Behavioral and Nutritional

Behavioral and Nutritional Services

Your pet needs a complete and balanced diet throughout its lifetime. As your dog or cat ages, its nutritional needs change, too. Younger pets need diets to support a more active lifestyle and healthy, growing bones and muscles. Older pets benefit from fewer calories. Appropriate feeding throughout all stages of your pet's life can prevent diet-associated diseases and assist in managing other diseases. Proper nutrients are necessary for every organ system to function correctly. Your dog and cat need fresh water, protein, fats, minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates. Stop by Hickman Rd Veterinary Clinic in Des Moines, IA, at (515) 270-2900 for information about our behavioral and nutritional services.

A Healthy Weight Is Best For Your Pet's Health

Maintaining your pet's ideal body weight will keep it healthy and vital and improve its life expectancy. An overweight or underweight pet may be experiencing an illness and may be more susceptible to disease and injury. Obesity complicates heart conditions, arthritis, liver conditions, and other ailments. Many gastrointestinal disorders can be linked to inappropriate diets, and many skin problems have a nutritional component.

If your pet is overweight, there are many things you can do to help him get back into shape. Speaking with us is the first place to start. For some pets, feeding a diet formulated for weight loss and carefully selecting lower calories treats can help. Increasing exercise as appropriate for your pet may be helpful. Most often, simply learning the correct volume of food to offer works wonders.