1 credit
Spring 2026 Lecture
This nutrition course presents the established knowledge of metabolism and physiological chemistry pertaining to nutrients and the control of biochemical pathways at the gene, cell, organ, and system level. The goal of this course is to provide the fundamentals of nutrient metabolism while discussing nutritional modification in the management of disease. At the completion of this course, the veterinary student should be proficient in recognizing a nutrition-related problem in a clinical patient, conducting a thorough nutritional assessment, and constructing appropriate nutritional strategies for both the pet and client. The veterinary student will achieve an understanding of systemic metabolism that can be applied to the contemporary practice of veterinary medicine.
Learning Outcomes1Explain the role of the practitioner in incorporating evidence-based nutrition plans for all life stages.
2List the components of a complete nutritional assessment for both dogs and cats.
3Define the role of nutrition throughout the lifecycle for health to support proper growth, maturation, aging, lactation, and gestation.
4Describe the impact of nutrient deficiency for each lifestage.
5Demonstrate ability to calculate daily energy needs for all lifestages, during illness, and for weight loss programs.
6Identify key nutrients of concern in common diseases and identify the key characteristics found in the nutrient profile of an appropriate therapeutic diet.
7Develop a nutritional plan for common nutritional problems presented to a small animal practitioner.
8List options for assisted-feeding to include potential limitations for each technique.
Restrictions
made by Purdue students.