Helping veterinarians better manage the nutritional side of patient care cases is the goal of a new virtual resource from Purina Institute.
Written by more than 40 experts in veterinary nutrition, internal medicine, cardiology, dermatology, emergency care, and other specialties, the Purina Institute Handbook of Canine and Feline Clinical Nutrition serves as a digital reference to the nutritional management of common clinical conditions in dogs and cats. The e-book can be accessed by veterinary professionals for free.
Client counseling about pet nutrition is a missed opportunity for many veterinarians, Purina reports.
In the institute’s May 2023 survey, 96 percent of pet owners said veterinarians are their most trusted source for nutrition advice, while 78 percent said nutrition expertise is an “important” or “extremely important” factor in their satisfaction with their veterinary clinic. However, only one in five veterinary professionals surveyed say they proactively offer nutrition advice during most client visits, Purina reports. To help bridge this gap, the online handbook includes insights to help vets facilitate nutrition conversations with owners of dogs and cats with acute and chronic health conditions.
“We know nutrition can help our patients thrive, but it can be hard to engage clients in a nutrition discussion” says Andrew Sparkes, BVetMed, PhD, Diplomate ECVIM, MANZCVZ, MRCVS, an independent veterinary consultant and editor of the e-book. “This handbook is an outstanding new resource to help facilitate conversations about nutrition and provide practical tips for busy veterinary team members, making it easier to prioritize nutrition recommendations and meet the needs of their clients.”
Another challenge veterinary professionals often face when discussing nutrition is misinformation on pet health pet owners get online, Purina reports.
“The good news is the survey revealed clients are much more likely to trust advice from veterinarians and staff members on pet nutrition than any information they can glean from Internet searches,” says Natalia Wagemans, MD, PhD, global head of the Purina Institute. “Whether a client and patient are visiting the veterinary hospital for a sick or well pet visit, it’s clear that nutrition discussions are vital opportunities to build trust.”
To access the Clinical Nutrition Handbook, click here.