A quantitative summary of nutrition support services in a veterinary teaching hospital

A full-time nutrition support service provided 1,133 consultations in a small animal teaching hospital from July 1986 to June 1988, consisting of 840 dogs, 260 cats, 23 exotic species, and 10 consultations with incomplete information. The dog and cat consultations represented 2.1 and 3.7% of canine and feline admissions, respectively. Consultations involved the determination of nutritional goals which led to recommendations of specific dietary regimens. Most frequent requests were for diet evaluation and diet formulation to meet estimated calorie and protein needs during illness and stress (23%), for specific calorie or nutrient modification given a working diagnosis (23%), and for avoidance of tissue utilization or weight loss (23%). Frequently involved single organ systems were gastrointestinal (16%), liver (12%), kidney (9%), and pancreas (4%), but multiple system involvement was more common (19%). Most frequent diagnostic categories were metabolic disorders (17%), chronic organ failure (17%), and neoplasia (12%). Enteral nutrition was preferred for 98% of consultations. Voluntary consumption was deemed adequate in 81% of consultations, and highly palatable balanced homemade diets and specialty products were recommended in 74% of these. Human hospital liquid enteral products were used in 95% of consultations recommending involuntary feeding, either fed alone, blended with petfoods, or supplemented with modules of protein or fat. The service demonstrated that full-time nutrition support can be utilized effectively in a small animal teaching hospital. Further development of such services will depend on research focused especially on determination of case-specific nutritional goals, patient responses, and cost effectiveness.