Pet Nutritionist | El Dorado Animal Hospital

Nutrition

Our goal is to help pet owners understand their pets’ specific dietary needs and why proper pet and dog nutrition is critical to keeping pets happy and healthy.

Pet & Dog Nutritional Consultations Center at El Dorado Animal Hospital

You’re Careful About Your Own Diet, But What About the Pet Food You Buy?

Proper nutrition is integral to optimal animal care and can help prevent many of the health problems dogs and cats regularly experience. But with all the cat and dog food brands to choose from, it can be hard to make the best choice for your four-legged friends.

Fortunately, El Dorado Animal Hospital provides pet and dog nutritional consultations to help you determine which diet plan is best for your pets. As a full-service animal wellness clinic, our primary care veterinarians will provide diet and nutritional counseling that can help prevent diabetes, heart disease, skin conditions, and other diseases and chronic medical conditions.

A one-on-one pet and dog nutritional consultation with you and your pet is the best way to determine the optimal diet for your dog or cat, but in the meantime here’s some information to get you thinking about pet nutrition.

One-on-One Pet Nutrition Consultations

Choosing the right food for your puppy or kitten is essential for your pet’s long-term health, happiness, and wellbeing. El Dorado Animal Hospital specializes in nutrition consultations for puppies and kittens so you can get your new four-legged family member off to the best start in life.

In addition to specific diet recommendations for growing puppies and kittens, our pet nutritionists will also provide you with a dietary roadmap for your pet’s nutrition needs as he outgrows puppy or kitten food and switches to an adult pet diet.

Want to know what to feed your dog or cat? Schedule a nutritional consultation with one of our pet nutritionists at El Dorado Animal Hospital in Fountain Hills. We can also answer any questions you have about the best cat or dog food brands, homemade pet food options, animal food allergies, or anything else related to animal nutrition. Contact us online or call us at (480) 837-0800 to schedule a consultation today.

Proper Dog Nutrition | El Dorado Animal Hospital

Important Dog Nutritional and Dietary Needs Can Depend on a Variety of Factors

High-quality pet foods are specially formulated to provide your dog with all of the nutrients he needs for cell maintenance and growth and good overall health, including proteins, fatty acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. However, depending on your dog’s breed, age, weight, and overall health, we may recommend specific diet changes or dog food brands for optimum wellbeing.

As part of the nutritional consultation, your veterinarian may also ask if you’ve noticed any signs of mineral deficiency or excesses, such as skeletal aberrations, poor appetite, swelling forelimbs, diarrhea, skin lesions, hair loss, or other issues. How often and at what times of the day you feed your dog will also be discussed during your nutritional consultation.

Important Cat Dietary Needs to Prevent Future Health Problems

Cats are considered to be strict carnivores, which means they require the complete amino acid profiles found in animal-based proteins. Amino acid deficiencies can lead to serious feline health problems, including blindness, hearing loss, reproductive failure, and congenital defects.

Unless supplemented with essential nutrients, vegetarian diets are not appropriate or recommended for cats. Your vet will also check for signs of vitamin deficiency or excess in order to make the appropriate diet recommendations for your cat.