Nutrition plays an important role in maintaining health and can also be an important part of managing many medical conditions.

At Sunnycrest Animal Care Center, we provide nutritional guidance for dogs and cats throughout different stages of life, including growth, adulthood, pregnancy and nursing, weight management, and the senior years.

Dietary recommendations may also be part of the treatment plan for pets with conditions such as:

• Kidney disease
• Urinary and bladder stones
• Diabetes
• Gastrointestinal disease
• Food allergies or adverse food reactions
• Obesity
• Dental disease
• Arthritis and mobility problems
• Cancer
• Liver disease
• Pancreatitis
• Heart disease
• Hyperlipidemia or other disorders of fat metabolism
• Recovery from illness or surgery
• Conditions requiring specialized nutritional support

There is no single diet that is best for every pet. We consider your pet’s medical history, body condition, laboratory results, activity level, medications, food preferences, and other individual factors when making recommendations. We may also monitor weight, body condition, and muscle condition over time so that feeding recommendations can be adjusted as your pet’s needs change.

Prescription diets may be useful for some medical conditions. We can also help you evaluate commercial diets, supplements, treats, and feeding amounts.

If you are considering a home-prepared or raw diet, we recommend discussing it with us first. These diets can be difficult to balance properly, and some may pose nutritional or food-safety concerns if they are not carefully formulated.

For pets with complicated nutritional needs, we can also refer to or consult with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. One specialist available in Southern California is Lisa P. Weeth, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition) of Weeth Nutrition Services. Dr. Weeth provides individualized nutrition consultations, diet formulation, weight-management guidance, supplement and diet reviews, and veterinarian-to-veterinarian consultations.

If you are uncertain about your pet’s food, feeding amount, supplements, weight, or nutritional needs, please ask us. We are happy to help you make an informed choice.