Nutrition

Our expert veterinary nutrition team provides individualized pet nutrition plans to support your pet’s health. We work closely with your primary veterinarian to develop the best feeding strategy for your pet’s needs, providing ongoing support through follow-up exams and phone consultations. We encourage you to contact us with any questions or concerns at (352) 392-2235.

Nutrition Services

Our veterinary nutrition service helps pets achieve optimal health through tailored nutrition plans. We address a range of issues, including:

  • Weight Management: We create personalized weight loss plans, considering your pet’s health status and lifestyle.
  • Hospitalized Patient Support: We provide nutritional support for hospitalized pets, including tube feeding options.
  • Diet Evaluation: We analyze prescription and home-prepared diets to ensure they meet your pet’s specific needs.
  • Supplement Assessment: We evaluate the necessity and suitability of supplements for your pet.

To obtain a nutrition evaluation, contact us directly or ask your veterinarian for a referral. We offer phone consultations for healthy pets and work closely with specialists to provide in-depth support for pets with underlying health conditions.

Information for Consultation

  • A detailed list of all foods fed (brand, type, quantity) including commercial diets, treats, and table scraps.
  • A detailed list of all supplements and medications being given (including dose and frequency)
  • A copy of recent bloodwork (complete blood count, chemistry, thyroid level), collected within the last six months (this may be requested or completed at the time of consultation)
  • A complete copy of patient’s medical records
  • A detailed recipe for any home-prepared diets being fed (including how it is prepared and exactly what ingredients are used eg skin or no skin, drained or not drained, salt added etc)
  • Contact information for the referring veterinarian

Areas of Research

  • Energy requirements of pet dogs and cats
  • Nutrition of greyhounds and other dogs that exercise
  • Antioxidants in pet food and their role in the health of animals
  • Analysis of nutraceuticals
  • Colonic fermentation in dogs, cats and other species such as manatees

Our Team

Clinicians

Justin W Shmalberg

Justin W Shmalberg

Clinical Professor – Integrative and Mobility Medicine
Richard C Hill

Richard C Hill

Professor

University of Florida

IFAS

As part of both the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and UF Health, Veterinary Medicine is dedicated to advancing animal, human and environmental health through teaching, research, extension and patient care.

IFAS

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Animal Hospitals

Need animal care? Visit the UF Small Animal and Large Animal Hospitals. From dogs, cats, birds and exotics to horses, cattle, llamas, pigs and many other large farm or food animals, our experienced veterinary staff is ready to assist.

Animal Airwaves

Syndicated Podcast

Animal Airwaves

Animal Airwaves is a daily radio series that features one-minute segments relating to animal health, ranging from insights into animal behavior to veterinary patient care breakthroughs and trends.

Animal Airwaves