Nutritional Counseling for Pets

Nutritional Counseling for Pets at Cedar Grove Animal Hospital

Responsible pet ownership includes ensuring your pet gets the nutrition necessary to continue living a healthy life. However, knowing what food your pet requires and how much it needs to maintain a healthy weight can be challenging. Fortunately, Cedar Grove Animal Hospital in Maple Ridge and Mission, BC, provides nutritional counseling to ensure your pet gets the nutrients needed to stay as healthy as possible. Continue reading to learn about the importance of nutrition and how nutritional counseling can help your pet.

Nutritional Counseling

The Importance of Good Nutrition

One of the most crucial areas of pet health is good nutrition. Pets require six essential nutrients daily to maintain their health and well-being. These nutrients include protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water. Too much or too little nutrient intake can significantly impact your pet’s quality of life, causing several health issues like obesity and malnutrition.

Our veterinarian will ask about your pet’s diet and what food it eats during its wellness exam. Our veterinarian does this to determine if your pet is eating a nutritionally balanced diet. They can then recommend food options for your pet’s unique needs based on breed, health, and lifestyle. Our veterinarian can also tell you how many servings your pet should eat to prevent obesity.

What Nutritional Counseling Entails

Nutritional counseling tests your pet to determine its unique dietary needs. Doing this ensures your pet receives the correct nutrients to maintain health and well-being. Our vet will measure your pet’s weight during its wellness exam and check its nutritional status. If your pet is overweight or underweight, our vet can provide additional advice to help it achieve a healthy weight. This advice can include specific foods with more nutritional value or ways to limit your pet’s unhealthy habits.

Although our team believes in providing nutritional counseling at every checkup, you may need to schedule more frequent visits. Pets with a sudden change in appetite may need a different diet. If your pet has persistent vomiting and diarrhea or has difficulty digesting its food, you should call for an appointment as soon as possible.

Diet and Lifestyle Changes

After our vet examines your pet, they may suggest changes in your pet’s diet. Your pet may need more protein, possibly including fresh meat. Underweight dogs and cats may require supplements to return them to a healthy weight. Your vet can recommend an increase in fiber to alleviate your pet’s intestinal problems. Diabetic pets will receive more intensive nutritional counseling and unique guidance to counteract their disease. Many pets need to add more water to their daily routines. Overweight pets need more exercise, which can sometimes begin by joining them in planned periods of play.

Improve Your Pet’s Health With Nutritional Counseling From Cedar Grove Animal Hospital

Getting your pet proper nutrition is vital for preventing several significant health concerns in the future, so contact Cedar Grove Animal Hospital in Maple Ridge and Mission, BC, for pet nutritional counseling today. We can ensure your pet receives the correct nutrition to protect its health and well-being, so call us and schedule an appointment at (604) 820-8552.