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.
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."
Read more about "Congratulations Jess on a Successful MSc. Defense!"
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.
We recently interviewed Dr. Abood to learn more about her veterinary background and interests. Continue reading to learn more!
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.
Read more about "The Science of Pet Nutrition: Understanding Indirect Calorimetry"
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!
Read more about "Feeding tube lab: A hands on experience for student veterinarians"
We recently interviewed our newest team member, Panagiotis Balousis (BScH, MSc candidate) to learn more about his background and interests!
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!
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!
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.
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 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
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.
Read more about "Beat the Heat: Your Guide to Pet Hydration"
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!
Read more about "Joint Pain in Pets – How to Recognize and Treat Osteoarthritis"
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!
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.
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.
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 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.
Read more about "Dermatitis: Nutrition’s role in itchy pets"
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.
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
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?
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.
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
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.
Read more about "Congratulations to Canada’s Newest Veterinary Nutritionists!"
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!
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).
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 to Shawna Morrow!
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.
Did you know? October is National Pet Obesity Awareness Month, so it seems fitting to explore a tool universally used by veterinary healthcare teams to assess the weight health of pets.
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.
In humans, gastric emptying rates (GER) have been implicated with obesity, diabetes, and other gastrointestinal disorders. While there is extensive research investigating the impacts of dietary protein and fats on GER, there is a lack of research, specifically in dogs, that focuses on the impacts of carbohydrates. Congratulations to our research team for another publication! Taylor Richards and colleagues investigated the effects of starch sources on gastric emptying in dogs.
Read more about "The Effect of Starch Sources on Gastric Emptying in Dogs"
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.
The 2021 AAVN conference was filled with a variety of insightful presentations. In continuing with our previous post, which looked at Dr. Dzanis’s presentation on the evolution of pet food regulation, we will now give a recap of Dr. Power’s presentation on the wonders of milk!
From June 2nd to June 3rd the 21st Annual AAVN Clinical Nutrition and Research Symposium virtually took place and hosted a diverse set of oral abstract, poster, and keynote presentations. The presenters touched upon relevant topics affecting animal nutrition today, ranging from obesity to protein supply to the evolution of a mammal’s first diet; milk. Along with an array of informative presentations, AAVN made adequate time for virtual networking between conference participants through events such as their virtual cocktails and trivia night.
From June 2nd to June 3rd the 21st Annual AAVN Clinical Nutrition and Research Symposium virtually took place and hosted a diverse set of oral abstract, poster, and keynote presentations. The presenters touched upon relevant topics affecting animal nutrition today, ranging from obesity to protein supply to the evolution of a mammal’s first diet; milk. Along with an array of informative presentations, AAVN made adequate time for virtual networking between conference participants through events such as their virtual cocktails and trivia night.
Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Dodd on a new publication!!! Published in a special edition of Animals, she investigated the suitability of plant-based diets for pets. Thank you to our sponsor, OVC Pet Trust.
Read more about "Comparing Plant-Based Diets for Dogs & Cats in Canada"
Increased intake of dietary choline may improve the safety and efficacy of weight loss in the treatment and care of obese cats.
With the recent release of Disney's Cruella, Dalmatians are getting some extra attention! However, these dogs are a special, and often challenging, breed due to their many unique nutritional needs.
Read more about "10 + 1 Nutritional Considerations for Dalmatians"
Even when a patient is willing to eat, they may not be eating enough. Ensuring that the needs of our patients are met nutritionally is vital to a good outcome. If you are a veterinary professional, follow these tips and tricks for stimulating appetite in your patients while they are in hospital.
Weidner et al observed that blood vitamin D concentrations were lower in dogs with one type of cancer. The dogs with this cancer type also had increased concentrations of multiple inflammatory markers, supporting a relationship between vitamin D and inflammation in dogs with cancer.
Recently in the news, there has been a large concern in the pet industry with dog foods potentially contaminated with aflatoxin. An international recall of pet food products was issued in December 2020, as many dogs became ill after eating contaminated dog food. According to the FDA, the recalled products contained potentially fatal levels of these toxins. In September 2020, a pet food sample was found to contain unsafe levels of aflatoxins, resulting in Sunshine Mills to announce a recall of the tested pet food product and other products made with the same corn.
Hannah’s thesis is titled, “Effects of additional dietary choline on food intake, body weight and body composition, respiratory quotient, serum lipid profile, and serum metabolic signature in post-gonadectomy kittens.”
The digestive physiology and diet of the bunny differs significantly from that of the dog or cat. Believe it or not, bunnies' gastrointestinal (GI) tracts most resemble the GI tracts of horses rather than cats, dogs or even rodents. This is important to recognize as an inappropriate diet can significantly contribute to the development of dental or GI disorders.
Dental health is an incredibly important part of your pet’s health, whether they are small or large! It is important that gums and teeth are examined by your veterinarian at least once yearly. This will help to ensure early signs are detected and addressed to help maintain good oral health in addition to providing an opportunity to discuss prevention such as tooth brushing and regular dental cleanings. About 90% of patients will develop periodontal disease in their lifetime and this can cause mild to extreme discomfort. Additionally, dental disease will cause oral infections, thus leading to daily production of harmful bacteria that can enter the blood. This causes the release of inflammatory mediators into the bloodstream and subsequently negatively affects the vital organs, including the heart, lung, kidney, and liver.
St. Patrick’s Day is around the corner and the celebrations paying homage to Ireland will soon begin! While the majority of these traditions will rely on clovers, leprechauns, pints, and green-themed everything, we also see new recipes popping up favouring the almighty potato. And so, now is a good a time to start the conversation around the use of potato as an ingredient in pet food!
In some cultures, it is tradition to ring in the New Year in January with an opportunity to grow and develop and make resolutions to be a new you. Quite often, these resolutions will revolve around health, with new goals being to go to the gym more, cut down on fatty snacks, or give your body a detox with a “dry January”. One organization in particular has made good use of this “new” mentality to propose a particular adaptation for the month of January, with diet being a very large component. That organization is Veganuary, a non-profit organization taking would be New Year resolutions to the next level, bringing people, brands, restaurants and supermarkets together for the ultimate goal of eating a plant-based diet.
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they need to eat meat to survive and thrive. A study published last week by Dodd et al. demonstrates that some pet parents have observed otherwise. Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Dodd on her recent publication!
As we quickly approach the new year, it is not too late to consider a New Year's resolution for pet parents and pets focusing on healthy eating habits and exercise!
Read more about "The Benefits of Exercise as a New Year’s Resolution for Pets and People"
