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New tools help vets promote nutrition
Dr Marge Chandler

WSAVA Nutrition Toolkit extended

New tools have been added to a Nutrition Toolkit, launched to help the veterinary team promote the importance of nutrition to pet health.

The toolkit was introduced at the recent British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) Congress in April, having been developed by the WSAVA's Global Nutrition Committee (GNC).

Since then, body condition score charts for cats and dogs have been added to the toolkit. Further, a body condition video - currently available in English, Spanish and Japanese - demonstrates how veterinary staff or owners can carry out a body condition check.

A new muscle condition score chart has also been included to help the veterinary team to assess muscle condition.

Co-chair of GNC, Dr Marge Chandler, noted the importance of measuring this as muscle loss has a negative impact on strength, immunity and wound healing.

Commenting on the response to the toolkit so far, Dr Chandler said: "Veterinary staff tell us that the tools are helping them to provide better care for patients.

"[It helps them] to feel more confidant in answering questions about pet food and to suggest useful and accurate nutrition websites to which they can direct owners."

Dr Chandler says that the GNC will continue to add further tools and translate them into more languages to benefit owners and vets across the world.

The launch of the toolkit followed the GNC's creation of Nutrition Guidelines in 2011, which aimed to improve pet nutrition.

Click here to download the toolkit. The Nutrition Guidelines are also available here.

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