Pet Nutrition at OVC

Introducing… Dr. Laura Teeger!

Hi everyone! My name is Laura Teeger and I am a small animal veterinarian from Thornhill, Ontario. I graduated from veterinary school in 2020 and worked in small animal general practice for nearly 5 years, which is where my interest in veterinary nutrition developed into a real passion. I am very excited to join the OVC Nutrition Team and pursue my Doctor of Veterinary Sciences (DVSc) Degree and Residency for the European College of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition (ECVCN)!

Introducing … Becky Hunt!

Hi everyone! My name is Becky Hunt and I am a Registered Veterinary Technician with a Veterinary Technician Specialty (VTS) in Nutrition. I graduated from Seneca College in 2016 and have mostly worked in general practice ever since. I have some experience with Emergency Medicine, but my passion is working directly with clients and their pets with regards to nutrition, especially with obesity prevention. In June of 2023 I passed my exam with the Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians to obtain my VTS in Nutrition and am so excited to take these skills into OVC and work with other amazing specialists in the field.

My Summer as an Undergraduate Research Assistant

My name is Brianna Chan, and I am an undergraduate student entering my third year in Animal Biology at the University of Guelph, hoping to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work as a research assistant under Dr. Ashley Spencer's mentorship. Additionally, I was fortunate to shadow and assist the Clinical Nutrition team at the OVC Health Sciences Centre Companion Animal Hospital. Initially, I planned to visit the team to learn more about the nutrition service at the hospital. However, once I discovered the wealth of opportunities available, I was eager to stay and was warmly adopted by the team. Thanks to the generosity of Dr. Abood, the nutrition team, and my advisor, Dr. Spencer, I was able to experience a summer enriched with valuable knowledge about pet nutrition and veterinary medicine.

Introducing… Jingming (James) Yang!

Hi, my name is Jingming, you can call me James. I am currently a Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) student studying animal nutrition, and my research focus is on metabolomic signatures of cats.

Introducing… Savanna Moustafa

We recently interviewed our newest team member, Savanna Moustafa (BScH) to learn more about her background and interests!

The ABCs of Omega-3s

Discover everything you need to know about Omega-3s and their role in your pet's nutrition! Keep reading to learn what they are and why they're essential for your pet's health and well-being.

Introducing… Yushu (Veronica) Cheng!

We recently interviewed our newest team member, Yushu (Veronica) Cheng (BScH, MSc candidate) to learn more about her background and interests!

Weight Wars: Tackling Obesity in Multi-Cat Households

In this blog post, we will discuss obesity management strategies for multi-cat households. Discover tips on diet, exercise, and navigating those tricky feeding dynamics!

Creative Exercise Ideas for Your Furry Companions

In this blog post, we will explore fun and innovative ways to keep pets entertained, healthy, and happy. Let’s dive into the exciting world of pet fitness!

My Summer Internship Experience at Petcurean Pet Nutrition

Over the summer, I had the exciting opportunity to intern at Petcurean Pet Nutrition through the Mitacs Accelerate program, and I would like to briefly share the invaluable experiences and insights I gained during this journey.

My Summer in Clinical Pet Nutrition and Research

We are excited to highlight another research student from the summer semester! Julia had the opportunity to work with our clinical pet nutrition team and wants to share her experience! Read more about her experience this summer in our latest blog post.

My Experience as the Hill’s Pet Nutrition Summer Student

As we conclude our summer semester, we are excited to spotlight another one of our summer research students. Tonia spent her summer with the OVC Pet Nutrition Team, diving deep into the world of pet nutrition with the support of Hill’s. Her journey was filled with learning, growth, and unforgettable experiences.

From Code to Cuisine: What Happens When AI Designs Home-made Dog Food Recipes?

Disclaimer: This activity was completed for educational purposes and does not endorse the use of AI search engines for the formulation of homemade pet food diets. If you would like to explore a home-made diet for your pet, please consult your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist.

Congratulations to Shawna on a Successful MSc. Defense!

On August 19th, Shawna Morrow successfully defended her MSc. thesis titled, Weight Management in Veterinary Practice: An Exploration of In-Practice Support, and the Experiences of Veterinary Professionals

My Summer as the Nestlé Purina Summer Student

My name is Alison Ng, and I’m currently a second-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) student at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). This summer, I had the privilege of joining OVC’s Clinical Nutrition Service as the Nestlé Purina Summer Student. My activities for the summer included attending rounds in the morning, shadowing procedures, participating in consultations, and working on my research project.

