title: Nutritional Assessment.
abstract: Nutritional assessment focuses on evaluation of animal-specific, diet-specific, feeding management, and environmental factors. Assessment includes evaluation of a patient's medical history, comprehensive diet history, and physical examination including body weight, body condition, and muscle condition. Diagnostic testing may identify comorbidities associated with obesity or concurrent health conditions that need to be considered when developing a nutrition plan. When obesity is diagnosed during the nutritional assessment this finding along with health implications must be clearly communicated to the pet owner. Careful consideration of animal-specific, diet-specific, owner-specific, and environmental factors allows the clinician to develop a specific nutrition plan tailored to the needs of pet and owner.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Service, Oradell Animal Hospital, 580 Winters Avenue, Paramus, NJ 07652, USA; Veterinary Communications, Nestlé Purina PetCare, Checkerboard Square, St Louis, MO 63164, USA. Electronic address: leirmann@oradell.com.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eirmann
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002415:Cats; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004285:Dogs; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000662:veterinary
keywords: Canine; Diet history; Feline; Nutritional assessment; Obesity