Skip to main content
menu sluit menu
Home Home
Login
Main navigation
  • Library
  • Calendar
  • e-Learning
  • News
    • Veterinary News In this section you find veterinary news
    • Recent Additions All content that was recently added to the IVIS library
  • Get involved
    • Donate Support IVIS, make a donation today
    • Media kit Promote your e-learning & events on IVIS
    • Add your e-learning & events to the IVIS calendar
    • Publish on IVIS Publish your work with us
  • About
    • Mission Our Mission Statement
    • What we do More info about IVIS and what we do
    • Who we are More info about the IVIS team
    • Authors See list of all IVIS authors and editors
  • Contact
User tools menu
User tools menu
Main navigation
  • Library
  • Calendar
  • e-Learning
  • News
    • Veterinary News In this section you find veterinary news
    • Recent Additions All content that was recently added to the IVIS library
  • Get involved
    • Donate Support IVIS, make a donation today
    • Media kit Promote your e-learning & events on IVIS
    • Add your e-learning & events to the IVIS calendar
    • Publish on IVIS Publish your work with us
  • About
    • Mission Our Mission Statement
    • What we do More info about IVIS and what we do
    • Who we are More info about the IVIS team
    • Authors See list of all IVIS authors and editors
  • Contact
Follow IVIS
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Support IVIS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Library
  3. Encyclopedia of Canine Clinical Nutrition
  4. Indications for Nutritional Support
Encyclopedia of Canine Clinical Nutrition
Back to Table of Contents
Add to My Library
Close
Would you like to add this to your library?

Get access to all handy features included in the IVIS website

  • Get unlimited access to books, proceedings and journals.
  • Get access to a global catalogue of meetings, on-site and online courses, webinars and educational videos.
  • Bookmark your favorite articles in My Library for future reading.
  • Save future meetings and courses in My Calendar and My e-Learning.
  • Ask authors questions and read what others have to say.
Sign in Register
Comments
Print this article
Share:
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Twitter

Indications for Nutritional Support

Author(s):
Delaney S.J.,
Fascetti A.J. and
Elliott D.A.
In: Encyclopedia of Canine Clinical Nutrition by Pibot P. et al.
Updated:
AUG 26, 2008
Languages:
  • DE
  • EN
  • ES
  • FR
  • IT
Back to Table of Contents
Add to My Library
Close
Would you like to add this to your library?

Get access to all handy features included in the IVIS website

  • Get unlimited access to books, proceedings and journals.
  • Get access to a global catalogue of meetings, on-site and online courses, webinars and educational videos.
  • Bookmark your favorite articles in My Library for future reading.
  • Save future meetings and courses in My Calendar and My e-Learning.
  • Ask authors questions and read what others have to say.
Sign in Register
Print this article
SHARE:
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Twitter
    Read

    2. Indications for Nutritional Support

    Some clinicians find it helpful to have metrics to use to determine when to intervene with nutritional support. Ideally, a specific and sensitive biomarker that is easily measured would exist as such an indicator. Unfortunately, despite attempts at identification, no one reliable indicator exists (De Bruijne, 1979; Fascetti et al., 1997). However, there are recommendations in the literature regarding patient criteria that can serve as indicators to when nutritional support should be instituted (Remillard et al., 2001).

    First Criterion: the Length of Anorexia Prior to Presentation or Anticipated Duration of Anorexia

    Canine patients that have been anorexic for three to five days are already in a state of starvation and, based on human respiratory quotients (RQs), are relying mainly on muscle and adipose tissue as energy substrates (Owen et al., 1979). There are no protein stores in the body, and, therefore, any catabolism results in the loss of functional proteins. A state of protein catabolism is contraindicated in any state of disease and minimizing or eliminating this catabolism is vital to the successful management of critically ill patients.

    Not all patients have a clear starting point regarding anorexia. The client may not have recognized diminished food intake depending on the patient's home environment and the feeding strategy employed.
    - Food intake for patients residing in a multi-dog household fed ad libitum is notoriously difficult to assess.
    - Clients may, in hindsight, be reluctant to admit the length of anorexia or may exaggerate food intake.

