition and has worked with hundreds and hundreds of people over the years with the goal of optimum health through nutrition and gentle natural care. She also understands very well the limitations and knows when we refer to a veterinary or other professional if all of the pet's needs cannot be met through diet alone. It's great to know that Heather is out there helping people formulate diets for their pets in their homes - where the cooking and eating are happening - this is a perspective that cannot be gotten by a person seeing your pet in a veterinary clinic - there is no way they can see the whole picture so I wholeheartedly recommend Heather and will refer many clients to her in the future! read more

My pug Chesney and I are so thankful we found Heather. Chesney was having chronic ear problems and I thought I had tried everything. He had been on steroids, antibiotics, and 6 different prescription ear cleaners. Besides all of the prescription I changed my pets diet including switching him to a raw diet that he had been on for over a year and he was still getting the ear infections. My vet recommended Heather to me and we set up an appointment. Heather took time to get to know Chesney and I, told me it would take a day or two to do some research and create a plan, and then Heather contacted me with a few options .The supplements have made a difference and Chesney has been free of ear infections since our visit. Heather takes time to answer question and is more than fair with her prices. She will not give up and will continue to try different options until you and your pet are satisfied. read more

So our sweet girl dealt with food allergies for about 5 years of her life. I was trying everything I could possibly think of to help her, but nothing was seeming to help. We were at the vet weekly for glands and ears. Poor thing was just miserable. People still think I'm crazy today, but I searched pet nutritionist online one day and Heather was the top choice on the search. I made the leap that day and have never looked back. In fact, I have referred so many people to Heather. They still think I'm crazy, but the difference I have seen in my pup is huge. We are no longer at the vet on a weekly basis and she is so much healthier! Highly highly recommend Heather if your pet is dealing with food allergies. It will get better, Heather looks at every single detail there is to look at and comes up with a game plan. read more

My dog Lucy, is a 5 year old walking contradiction. After spending years of struggling with allergies (food, environmental and flea) and other unpleasant ordeals, spending ridiculous amounts of money on never-ending high-end bottomless bags of dog food.... I finally found the answer, "Balanced by Nature." Heather is the real deal! As a general rule, I'm skeptical when it comes to anyone's opinion on how I should care for my animals, but at some point you just have to admit when you've been defeated. My only complaint is why didn't I go to Balanced by Nature sooner?!?! Heather's ability to pinpoint problems, explain solutions-easily, execute plan and follow through with desired results; is amazing and somewhat uncanny. She went above and beyond, you can't get any better than that. read more

Heather is GREAT! One of the dangers today is that many people call themselves experts, without having the proper frame of reference for what they are talking about, but in Heather's case, she has been on the forefront of dog and cat nutrition for many more years than her youthful appearance might make you think. She is grounded in the facts of dog and cat nutrition, as well as the experience of working with hundreds of dogs and cats through the years. Her knowledge of raw food diets is rational and experiential, so especially if you are considering feeding a raw food diet to your beloved family dog or cat, call Heather for compassionate and intelligent support. read more

My husband and I have a 10 month old diabetic alert service dog. He is a cockapoo who just didn't seem to be at all interested in food, and was extremely thin. After paying to train him professionally, and falling completely in love with him, we were quite concerned about his long term health. Heather came to see him, and before she left, she had him licking his bowl clean. He hasn't stopped wanting to eat since, and in just two months, actually has a little belly on him and is getting to his healthy weight. Heather knew exactly what he needed and what he shouldn't have. We have followed her instructions, and out dog is now thriving. read more

My 1 year old black lab wasn't doing so well, so I decided to exchange his kibble. This is where I first met Heather Macfarlane, I explained his tummy upset and she immediately started writing down items I needed to give to him to correct his issue. I noticed first hand her passion for healing/helping animals. She took the time to explain to me the importance of a well balanced diet for my dog.I trusted her immediately. Her knowledge regarding nutrition for animals is both mind blowing and calming at the same time. The next day he truly was a a new dog. From that point I've been feeding him Raw, and he is a thriving, healthy 4 year old. read more

Our cat, Lily was diagnosed with what seems to be Irritable Bowl Disease. She was having severe chronic diarrhea and vomiting, which we battled for about 3 months before finding Heather. We tried other diets, which didn't seem to help. Heather was able to pinpoint the issue and put Lily on a specific raw food that would help her, as well as specialized supplements for her IBD. It took only three days to notice a difference, and Lily was obviously feeling much better. We eventually weened Lily off the supplements and now she has a raw food diet plan that works for her. I would definitely recommend Heather for any dietary pet needs. read more

Heather is a very kind person who genuinely cares about animals. If we wouldn't have stumbled across Heather I am certain that our boxer Nala would still be very sick. We went to numerous Veterinarians including all the allergy doctors in the area but no one could figure it out except for Heather, Nala has severe food allergies and we needed to make her food at home. Heather was there to guide us through trial and error until we found the right fit. The best thing about Heather is that she will check in on us from time to time and answer any questions that we might have. Thanks again Heather! read more

Heather's been fantastic in helping my dog Trudy. I wanted to switch her foods, but was overwhelmed by the options and how to best support her kidney issues. Heather worked with me as we tried a couple kinds of food until we found one that didn't bother Trudy's sensitive stomach. She also provided invaluable information regarding supplements, making adjustments as needed. Trudy's gained the weight that she needed and looks & acts much healthier. I'm grateful we have access to such a great source of knowledge. read more

What a godsend this company is, finally someone who really does know what the reality of commercialised pet foods is doing to our animals. They were a life saver, literally, with detailed advice for our dog when he was seriously ill several years ago & if ever I have a query over the RIGHT way to keep our dogs healthy & in their prime, these guys are always there with fantastic information & positive assistance. Cannot recommend them highly enough ~ total animal lovers with a wealth of hard information ! read more

My beautiful Labradoodle, Marge, had suffered from skin rashes and hotspots for years. In spite of the fact that she'd always eaten raw, I began to suspect that it was the food that was giving her problems. After one session with Heather and two months of faithfully following her recommendations, Margie is mostly itch free and has lost 5 lbs! Pretty amazing for an almost ten year old gal who LOVES to eat! She just needed to eat the right things. Everybody's happy. read more

Heather has done an amazing job with my pet's health and nutrition. My doggie Bella was having a really hard time with her mobility and her weight. Heather was able to turn that all around with the right combination of supplements as well as suggesting the right food for Miss Bella. I am so happy to have found her and so is Bella.....She is extremely knowledgeable with nutrition as well as wellness for your pet's health. I will recommend her every chance I get :) read more

Our 14 year old chihuahuas started to have little problems (with digestion and achy joints)- as to be expected with old dogs- but I never thought it could get a LOT better until I contacted and worked with Heather. She introduced us to supplements and new diets that are not only working but they love! I know they will never be young in actual years but they sure behave like it. I would (and do) recommend her to anyone that has furry friends We Heather! read more

We feel grateful to have found Heather aka Balanced by Nature. She is an up-to-date wealth of knowledge for our new puppies well being. I really like working with someone that has no vested interest in selling you a particular brand. A trusted passionate and professional resource. read more

Heather has been so awesome to work with. Every one of her suggestions has worked! She's very informed, very thoughtful and very thorough. She has followed up with us regularly and continues to be a fantastic resource. I can't recommend her enough!! read more