Cat Nutrition – Pet Nutrition at OVC

Tasty Tidbits: Essential Nutrients for Pets – Protein and Amino Acids

Welcome to Tasty Tidbits, our series dedicated to exploring the essential nutrients that keep pets healthy and thriving. In this installment, we’re diving into protein and amino acids—the foundation of growth, repair, and vitality. Whether you’re a pet owner looking to make informed choices or a veterinary professional in training, understanding these nutrients is key to supporting optimal health.

OVC Pet Nutrition Summer Student Experiences

This summer, we were lucky to have Emily He, Julia Iaboni, and Mariana Gastaldo join the Pet Nutrition Team here at the Ontario Veterinary College! Keep reading to see what they got up to and some highlights from their time with us.

My Internship Journey at OVC

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.

New Publication: Ex vivo energy restriction in obese cats reveals more amino acids and vitamin intakes below recommendations with over-the-counter compared to veterinary weight-loss diets

We are excited to announce a new publication! Dr. Caitlin Grant and colleagues recently published their new article “Ex vivo energy restriction in obese cats reveals more amino acids and vitamin intakes below recommendations with over-the-counter compared to veterinary weight-loss diets” in American Journal of Veterinary Research. Read on for a short summary of their research and findings below.

New Publication! Serum metabolomics reveals one-carbon metabolism differences between lean and obese cats not affected by L-carnitine or choline supplementation

We are excited to announce a new publication! Dr. Alex Rankovic and colleagues recently published their new article “Serum metabolomics reveals one-carbon metabolism differences between lean and obese cats not affected by L-carnitine or choline supplementation” in the Journal of Animal Science. Read on for a short summary of their research and findings below.

Prebiotics for dogs: What are they and how can they help your pet.

Let’s talk about digestive health for your dog! More specifically, the benefits of prebiotic supplementation. We’ve GUT all the information you need, just check out our blog post!

New Publication: Energy Intake Recommendations from Cat Food Labels Sold in Ontario, Canada, Diverge from Predictive Equations for Adult Cat Maintenance

We are excited to announce a new publication! Dr. Francisco Poblanno Silva and colleagues recently published their new article “Energy Intake Recommendations from Cat Food Labels Sold in Ontario, Canada, Diverge from Predictive Equations for Adult Cat Maintenance” in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA). Read on for a short summary of their research and findings below.

New Publication: Isoenergetic reduction of dietary macronutrients affects body composition, physical activity, and post-prandial hormone responses in lean and obese cats fed to maintain body weight

We are excited to announce a new publication! Hannah Godfrey and colleagues recently published their new article “Isoenergetic reduction of dietary macronutrients affects body composition, physical activity, and post-prandial hormone responses in lean and obese cats fed to maintain body weight” in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Read on for a short summary of their research and findings below.

New Publication: Isoenergetic reduction of dietary macronutrients modulates respiratory quotients and heat increment of feeding but not energy expenditure in cats

We are excited to announce a new publication! Hannah Godfrey and colleagues recently published their new article “Isoenergetic reduction of dietary macronutrients modulates respiratory quotients and heat increment of feeding but not energy expenditure in cats” in the Journal of Animal Science. Read on for a short summary of their research and findings below.

New Publication! A meta-analysis: Dietary carbohydrates do not increase body fat or fasted insulin and glucose in cats

We are excited to announce a new publication! Hannah Godfrey and colleagues recently published their new article “A meta-analysis: Dietary carbohydrates do not increase body fat or fasted insulin and glucose in cats” in Journal of Animal Science. Read on for a short summary of their research and findings below.

My Summer as an Undergraduate Research Assistant

This blog post highlights our last summer research student from 2024. Read on to learn more about Brianna's experience with the Clinical Nutrition team at the OVC Health Sciences Centre Companion Animal Hospital!

Introducing… Jingming (James) Yang!

We recently interviewed our newest team member, James Yang (BScH, MPH) to learn more about his 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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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?

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.

Choline-Supplementation in Obese Cats

Increased intake of dietary choline may improve the safety and efficacy of weight loss in the treatment and care of obese cats.

Can my Cat Eat 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!

Cut the Fat But Support the Cat

When treating and preventing obesity in our companion animals, it is not uncommon for caregivers and members of the healthcare team to question: How low is too low when restricting calories for weight loss? Are our cats meeting their nutrient requirements during weight loss?

A Bowl A Day Keeps the Hunger Away

Congratulations to Dr. Adronie Verbrugghe, Alexandra Camara, and our colleague, Dr. Anna Kate Shoveller, on their most recent publication!

Tag: Cat Nutrition