Dr. Cailin Heinze is a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist® and the Chief Academic Officer of the Mark Morris Institute, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote optimal companion animal health by providing educational opportunities for veterinary students and veterinarians in clinical nutrition. She also does some part-time consulting work for Balance IT, a company that makes software and supplements for home-cooked pet diets. She is an expert in home-cooked diet formulation and general pet nutrition and has a special interest in feeding pets with kidney disease and cancer.
There is a lot of confusing and contradictory information out there about feeding carbohydrate to pets. We review the science of how dogs and cats utilize dietary carbohydrate.
Pet food-associated illness or "food poisoning" is rare in pets but can cause serious illness. We review some situations that should raise your suspicion for food-associated illness and the steps you should take to figure...
Some pets eat way too quickly and this can result in health issues. We cover some tips for slowing down the food gulper in your life!
A recent study compared nutrient levels in cat foods marketed for senior cats versus those marketed for adult cats - we discuss their findings and the implications for feeding older cats.
Pancreatitis is a common condition in both dogs and cats. Diet can be associated with the development of pancreatitis in dogs and an important part of treatment. Cats with pancreatitis are less responsive to diet,...
Cats, especially overweight ones, can develop a severe liver disease called hepatic lipidosis if they don't eat enough calories for days to weeks. As a lack of nutrients is the cause of this condition, aggressive...
Many health conditions can result in pets who cannot or will not eat enough calories to maintain weight or will not eat foods that are best for their health conditions. Placement of a feeding tube...
Older pets can suffer from Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, which is similar to dementia in people. While the disease is irreversible, some nutritional alterations have been shown to help affected pets
Two recently published studies suggest that blood and saliva testing should not be used for the diagnosis of food allergies in dogs.
The type and amount of protein are common marketing strategies for commercial pet foods. How do you know if your pet is getting enough?