Feeding Hospitalised Patients for a Speedy Recovery

In 400 BC, Hippocrates recommended, "Let what you eat be your first medicine." So it seems strange that clinical nutrition is still regarded as a fairly new concept in modern veterinary practice. We all know that when we are tired, in pain or unwell, we may not want to eat but, when encouraged to do so, we usually start to feel better much faster. Following research and development conducted in recent decades at veterinary universities and referral centres, there is now a considerable body of clinical proof that dietary management has a significant beneficial effect and should be an integral part of the management of many conditions seen in veterinary practice.