Part 2: Nutritional Management for Bladder Stones in Dogs

Bladder stones can be a recurring nightmare for our furry friends. The clinical signs of bladder stones, different types of stones, and causes on stone formation were discussed in the previous Before the Bowl Blog “Part 1: Guide to bladder stones in dogs". But did you know that nutrition can make a world of difference? In this blog post you will learn about dietary strategies that can help to prevent bladder stones from re-occurring, and how to support your dog’s urinary health.

Congratulations to Coco on a Successful MSc. Defense!

On July 9th, Coco (Kehan) Zhang successfully defended her MSc. thesis titled, The fecal microbiome and metabolome signature in adult lean and obese cats fed an isoenergetically reduced macronutrient diets.

Part 1: A guide to bladder stones in dogs

This blog post aims to help dog owners understand various types of bladder stones, their formations and common causes.

New publication: Comparison of the fecal microbiota of adult healthy dogs fed a plant-based (vegan) or an animal-based diet

We are excited to announce a new publication! Brooklynn Liversidge and colleagues recently published their new article Comparison of the fecal microbiota of adult healthy dogs fed a plant-based (vegan) or an animal-based diet in Frontiers in Microbiology. Read on for a short summary of their research and findings below.

A Journey of Learning and Growth: Internship at Champion Petfoods

Kehan (Coco) Zhang, MSc student, had the incredible opportunity to participate in a Mitacs Accelerate internship placement at Champion Petfoods LTC in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada! Here is her story:

New publications: Treat feeding with dogs and cats

We are excited to announce four new publications from our colleagues in OVC’s Department of Population Medicine! Dr. Shelby Nielson, Dr. Deep Khosa and others recently published several articles surrounding their research on treat feeding.

New publication: Identifying the target population and preventative strategies to combat feline obesity

We are excited to announce a new publication! Hannah Godfrey, Shawna Morrow, and colleagues recently published their new article “Identifying the target population and preventative strategies to combat feline obesity” in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.

Congratulations Jess on a Successful MSc. Defense!

On April 5th, Jess successfully defended her MSc. thesis titled, "The Nutrigenomic Effects of Dietary Choline and L-Carnitine on the Muscle and Liver of Lean and Obese Cats When Fed for Weight Maintenance."

New publication: Description of the fasted serum metabolomic signature of lean and obese cats at maintenance and of obese cats under energy restriction

We are excited to announce a new publication! Dr. Caitlin Grant and colleagues recently published their new article “Description of the fasted serum metabolomic signature of lean and obese cats at maintenance and of obese cats under energy restriction” in PLOS ONE. Read on for a short summary of their research and findings below.

Welcome back, Dr. Sarah Abood!

We recently interviewed Dr. Abood to learn more about her veterinary background and interests. Continue reading to learn more!

The Science of Pet Nutrition: Understanding Indirect Calorimetry

In this post, we delve into a method that is used by researchers at the University of Guelph to study the impact of environmental factors, such as nutrition, on companion animal metabolism—Indirect Calorimetry.

Feeding tube lab: A hands on experience for student veterinarians

This blog post summarizes the annual Feeding Tube Lab hosted by the Ontario Veterinary College's Nutrition Club. Keep reading to learn more about this event!

Introducing… Panagiotis Balousis!

We recently interviewed our newest team member, Panagiotis Balousis (BScH, MSc candidate) to learn more about his background and interests!

The Scary Truth About Pet Obesity

Did you know that October is National Pet Obesity Awareness Month? While some extra weight on your pet might not seem scary, pet obesity is a wolf dressed in a sheep costume! Read on to learn about how to prevent obesity in your pets!

Introducing… Dr. Manuela Fischer!

We recently interviewed our newest team member, Dr. Manuela Fischer (MV, MSc, PhD, DVSc Student, ECVCN Resident) to learn more about her veterinary background and interests!

For the Love of Bones

Learn about the pros and cons associated with giving your dogs bones! This blog post dives into some popular bone options available on the pet food market, as well as tips for giving your dog bones safety.

Introducing… Alicia Lorch!

This summer, the OVC Pet Nutrition Team welcomed a new member, Alicia (RVT, CCRVN)! We sat down with Alicia to learn more about her veterinary background, interests and pets!

Pancreatitis in Dogs

Pancreatitis is a condition that all dog owners should have on their radar. To learn more about what it is, what risk factors to be aware of, and how nutrition can play an important role in the prevention and management of pancreatitis, check out our blog post

Beat the Heat: Your Guide to Pet Hydration

Along with the July heat comes National Pet Hydration Awareness Month! Keep reading for everything you need to know to make sure your pet stays hydrated and healthy this summer.

