Nutrition & Weight Management

Choosing the right food for your pet involves much more than just finding something that tastes good. The right nutritional balance and a healthy weight play key roles in your pet’s ongoing wellness and can extend the number of years you get to share together. Diet and exercise can even help to manage certain medical conditions more effectively, improving quality of life for your pet.

The problem is, with so many pet food options to choose from, and so little information regarding the topic of weight control, managing this component of your pet’s health care can be a challenge, even for the most seasoned pet parent. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or just downright confused over your pet’s nutrition and weight control needs, you’re not alone.

What you need is the help of an expert. Someone who understands companion animal nutrition and can provide the guidance you need to help your loved one achieve optimum health for life. The team at Western Branch Veterinary Hospital is prepared to partner with you in this important initiative. We can develop a customized diet and exercise plan to bring out the very best in your four legged friend.

Our nutritional counseling services begin with a thorough analysis of your pet’s current condition and health status. We’ll conduct a comprehensive physical exam and consider such important factors as your pet’s age, breed, present weight and whether there are any existing health conditions we must account for. Then, we’ll be able to provide you with a specific recommendation on what type of food would best meet your companion’s unique nutritional needs.

We’ll also evaluate your pet’s weight to determine if he or she is carrying too many (or too few) extra pounds. This is particularly important because when a companion animal is even just a little bit overweight, the risk of developing certain serious medical conditions goes up. Likewise, susceptibility to illness or injury increases when a pet is underweight. We’ll advise you on what weight range would be ideal for your pet and work on a plan to help keep the numbers on the scale right where they should be.

Finally, at certain intervals throughout your pet’s lifetime, we will need to re-evaluate and make adjustments to our approach. As animals age, their health care needs change, including those associated with diet and exercise. From time to time, we will take a look at the plan we’ve developed for your pet, and make any necessary changes to ensure that we continue to achieve the positive results we’re striving for.

It’s been said that a fit pet is a healthy pet. Let the professionals at Western Branch Veterinary Hospital design the perfect nutrition and weight management program to help your loved one achieve optimum health for life!