Critical patiens: nutritional management in cats and dogs

Abstract

Among the first symptoms the pet’s owner observes when the animal is sick is the lack of appetite. Although this lack of food appetite isn’t usually the cause of the illness it would have a delay effect of the healings. One of the usual point of view of the hospitalized dogs and cats lies in the delay of nutrition till the appetite or wish to be fed comes back .Still it is very well underlined the fact that the early nutritional management for the dogs and cats being in a critical state reduces the mortality, improves the answer to stress and trauma and brings upon healing. The lack of an adequate nutritional support of the hospitalized patients can lead to high infectious risk, delayed healing, muscular weakness and high mortality. To reach this goal it is recommended the supply of the patient with a caloric support and balanced proteic diet. The study has been done on 10 patients, 8 dogs and 2 cats from different breed. Clinical exams of the animals have been done, X-rays, Ultrasounds, biochemical and hematological analysis in order to achieve a correct diagnose of the illnesses of the patients and to establish an adequate treatment for them. From the accomplished research and the obtained results we conclude that nutrition within the patients in critic state improves the general health state of the patient, so that it must be imposed along with the drug treatment as well as to other treatment modalities the moment the patient is brought to the vet.