Penn Veterinary Medicine | University of Pennsylvania

Nutrition is an essential part of preventative health care and managing disease. Penn Vet is one of only a handful of veterinary schools in North America with a board-certified small animal clinical nutrition specialist. Through consultation with doctors in the clinic and with referring veterinarians, the Clinical Nutrition Service helps identify animals that would benefit from nutritional support or special diets.

The Clinical Nutrition staff assist clinicians, veterinary students and nurses in assessing the nutritional needs of individual hospitalized patients and guide them through the selection of appropriate therapeutic diets for various medical conditions. The Clinical Nutrition Service also counsels on the long-term nutritional management of patients and is available to assist owners after their pets are discharged from the Ryan Veterinary Hospital.