Nutrition – The Fifth Vital Sign

Nutrition. The 5th Vital Assessment. Every pet. Every time.

All veterinarians know about T-P-R – temperature, pulse, respiration and pain. At Pet Universe, we record those four vital assessments at every patient exam. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) now considers nutrition the 5th Vital Assessment. So, at Pet Universe, we now incorporate these into your pet’s annual or biannual wellness exams.

The goal is that, nutritional assessment and specific dietary recommendation will be made for every patient at each visit. This will become known as the fifth vital assessment, following the four vital assessments of temperature, pulse, respiration and pain that are already addressed during a standard physical examination, according to WSAVA.

We believe a sound nutritional recommendation from us as healthcare experts is crucial, because as consumers we are exposed to a myriad of nutritional myths that, if acted upon, can actually be harmful to your pets.

At Pet Universe, we do a brief screening evaluation of the nutritional status during history taking and on the physical examination. An extended evaluation would follow, if one or more risk factors are suspected or identified on screening. Nutrition-related risk factors could include age, changes in appetite, activity level, abnormal physical exam findings, body condition score, unexplained weight change and disease status.

We also provide complimentary nutritional consults with team members who have completed either the Hills or Royal Canin Nutritional Adviser Certificates; in fact, we have Nutritional and Weight Loss Champions at both Pet Universe Broadview and Northgate.

To find out more information, contact us or call us on 8266 4666 or 8369 3111.