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| A Holistic Approach to Nutrition Posted: 18 Jul 2010 01:55 PM PDT
Most ACVN members practice at university teaching hospitals at Veterinary colleges around the country. Others work in specialty referral practices or for pet food companies helping formulate and develop new diets. Purina has several on staff and consulting arrangements with many more around the country and the world. The new approach to nutrition is based on a simple idea called the "Circle of Nutrition." This approach involves a holistic look at the issues affecting nutrition and includes three main components. The components of the "Circle" are the pet itself, the diet, and the feeding management practices and environment the pet lives in. All elements of the circle are closely related and linked together and when everything is in sync a healthy pet is the likely outcome. The Circle of Nutrition has been adopted as a position statement by the American Animal Hospital Association and they have developed Guidelines for Nutritional Assessment for their members. Their thinking is that Nutrition is a key component of overall health and it should be monitored throughout the pet's life. The first step in the assessment is the initial screening process involving the pet. This includes a detailed If any risk factors are identified during the screening process an in depth evaluation is called for. Let's say that the pet is 20% overweight. This is an obvious risk factor and the in depth evaluation is undertaken to develop a holistic approach to getting the pet back to optimum health. The pet will get a more thorough physical with lab work and other tests to rule out any complicating medical conditions. The pet's BCS ,or body condition score, will be evaluated and an attempt will be made to estimate his caloric need via calculating his resting energy requirement and factoring in his activity level. The pet's current diet will be full evaluated. It's caloric content will be determined and any other sources of food will be accounted for. Finally the feeding management system and the pet's home environment will be examined. The Vet will ask questions about when, where, how much and how the pet is fed. They will ask about other pets in the house and whether there is competition for food. They will ask about who is the primary feeder and whether others feed the pet too or whether they might sneak treats under the table. You'll be asked about the pet's home environment. How much exercise does he get? What form of exercise and what kind of toys does he play with? Is he housed inside most of the day or does he have a big fenced yard to exercise in? Does he play with other dogs? All of this information about the pet, his diet and his home environment and lifestyle are then factored into the plan for his healthy weight loss. You will know what, when, how and how much to feed him. You'll know about how his activity level needs to change to facilitate the process. You'll know how to explain to the other members of the household what is going on and how they can help the process. You'll know how to evaluate his BCS and what progress looks like and feels like. You'll know how much he can expect to lose safely each week and what to do if he's not losing. You'll be part of the team that includes the Vet and her staff and you'll know where to go when questions arise. Your role in the circle of nutrition is the most important part of the equation. Your dog or cat spends the vast majority of their time under your care and combining that knowledge with the other factors in the circle will help ensure a long and healthy life for your best friend. Let this circle be unbroken.   |
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