Nutritional Counseling

Obesity in animals is as prevalent in today’s world as obesity in humans. Approximately over 50% of dogs and cats are considered obese. Animals suffer from the same weight-related conditions that humans do including diabetes, high blood pressure, and joint deconditioning. Domestic animals do not require a large amount of caloric intake each day, so giving our dogs a steak dinner or a left-over hamburger is NOT a good idea due to the high calories found in these foods. Giving animals “human” food is also dangerous due to the different enzymes needed to digest these foods. Animals simply do not possess the same digestive enzymes that humans do, therefore food such as cooked bones, grapes, chocolate and some fruits and vegetables are not acceptable animal foods.

Miss-Lou Veterinary Hospital considers client education to be a large part of their mission in animal healthcare. The staff and doctors are always willing to help their clients with proper eating plans and exercise requirements for individual animals. Bringing your pet in for an exam can help our doctors spot any weight or allergy issues your pet may have. If your pet has a food allergy, they may have skin rashes, persistent licking, and biting, and even stomach pain. Our hospital carries a variety of veterinarian-approved hypoallergenic food as well as food for those pets in need of weight loss.