Joint Pain in Pets – How to Recognize and Treat Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a common condition with a variety of risk factors in both dogs and cats. Read on to find out how to reduce the risk of your pet developing osteoarthritis and improve your pet's condition if they have already been diagnosed!

Feline Hepatic Lipidosis

This blog post goes into detail on one the common liver diseases in cats: Feline hepatic lipidosis (FHL), also known as fatty liver disease. If you'd like more information on what exactly FHL is, the clinical signs to watch out for, what to do if you suspect your cat may have this disease, and how to treat and prevent it, give this a read!

Introducing….. Kehan (Coco) Zhang

Hello! I would like to formally introduce myself to everyone. My name is Kehan (Coco) Zhang, I am a new master’s by thesis student with the Pet Nutrition team at OVC Clinical Studies and one of the students in Dr. Verbrugghe’s team.

Carbs & Dogs

Carbohydrates are a major component within the diet for both humans and dogs. However, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets have become popular for pet owners and their dogs. This has led some pet owners to believe that carbohydrates are not necessary, or potentially harmful to feed to their dogs.

How do you feed your pet?

Does your pet gobble down their food and beg for more? Do they wake you up early every morning wanting breakfast? Are they displaying other destructive or disruptive behaviours? Changing how you feed can help both you and your pet by slowing food consumption, encouraging them to use their brain to solve problems, and alleviating boredom.

Dermatitis: Nutrition’s role in itchy pets

Dermatitis is a skin condition resulting in hair loss and itchy, often dry or blistered skin. This is a very common concern in dogs and cats, in fact surveys have found that it is the most common reason for visits to the vet. There are many causes of dermatitis in pets, but nutrition can play a role in both development and treatment of this condition. Dermatitis can be uncomfortable for your pet and frustrating to treat, it will require you to work closely with your vet to help your pet feel more comfortable.

Nutrition in Training

We know that taking home a dog is a lifelong commitment. A trained dog is a happy dog, with ongoing training a cornerstone of that lifetime of care. With more families welcoming dogs into their lives for the first time, some basic nutrition training tips can help keep them healthy in both mind and body.

Beyond the Label

Reading a Pet Food Label is a Skill – do you have it? There is a lot of information presented to you on a pet food label, and not all of it is all that important. We have created a detailed guide to interpreting all the sections on a pet food label for you to help you decipher pet foods going forward. Check out the Guaranteed Analysis, Ingredient List, and spot the Nutritional Adequacy Statements! Link in our bio to read on

Can the Easter Bunny Share his Carrots?

Happy Easter! The carrot is a nutrient-dense root vegetable that is high in fibre and several vitamins, including Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Carrots are considered a healthy food for humans, but have you ever wondered if they are healthy for your pet too?

Kittens & Choline

Congrats to Hannah Godfrey (MSc., PhD Student) for her recent publication in PLOS ONE; Dietary choline in gonadectomized kittens improved food intake and body composition but not satiety, serum lipids, or energy expenditure.

Bringing Home a Puppy!

It’s National Puppy Day!!! To celebrate, we created a guide to help new puppy owners ensure they are ready for their puppy’s arrival. This guide includes information for: What you will need for your puppy Choosing a food for your puppy How to transition your puppy to a new diet

Congratulations to Canada’s Newest Veterinary Nutritionists!

The Ontario Veterinary College’s Pet Nutrition team is thrilled to announce that two of our team members successfully met the rigorous requirements of the European College of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition to become Diplomates.

Introducing… Jessica Fletcher!

With a new school year starting, we are excited to introduce you to our new team members who have joined us this fall! We will be interviewing our new team members to help you become acquainted with them as professionals, students and people. Welcome Jess!

Probiotics 101

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of animals houses a wide range of microorganisms. It has been estimated that the total number within the intestine can reach up to 100 trillion microbial cells, representing most of the host’s microbial genome (Suchodolski, 2020).

Introducing… Shawna Morrow!

Pumpkin as a Fibre Source

It’s that time of the year again, as green leaves blossom into hues of red, yellow, and orange and the smell of pumpkin spice fills coffee shops. With autumn in the air, Halloween is just around the corner, and this means candy, costumes, and...PUMPKINS! Pumpkins are an essential part of Halloween for carving and decorating but, more recently, pumpkins have also gained increasing attention for their health benefits in humans and pets. And so, now is an excellent time to begin the conversation around the use of pumpkins as a dietary fibre supplement for pets.