References

National Research Council (2006). Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC.

The reference work for dog and cat nutrition, used across the pet food industry and veterinary practice. Vivlo's energy calculations, including the resting energy formula and puppy growth requirements, follow this standard.

Kleiber, M. (1932). Body size and metabolism. Hilgardia 6(11), 315–353.

The origin of the finding that metabolic rate scales with body mass to the ¾ power, which is why the resting energy formula uses a 0.75 exponent rather than scaling calories in a straight line with weight.

WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee: Body Condition Score chart. World Small Animal Veterinary Association.

The 9-point hands-on body condition check used in veterinary practice worldwide. Vivlo's body condition scoring, and the way portions are adjusted toward a healthy weight, follow this system.

Salt, C., Morris, P.J., German, A.J., et al. (2017). Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs of different sizes. PLOS ONE 12(9).

The largest published study of healthy puppy growth, built from millions of veterinary weigh-ins. It established evidence-based growth standards for dogs the way child growth charts work for children, and informs how Vivlo thinks about healthy growth ranges and their limits.

Sigmoid growth models in veterinary science.

Puppy growth follows an S-shaped curve: rapid early gain that levels off at adult size. Vivlo's breed ranges are drawn with the Gompertz growth function, a standard model for this pattern in animal science, fitted to each breed's recognised adult weight range.

Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. UK Public General Acts, c. 36.

UK law reserves the diagnosis and treatment of animals to registered veterinary surgeons. This is why Vivlo informs and tracks but never diagnoses, and why the app points you to your vet whenever something could be urgent.