Dogs are our passion
Martina is an accomplished and compassionate canine nutrition expert and is a certified canine nutritionist (Cert, ACN) that has taken many courses that include advanced canine nutrition, canine formulation, canine anatomy, physiology, and diseases. She believes that feeding your dog a balanced whole food diet is the key to their best health and improved longevity.
Martina has worked in collaboration with pet owners since 2015 addressing canine nutrition concerns including healthy adult dogs and growing puppies, as well as complicated cases like cancer, heart disease, pancreatitis, bladder stones, liver disease, food intolerance, gastrointestinal issues, IBD, Colitis and more. She has worked with clients formulating NRC balanced home-prepared raw and cooked diets that are unique for each dog’s nutritional requirements.
Martina has a passion for canine nutrition and natural health since she acquired her first dogs more than 2 decades ago. After feeding her 2 dogs freshly cooked dog food, she witnessed the benefits of a natural, wholesome doggie diet. Her dogs rarely needed to visit the vet and they both lived long healthy lives.
After years of training, courses, and researching pet nutrition, an inspiring moment in the kitchen turned her dream into a reality, with the birth of The Healthy Barker. Martina is the founder and owner of The Healthy Barker, a successful fresh-cooked and raw dog food business where she has created and formulated her own unique line of freshly cooked meals and whole food supplements.
Martina’s business venture led her to form a unique friendship with Dr. Susan Lauten. For over 20 years, Dr. Lauten has been considered to be one of the best veterinary nutritionists in the United States. It was consulting with Dr. Lauten that inspired Martina to further her education in canine nutrition and recipe formulation and guided her in canine nutrition, disease, and diet formulation. Martina now works for Dr. Lauten in assisting her with recipe formulations.
Martina is continuously learning and expanding her knowledge of the relatively new canine nutrition and natural health field. She is currently studying herbology and has a strong interest in canine nutrigenomics, how food affects dogs genetically, and our canine friends’ overall health.
Education & Credentials
Canine and Feline Nutrition Advanced Program – 2023
Southern Illinois University
Assistant to Dr. Susan Lauten, Ph.D. – 2021 to Present
Clinical Formulations
Canine Nutrition and Clinical Formulations – 2021
Mentored by Dr Susan Lauten, Ph.D.
Basics of Canine Nutrition – 2020
The Science Dog – Linda P. Case
Certificate Advanced Canine Nutrition (Cert. CAN) – 2019
Companion Animal Sciences Institute
Canine Anatomy and Physiology – 2019
Canine Principles Online Course
Owner and Creator of The Healthy Barker – 2017 to Present
Fresh Cooked and Raw Canine Meals and Canine Nutrition Specialist


Learn About Our Canine Nutritionist Services
Our Goal
Our goal is to empower clients with information and resources to help their dogs achieve optimal health and prolong their life through proper appropriate nutrition and other natural modalities thereby giving your pets a longer healthier life naturally.
We offer a range of holistic nutritional consulting services with a focus on the whole dog and their individual nutritional requirements, by understanding their lifestyle, eating habits, age, breed, and health.
Nutrition has a profound impact on our beloved companion’s health, and once you become aware of a disease, nutrition should be part of the treatment plan and the healing process.