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Veterinary Medicine vocabulary · Nutrition, Husbandry and Welfare

Diet

Meaning in veterinary medicine, with examples

/ˈdaɪət/nounCore term

In veterinary medicine, diet means: The food and drink an animal regularly has, or a special feeding plan used to manage a health problem, such as a kidney diet or a weight-loss diet.

In Turkish: diyet, beslenme düzeni, mama

How it is used

In small animal practice vets ask What is she eating? and may recommend a prescription diet (US: therapeutic diet) sold through vets. A sudden change of diet is a common cause of mild stomach upsets.

Example sentences

  1. We'll put him on a low-fat diet for a few weeks after the pancreatitis.

  2. What diet is she on at the moment: dry food, wet food or both?

Common collocations

  • prescription diet
  • change the diet
  • balanced diet
  • weight-loss diet
  • on a diet
  • body condition scoreA number on a fixed scale that describes how thin or fat an animal is, judged by looking at and feeling the ribs, spine, waist and hips.
  • feedFood given to farm animals, such as hay, silage, grain or compound feed. As a verb, feed means to give food to an animal.
  • anorexiaA complete loss of appetite, when an animal eats nothing at all. A reduced appetite is called inappetence or hyporexia.
  • husbandryThe everyday care and management of farm animals, including housing, feeding, breeding, hygiene and handling.

More terms: Nutrition, Husbandry and Welfare

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.