Nutrition Counselling for Pets
Your pet’s nutrition plays an important part in their overall health. Food provides fuel for your furry friend’s lifestyle but it can also cause health concerns. We want your pet to live a happy, healthy life, which means providing support to help them maintain their optimum weight. Book a nutrition counselling appointment at 403.934.3311 so we can provide guidelines on ways to maintain their health.
What is the optimum weight for my pet?
Our veterinary team can determine your pet’s ideal weight, taking into account their size, breed and shape. We might use your pet’s metrics to gauge how they compare to other pets with similar characteristics. Usually, an average-sized cat weighs around 8 to 12 pounds. A small dog usually falls within this range, with larger breeds being 60 pounds of more. If you have concerns about your pet’s weight, our team can assess them and determine what changes need to be made to their nutrition.
How can being overweight affect my pet?
Overweight pets are more susceptible to issues like diabetes, joint disease and arthritis. Excess weight can affect your pet’s quality of life, with overweight furry friends living shorter lives. Weight gain or loss can often be symptoms of serious illness, which is why it’s important to make note of any changes you’ve seen in your pet. Weight tends to fluctuate throughout their lives, but dramatic changes could be a sign of underlying issues we can help address.
How can nutrition counselling help my pet?
The goal of nutrition counselling is to help your pet live the best possible quality of life. First, we’ll assess your pet’s weight to ensure there aren’t any underlying health issues. We want to make sure we’re treating the cause, not just the symptom. Once we’ve taken their breed, lifestyle, maturity and exercise levels into account, we’ll create guidelines which are foundational to good nutrition habits. For example, directions of how many kilo-calories or cups of food your pet should have daily will allow them to maintain a proper weight as well as promote prolonged life and health.