    In order to address this difficulty, the authors recommend that the practitioner make an effort to quantify the volume of food that the animal is consuming. Using this information, the approximate caloric intake of the patient can be calculated and compared to the animal's energy requirement

    It is even more difficult to anticipate the length of expected anorexia. Disease progression is inherently unpredictable; however, many diseases do behave relatively predictably. In cases where there is a high likelihood that the patient will not eat voluntarily, plans should be made to provide nutritional support. Anticipating the potential need for nutritional intervention when patients undergo anesthesia for further diagnostics or treatment is strongly recommended. In this case, concurrently placing a feeding tube during the procedure is a critical management strategy. This approach drastically increases the odds that patients in need of nutritional support will receive it.

    If anorexia lasts or is expected to last at least three to five days, it should elicit a nutritional response (enteral or parenteral feeding).

    Other Criteria: Body Condition Score, Body Weight Change and Albumin Status

    There are three parameters that need to be monitored in order to ensure that nutritional support is adequate.
    - Patients with a body condition score of less than 3 on a 9-point scale (
    Laflamme et al., 1994) or 2 on a 5-point scale (Edney & Smith, 1986) should be considered to be in poor nutritional status, and nutritional support should be considered immediately (Figure 1).
    - A body weight reduction of greater than five or ten percent that is not due to dehydration also signals the need for immediate nutritional support.
    - Hypoalbuminemia due to decreased production is a clear indicator that intervention should occur.

    5 point body condition scoring system
    Figure 1. 5 point body condition scoring system. A body condition score lower than 2 justifies the introduction of nutritional support. A weight loss in excess of 10%, starvation lasting more than 3 days and hypoalbuminemia are other criteria for evaluating the dog’s nutritional condition.

    Back to Table of Contents
    Add to My Library
    Close
    Would you like to add this to your library?

    Get access to all handy features included in the IVIS website

    • Get unlimited access to books, proceedings and journals.
    • Get access to a global catalogue of meetings, on-site and online courses, webinars and educational videos.
    • Bookmark your favorite articles in My Library for future reading.
    • Save future meetings and courses in My Calendar and My e-Learning.
    • Ask authors questions and read what others have to say.
    Sign in Register
    Print this article
    References

    1. Alpers DH. Enteral feeding and gut atrophy. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2002 ; 5(6): 679-83. - PubMed -

    ...
    Show all
    Comments (0)

    Ask the author

    0 comments
    Submit
    Close
    Would to like to further discuss this item?

    Get access to all handy features included in the IVIS website

    • Get unlimited access to books, proceedings and journals.
    • Get access to a global catalogue of meetings, on-site and online courses, webinars and educational videos.
    • Bookmark your favorite articles in My Library for future reading.
    • Save future meetings and courses in My Calendar and My e-Learning.
    • Ask authors questions and read what others have to say.
    Sign in Register
    About

    How to reference this publication (Harvard system)?

    Delaney, S. J., Fascetti, A. J. and Elliott, D. A. (2008) “Indications for Nutritional Support”, Encyclopedia of Canine Clinical Nutrition. Available at: https://www.ivis.org/library/encyclopedia-of-canine-clinical-nutrition/indications-for-nutritional-support (Accessed: 05 February 2023).

    Affiliation of the authors at the time of publication

    1School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, CA, USA.2Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, CA, USA. 3Royal Canin, St Charles, MO, USA.

    Author(s)

    • Delaney S.J.

      Assistant Clinical Prof, Associate Veterinarian, Principal Consultant Davis Vet Medical Consulting
      BS MS DVM Dipl ACVN
      School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, One Shields Avenue
      Read more about this author
    • Fascetti A.J.

      VMD, PhD Dipl ACVIM Dipl ACVN
      University of California, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Nutrition Support Service
      Read more about this author
    • Denise Elliott

      Elliott D.A.

