The holistic pet
When conventional treatment options had been exhausted, Jolandie Koen often found herself wondering whether more could be done for pets and their owners. That question stayed with her throughout her years working in a veterinary practice and eventually led her to establish The Holistic Pet. In January 2023, Jolandie left her secure position to pursue a long-held vision. Guided by her Christian faith, she set out to create a platform that would provide holistic pet health resources tailored specifically to Southern African pet owners. Her faith remains central to her work. "I pray before every consultation. I ask God for wisdom, for healing, and to bless my hands and my work for each animal that comes to me," she says. Jolandie initially launched The Holistic Pet with a focus on animal aromatherapy, an area she had studied extensively and felt passionate about. As client needs evolved, so did her services. She pursued further certifications in pet nutrition, herbalism and holistic animal practice. Today, The Holistic Pet serves as both her business and what she describes as her calling. What began as a specialised aromatherapy practice has grown into a holistic pet health platform designed for Southern Africa. According to Jolandie much of the information available online is geared towards overseas audiences and often recommends products, supplements and ingredients that are difficult or expensive to obtain locally. "Everything on The Holistic Pet platform is designed with Namibian and South African pet owners in mind – the ingredients, the alternatives, the tools and the pricing in Namibian dollars," she says. The platform offers a range of species-specific tools and resources. These include NutriCraft™ planners for dogs, cats, parrots and rabbits, which generate personalised meal plans tailored to individual animals. Nutritional Gap Analysers identify potential shortcomings in a pet's diet, while a Holistic Bloodwork Interpreter aims to help owners better understand laboratory results from a nutritional perspective. The platform also includes an Animal Aromatherapy Guide covering the use of doTERRA protocols across various species. For breeders, two dedicated tools – Canine BreederStart™ and Feline BreederStart™ – allow users to record health and nutrition information for puppies and kittens and transfer those records to new owners. "It is continuity of care from day one," says Jolandie. Parrot owners can access ParrotCraft™, which she describes as a companion guide covering feeding, nutrition and care throughout a bird's life. "ParrotCraft™ is a complete companion guide that walks parrot owners through every stage of their bird's life – from weaning and early feeding schedules through to adult nutrition and senior care," she says. Users can also register for a free membership, which provides access to six interactive tools, more than 34 articles and a personal dashboard. The platform features Mila, an AI-powered health and nutrition guide named after Jolandie's adopted Scottish Terrier. According to her, Mila is available around the clock to assist users with questions about animal health and nutrition. "What makes Mila genuinely different from any other chatbot is that she is not generic," she says. "She is powered by advanced AI and built entirely on my knowledge, experience and certifications as a Holistic Animal Practitioner, Pet Nutritionist and Animal Aromatherapy Specialist." Jolandie says Mila can provide information relating to dogs, cats, parrots, rabbits and poultry. The chatbot can suggest resources, explain possible causes of symptoms and direct owners to relevant tools available on the platform. She emphasises, however, that Mila is not intended to replace veterinary care. "She is a knowledgeable, compassionate, always-available first point of contact for pet owners who simply do not know where to turn when something feels wrong with their animal," says Jolandie. One of her long-term ambitions is to make holistic animal care more accessible to rescue organisations and pet owners with limited financial resources. "One of my deepest long-term dreams is to find a way to support rescue centres and less fortunate pet owners – to make holistic animal care accessible to animals and families who might otherwise never have access to it," she says. Jolandie is currently developing an online course, Animal Aromatherapy: Foundations, which will focus on the safe use of doTERRA essential oils with dogs, cats, parrots and horses. The course is expected to be launched later this year. She also plans to continue expanding the platform's resources to include more species and conditions. "The vision has always been to create a platform that is genuinely the most comprehensive holistic pet health resource available for Southern African pet owners – and eventually beyond," she says. 2 Despite working with a wide variety of animals, Koen says she has no favourite. At home she shares her life with three dogs – Mila, Lucy and Myha – as well as three African Grey parrots named Louis, Paisley and Olivia. Each, she says, has taught her something different. "Dogs have taught me about loyalty, unconditional love and how deeply an animal absorbs the emotional world around them. My African Greys have taught me about intelligence, vulnerability and how a creature that seems strong on the outside can carry deep wounds from their past." She believes every animal deserves compassion and respect. "People should never blame themselves for what they did not yet know. Together we work out what is broken, and together we try to restore it," she says. Jolandie says pet owners are becoming increasingly open to natural approaches, although education remains essential. "I do see a shift. I receive more inquiries now than I did when I started, and many of them come through referrals. That word-of-mouth trust is the most meaningful kind because it means real animals have had real results and real people have noticed." Among the outcomes she has observed are improvements in animals with kidney and liver disease, chronic urinary issues, fatty liver disease and skin conditions following dietary and lifestyle changes. "These are not miracles," she says. "They are what happens when you treat the cause rather than just the symptom." Despite growing interest, Jolandie believes holistic and species-appropriate pet care remains relatively unfamiliar in Namibia. "There is a stigma. Pet owners are often warned against raw feeding or natural approaches without understanding the evidence behind them. Veterinarians, through no fault of their own, are simply not trained in holistic therapies or species-specific nutrition because it is not part of the curriculum." Through her consultations, educational content and online platform, Jolandie hopes to bridge that gap by making information more accessible and helping pet owners make informed decisions about the animals in their care. "One pet, one family, one conversation at a time." W: theholistic-petnamibia.com E: [email protected]; F: The Holistic Pet
