VTH
Hospitals
VMRCVM
Nutrition Consultation Service
The VTH Nutrition Consultation Service
offers high quality nutrition services for in-hospital and referred patients and healthy animals. Our mission
is to provide nutrition consultation to veterinary practitioners and owners on the nutritional management of
large and small animals and assist primary care medicine and surgery faculty with nutritional support of critically
ill patients. Our goals are accomplished using the latest technology of feeding and feeding systems.
The Nutrition Consultation Service accepts clients by referral through their local or primary care veterinarian.
Large Animal Nutrition Services
The provision of balanced nutrition is the cornerstone of maintaining health, preventing and treating multiple
disorders, and prolonging the longevity of large animals. One of the most common nutritional disorders is obesity in
horses. Excessive body fat stores predispose the horse to develop metabolic disorders, which may result in laminitis.
Another commonly diagnosed problem is gastrointestinal disturbance that develops secondary to errors in ration
formulation or in feeding management. These clinical problems and many others can be prevented and treated with
properly tailored dietary programs.
Large Animal nutrition services include:
- long term weight reduction plans
- establishment of sensible nutrition practices
- optimizing nutrition for patients recovering from illness or surgery
- herd management nutrition
- nutritional counseling for all the various life stages of large animals including:
- maintenance
- production/performance
- growth
- reproduction
Small Animal Nutrition Services
The feeding of balanced nutrition is the cornerstone of maintaining health, preventing and treating multiple disorders, and prolonging the longevity of small animals. There are many diseases / disorders of small animals that can be ameliorated with therapeutic diets including obesity, renal disease, cardiac disease, endocrine disorders, hepatic disease, skin disorders, gastrointestinal disease, to name a few. The Nutrition Consultation Service works together with referring veterinarians and the primary medicine and surgery services of the VTH to provide the best nutrition for both normal and ill patients.
Small Animal nutrition services include:
- long term weight reduction plans for dogs and cats
- therapeutic diet recommendations
- optimize nutrition for patients recovering from illness or surgery, including nutritional support through tube feeding or parenteral nutrition
- balanced home prepared diet formulations
- nutritional counseling for the various life stages of small animals including:
- maintenance
- performance (hunting, racing, etc)
- growth
- reproduction
- aging
Nutrition Consultation Service Personnel
The Nutrition Consultation Service is staffed by faculty who are board certified by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition, which recognizes clinical expertise in nutrition. Periodically the service is supported by residents that are training in the specialty of clinical nutrition.
Craig D. Thatcher, D.V.M., M.S., Ph.D., D.A.C.V.N.
Iveta Becvarova, D.V.M., M.S., D.A.C.V.N.
William S. Swecker, D.V.M., Ph.D., D.A.C.V.N.
To schedule a consultation with our service, please arrange a referral through your local or primary care veterinarian.
  |
VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine Virginia Tech, Duck Pond Drive (0442) Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 (540) 231-7666 |
© Copyright 2008, VMRCVM All rights reserved Privacy Statement |