| Frequently Asked Questions |
| How do I contact the Nutrition Support Service? |
| Call and leave a message for the Nutrition Support Service. Calls
are generally returned within 48 hours. Calls are not returned on
weekends. VMTH Veterinarians/Students: Use internal voicemail system - voice mailbox (555) or page the Clinical Nutrition Service technician for further assistance. Referring Veterinarians or Pet Owners: Call the UC Davis VMTH Small Animal Admissions Office at (530) 752-1393 or Large Animal Admissions Office at (530) 752-0290. Tell the receptionist that you would like to leave a message for the Nutrition Support Service. You will be transferred to our voice mailbox. |
| What is a nutrition consult? |
| Nutrition consults include getting dietary recommendations for healthy pets as well as patients with an underlying disease process. Recommendations for commercial foods are made whenever applicable. Alternatively, in some cases a home-cooked diet formulation is indicated. The Nutrition Support Service also answers questions with regard to weight loss programs, dietary supplements and alternative feeding philosophies. |
| How do I get a nutrition consult? |
| VMTH clinicians/students may simply
submit a request on VMACS, or page the Clinical Nutrition Service
faculty, residents or technician for further assistance. A referring veterinarian must make a request for a nutrition consult by calling and leaving a message for the Nutrition Support Service. The service is happy to address brief client inquiries, however requests for computer-generated, home-cooked formulation or questions involving nutritional intervention in animals with health concerns need to be submitted by the patient’s attending veterinarian. An appointment can be made for a nutrition exam/consult through the Admissions Office, if the client/owner prefers to speak directly to a clinical veterinary nutritionist. Appointments can be made by a VMTH veterinarian, the referring veterinarian, or by the client. Topics addressed by the Nutrition Service during an appointment vary widely, but can include weight loss, home-cooked diets, dietary supplements or feeding for a particular disease state. |
| What information does the service need to perform a consult? |
| VMTH Veterinarians/Students: Please
complete and submit a consult request on VMACS. Be sure to include
the following information for all consults: patient’s name
and ID number, body weight (current and ideal), body condition score
(on a 9 point scale), medical problems, current lab values, current
therapy and nutritional goals and/or the reason for the request.
A completed diet history form is also required. Once the above steps
are completed, please leave a message for the Nutrition Support
Service on the internal voicemail system notifying us that the consult
has been submitted. Referring Veterinarians: Call the UC Davis VMTH and leave a message for the Nutrition Support Service to request a nutrition consult. Be sure to include your name, your clinic’s name, a phone number, a fax number and any questions you may have. Someone from the service will call you back to confirm your request. A consult request form will be faxed or mailed to you. The Consult Request Form is also available on this web site. This 2-page form allows you to give the signalment, medical history and dietary history of the patient. Laboratory reports should be included as needed (a recent CBC and chemistry panel is recommended). The completed consult request form and pertinent lab reports will need to be faxed or mailed to the Nutrition Support Service before the consult can be completed. |
| Where do I get the necessary forms that must be submitted for each patient? |
| VMTH Veterinarians/Students: Use
VMACS to access the Consult Request Form module. Diet History Forms
must also be completed for each VMTH patient. Diet history forms
are located in a box located outside of the Nutrition Center. Diet
history forms can also be downloaded
from the Nutrition Support Service web-site. Please insure that
all required information is provided (refer to previous question). Referring Veterinarians: The Nutrition Support Service will fax or mail you a nutrition Consult Request Form, or you can access this form from the Nutrition Support Service website. Please insure that all required information is provided (refer to previous question). |
| What determines if a home-cooked diet needs to be formulated? |
| Commercially available diets are always recommended if they meet the patient’s individual needs and are accepted by the pet. When commercially available diets are not appropriate, a home-cooked diet formulation may be required. Occasionally, home-cooked diets are formulated because the patient finds the recommended commercial foods unpalatable. |
| What is included in a diet formulation? |
| Based on dietary preferences and/or tolerances, a computer generated, complete and balanced home-cooked diet is formulated to meet the patient’s specific physiologic and energetic needs. A recipe and a letter explaining the clinician’s approach to the consult are sent to the referring veterinarian. It is the referring veterinarian’s responsibility to review the recommendations and diet with the client. |
| Who will be performing the consult? |
| Diet formulations: The clinicians
on our service rotate on a weekly basis. Whoever is on duty when
all of the necessary information is received will perform your consult.
The clinicians currently on our service and their credentials are
listed on our website homepage. Nutrition Clinic appointments: A VMTH clinical veterinary nutritionist/resident will see all appointments scheduled with the Nutrition Service/Clinic. |
| How long will it take to get a diet formulated? |
| Consults for VMTH patients should be completed and posted in the
patient’s record within 1 week from the time that all necessary
information is received. Nutrition consults requested by non-VMTH clinicians are typically completed, mailed and faxed to the referring clinic within approximately 2 weeks from the time that all necessary information is received. |
| What if the patient has an adverse reaction to the diet? |
| If the patient has known or suspected allergies or adverse reactions to certain foods, a list of foods to avoid should be included in the consult request. Food trials should be performed before a consult is submitted. If an adverse reaction to the formulated diet develops over time, the original diet can be reformulated for a reduced fee. |
| Does the patient/pet need to be seen by the service? |
| It is not necessary for the Nutrition Service to see a patient for a diet formulation, however, some owners may prefer to be referred, or to schedule an appointment to see the service in person. For the development of a weight loss program, the patient should be seen in the Nutrition Clinic. Client education is the key to a successful weight loss program. This is most effectively accomplished by an appointment with the Nutrition Clinic. |
| What does a weight loss program involve? |
| Appointments with the Nutrition Clinic should be scheduled for consults that are needed specifically to address obesity. During the 1-hour appointment the client and patient will be seen by a clinician/resident from the Nutrition Service. The patient’s weight, measurements and “before” photos will be taken. The client will be educated about weight gain, weight loss and nutrition relating to their pet. A weight-loss program is designed to specifically meet the individual patient’s and client’s needs. To ensure success while on the program, the Nutrition Service will maintain close contact with the owner. Frequent recheck appointments to monitor weight loss are recommended either at the VMTH, or with the primary care veterinarian. Food intake is adjusted as needed. Once weight loss goals have been achieved, a weight maintenance plan will be provided for the patient. |
| What are the service fees? |
| VMTH Veterinarians/Students: Please
refer to the current VMTH SA Clinic fee schedule. Referring Veterinarians: Please call the Nutrition Support Service to inquire about current service fees. Pet Owners: The veterinarian making the consult request will be billing you. Please ask your veterinary clinic what their fee is for a nutrition consult/diet formulation. |
| Is the client billed directly by the UC Davis VMTH? |
| YES – If the patient had
an appointment at the VMTH or if the consult was submitted by a
UC Davis VMTH veterinarian. NO – If a veterinarian from a clinic other than UC Davis submits the consult. The UC Davis VMTH cashier’s office will bill the referring clinic, and they will then bill their client. |