Nutrition
The Nutrition service at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center offers either face to-face or telephone appointments to pet owners and case consultations to veterinarians practicing in Minnesota and throughout the country. Good nutrition enhances pets’ quality of life and is integral to optimal animal health. Whether a pet is young or old, overweight or underweight, struggling with health issues or perfectly healthy our service includes a nutritional assessment and feeding recommendation that is best for your pet at every visit.
Services
- Individualized nutrition plan with optimal commercial diet selection
- Nutritional plans for pets with one or more medical conditions such as kidney disease, heart disease, cancer and gastrointestinal disease
- Customized home-cooked diet formulations
- Personalized weight loss program
- Assisted (tube) feeding programs
The Nutrition Service also provides a nutritional assessment and recommendations for all patients receiving care in our intensive care unit (ICU). This includes commercial products, limited homemade options, feeding tube plans or parenteral nutrition.
Appointments
Phone consultations include a partnering with the pet owner and the primary care veterinarian. The pet’s medical record and diet history will be reviewed prior to our phone appointment. We evaluate the current diet, answer your nutrition questions or concerns and discuss any recommendations or changes in commercial or therapeutic foods or feeding strategies to optimize your pet’s health. If you schedule an appointment at the VMC, we will also perform a physical examination including an assessment of body condition and muscle condition or any other factors related to your pet’s nutritional status. Following our appointment we will provide you with a written summary of our recommendations for you and your primary care veterinarian.
Handouts
- Pet obesity (pdf)
- Pet fitness check (pdf)
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