For Veterinary & Canine Professionals
Collaborative, evidence-informed nutritional support for the dogs in your care.
Increasing numbers of owners are taking a greater interest in what they feed their dogs, particularly when their dog has been diagnosed with a health condition or they wish to move away from commercial feeding towards a fresh, raw or home-prepared diet.
Unfortunately, this also means owners can find themselves navigating an overwhelming amount of nutritional information — often from social media, online groups and sources with varying levels of qualification and evidence.
Green Paw Nutrition provides a professional referral option for owners who would benefit from individualised nutritional assessment, fresh-diet formulation or more comprehensive nutritional support alongside veterinary care.
My aim is not to replace the role of the veterinary surgeon.
It is to provide the nutritional time, assessment and ongoing support that some clients and their dogs require while working collaboratively with the professionals already involved in their care.
Rooted in Science, Guided by HEART.
When Might a Referral Be Helpful?
You may wish to refer a client when they:
Want to Feed Fresh Food
The owner would like to feed raw, cooked or another home-prepared diet and requires professional guidance to ensure the diet is appropriate and nutritionally balanced.
Are Already Feeding a Homemade Diet
The owner is committed to feeding a homemade diet but there are concerns regarding its nutritional adequacy.
Rather than simply advising the owner not to feed fresh food, I can assess what they are currently feeding and help them make it more nutritionally appropriate.
Have a Dog With a Diagnosed Health Condition
The dog has a condition where individualised nutritional management may form a useful part of their wider care.
This may include dogs with:
• Chronic kidney disease
• Gastrointestinal disease or chronic enteropathy
• IBD / colitis
• Pancreatitis
• Liver disease
• Diabetes mellitus
• Obesity or underweight
• Complex dietary intolerances
• Multiple concurrent conditions
Nutritional recommendations are made according to the individual case and available clinical information rather than from generic condition-based protocols.
Need More Comprehensive Nutritional Support
Some owners need more time and guidance than can realistically be provided during a veterinary consultation.
This may include understanding dietary changes, implementing a new diet, monitoring food intake, introducing ingredients gradually or adapting a nutritional plan over time.
My role is to provide that additional nutritional support while the veterinary practice retains responsibility for the dog's medical care.
What Happens When You Refer a Client?
1. Referral
You can refer a client directly to Green Paw Nutrition using my referral form.
Owners may also contact me themselves. Where a dog has a diagnosed or complex medical condition, I will request appropriate veterinary information with the owner's consent.
2. Veterinary History & Clinical Information
Before making nutritional recommendations for a complex case, I review the relevant clinical information available.
Depending on the individual dog, this may include:
• Veterinary consultation history
• Current diagnoses
• Medication
• Haematology and biochemistry
• Urinalysis and UPC results
• Diagnostic imaging
• Histopathology or other investigations
• Weight and Body Condition Score
• Previous dietary interventions
This allows nutritional recommendations to be considered within the context of the dog's existing veterinary care.
3. Nutritional Assessment
The dog's current diet, nutritional intake, health history, lifestyle, food preferences, tolerances and practical circumstances are assessed.
Relevant scientific literature, clinical nutrition guidance and recognised nutritional recommendations are reviewed where appropriate.
4. Consultation & Nutritional Plan
Following consultation with the owner, an individual nutritional plan is developed.
Depending on the case, this may involve modifying the existing diet, reviewing supplementation, providing practical feeding guidance or creating an individually formulated fresh-food recipe.
5. Monitoring
Complex cases may require ongoing nutritional support.
The dog's response can be monitored alongside changes in weight, appetite, gastrointestinal signs and relevant veterinary results.
Plans can then be adjusted where appropriate.
6. Communication
With the owner's consent, I am happy to communicate with the referring veterinary practice and provide relevant nutritional information.
If concerns arise that require further investigation, diagnosis or veterinary management, the owner will be referred back to their veterinary surgeon.
