Communicating With Pet Owners About Canine and Feline Obesity

Deborah Linder 
DVM, MS, DACVIM (Nutrition) 
Tufts University 
North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA 

Effective client communication about pet obesity presents a unique set of challenges. This sensitive topic can be emotionally charged and is often met with resistance; one study revealed that 53% of veterinarians avoid the topic entirely with their clients.¹ However, addressing the importance of the human-animal bond and tailoring discussions on improving quality of life can keep these conversations positive and more productive.² Utilizing communication strategies that shift the focus to health-related outcomes and quality of life can lessen the emotional burden and support better outcomes. 

Strategy 1, Assessing Client Readiness: When to Address Pet Obesity 

Before engaging clients about weight loss, or any major lifestyle change, it can be helpful to consider where an owner might fall on the scale from readiness to resistance to change (e.g., Are they interested in making changes at all? Have they made changes and stopped after having challenges?).³ Some owners who are not interested in initiating a weight loss plan may benefit from a discussion that focuses on other health parameters instead, such as movement, enrichment, or overall quality of life and well-being. Conversely, other families who are seeking help for their pet’s obesity or have already made changes may benefit from a tailored plan and troubleshooting support. This concept of “meeting families where they are at” can guide realistic goals but also allow pet owners to engage at a level they are comfortable with and can commit to.  

Strategy 2, Full Nutritional Assessment: Knowing Your Audience  

Every relationship between a pet and their family is unique. A full nutritional assessment not only includes the diet of a pet, but also the role that food and activity play in the human-animal bond. Especially for families that are apprehensive or resistant to change, starting with questions that focus on quality of life can be helpful, such as “What are your favorite activities with your pet?” and “What makes your pet happy?” Additional tools for performing nutritional assessments can be found in the 2021 AAHA Nutritional and Weight Management Guidelines, which detail assessment of the diet, pet, family, and environment to best guide conversations for each unique pet and family.⁴ 

Strategy 3, Tailored Plans: Enhancing vs. Threatening the Human-Animal Bond  

A full nutritional assessment allows for a collaboration with clients to set realistic and achievable goals that focus on improving the pet’s health and happiness. For those families ready to engage in change, asking specifically about the relationship between the pet and all members of the household may also uncover “non-negotiable” aspects of the human-animal bond. Example questions such as “What’s important to you that we include in the nutritional plan?” or “What’s important for me to know that I might not have asked about?” can help develop goals that focus on improved overall health and wellness, not just body weight (which families may or may not want to prioritize). For example, these goals may include improved mobility, increased mental enrichment or playtime, or changes in feeding behavior such as puzzle toys to make mealtime more fun and engaging. Even for families that are invested in weight loss, shifting the target outcome from “X% body weight loss” to “jumping onto the couch without pain or hesitation,” for example, provides additional motivation to improve quality of life for their pet vs. abstract numbers that may be harder for families to connect to tangible outcomes. 

Strategy 4, Supporting Long-Term Success: Empower Families With Essential Resources  

Set families up for success by proactively brainstorming potential challenges and empowering them with troubleshooting tools. Eliciting concerns from the family with questions such as “What are you most afraid will change?” or “What issues have you encountered in the past?” can guide which tailored resources or troubleshooting tips to provide to families for when they need them. Many families, for example, struggle with “begging behaviors,” which are often misinterpreted as hunger when it is actually attention or interaction that their pet is seeking. Getting creative with mental and physical enrichment activities⁵ can help shift the focus to improving quality of life while also redirecting undesired behaviors to positively support the human-animal bond. 

Resources 

2021 AAHA Weight Management and Nutrition Guidelines for Dogs and Cats 

https://www.aaha.org/aaha-guidelines/2021-aaha-nutrition-and-weight-management-guidelines/home/ 

Helpful Tips: 

• Algorithms and flowcharts for getting a diet history and performing a nutritional assessment 
• Conversation starters and example phrases 

World Small Animal Veterinary Association Nutrition Toolkit 

https://wsava.org/global-guidelines/global-nutrition-guidelines

Helpful Tips:  

• Handouts for pet owners on how to pick high-quality pet foods 
• Muscle condition score charts and diet history forms for the veterinary care team 

Tufts Clinical Nutrition Service Petfoodology Website 

https://sites.tufts.edu/petfoodology/

Helpful Tips: 

• University website created by board-certified veterinary nutritionists 
• Multiple blogs on how to assess if your pet is overweight and consequences 

Purina Institute CentreSquare 

https://www.purinainstitute.com/centresquare 

Helpful Tips: 

• Variety of general pet nutrition and obesity resources translated into eight different languages 
• Energy requirement calculator for dogs and cats 

Indoor Pet Initiative 

https://indoorpet.osu.edu/ 

Helpful Tips: 

• Information on cat and dog behavior including a problem-solving section and strategies for enrichment 

1. Sutherland, K. A., Coe, J. B., & O’Sullivan, T. L. (2023). Exploring veterinary professionals’ perceptions of pet weight-related communication in companion animal veterinary practice. The Veterinary Record, 192(4), e1973. doi: 10.1002/vetr.1973  
2. Linder, D., & Mueller, M. (2014). Pet obesity management: Beyond nutrition. The Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 44(4), 789-806. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2014.03.004 
3. Churchill, J. (2010). Increase the success of weight loss programs by creating an environment for change. Compendium: Continuing Education for Veterinarians, 32(12), E1.  
4. Cline, M. G., Burns, K. M., Coe, J. B., et al. (2021). 2021 AAHA nutrition and weight management guidelines for dogs and cats. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 57(4), 153-178. doi: 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-7232  
5. Ellis, S. L., Rodan, I., Carney, H. C., et al. (2013). AAFP and ISFM feline environmental needs guidelines. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 15(3), 219-30. doi: 10.1177/1098612X13477537