Nutritional assessment

Question 1

What is simple starvation?

Answer 1

A healthy animal tops taking food because of an external cause

Question 2

What is stress starvation?

Answer 2

An individual is not only starved but subject to the metabolic response to trauma, sepsis and critical illness

Question 3

What does the assessment include?

Answer 3

• Should be performed as part of a patient assessment
• Involves questionnaires/conversation with owner and a clinical examination
• Dysphagia vs inappetence
• Simple vs stress starvation
• If there are no indicators/risk factors
• If there are an indicators/risk factors present

Question 4

What are the indicators for malnutrition?

Answer 4

• Unexplained weight loss
• Muscle wastage
• Poor coat condition
• Poor wound healing
• Dehydration
• Frequent illnesses

Question 5

What is the body condition score?

Answer 5

• Assesses fat loss/gain
• Weight patient
• Measure patient
• Compare against chart

Question 6

What is the muscle conditional score?

Answer 6

Assesses muscle loss/gain in certain areas:
- Temporal bones
- Scapulae
- Ribs
- Lumbar vertebrae
- Pelvic bones
- Cachexia (associated with disease)
- Sarcopenia (associated with old age)