Nutritional counseling is a major part of our practice and we regularly discuss diet and nutrition at appointments. From the first puppy or kitten visit, the importance of the proper amount and type of food is discussed. Good nutrition doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, and our doctors have recommendations to improve your pet’s nutrition at nearly any budget.
Many of our patients suffer from carrying excess weight and the resulting diseases from being overweight are major contributors to the decline in patient well-being. In fact, a major study recently conducted by Purina showed that overweight dogs live shorter lives than their normal weighted siblings. The study followed sibling matched pairs of Labrador Retrievers; one sibling was kept at a healthy weight, the other was allowed to become moderately overweight. The dogs were fed the same food, just different amounts and on average, the lean fed dogs lived almost 2 years longer. Can you feel your pet’s ribs easily when you are petting her? Does he have an hourglass figure when viewed from above? If not, your pet may be overweight. We can help to design a comprehensive diet program to reduce his weight safely so you can fully enjoy your years together.
More research every day is linking nutrition to both the prevention of and as an integral part of treating many diseases, including diabetes, osteoarthritis, skin allergies, kidney disease, liver disorders, and many more. Many patients with chronic diseases benefit from a diet specifically formulated to aid in the management of that disease. We have a wide range of prescription foods from different manufactures to offer our patients and most have a buy back guarantee if your pet won’t eat it. We also carry a line of veterinary specific diets to aid in the prevention of diseases in both cats and dogs.
The vast scope of nutritional options is far too much to cover here. If you have questions about your pet’s nutrition, feel free to contact us and make an appointment to discuss your options with the doctor.
