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What to Expect From Your Pet Nutritional Consultation

What to Expect From Your Pet Nutritional Consultation

During an in-home Wellness Exam, your BetterVet veterinarian will ask you questions about your pet’s diet, history, and any individual nutrition and health concerns you may have.
What to Expect From Your Pet Nutritional Consultation

What to Expect From Your Pet Nutritional Consultation

It is also important to inform your doctor of any signs of adverse food reactions or food aversions.
What to Expect From Your Pet Nutritional Consultation

What to Expect From Your Pet Nutritional Consultation

Once  your vet has gathered this information, they’ll make recommendations for pet nutrition and supplements, as well as referrals to specialists when necessary.

Why is Pet Nutritional Planning Important?

Depending on your pet’s age, their nutritional requirements will change as they grow older. It is important that you have a reliable source to turn to when you have questions about the best food for your pet, how much to feed your pet, or your pet’s optimal weight. Together, we can ensure that your pet’s nutritional requirements are being met.

How Much Should You Feed Your Pet?

Take our Nutrition Calculator quiz to estimate the amount of food your pet needs each day.
How Much Should You Feed Your Pet?

What Our Clients Say

Review
Courtni Walsh
BetterVet Boston

Bettervet helped our family with informative pointers in regards to our 5 year old Lab Rosie. Doctor Scott Perry had a lot of insight to what is best for nutrition and weight management, which orthopedic procedure would be the best fit, and also advice on lifestyle changes. Our dog suffers from bilateral hip dysplasia and moderate CCL disruption. It has been a pleasure to have this company available to our resource. Thank you!

TN
BetterVet Chicago
We have been looking for a home vet for our very skittish cats for a long time, and we are so glad to have found BetterVet Chicago. Dr. Rives and her assistant Rebecca were absolutely wonderful! They were very patient, understanding (our poor cats kept trying to flee), and knowledgeable. They readily had recommendations for other home vet technicians (e.g., dental care) as well as resources to help de-chonk our cats, which I was thankful for. I also appreciated that they followed up with us a week after the visit to ensure our cats were still doing well! We'll definitely use their home vet services again in the future!
Courtni Walsh
BetterVet Boston
Bettervet helped our family with informative pointers in regards to our 5 year old Lab Rosie. Doctor Scott Perry had a lot of insight to what is best for nutrition and weight management, which orthopedic procedure would be the best fit, and also advice on lifestyle changes. Our dog suffers from bilateral hip dysplasia and moderate CCL disruption. It has been a pleasure to have this company available to our resource. Thank you!
Camille DiCostanzo
BetterVet Chicago
We couldn’t be more pleased with the extremely professional and compassionate care rendered by Dr. Rives and nurse Rebecca Kramer to our ‘cranky’ cat Sarah. It was so comforting to see how well Sarah responded to their calm demeanor and gentle touch. And we definitely appreciated the nutritional advice offered since we have been clueless as to how best to feed our elderly cat. We will most definitely follow up on the advice given and plan regular check-ups from now on. Thanks so much!
Dana Zimmer
BetterVet Vancouver
Dr. Reitinger and Uriel Gutierrez were so fantastic! Our two, indoor only, kitties went on a hunger strike and and we couldn’t get into our brick and mortar vet’s office until over a week away. We were able to secure a mobile vet appointment with BetterVet within 48 hours of calling. They arrived super promptly and even sent a text when they were ten minutes away. They were very gentle with our scared kitties and very thorough with explaining everything. We would 100% use BetterVet again. Thank you for helping ease our minds and helping our furbabies feel better again!!!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I schedule an appointment for Pet Nutritional Planning?

Our knowledgeable veterinarians can answer any questions you may have and provide nutrition counseling for your pet during an in-home Wellness Exam or video consultation. Simply schedule a home visit on our website or mobile app and note that you would like to discuss your pet’s nutritional needs during your appointment.

What happens during Pet Nutritional Planning?
During a home visit, one of our veterinary doctors will gather information about your pet’s age, appetite, weight, and lifestyle. Based on this information, we will make recommendations for your cat or dog’s nutritional needs. We can help you to determine the appropriate formulated diet based on your pet’s life stage. We also take into consideration any chronic illness that could be managed with diet and can also recommend nutraceuticals as needed.
Do veterinarians know about pet nutrition?
BetterVet doctors are not board-certified nutritionists, although our veterinarians have completed a comprehensive curriculum. Visit the American College of Veterinary Nutrition online for a list of board-certified professionals in your area as well as to access other information about pet nutrition.
My pet is overweight, what should I do?
There are certain steps that you can take to help your pet to lose weight, such as exercising them more and providing balanced nutrition. To make sure that your pet does not have a medical reason for why they are gaining weight as well as to design a safe plan for weight loss, it is best to schedule a general nutrition consultation appointment.
Is it better to feed my pet commercial or home-cooked food?
This is a great question, and an important one to ask your veterinarian. As a general rule, it is best to feed your dog a vet-approved commercial dog or cat food and supplement their diet with home-cooked foods, using only dog and cat-friendly ingredients.
Should I feed my pet a grain-free diet?

There are pros and cons to feeding your pet a grain-free diet. This is a decision best made with your veterinarian or pet nutrition specialist.