WSAVA nutritional assessment guidelines
JE Bauer
Friday, June 1, 2012
Animal-specific factorsAnimal-specific factors include the age, physiological status and activity of the pet. Problems related to animal factors are referred to as nutrient sensitive disorders (e.g. intolerances, allergies, and organ specific diseases). Diet choice for these patients should be restricted to those formulated to meet the disease-associated nutritional limitations of the specific patient.Diet-specific factorsDiet-specific factors include the safety and appropriateness of the diet fed to that animal in question. Problems related to diet factors are referred to as diet-induced disorders (e.g. nutrient imbalances, spoilage, contamination, adulteration). Patients with these disorders may be treated by feeding a diet known to be appropriate for the patient.Feeding management and environmental factorsFeeding factors include the frequency, timing, location and method of feeding, while environmental factors include space and quality of the pets’ surroundings. Problems related to feeding and environmental factors are referred to as feeding-related and environment-related disorders (e.g. over- or underfeeding, excessive use of treats, poor husbandry, competitive eating, or lack of appropriate environmental stimulation). These situations require effective communications to produce the appropriate behavioural changes in the client.
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