Vitamin E: Necessary to horses, but there's a lot to learnFebruary 5, 2019Vitamin E seems to be at the forefront of many discussions about horse nutrition these days. Contrary to appearances, vitamin E is not a vitamin in and of itself. Rather, it's a group of eight compounds—four tocopherols and four tocotrienols—that are fat soluble. This vitamin is important for myriad functions in the horse's body, including but not limited to, and in no particular order, the eyes, the reproductive tract, and the neuromuscular system. The most important function of vitamin E seems to be as a biological antioxidant. In this way, and probably by other ways that haven't been determined yet, vitamin E serves to maintain many normal body functions of the horse. Vitamin E-related problems generally manifest in the horse's neuromuscular system. In young horses, these include nutritional myodegeneration, neuroaxonal dystrophy, and equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy; in older horses, a lack of vitamin E is associated with vitamin E-deficient muscle problems or equine motor neuron disease. The grass is greener and packed with vitamin E Happily, for most horses, there is ample vitamin E provided in the diet. Green grass is a great source of vitamin E—most things that are green have a good bit of it. Those horses lucky …
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Debating raw dietsJanuary 2, 2019In spite of resistance from most veterinarians and from public health authorities, the popularity of raw meat-based diets for dogs and cats continues to grow.
Current and emerging approaches to managing acute pancreatitisDecember 27, 2018Fasting a dog or cat used to be step one in treating acute pancreatitis, but that’s no longer the case. It was thought feeding would stimulate pancreatic activity in an already inflamed organ, but increasingly, early intervention with nutritional support is seen as critical in cats and important in dogs.
"Nutrition Essentials" e-book available for free downloadDecember 6, 2018Nutrition Essentials is a four-part e-book exploring the role of nutrition in keeping dogs and cats healthy in the areas of chronic kidney disease, dermatology, obesity, and oncology.
Petco banning artificial ingredients in the food it sellsNovember 13, 2018Petco will become the first major pet food retailer to stop selling food and treats containing artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives for dogs and cats starting in January.
Nutrition's role in cancer patientsNovember 5, 2018Nutrition is always important in helping a sick pet get better, and it can be an essential element of care for cancer patients and for pets recovering from debilitating illnesses or surgery. Cancer and its treatments may alter the body’s ability to tolerate particular foods or use certain nutrients; moreover, clients often have a firm belief in nutrition as good medicine and may ask about or even insist on special diets or supplements for pets undergoing cancer treatments or otherwise in need of tender loving care.
Cats need to hunt, forage for meals, says AAFPNovember 1, 2018Medical, social, and emotional problems resulting from the way most cats are currently fed and the best methods to appropriately feed them, are the principal topics addressed in Feline Feeding Programs: Addressing Behavioral Needs to Improve Feline Health and Wellbeing, the American Association of Feline Practitioners’ (AAFP’s) newly released consensus statement.
Confronting the obesity epidemicAugust 22, 2018Pet obesity is on the rise, although really, that probably isn’t a surprise to most veterinarians since the number of conference sessions, scientific studies, and therapeutic diets addressing this issue are increasing exponentially.
Hill's Global Symposium 2018 highlights nutrition, healthy agingMarch 30, 2018The role of nutrition in healthy aging is the focus of Hill's Global Symposium 2018, scheduled for April 27 and 28 in Lisbon. The symposium will have an expected attendance of 200 veterinarians from more than 30 countries, but a 24-hour educational livestream will make the event free of charge to veterinary professionals and students around the world. The symposium's theme, Adventures of Aging: Early Chronic Kidney Disease & Growing Older, addresses the reality of veterinarians treating an increasing number of elderly dogs and cats. Helping these animals age healthily is a rapidly growing area of practice and one in which nutrition plays a key role, according to Iveta Becvarova, DVM, DACVN, director of global academic and professional affairs at Hill's Pet Nutrition, and organizer of this year's event. Veterinary experts participating in the symposium from around the world will discuss the implications of recent research into older dogs and cats by Hill's, early chronic kidney disease, and the key role of nutrition in increasing both quality and length of life. Speakers also will advise members of the veterinary healthcare team on strategies to debunk potentially misleading and inaccurate information, and give practical advice on optimizing practice performance …
Equine dietary supplementsSeptember 14, 2017In the past few decades, the equine health market has seen a significant uptick of myriad supplements that purport to do just about anything that a horse might need—to support, enhance, or boost everything from hooves to intestines to joints to hair coat.
