Introduction
Nutrition plays a vital role in the health and overall quality of life of animals, and it merits greater emphasis and consistent attention in clinical practice. One important aspect of nutrition in veterinary practice is combating pet obesity. Obesity is one of the most common health issues in companion animals, and effective weight management can significantly improve longevity and quality of life.
As a veterinarian with a passion for animal nutrition, I had the opportunity to begin my career journey with a clinical nutrition internship at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), which strengthened my path toward becoming an expert in companion animal nutrition and health.
My Path to Clinical Nutrition
My journey began in Iran, where I graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the University of Tehran in 2009. I later completed a PhD in Animal Feed Health, focusing on the relationship between nutrition, ingredient bioavailability, and animal health. For several years, I have worked as a veterinarian, nutrition consultant, feed specialist, technical manager, and researcher in the field of animal nutrition.
Although I had experience in nutrition and animal health, I wanted to strengthen my clinical skills in individualized nutrition planning for dogs and cats, particularly in helping patients with medical conditions, especially obesity. This goal led me to the Clinical Nutrition Internship at OVC, where I aimed to gain more experience in alleviating their pain and improving their quality of life.
Life as a Nutrition Intern
My internship with Clinical Nutrition Team and Hill’s Pet Nutrition Weight Care Program at the OVC has provided me with a diverse range of valuable experiences that I will carry with me throughout my professional life. Some of the most meaningful aspects include:
- Participating in clinical consultations for both dogs and cats: We work with patients who present with complex nutritional requirements, which includes reviewing medical histories, assessing current diets, and developing practical, individualized feeding plans.
- Developing customized feeding plans based on each patient’s body weight, body condition, health status, disease progression, and the guardian’s goals: A significant portion of my work involved designing weight-loss programs tailored to each pet’s needs. This included calculating precise caloric requirements, selecting appropriate diets, and monitoring progress through regular weigh-ins and body condition scoring
- Communicating complex nutrition concepts and feeding plans to pet guardians.
- Conducting nutritional assessments and contributing to the nutritional management of hospitalized patients.
- Having easy access to up-to-date references and journal clubs.
- Working closely with specialists and faculty members and learning from their extensive expertise and knowledge.
This internship is not only practical training, but it is also very hands-on and focused on real patients with real medical needs to prepare interns for their future work.
Challenges, Growth, and Lessons
Like any meaningful learning and working experience, this internship came with its own challenges. Adapting to a new clinical environment, working within a different healthcare system, and communicating effectively with multidisciplinary teams requires flexibility and continuous learning. Each case reinforced the importance of evidence-based nutrition, clear communication with pet owners, and collaboration with teams to achieve the best outcomes for patients.
Throughout this internship, I developed greater confidence in clinical decision-making, sharpened my problem-solving skills, and deepened my understanding of how targeted nutritional interventions can significantly improve patient outcomes. I also learned that successful nutritional management is not only about selecting diets, successful weight management is not just about reducing calories – it requires understanding the animal health status, the disease process and related metabolic changes, and the owner’s situation and commitment to follow the plan, and adapting plans as pets progress.
These lessons have been invaluable to my professional growth.
Looking Ahead
This internship has been a pivotal step in guiding me toward the broad and fascinating world of clinical nutrition in companion animal health.
The experience has strengthened my commitment to advancing evidence-based nutrition and translating scientific knowledge into practical, compassionate care for pets.
As I advance in my career, I aim to continue expanding my expertise and make meaningful and skillful contributions to the field of companion animal nutrition.
Zahra Sadat Rahimi, DVM, PhD
Hill’s Clinical Nutrition Intern