NUTRITIONAL LIQUID DIET FOR PETS

Generally, nutritional support should be considered for any animal that has been anorexic or has had an inadequate voluntary caloric intake for ≥ 3 days, has lost ≥ 10% of its body weight or has other signs of malnutrition like poor hair coat, muscle wasting, poor wound healing, hypoalbuminemia, lymphopenia etc.

- Dr. Mangesh Nakade*

In addition, many dogs and cats don’t get hydrated with balanced electrolytes and energy supplementation during surgery and then post-operative recovery that is marked by pain, discomfort, and drug-induced nausea further deprives their body of energy.

In this scenario, a high energy oral nutrition is essential for providing nutritional support to animals, which are either unwilling or unable to consume sufficient calories on their own during convalescence.

CURRENT PRACTICES – INDIAN VETERINARY CLINICS:

Currently in India, a completely balanced clinical nutritional liquid diet is NOT available for pets suffering from convalescence. Hence, veterinary surgeons and doctors are compelled to provide high doses of saline and glucose (through IV) as early enteral treatment. It is to be noted that these saline solutions can at the best provide and partially satisfy energy requirements of a sick dog, but they are unable to provide all the essential micro & macronutrients required for quickest recovery of sick pets at the same time.

Though some mineral liquid diets are available in abroad, they can be at best used for hydrating a dog; as they are made up of only minerals, they are certainly NOT a completely balanced diet.

In some instances, recovery tins (paste products) are being fed to ICU dogs. But, they cannot be easily swallowed and digested by sick dogs because of their inherently weak digestive tract. In some acute cases, these improper nutritional practices are resulting in liquid blood motion, which is aggravating the already critical state of respective dogs.