DOG owners / CAREGIVERS - Starting Right
Is your dog or cat at a healthy weight?
Body condition scoring is an evaluation to determine if a pet is at a healthy weight or not.
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) publishes BCS charts for dogs and cats.
Pet's at a body condition score (BCS) of 5, on a 9-point scale, are at a healthy weight.
If a pet is not at a healthy BCS, the pet owner should work with their veterinary team to get the pet to a healthy weight.
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) also publishes Muscle Condition Score (MCS) charts for dogs and cats.
Assessing a pet's MCS is important to do, along with BCS, to determine if a pet is at a healthy weight.
If a pet is not at a normal MCS, the pet owner should work with their veterinary team to determine the cause, as there are many possibilities, from an inappropriate diet to an underlying disease.
Is your dog or cat consuming the right amount of calories?
Pet Nutrition Alliance Calorie Calculators for dogs and cats is a place to start for estimating your pet's energy/calorie needs.
Note that calorie intake should be adjusted to ensure your pet maintains a healthy weight (e.g. BCS of 5, on a 9-point scale).
Furthermore, 90-100% of a pet's calorie intake should come from a complete & balanced diet (i.e. commercial pet food subsantiated for your pet's species and lifestage, or a properly formulated AND implemented homemade diet).
Up to 10% is the maximum alotment for treats and other food that is not complete & balanced.
DOG owners / CAREGIVERS - Navigating Commercial Pet Food
How to navigate commercial pet food?
How to navigate commercial pet food?
How to navigate commercial pet food?
Selecting commercial pet food can be challenging due to the plethora of commercial products available and abundance of information on the internet.
Check out the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Nutrition Guidelines "Tools for Pet Owners", like Selecting a Pet Food.
Tuft's Petfoodology Blog
How to navigate commercial pet food?
How to navigate commercial pet food?
Blog for pet owners by veterinary nutritionists on all things pet food!
Pet Nutrition Alliance
Are raw meat-based diets safe?
Are raw meat-based diets safe?
The Pet Nutrition Alliance (PNA) asked pet food manufacturers about Colleagues took the WSAVA guidelines and investigated numerous pet food manufacturers in their Pet Food Manufacturer Evaluation Report.
Are raw meat-based diets safe?
Are raw meat-based diets safe?
Are raw meat-based diets safe?
Raw meat-based diets are more likely to be contaminated by bacterial pathogens like Salmonella and Listeria. These pathogenic microorganisms can make pets and humans very sick.
World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) information on raw meat-based diets.
Tufts Petfoolology Raw Pet Food Risks: A Research Update
Dr. Weese & Dr. Anderson's Worms & Germs Blog information about raw meat-based diets.
DOG owners / CAREGIVERS - Navigating Homemade Diets
Is a homemade diet right for my dog or cat?
Is a homemade diet right for my dog or cat?
Homemade diets can be a good option for adult dogs or cats with a nutritionally sensitive condition/disease (e.g. kidney disease) when the dog or cat is uninterested in eating a commercial veterinary diet formulated for that condition/disease. However, there is lots of room for error. Therefore, the recipe should be formulated by a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist®. Furthermore, the recipe needs to be followed, as formulated, because changes in ingredients will alter the nutrient profile of the recipe.
Homecooked Diet Mistakes & Misconceptions
Is a homemade diet right for my dog or cat?
Petfoodology blog, "What Nutritionists Wish You Knew: 5 Homecooked Diet Mistakes & Misconceptions"
Balance IT
Balance IT
Dr. Sean Delaney
online web program for formulating recipes for healthy dogs & cats
horse OWNERS / CAREGIVERS
Equi-Analytical Forage Lab
Forage lab where forage samples can be sent for nutrient analysis. The lab also publishes data from their analysis, so you can see what is average for forages they analyze.
Liburt Equine Nutritional Consulting resources
Liburt Equine Nutritional Consulting resources
Dr. Liburt Facebook page with helpful equine resources.
