Animal Necessity® focuses on delivering high-quality supplements and services to veterinary health professionals and pet owners around the world. We know that the well being of animals worldwide depends on the purity, quality, and integrity of our supplements. Our holistic approach to health maintenance has been developed over the past 40 years by Dr. Norma Pestano, an orthomolecular nutritionist. Dr. Pestano's extensive research in the development of supplements and wellness protocols helps maintain health.
Dr. Pestano has partnered with leading doctors of veterinary medicine (DVMs), including board-certified veterinary specialists, to apply many of these human-based protocols to companion animals and marine mammals. Animal Necessity® values and respects the human-animal bond, and we are committed in our efforts to provide relevant information that veterinarians and pet owners need to support animal health.
To help animals live healthier lives, by providing our comprehensive approach to animal wellness. We incorporate current research with supplements to create products of the highest quality and purity.
We drive advancement in animal wellness by developing our veterinary health supplements through natural, holistic and scientific methods.
Animal Necessity® is at the forefront of the development and promotion of holistic, protocol-based approaches to animal wellness, integrating Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) with traditional medicine. Our standard of support of animal wellness is based on three core values:
Co-founder of Animal Necessity, LLC, Dr. Johanna Mejia-Fava, is an esteemed veterinary expert specializing in zoo and aquatic medicine. With over 20 years of experience, she is recognized globally for her research on the benefits of herbal supplements in animals, including companion pets, equine, zoo, and aquatic species. Dr. Jo is passionate about bridging the gap between nature and veterinary science through the lens of ZooPharmaCognosy—the study of how animals instinctively self-medicate in the wild.
A Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine graduate, Dr. Jo earned her PhD in Marine Mammal Ophthalmology, focusing on establishing normal intraocular pressure ranges in California sea lions. Following her studies, she completed a three-year zoo and aquatic medicine residency at the University of Georgia and Georgia Aquarium.
Dr. Jo's influence extends beyond her research. She serves as a key veterinary consultant and advisor for Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder (DPMMR), contributing to the development of holistic treatment protocols for geriatric animals. Her groundbreaking research, including the first studies on the use of CBD in marine mammals for ocular discomfort and immune support, further solidifies her position as a leading figure in the field.
Dr. Jo's proudest and most special moments is being able to be on the vet teams taking care holistically of killer whales around the world.
Best care practices, Dr. Jo believes, begin with recognizing the importance of ZooPharmaCognosy (ZPC). Derived from the Greek, "Zoo" means all animals, "Pharma" means medicine, and "Cognosy" means knowing. ZPC is the science of how animals instinctively treat themselves medicinally in the wild. The field was formally legitimized in 1987 by Dr. Eloy Rodriguez and his team, including Dr. Jo's mother, Dr. Norma Pestano, after over a decade of research in the Amazon of Peru with Cornell University.
Dr. Pestano and Dr. Jo have formulated supplement protocols rooted in the Amazonian traditions of ZooPharmaCognosy, which have benefited tens of thousands of animals and people alike. As the next generation "ZooPharmaMama," Dr. Jo's mission is to continue this legacy, teaching her children so they can, in turn, educate the world about the power of ZooPharmaCognosy. Her work aims to empower caregivers to support the innate healing instincts of animals by making informed decisions about their diets and supplementation.
Beyond her research and clinical work, Dr. Jo enjoys time with her two children, Joey and Jovanna, and her beloved poodles, KeyKey and Jilly. Together with her partner and co-founder, Joe Fava, she continues to push the boundaries of veterinary medicine, blending science and nature to improve the well-being of all animals under human care.
"Twenty-two years ago, I was accepted into the prestigious aquatic program, AQUAVET. I remember telling myself that one day I will teach in this program. My dream came true as I was fortunate to become a teacher at AquaVet presenting to students that will be our future aquatic scientists and veterinarians about the various opportunities there are in the aquatic and zoo profession, to never give up, and always follow your dreams. Now more than ever, we need more aquatic researchers and veterinarians in this field. Below is the bio that I wrote for AQUAVET as a student."
My name is Johanna Mejia... although everybody calls me "Jo". I am a second year veterinary student at Mississippi State University. I am originally from Tarrytown, New York (but, I spend most of my vacation time in New York City). I own a toy poodle named "Sace" who is my pride and joy circus dog. I am highly interested in small animal and aquatic medicine. In the future, I would love to involve both fields into my career. Last summer I worked at the New York City Aquarium as a vet tech which was an excellent learning experience. Currently, I am working at the Memphis Zoo, training their new baby sea lions "Malibu" and "Cali". I really look forward to meeting everybody.
