It is important to provide optimal nutritional support to pets during post-operative and post-anaesthetic recovery, not only to avoid gastrointestinal upset, but to provide the correct nutrition to support recovery, gut health and tissue healing.

Pet owners commonly reach for “chicken and rice” to feed their pets post-operatively, sometimes on the advice of their vet. While thought to be gentle and palatable, there are a number of factors that make this a non-optimal choice:

• It can mean different things to different pet owners - some may purchase skinless chicken breast and simply boil it, while others purchase fattier cuts of meat and prepare them with seasonings or extra fat added, which can predispose the pet to gastrointestinal upset, including pancreatitis.
• It is not complete and balanced. While this won’t lead to clinical problems in the short term, owners may have difficulty transitioning back to commercial complete and balanced food with certain finicky pets.
• It can be too low in calories for maintenance and recovery. Pets recovering from anaesthetic procedures and surgeries may eat smaller volumes than usual. Chicken and rice alone is not calorically dense and if intake is not adequate, may not provide the necessary energy density.
• It can be time-consuming and expensive. While owners may want to care for and dote on their recovering pet, adding in a potential grocery shop and cooking is an added stress in the post-operative period. Providing a suitable complete and balanced commercial option will leave them more time to observe and spend time with their pet.

Hill’s Prescription Diet i/d provides a delicious, complete and balanced option for post-anaesthetic patients. Its highly digestible, calorie-dense formula allows the patient to easily absorb the needed energy to recover in small food volumes.  Additionally, Prescription Diet i/d contains ActivBiome+ fibre technology, electrolyte supplementation, antioxidants and glutamine to support the gut in recovery from the impact of fasting and anaesthesia.

Ask your Hill’s Territory Manager about Prescription Diet i/d Recovery Packs and give your patients everything they need to succeed after anaesthetic procedures.

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