Nutrition

THERAPEUTIC NUTRITION is not only used for conditions caused specifically by nutritional imbalances but also for any condition where nutrition can support the body’s ability to avoid, battle, and recover from disease states. With a healthy, species-appropriate diet, pets dealing with difficult diagnoses are more likely to maximise their own restorative powers, using efficient metabolic clean-up mechanisms and their immune system. Veterinary nutrition, especially when guided by an experienced veterinary nutritionist, can make a significant difference.

Therapeutic nutrition also focuses on how we can use dietary choices to reduce the risk of disease and maintain good health and longevity. At Balance Bites, we recommend moving away from ultra-processed dry food kibbles and toward more natural species-specific diets. This may involve home-prepared food or recommendations of commercial options offering more natural diets.

Home-Prepared Pet Diets

Home-prepared pet feeding requires a thorough understanding of your cat or dog’s nutritional needs, the value of different food types, dietary interactions, and methods of preparation and storage that may affect individual nutrients. If you’re looking for expert advice on Melbourne veterinary nutrition, we can help guide you through this process. After a detailed nutrition consultation appointment, we can create a personalised plan for cat nutrition or dog nutrition.

Benefits of Home Prepared Diets

One of the main benefits of preparing your pet’s meals yourself is that you know exactly what’s going into it. Homemade pet food allows you to have complete control over every tiny detail. This is especially helpful for:

  • Owners wary of pet food ingredients

  • Feeding fussy eaters

  • Avoiding food allergens

  • Adapting to age, lifestyle, or medical needs

  • Diet prescriptions for disease-specific conditions

  • Initial Nutrition Consult

    A Full Diet History Review;

    This is a thorough history of the exact amounts and types of food (including treats) being fed to your pet. The diet history can help us determine if your pet’s nutrient needs are being met. We also need to know the basic ingredients you’d like to use or your pet enjoys. A form will be provided when you book your cat nutrition or dog nutrition appointment.

    A Full Medical History Review;

    We’ll review your animal’s medical history, including any underlying conditions. This helps us determine your pet’s individual needs and the appropriateness of a home-cooked diet. A full history (preferably with recent blood tests) should be forwarded from your normal veterinarian.

    Telehealth Consultation;

    We offer telehealth nutrition consultations via phone or Zoom. We’ll go through all the details mentioned above and discuss your goals. Whether you’re managing a specific condition, aiming for weight loss, or simply adding a balanced home-cooked diet, our team is here to help.

    Diet Recommendation or Formulation;

    We can either recommend a number of good commercial options or create a tailored recipe for your pet’s specific needs. The turnaround for diet formulation is 1-2 weeks.

    Our initial nutrition consultations are $150 for commercial diet recommendations, $250 for a tailored home-prepared recipe, or $350 for disease-specific diet prescriptions and recipes.

  • Follow-Up Nutrition Consult

    This includes a 30-minute telehealth consultation to update you on your pet’s progress, review ongoing medical issues related to nutrition, and make any necessary adjustments to the diet based on weight, body condition score, or medical conditions.

    Our follow-up nutrition consultations are $100

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