A pet nutritionist is an important figure in the system of veterinary medicine. Just like humans, your pet's health will be largely dictate by the foods that he eats. Ensuring that your dog has a steady supply of high quality ingredients is one important part of keeping him healthy. It's also crucial that you ensure that your pet gets the balanced mix of nutrients that he requires throughout his life. Because this mix tends to change as your pet gets older and develops further, it's important that you know about how to keep him healthy through the food that he eats; a pet nutritionist can be immensely helpful in this respect.
Pet Nutritionist Overview
Pet nutritionists are helpful in that they can analyze the food that your pet is eating and determine whether it provides your pet with a solid mixture of different nutrients. They'll also be able to advise as to whether your food will help your pet maintain a healthy weight, or whether it will help him to lose weight if he's already overweight. Because of their familiarity with dogs of various breeds and ages, pet nutritionists can help at any stage of your pet's life.
As a Puppy
One of the most important times of your pet's life in terms of his growth and development is the early stage. The first few months of your dog's life will help to dictate a number of important factors that can come into play throughout his later years. Having proper nutrition during this time will ensure that your puppy grows and develops as he should. Perhaps even more importantly, it will also protect him in advance against potentially harmful conditions which may develop later on in his life as a result of early malnutrition. A pet nutritionist can help to monitor your puppy in this way.
During Disease
If your pet develops a chronic condition like liver or kidney failure, diabetes, arthritis or another potentially harmful disease, a nutritionist can be very helpful. Dogs with these conditions oftentimes require specialized diets to be sure that they eat proper foods for those diseases. This can help to reduce or even eliminate your pet's symptoms.
During Allergy
If you and your vet determine that your pet suffers from an allergy to one or more ingredients in his food, you may be at a loss in terms of what to give him. Fortunately, pet nutritionists can help you to come up with alternative food ideas and meal plans that will ensure that your pet gets the nutrition that he requires while avoiding his allergies.
As He Ages
When your pet gets older, his nutritional needs differ and change. A nutritionist is aware of the various changes that happen in your pet's body as he gets older and will be able to advise you as to how to adjust his diet to best ease him into the transition toward old age.