Professionally Formulated Fresh Diets
One of the areas in which I particularly welcome veterinary referrals is for clients who are committed to feeding a fresh or home-prepared diet.
Owners are increasingly choosing these feeding methods regardless of whether their veterinary practice actively recommends them.
Providing access to appropriate nutritional support can therefore help reduce the risks associated with unbalanced homemade diets.
When formulating diets, I use professional Animal Diet Formulator software to analyse nutrient provision.
Recipes are assessed against recognised nutritional recommendations, including FEDIAF and NRC guidance, as appropriate.
Formulation considers factors including:
• Age and life stage
• Weight and Body Condition Score
• Energy requirements
• Activity level
• Medical history
• Relevant clinical results
• Current medication
• Food preferences and tolerances
• Nutritional priorities associated with diagnosed disease
• Owner practicality
Where a dog has a diagnosed condition, formulation is additionally informed by relevant clinical nutrition guidance and current research.
Fresh feeding should be individual, but it should never be guesswork.
Working Within Professional Scope
I believe good collaborative care depends on clearly defined professional boundaries.
Green Paw Nutrition provides nutritional assessment, education, diet formulation and nutritional support.
I do not:
• Diagnose disease
• Replace veterinary investigation
• Prescribe veterinary medication
• Alter medication doses
• Advise owners to discontinue prescribed medication
• Recommend delaying necessary veterinary treatment
• Present nutritional intervention as a replacement for veterinary care
Where additional investigation or veterinary interpretation is required, I will refer the client back to their veterinary surgeon.
There may also be occasions where I recommend delaying nutritional intervention until further clinical information is available.
Sometimes the most responsible nutritional recommendation is to gather more information before changing the diet.
Evidence-Informed, Individualised Practice
Nutrition is rarely as simple as matching a diagnosis to a list of foods.
Two dogs with the same condition may have very different nutritional requirements depending upon their age, body condition, concurrent disease, medication, laboratory findings, digestive tolerance and existing diet.
My approach is therefore individual rather than protocol-driven.
Scientific evidence and recognised nutritional guidance inform my recommendations, while veterinary information helps establish what is appropriate for the individual dog.
Where evidence is limited or emerging, I believe this should be communicated transparently rather than presented as established fact.
Professional Background
I am a qualified Canine Nutrition Consultant and Registered Associate of the Association of Pet Nutrition Consultants (APNC).
My professional education includes:
• Level 3 OFQUAL Diploma in Canine Nutrition
• Diploma in Canine Nutrigenomics
• Level 4 Diploma in Innate Botanical Selections / Zoopharmacognosy
• APNC professional mentorship
• Ongoing Graduate Diploma study in Naturopathic Nutritional Therapy
• Regular Continuing Professional Development
My CPD includes further study in clinical nutrition, gastrointestinal health, chronic disease, nutrigenomics and related areas of nutrition and physiology.
For Other Canine Professionals
I also welcome referrals and professional relationships with:
• Veterinary physiotherapists
• Hydrotherapists
• Canine massage and rehabilitation professionals
• Behaviourists
• Trainers
• Breeders
• Other appropriately qualified canine professionals
Nutrition may be only one part of a dog's wider health picture.
Where several professionals are involved, I am happy to work collaboratively within my own scope so that the owner receives consistent, responsible support.
If you're unsure whether a client would benefit from nutritional support, you're welcome to contact me before referring.
Refer a Client
If you have a client who may benefit from professional nutritional support, you can refer them directly to Green Paw Nutrition.
Veterinary Professionals
DOWNLOAD VETERINARY INFORMATION PACK
Other Canine Professionals
If you're a canine health or behaviour professional and would like to discuss a client, referral or potential professional collaboration:
A Collaborative Approach
My aim is not to position nutrition in opposition to conventional veterinary care.
It is to use nutrition appropriately within the dog's wider healthcare.
When we each work within our professional scope and communicate effectively, owners receive clearer guidance and the dog remains at the centre of the decision-making process.
Green Paw Nutrition
Rooted in Science, Guided by HEART.