Today’s furbabies are so lucky! We have an endless menu of pet food choices for them, but deciding on the right one is more confusing than ever. That’s when a vet nutritionist for dogs and cats can help.
A Vet Nutritionist for Dogs and Cats Helps Cut Through the Noise
Feeding any dog or cat can be as easy as tossing kibble into a bowl. What convenience! But most Tripawds parents like us want more for their fur kid. If you’re reading this article, you’re probably passionate about feeding your dog or cat a high quality diet. If cancer is part of your pet’s story, you know that choosing a good anti-cancer diet is even more important.
But how do you choose? There’s a lot of pet nutrition information noise out there. Distinguishing fact from fiction is tough for even the most knowledgeable pet parent. That’s when a vet nutritionist for dogs and cats can help.
What is a veterinary nutritionist?
A Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist® is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition, earning the “ACVN” credential.
In Europe, the European College of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition awards the “ECVCN” credential for these vet specialists.
Vet nutritionists are a small but growing group of specialists within the veterinary community. These experts received advanced nutrition training beyond what they learned in veterinary school. They focus on the prevention, treatment, and management of nutritional diseases and food-related challenges affecting cats and dogs. Among other things, a vet nutritionist can:
- Design a weight loss diet to help your pet lose weight and keep it off
- Determine if your pet has a food allergy (and what to do about it if they do)
- Create a custom anti-cancer diet for your cancer-fighting Tripawd
- Choose a diet to help your senior pet stay strong and vital
- Guide you with nutritionally-sound home cooking recipes
Vet nutritionists don’t just create custom diets or home cooking recipes. They can also recommend a scientifically-proven, nutritionally smart commercial diet that best fits your pet’s health needs. Of course if you want to try home cooking, they can strategize with you to create a custom, realistic home-cooked diet that works best with your lifestyle.
How to Find a Veterinary Nutritionist
You might find it tough to find one of these pet diet experts. Most work at universities, pet food companies and veterinary referral practices. You can still work with one of these experts, but it will probably be on a long-distance basis.
If you want more specialized pet diet advice, ask your primary veterinarian for a referral. If your vet doesn’t work with a vet nutritionist, you can search:
The BalanceIT Veterinary Nutritionist Experts Page
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