Dr. Norma Pestano completed her medical degree from the Universidad Central del Este, San Pedro de Macoris, DR. For the past 40 years, her passion has been to research nutritional deficiencies that lead to various diseases. She is certified as an orthomolecular nutritionist developing a holistic supplement protocol approach based on sex, age, weight, disease state, and nutritional status. Her medical interest in the immune system and cancer has led her to complete various studies in both humans and animals, using an immune modulator, Imuno-2865®. She continues to research and seek the most current herbal combinations to make formulations that are safe and effective.
For Dr. Carmen Colitz, every day is a blessing and an opportunity to use her veterinary skills to improve the lives of animals.
Her passion for helping animals exudes not only from her work as one of the world's leading veterinary ophthalmologists, but also at her home that she shares with eight pets: three dogs and five cats, some named after football players.
"My career journey naturally evolved. In vet school, I knew I wanted to become an ophthalmologist, and I was inspired by the complete process of cataract surgery and the positive outcomes I saw in animals' and owners' lives afterwards," she says. "Since then, I have been singularly focused on improving the eye health of dogs, cats, horses, and also of aquatic animals."
Dr. Colitz earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and a Ph.D. in Comparative and Experimental Medicine from the University of Tennessee in 1993 and 1996, respectively. Her research involved the study of ocular embryology and molecular biology of cancer. She became a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist in 1999. During her residency training, Dr. Colitz completed a one-year post-doctoral research project and successfully competed for a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health Eye Institute.
Dr. Colitz worked for two years on the faculty of Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, and then spent five years at Ohio State University's veterinary teaching hospital as a clinician and researcher. Dr. Colitz discovered telomerase and estrogen receptor-alpha (both cancer proteins) in the normal and cataractous lens, and researched the pathogenesis of cataractogenesis and posterior capsular opacification (PCO). PCO is the leading post-operative complication of cataract surgery and over the past eleven years, her research has centered on molecular approaches to prevent this post-operative complication. She was also involved in research to evaluate lutein and grapeseed extract as well as other antioxidants in their anti-cataractogenic and anti-PCO effects. Dr. Colitz's additional research interests include corneal wound healing, infectious diseases and ocular neoplasias.
Over the course of her career, Dr. Colitz has worked with dozens of animal species and has performed thousands of ophthalmic surgeries on companion animals, marine mammals and penguins. In 2009, she founded Aquatic Animal Eye Care, LLC, whose primary mission is to investigate, understand and improve the eye problems that affect aquatic animals, primarily pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walrus), cetaceans (dolphins and some whale species) and penguins. Recently, she has also been involved in the formulation of natural supplements to support eye health in both canines and marine mammals.
In 2006, Dr. Colitz and team of colleagues formed Animal HealthQuest, LLC whose mission is dedicated to providing unique, high quality nutritional supplements for domestic animals that improve the quality of lives for pets and their owners. In 2010, Animal HealthQuest introduced its flagship product, Ocu-GLO, to the market. Ocu-GLO is the first ocular supplement specifically designed to meet the needs of animal eyes. It combines key antioxidants, including grapeseed extract, lutein and omega-3 fatty acids to synergistically support eye health. Over the past 15 years, over 100 million doses of Ocu-GLO have been administered, in over 100 countries and its has been published to be the #1 supplement chosen by Veterinary Ophthalmologist around the world.
Debby Smith, RPh, holds degrees in pharmacy and chemistry and is a registered pharmacist in Seattle, Washington. As the owner of multiple pharmacies since 1982, she applied her interest and research in health supplementation and its benefits to become a pioneer in the study and application of antioxidants and amino acids for her patients. She was responsible for the development of numerous specialty compounds for both human and animal use.
Her premier pharmacy (Ballard Plaza) specialized in compounded medications for the veterinary arena, including multiple zoos, and was recognized as the most respected veterinary provider in the greater Seattle area. Debby Smith brings over 36 years of experience in compounding medications and medicinal chemistry.
Dr. Amanda Ardente's passion is animal nutrition, specifically when it comes to marine mammals. She completed her veterinary degree at North Carolina State University and her PhD in nutrition at the University of Florida. Her PhD research focused on optimizing the diet of bottlenose dolphins.
Disclaimer: Information provided by The Animal Necessity Veterinary Advisory Panel, and provided on the Animal Necessity website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Animal Necessity and the Veterinary community. Pet owners must make their own health care decisions for their pets, in partnership with their veterinarian. If your pet is pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or has a medical condition, consult your veterinarian before using any supplement products.
