Pet obesity survey and free resources for veterinary teams and clients launched

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) has launched its 2025 Pet Obesity & Nutrition Opinion Survey, which gathers insights from veterinary professionals and pet owners on how obesity and nutrition are viewed and managed in companion animals. Additionally, APOP and the World Pet Obesity Association (WPOA) together released new tools for veterinarians and pet owners to better manage pets’ weight and energy needs.

APOP’s announcement coincided with the start of World Pet Obesity Week on October 6, which runs through October 12. “The Global Pet Obesity Initiative is about bringing together veterinary teams, pet owners, and organizations worldwide to address one of the most common health challenges facing our pets,” Laura Ward, executive director of APOP, said in the organization’s announcement.¹ “By sharing knowledge and resources, we can create a more consistent and compassionate approach to preventing and treating obesity in companion animals.

2025 Pet Obesity & Nutrition Opinion Survey will remain open through December 31, 2025. APOP and WPOA noted that the tools and resources they recently launched are free. These include¹:

• Daily Feeding Calculators for dogs and cats to help determine the appropriate calorie intake to maintain a healthy body condition.
• Step Weight Loss Calculator to guide veterinary teams through safe, gradual weight loss programs.
• Pet Weight Check Estimator, which provides breed-specific weight ranges with a 3-step check for pet owners.
• Multilingual Body Condition Score Charts that use a standardized 9-point system for dogs, cats, rabbits, and horses. According to APOP, multilingual translations are available at worldpetobesity.org.
• Daily Energy Needs Calculator for veterinary professionals to create customized feeding plans based on patient life stage and activity level.

“A toolkit of educational materials and shareable graphics is also available at petobesityprevention.org for veterinary teams, universities, and organizations to use during World Pet Obesity Week and beyond,” APOP wrote.¹ The website also contains individual weight loss guides for cats and dogs, low-calorie dog treats and recipes, and more. and APOP’s guidelines on best practices for pet obesity communication.

“The owners of pets affected by obesity or excess weight often face stigma and discrimination, which can affect their access to veterinary care and their pet’s overall well-being. Veterinary professionals should be aware that these negative experiences may lead to emotional distress in both pet owners and their pets, resulting in anxiety, withdrawal, or refusal to accept medical recommendations,” APOP wrote in its introduction to Guidelines for Pet Obesity Communication.²

“By adopting principles of "pet-first language" and guidance from veterinary and animal welfare organizations, this document provides a framework for empathetic, accurate, and respectful communication about animal obesity,” the association continued.²

According to APOP’s 2022 survey, 61% of cats and 59% of dogs were overweight or had obesity.³ According to the association, the findings marked an increase from previous surveys carried out in 2018 and 2017. The survey also found that less than half of veterinary professionals discussed healthy body condition in patients with clients on an annual basis.³

One ongoing challenge in assessing body condition scores in patients, the association noted, is accurately scoring patients with long or thick fur, or cats with prominent primordial pouches.³

“APOP is working with organizations to create improved methods for measuring body condition and body fat in pets,” the association said.³

References

1. World Pet Obesity Week launches with 2025 Survey and new resources for pet owners and veterinary teams. News release. September 24, 2025. Accessed October 9, 2025.
2. Guidelines for Pet Obesity Communication. Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. Accessed October 9, 2025. https://www.petobesityprevention.org/media-guide-for-pet-obesity-communication
3. Ward E. 2022 survey reveals alarming rates of pet obesity in the US. News release. May 11, 2025. Accessed October 9, 2025. https://www.petobesityprevention.org/articlesandnews/new-survey-reveals-alarming-rates-of-pet-obesity-in-the-us