      BVSc (Hons) PhD Dipl ACVIM Dipl ACVN
      Royal Canin USA, 500 Fountain Lakes Boulevard, Suite 100
      Read more about this author

    Copyright Statement

    © All text and images in this publication are copyright protected and cannot be reproduced or copied in any way.
    Related Content

    Readers also viewed these publications

    • Journal Issue

      Veterinary Evidence - Vol 8 N°1, Jan-Mar 2023

      In: Veterinary Evidence
      JAN 28, 2023
    • Journal Issue

      Veterinary Evidence - Vol 7 N°4, Oct-Dec 2022

      In: Veterinary Evidence
      JAN 16, 2023
    • Proceeding

      SFT - Theriogenology Annual Conference - Bellevue, 2022

      By: Society for Theriogenology
      JAN 10, 2023
    • Journal Issue

      Urgencias y cuidados intensivos - Argos N°244, Diciembre 2022

      In: Argos
      DEC 31, 2022
    • Journal Issue

      Israel Journal of Veterinary Medicine - Vol. 77(4), Dec. 2022

      DEC 31, 2022
    • Proceeding

      ISCFR-EVSSAR Symposium - Italy 2022

      By: International Symposium on Canine and Feline Reproduction
      DEC 02, 2022
    • Journal Issue

      Patología endocrina - Argos N°243, Noviembre 2022

      In: Argos
      NOV 27, 2022
    • Proceeding

      ACVIM & ECEIM - Consensus Statements

      By: American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
      NOV 11, 2022
    • Journal Issue

      Traumatología y neurología - Argos Nº242, Octubre 2022

      In: Argos
      NOV 10, 2022
    • Chapter

      Tibia and Tarsus

      In: Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery (5th Edition)
      NOV 07, 2022
    • Chapter

      Femur and Stifle Joint

      In: Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery (5th Edition)
      OCT 28, 2022
    • Journal Issue

      Medicina felina - Argos Nº241, Septiembre 2022

      In: Argos
      OCT 24, 2022
    • Chapter

      Sacroiliac Joint, Pelvis, and Hip Joint

      In: Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery (5th Edition)
      OCT 17, 2022
    • Journal Issue

      Veterinary Evidence - Vol 7 N°2, Apr-Jun 2022

      In: Veterinary Evidence
      OCT 07, 2022
    • Journal Issue

      Veterinary Evidence - Vol 7 N°3, Jul-Sep 2022

      In: Veterinary Evidence
      OCT 04, 2022
    • Chapter

      Amputation of the Forelimb

      In: Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery (5th Edition)
      OCT 02, 2022
    • Journal Issue

      Israel Journal of Veterinary Medicine - Vol. 77(3), Sep. 2022

      In: Israel Journal of Veterinary Medicine
      SEP 30, 2022
    • Chapter

      Carpus, Metacarpus, and Phalanges

      In: Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery (5th Edition)
      SEP 26, 2022
    • Chapter

      Radius and Ulna

      In: Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery (5th Edition)
      SEP 16, 2022
    • Chapter

      Humerus and Elbow Joint

      In: Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery (5th Edition)
      SEP 10, 2022
    • Chapter

      Scapula and Shoulder Joint

      In: Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery (5th Edition)
      SEP 05, 2022
    • Chapter

      Bone Grafts and Implants

      In: Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery (5th Edition)
      SEP 03, 2022
    • Chapter

      External Skeletal Fixation

      In: Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery (5th Edition)
      AUG 28, 2022
    • Chapter

      Plate-Rod Fixation

      In: Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery (5th Edition)
      AUG 18, 2022
    • Chapter

      Fixation with Screws and Bone Plates

      In: Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery (5th Edition)
      AUG 15, 2022
    • Load more
    Back To Top
    Become a member of IVIS and get access to all our resources
    Create an account
    Sign in
    Leading the way in providing veterinary information
    About IVIS
    • Mission
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    Need help?
    • Contact
    Follow IVIS
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    International Veterinary Information Service (IVIS) is a not-for-profit organization established to provide information to veterinarians, veterinary students, technicians and animal health professionals worldwide using Internet technology.
    Support IVIS
    © 2023 International Veterinary Information Service
    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy