Educational Articles
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The "ancestral diet" for dogs and cats is a broad term for a feeding plan that generally mimics what a wolf or wild cat might consume in the wilderness. In practice, there is great variability in nutrients, ingredients, and safety considerations for food sold or produced as an ancestral diet. This article reviews these considerations, so that pet owners, along with their veterinary care teams, can make informed decisions for their pets.
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Sugar gliders are small marsupial mammals that are omnivorous eaters, meaning they eat a wide variety of foodstuffs. Items from insects to eucalyptus to gum from the acacia tree may all be consumed to a varying degree. Improper nutrition is one of the most prominent causes of illnesses in sugar gliders. This handout provides the information needed to feed your sugar glider a healthy diet.
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Sugar gliders have become popular pets over the last decade. There are several well-known diseases or conditions that owners of sugar gliders should be aware of. Tooth decay from tartar build-up can lead to tooth root abscesses. Improper diets can lead to low blood calcium, obesity, and tooth decay. Intestinal problems may be caused by an improper diet, a bacterial infection, or a flagellated protozoal infection. It is essential to consult a veterinarian familiar with sugar gliders to select a proper diet and keep your sugar glider healthy.
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Taurine is a type of amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks of all proteins. Taurine is an essential amino acid for cats. Taurine deficiency leads to feline taurine retinopathy, a weakening of the muscle cells in the heart (dilated cardiomyopathy) and may cause digestive disturbances. Since the 1980s, all cat diets are supplemented with enough taurine to meet the normal cat's needs. A healthy cat that eats a high-quality cat food that is appropriate to its life stage does not require supplementation. Supplemental taurine is used as a treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy in cats.
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Nutrition plays an essential role in treating and preventing urinary stones (uroliths). Since the diet can affect urine dilution, composition and pH, pet foods can be critical to the success or failure of treatment and prevention. Important factors are covered, such as the importance of water intake, diet composition, relative supersaturation (RSS) testing, and urinary diets.
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Helping your pet lose weight may be challenging at first, but with a little patience and persistence, you can be successful. Research has shown that small amounts of weight loss help improve the quality of life for overweight pets: they feel better, move easier, play more often, and live healthier lives. This handout focuses on commonly asked questions and tips for owners to help their overweight pet successfully achieve some weight loss.
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Toucans and toucanets are members of the family of birds called Rhamphastidae. They require a high-moisture diet and have a relatively short digestive tract, so food moves quickly through their digestive tract. Low-iron pellets and fruits should make up most of their daily diet. Iron storage disease, called hemosiderosis, is common in these birds when they are fed a diet high in iron.
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Tube feeding is important to maintain adequate nutrition and prevent liver problems in cats that are anorexic for at least 2 days. Tube feeding may be needed because of a mechanical problem interfering with ingestion of food or because of a systemic illness that is causing the cat to be anorexic. There are several different options for tube feeding. Naso-esophageal/naso-gastric intubation passes a tube down the nose into the esophagus and sometimes into the stomach. This is only suitable for short term feeding. Placement of an esophageal tube requires sedation or anesthesia as a hole is made through the skin and esophagus to pass the tube through into the esophagus. An esophageal tube can be maintained for weeks to months. A gastrostomy tube requires anesthesia to pass a tube through the skin directly into the stomach. This is beneficial for longer term feeding. A tube must be protected to prevent the cat from pulling it out. The recommended diet is administered in liquid form by a syringe several times a day. Complications are rare with clogging and inadvertent removal most common.
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Lipomas are fatty tumors that affect a variety of pet birds. These are typically benign fatty growths found under the skin. It is classically considered to have both a nutritional and genetic factor for development.
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Xanthomas are discrete masses or diffuse, thickened areas of skin that are yellow-orange and dimpled in appearance. They are accumulations of fat and cholesterol and are most commonly found in cockatiels and budgies (and they are more often found in females).