There is growing interest in health and wellbeing of elderly cats and dogs. Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of geriatric care to optimise quality of life and to minimise risks for disease. Although nutrient requirements may not be to different, mature animals cannot adapt as easily to changes in nutrient supply, oversupply or deficiencies as young animals can. Physiological changes associated with aging and chronic diseases, such as obesity, degenerative joint disease, renal disease, cardiac disease, periodontal disease, cognitive dysfunction or cancer may necessitate dietary adaptations.

Nutrition is the fifth vital assessment when dealing with patients, it is vital to get this correct throughout the animal’s life in order to maintain a good quality of life, prevent nutrition related diseases and increase longevity. There is a myriad of nutritional complications that can occur differing between the species and breeds, with varying nutritional requirements needed dependent on the signalment of the animal. The importance of nutrition has a large impact on the animals life and one of our roles as nurses is to educate our clients on the best diets for their pet, therefore it is important to know not just what is the preferred diet but what can go wrong if the diet supplied has inadequate nutritional value for that animal. Studies have shown that feeding the correct diet can increase QOL and longevity for the patient therefore reducing medication requirements; consequently it is important to get this correct from the beginning. This webinar will discuss the nutritional requirements of healthy dogs and cats from birth, growth until adult maintenance.

Proper nutrition in critical patients is crucial to faster, more complete recoveries and shorter hospital stays.