6 Nov 2023
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Cats diagnosed with feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) have a recurrence rate of well over 50%1. While veterinary professionals are aware of the high likelihood of recurrence, the focus of treatment is usually on the patient’s acute, potentially life-threatening presentation. Many patients are subsequently discharged with few long-term interventions to reduce recurrence.
In Dr Andy Roark’s latest podcast, “Nutritional Purr-spectives: Feline Health and Clinical Nutrition”, Dr Andrew Sparkes, BVetMed, PhD, DipECVIM, MANZCVS, MRCVS, discusses the role of nutrition in managing FLUTD. From dissolution diets for struvite stones to encouraging water intake in cats with idiopathic cystitis, Dr Sparkes shares some pearls of wisdom acquired throughout his feline-focused career.
Historically, studies suggest as few as 7% of pets that could benefit from a therapeutic food have been fed one2. While this has increased with time, there’s still significant room for improvement in patient outcomes.
Feline clinical nutrition is an especially critical area, with therapeutic diets significantly increasing lifespan and improving quality of life for cats with conditions like urolithiasis and chronic kidney disease.
As co-editor of the new Purina Institute Handbook of Canine and Feline Clinical Nutrition, Dr Sparkes is keen to invite veterinary professionals to make use of this free resource and level up their nutritional advice in practice. He describes himself as a “strong advocate of evidence-based medicine” and says this handbook “really helps us to achieve that” with practical, unbiased content from a range of veterinary experts.
“The handbook doesn’t talk about commercial products”, he adds. “It’s talking about an approach to nutritional management of a whole variety of different diseases.”
The Purina Institute Handbook of Canine and Feline Clinical Nutrition is filled with practical tips and tools to help busy veterinary teams effectively incorporate nutrition into the management of common conditions in cats and dogs.
At the Purina Institute, we believe science is more powerful when it’s shared. That’s why we’re on a mission to unlock the power of nutrition to help pets live better, longer lives.
A global professional organisation, the Purina Institute shares Purina’s leading-edge research, as well as evidence-based information from the wider scientific community, in an accessible, actionable way so veterinary professionals are empowered to put nutrition at the forefront of pet health discussions to further improve and extend the healthy lives of pets through nutrition.
