Nutrition plays a critical role in optimizing canine reproduction and in supporting puppy development and growth.

An extended nutritional evaluation is important for pets at risk for nutrition-related problems.

Pets should be evaluated for the presence of nutrition-related risk factors as part of a screening nutritional assessment.

Assessing a patient’s nutritional status is a recurring process that entails more than taking a diet history.

The only way to know what each patient really eats is to ask ꟷ and document the information in the medical record.

Large and giant breed puppies should be fed to maintain a steady growth rate and a lean, healthy body condition.

Breed size affects the growth rate of puppies.

Neutering may increase a pet’s risk for becoming overweight or obese.

Controlling the growth rate of large and giant breed puppies is critical for their long-term skeletal health.