9 Sept 2025
The information. package also covers veterinary advice for alternative diets such as raw meat-based and plant-based diets.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
The BSAVA has released a new guide to small animal nutrition for vet practices.
The BSAVA Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice is designed to provide veterinary professionals with comprehensive guidance on appropriate nutrition.
As well as the 200-page physical book, the BSAVA has also accompanied the guide with a range of resources in its online library including client information leaflets and videos.
The guide is split into five sections covering different types of diet, life-stage feeding, hospital and critical care nutrition, management strategies for adverse reactions to food, and nutrition in pets with specific diseases, such as chronic kidney disease.
BSAVA president Julian Hoad hailed the “level of detail” in the guide authored “by a panel who are very competent in their field”.
He added: “There is ample explanation of the underlying principles of nutrition, as well as formulae for specific nutritional plans.
“Where there may be confusion, or potential errors in calculating nutritional requirements, there are practical hints and tips for avoiding those pitfalls.”
Along with information on commercially manufactured diets, it also features chapters on alternative diets including grain-free, home-prepared cooked, raw-meat based, plant-based and alternative protein-based diets.
Compositions, advantages and disadvantages, safety measures and considerations for feeding each diet is provided.
The association said diet advice “should be based on good evidence” and as alternative diets grow in popularity “it is vitally important that veterinary professionals educate themselves about the available options and consider all the pros and cons when advising owners”.
