FUNCTIONAL HEALTH-- FOUNDATIONS

What Functional Health Means (and Why It Comes First)

Functional Health focuses on how your pet’s major biological systems are working today, not just whether disease has already appeared.

Traditional care often asks:

  • “What disease does your pet have?”

Functional Health asks:

  • “Which systems are under stress?”

  • “What’s changing before symptoms appear?”

  • “Where can we intervene early to extend healthspan?”

This approach is especially important for:

  • pets over age 6–7

  • pets with subtle changes that don’t “fit” a diagnosis yet

  • proactive parents who want fewer surprises later

What This Foundations Guide Does

This guide helps you:

  • establish a baseline of your pet’s functional health

  • identify early risk patterns across major systems

  • understand which tests matter most (and which often don’t)

  • decide the next best step, rather than guessing

This is not a diagnosis.
It is a decision-support framework.

The 6 Core Functional Health Systems

Every pet’s longevity is shaped by how well these systems function together:

1. Metabolic Health

  • Weight regulation

  • Insulin sensitivity

  • Energy balance

Early dysfunction here accelerates aging, inflammation, and cancer risk.

2. Inflammatory & Immune Balance

  • Chronic low-grade inflammation

  • Allergic and immune over-activation

Inflammation is a root driver of arthritis, cognitive decline, kidney disease, and cancer.

3. Musculoskeletal Function

  • Joint health

  • Muscle mass

  • Mobility and posture

Loss of movement is both a quality-of-life and longevity issue.

4. Brain & Cognitive Health

  • Sleep–wake regulation

  • Anxiety and awareness

  • Learning and memory

Cognitive decline often starts years before it’s recognized.

5. Cardiac & Respiratory Health

  • Heart muscle and rhythm

  • Oxygen delivery

  • Exercise tolerance

Heart disease is frequently silent until advanced.

6. Kidney, Liver & Detox Pathways

  • Waste clearance

  • Hydration balance

  • Medication tolerance

These systems determine how well your pet ages — and how safely interventions can be used.

Early Warning Signs That Matter More Than You Think

Many early clues are dismissed as “just aging”:

  • subtle weight gain or loss

  • slower recovery after exercise

  • stiffness after rest

  • changes in sleep or interaction

  • increased thirst or urination

  • intermittent GI upset

Functional Health treats these as signals, not nuisances.

How to Use Functional Health Tools Correctly

Step 1: Start with a Baseline

  • Use the Foundations worksheet or guide

  • Identify which systems appear most stressed

Step 2: Add One Condition-Specific Guide

  • Arthritis

  • Metabolic health

  • Kidney health

  • Cognitive aging

  • Heart health

Avoid doing everything at once.

Step 3: Decide the Appropriate Level of Action

There are three legitimate next steps:

  1. Monitor with intention

  2. Add targeted lifestyle / supplement support

  3. Escalate to expert guidance

Not every pet needs every intervention.

When Functional Health Should Escalate to a Consult

A Longevity Consult is most appropriate when:

  • multiple systems show early stress

  • symptoms are subtle but progressive

  • you’re considering prescription longevity medications

  • you want a prioritized, long-term plan

Functional Health is the gateway, not the endpoint.

How This Fits Into Longevity Protocols

Longevity protocols build on Functional Health by:

  • coordinating multiple interventions

  • adjusting over time

  • monitoring response and safety

Think:

  • Functional Health = Map

  • Consult = Interpretation

  • Protocol = Ongoing strategy

Your Next Step

Most pet parents start in one of two places:

  • Functional Health Worksheet (Start Here)

  • Longevity Consult if questions already feel complex

There is no single correct path — only the appropriate next step for your pet today.