Complex medical problems require a holistic approach. Nutrition is particularly important while your pet is undergoing cancer treatment. Customized plans are available to support a range of nutritional needs, from reduced appetite to more serious conditions through our partners at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. These plans can range from specialized prepared diets, to menus and recipes for home cooked meals.

Your pet’s nutritional needs can be affected by his/her appetite, the specific cancer diagnosis, the treatment approach used to manage the cancer, and concurrent medical conditions. Cancer and its treatment can be associated with side effects that influence nutritional status. The most common side effects include hyporexia (decreased appetite) or anorexia (no appetite). Hyporexia or anorexia may develop for 1-2 days, or may last for a prolonged period of time. Our concerns with your dog or cat’s nutritional status increase as the frequency of hyporexic or anorexic episodes expands. This complexity requires an individualized approach to nutritional management.

As part of this approach, we offer individualized nutritional plans for our patients, developed by our Oncologists and our nutritional expert. If you would like to pursue a nutritional plan for your pet, please let us know.

The Nutrition Consultation:

A nutrition consultation begins with an assessment of your pet’s specific needs, in concert with your primary care veterinarian or specialist, and provides a comprehensive nutrition plan that directly addresses your pet’s specific dietary requirements with a practical approach.

Veterinary Nutrition services include:

• Homemade diet formulation
• Commercial diet recommendations
• Diet evaluation
• Providing pet-owners with scientific, safe and unbiased companion animal nutrition information.

For more information on the nutritional needs for dogs with cancer, click here.

For more information on the nutritional needs for cats with cancer, click here.

We look forward to the opportunity to partner with you to meet your pet’s nutritional needs.