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Obesity - a common problem in pasture-based horses - warrants intervention because it is associated with an increased risk for development of laminitis. Treating obesity in pasture-based horses is relatively simple and generally involves reducing caloric intake by using grazing muzzles and/or increasing caloric expenditure through exercise. To prevent recurrence of obesity after weight loss, clients should be educated on how to monitor body condition and to adjust feeding and management programs to maintain proper body condition.

The diagnosis of obesity is simple and warrants intervention because of the association between obesity and increased morbidity. Pet owner commitment, a proper feeding plan, and regular monitoring are the keys to a successful weight loss program. Treatment of obesity involves caloric restriction and/or diet change. Therapeutic weight loss diets differ in fiber, moisture, and digestible carbohydrate contents, and the diet choice should be tailored to the individual patient. Appropriate feeding management is equally important. To protect against the recurrence of obesity, owners should be educated on how to monitor body condition score and adjust the feeding program to maintain proper body condition.

Careful assessment of nutritional needs of dogs and cats must be taken into consideration in order to maintain optimum health, be part of a treatment regimen for a diseased state, or to maximize the quality of life in all animals. Therefore, the goal of these WSAVA Guidelines is that a nutritional assessment and specific nutritional recommendation be made on every patient on every visit. This will become known as the 5th Vital Assessment (5VA), following the four vital assessments of temperature, pulse, respiration, and pain that are already addressed on each patient interaction.

High lipid:low dextrose (HL:LD) parenteral admixtures (PAs) are becoming commonplace in the nutritional support of veterinary patients. Lipid peroxidation before administration appears to be an unwanted sequela of high lipid content in PAs that can lead to oxidative injury of biologic membranes in vivo. The purpose of this in vitro study was to measure hydroperoxides in HL:LD PAs and to determine the optimal dose of d-alpha-tocopherol to minimize peroxidation in these PAs during a 24-hr period. Detectable concentrations of hydroperoxides were present in all PAs. D-alpha-tocopherol appeared to significantly minimize peroxidation of HL:LD PAs in vitro. These results have clinical implications for parenteral feeding in critically ill patients.