New tools for the nutritional assessment and management of critical care patients

First, it is important to understand why it is so critical to provide adequate intake of calories and other nutrients for ill or injured patients. A healthy animal that does not get enough calories will lose primarily fat.1 In contrast, a sick or injured animal will lose lean body mass when it is not given adequate nutrients. This loss of lean body mass impairs the animal’s strength, immune function, wound healing, and likely negatively impacts overall survival.1 When oral intake is inadequate, nutritional support techniques1–3 are then required to provide some or all of the nutrient requirements.