• Vetiranary Medicine
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

The skinny on fat pets

August 1, 2008

It's the elephant in the room. We all know pets are getting fatter, but just how fat? Until now, there was no concrete data.

Last year Dr. Ernie Ward, founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, set out to gather the largest set of real-world data about pet obesity in the United States. His goal was to determine more accurately the exact number of pets that are overweight or obese. Dr. Ward, a Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member, asked colleagues to record weight information on every cat and dog they saw for a regular exam on Oct. 17, 2007. Veterinarians participating in the study gathered each pet's name, age, breed, weight, body condition score, length, waist, and thoracic measurements. They also recorded known medical conditions, the total number of pets in the household, and the owner's assessment of the pet's weight. Almost 100 veterinary practices, universities, and private organizations participated.

Illustration by Marci Roth

The result? The study showed that 43 percent of participating dogs and 53 percent of participating cats were overweight or obese. And after analyzing the numbers, it became apparent that breed-standard weights are shifting. Dr. Ward found that the average weight for most of the American Kennel Club's top 10 breeds has increased by at least 1 pound with no marked increase in the pet's length. Another surprising result was an apparent tendency by the veterinary team to report pets' body condition scores inaccurately. Based on breed standards and pets' body dimension, 10 percent of participating dogs and 13 percent of cats were assigned a body condition score of 3 (normal) when they should have received a 4 or 5 (overweight or obese). Read on for more about the study results.

Advertisement

Dog and cat weight ranges

Talking to clients about obesity

First of all, show your support. If you understand your client's difficulties firsthand because of your own overweight pet, share your struggles. Make eye contact, nod, and repeat what the client says to show you understand. Involve him or her by using phrases such as, "Does that sound right to you?" or "Is there anything I left out?" When you create your treatment plan, keep in mind the client's preferences, abilities, and readiness for change.

What clients pay and what clients say about obesity

Average dog and cat breed weights

Related Content:

Client Relations & Marketing
Spectrum of care: protocols to support pet owners’ budgets
Spectrum of care: protocols to support pet owners’ budgets
Hiring employees in line with your brand
Hiring employees in line with your brand
How to discuss finances with clients
How to discuss finances with clients

Advertisement

Latest News

Managing wounds in pet patients

Spectrum of care: protocols to support pet owners’ budgets

How to support women while still running a successful business

The Vets expands to Raleigh, NC

View More Latest News
Advertisement