Nutritional Counselling

Nutritional Counselling

Nutrition is the most important aspect of your pet’s overall health and well being. Animals’ nutritional needs are influenced by their age and activity level, and the presence of underlying disease. Foods can be used to both prevent and assist in the treatment of medical problems.

The most common problem that leads to several significant issues as animals age is obesity. Most studies indicate at least 50% of dogs and cats are moderately to severely overweight. This can be a short term concern with an increase in incidence of injury, but also causes long term problems with arthritis, respiratory difficulty, constipation, and especially in cats, type 2 diabetes. Obese animals are also more prone to developing complications during anaesthetic.

Dental disease is another common ailment that can managed in part by diet. There are several myths about dry food or bones and hard chew toys and their benefit for dental management. The reality is that hard chew toys are more prone to damaging your pet’s teeth than they are to prevent dental issues. There is also no preventive action of a food simply because it is a dry kibble. There are a few therapeutic diets that can help pevent tarter. For a thorough explaination of how we at Streetsville Animal Hospital recommend you help manage your pet’s dental health please see our page on Dental Care.

Skin and haircoat problems are another common issue that can be assisted by diet. Certainly we recognise that pets on higher quality foods appear healthier with more shine to their coats and less flakes and dander. There are also many pets with diet intolerances and allergies that can be managed with certain foods and supplements.

The staff at Streetsville Animal Hospital will assist you in your selection of a premium quality food for all life stages of your pet. We also supply various therapeutic diets that are required treatment for an array of medical issues like kidney disease, liver disorders, cancer, and urinary tract issues. Dr. Todd is also a strong advocate for home cooking in certain situations. If you have any questions about diet and your pet’s health feel free to contact us at your convenience.