Practice Scenario

a black senior labrador retriever

Meet RUSTY

A 12-year-old, neutered-male, Labrador Retriever

  • Rusty is at the clinic today for a semiannual senior wellness examination and possibly blood and urine tests.
  • His owner reports that Rusty is generally healthy. However, Rusty is not as active as he used to be, sleeps less at night and occasionally seems confused.
  • Rusty eats a variety of different commercial “senior” diets. His owner would like to know if there is any difference among senior dog foods and if there is one that would be better for Rusty at this time.

Nutritional Assessment

Nutritional Assessment Is an Iterative Process: Extended Evaluation

An extended nutritional evaluation is indicated when the screening assessment and physical examination identify the presence of one or more nutritional risk factors, such as a medical condition, an abnormal body condition or muscle condition score, or an unconventional diet (e.g., home-cooked or raw diet). These factors suggest nutrition may play an important role in a pet’s health or in the management of a health condition.

paper icon and magnifying glass icon

Key Messages

  • An extended evaluation typically entails getting and evaluating additional information about the pet, the diet, feeding practices and home environment. Obtaining this information can provide valuable insights. 
  • Additional animal-related factors to assess 
    • A pet’s food intake or behavior, including any changes (e.g., amount eaten, eating behaviors, chewing habits, swallowing, nausea, vomiting, regurgitation) 
    • The pet’s activity (e.g., type of activity, how much, any changes) 
    • Condition of the skin and hair coat (e.g., easily plucked hair, dry or scaly skin, thin skin) 
    • Diagnostic test results (e.g., serum chemistry profile, complete blood count, urinalysis, fecal exam, radiographs) 
    • Presence of new or ongoing medical conditions (e.g., thyroid disease, chronic renal disease) and medications 
  • Other diet-related factors to consider 
    • Appropriateness of the current pet food’s caloric density and nutritional content 
    • How and where pet food is stored 
    • The specific recipe, ingredients, preparation, storage or substitutions associated with home-cooked diets or raw diets 
    • Caloric content of treats and other foods 
    • How water is provided to the pet (e.g., bowl, frequency of water change) 
  • Feeding management or practices to evaluate 
    • Number of people in the home who feed the pet 
    • Other pets in the household and potential issues (e.g., competition for food) 
    • Feeding strategies in multi-pet households (e.g., shared or separate bowls, automatic or microchip feeder use) 
    • How food is offered (e.g., bowl feeding, puzzle feeders, food/treat toys, automatic feeders, microchip feeders) 
  • Environmental factors to assess 
    • Presence of potential environmental stressors (e.g., recent move, conflict over resources, recent changes in the home, outdoor stimuli) 
    • Environmental enrichment activities 
    • Where the pet is housed and, if kept outside, what surfaces are present 
  • Once additional information has been gathered and analyzed, create an action plan and make a nutritional recommendation. The recommendation should include the pet’s main food, treats, feeding method, frequency and location. Whether or not changes are needed, document the specific recommendation in the pet’s medical record along with the owner’s response. 
conversation starter background image

"Based on the physical exam findings and [pet’s name] medical history, I’d like to talk more about your pet’s food and nutritional needs. Is that okay with you?"

Related Tools and Content:

Taking a Good Diet History

The only way to know what each patient really eats is to ask ꟷ and document the information in the medical record.

View Brief 1 min to 5 min

Nutritional Assessment Is an Iterative Process: Screening Evaluation

Assessing a patient’s nutritional status is a recurring process that entails more than taking a diet history.

View Brief 1 min to 5 min

To Share With Pet Owner:

What Do Cats Need to Thrive?

From affection to veterinary health care, learn what your cat needs to thrive.

Read Article 1 min to 5 min

How Nutrition Can Help Your Dog Thrive

Learn about your dog’s nutritional needs for a long, healthy and active life.

Read Article 1 min to 5 min

Additional Resources

Freeman, L., Becvarova, I., Cave, N., MacKay, C., Nguyen, P., Rama, B., Takashima, G., Tiffin, R., Tsjimoto, H., & van Beukelen, P. (2011). WSAVA nutritional assessment guidelines. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 52(7), 385─396. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.2011.01079.x