Nutritional Counseling

There have been huge advances in pet nutrition over the past few years. Unfortunately, the number of pets suffering from obesity and morbid obesity is higher than it has ever been. During your visit, you and the doctor can determine whether your pet is at its ideal weight and develop a nutritional plan that fits the needs of your specific pet. Your dog should be between 15% and 25% body fat ideally. If this is not the case, there are a number of ways to address a weight issues. This can include prescription diet food, pharmaceutical help, and other recommendations by your veterinarian. Studies have recently shown us just how important tackling overweight pets. A 14 year-long study by Purina shows that by keeping animals as lean as possible, it can add up to 2 years to their lives.

Nutritional counseling is also of the utmost importance in exotic animals. Many of the common diseases that exotics suffer from can be avoided if you and your veterinarian develop the correct diet for the species of animal you own from day one. Every species is different in their dietary needs, so it is important that your pet is getting the appropriate nutrition based on its species and stage of life. For example, did you know that the diet of a juvenile bearded dragon is totally different than an adult bearded dragon?