Topics

• What is included in the Nutrition Consultation
• Therapeutic Supplement Reviews
• Nutrition Recheck Consultation Services
• Email Communication Policy

Nutrition Consultation Appointments

What is included in the Nutrition Consultation?

A nutrition consultation includes the initial telehealth appointment (45 minutes) with up to two hours of in-depth medical record review, research and design of the best nutrition plan that will accommodate the medical needs and food preferences of the pet and the pet parent. This includes discussion and review of appropriate treats. For homemade diet formulations, we are providing one balanced recipe, usually with possible ingredient exchanges (if appropriate for that pet). Commercial diet recommendations will include appropriate therapeutic (prescription) diet options. The initial consultation fee will also include follow-up email communications during the diet transition period immediately after receiving the plan. If there are extensive additional questions, we will recommend scheduling a Nutrition Recheck Appointment. Charges are based on time investment.

Additional time/charges may be required for analyzing, correcting and balancing pre-existing recipes, research into exotic/ unusual ingredients or supplements, or extensive nutrition education for pet owners beyond the standard time allotment for a typical consultation. We will recommend recheck appointments to review ongoing patient progress and new lab work testing.

Nutrition consultations – price range is $650-$800+ depending on services requested. An itemized estimate will be provided prior to your appointment. Please reach out to us if you would like an exact estimate: info@wholepetprovisions.com

A deposit payment of $425 is required to reserve your appointment time – pre-payment will be requested after all medical records and the Veterinary-Client-Patient-Relationship form (VCPR) are received from your veterinarian.   

During your consultation appointment, we will review your pet’s medical and nutritional concerns and discuss which services are needed or requested (homemade diet recipe vs commercial diet plan or both, +/- review of any supplements, any additional pets, additional requested recipes). You will be billed for the remaining balance after your appointment. Payment for the balance is required to initiate work on the nutrition plan and before your written consultation report will be sent to you via email.

Therapeutic Supplement Reviews:

The initial nutrition consultation will include vitamin/mineral supplement recommendations to balance the diet. You may also be interested in “therapeutic” supplements – these are supplements given above and beyond the balanced diet intending to support wellness and/or manage/treat a medical condition and are not used to meet nutritional requirements. Examples include glucosamine/chondroitin, turmeric (curcumin) or Boswellia.

As an addition to any Nutrition Consultation, we will research therapeutic products, ingredients, and dosing to optimize a safe plan for your individual pet. An additional charge for Therapeutic Supplement Reviews is applied ($325). We do not review Traditional Chinese Herbs or Homeopathic remedies, as these are best prescribed and managed by a trained practitioner in these modalities who can directly examine your pet. 

Nutrition Recheck Consultation Services (for established clients):

We do know some patients can be rather dynamic in their nutrition status.  We provide scheduled recheck consultations to review medical records, updated lab testing and/or trouble shoot ongoing nutrition concerns. Recheck consultations should also be requested if your pet develops a new medical condition or has new lab work testing that may require diet modification. We also encourage annual or biannual recheck consultations to ensure your pet’s diet is still appropriate. A reduced fee is charged for these services within the same year of the initial consultation (range $235-$385).

• With all consults, we recommend a recheck video consultation in 8-12 weeks to review your pet’s progress, review recheck labwork after diet change or to troubleshoot and adjust the diet if needed. An estimate will be provided for rechecks and any needed diet reformulations.
• An annual recheck is required to maintain a telemedicine consulting relationship with you and your veterinarian. The best time to schedule your annual recheck is after your wellness visit with your primary care veterinarian or internist to have available updated medical records and labwork testing.

 After your initial consultation, we will offer pre-scheduling for recheck appointments (“tentative appointment”) to reserve your time and avoid the waiting list. You will receive an invoice for pre-payment to confirm your appointment two weeks prior to your reservation.

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Email Communication Policy:

We are very thankful for the strong interest in nutrition, however, due to the high quantity of emails we receive, we limit email communications to:

1. Consult set up and appointment management

2. Communications with referring veterinarians 

3. Questions/record management with veterinary offices

4. Email support for clients for the initial period after a nutrition consultation is completed during diet transition

For all other diet questions, nutritional or medical needs, we will assess your request to see if it requires a scheduled follow-up appointment. We do our best to respond to emails in a timely manner, however, due to our caseload and appointment hours, we do require 1-3 business days to send a response. We appreciate your patience.

Please note our office hours. We do not monitor email after normal business hours, during evenings, or on weekends.

Email is a convenient way to communicate and can be effective for case management, however, our practice has grown significantly. In order to provide you and your pet the best possible nutrition care and dedicate appropriate time, we will require a scheduled follow up to review your pet’s case progression, give opinion on updated medical records or lab testing, and to deliver advisement on ongoing nutrition needs.

If emailing is requested as a primary means of communication, we will bill appropriately for this time based on time required for case review and responding, number of emails, etc. (range $50-$150).

Rather than sending several emails, we suggest consolidating your questions for your next scheduled recheck appointment. If new issues have arisen, we will triage your needs and expedite your appointment time accordingly.

Thank you for allowing us to partner in the care of your special family members!