The 120-lb black Labrador retriever in front of me, Diesel, that should have been about 80 lbs., is my last patient of the day. You know the one: lying on the floor, legs splayed, panting. I asked my client, “How much are you feeding him?” My client, whom we will refer to as “Lab Loving Larry,” responded, “I only feed him two cups in the morning and two at night. Honestly, they aren’t even full cups!” Perplexed, I dug a bit deeper. “You’re using an 8-oz. measuring cup, like this?” I ask, holding up a measuring cup from one of our nutritional vendors. “Well, no,” replied Larry. “I’m using an old Big Gulp cup. Makes a great scoop!” Mystery solved! This is a true story, and one many can relate to, which should not be shocking. According to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), approximately 59 percent of dogs and 61 percent of cats are considered overweight or obese1 Pet owner awareness of this epidemic has historically been low. A 2024 survey by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) found 33 percent of cat owners and 35 percent of dog owners categorized their pet as overweight or obese.2 One contributing cause to this gap in the true body condition of our pet population is the fact that many owners do not know what a healthy body condition looks like. This is supported by a recent global study by Royal Canin, showing more than a quarter of pet owners surveyed indicated that they do not understand what healthy pet weight is.3 Misinformation around this subject may stem from where some pet owners are researching the subject. Royal Canin’s global study found that around a fifth of the respondents were turning to social media for information on pet weight and obesity. This number increases to 55 percent when considering only Gen Z pet owners. There’s some good news, though: veterinary professionals continue to be the most trusted source of information on this subject across all generations.4 Let’s discuss some strategies to help bridge the gap in pet owner awareness and make a meaningful dent in the pet obesity epidemic. Communication is key Communication with pet owners regarding the body condition of their pets is the first step to tackling misinformation. While most veterinarians say they feel comfortable having a conversation about body condition with pet owners, only 19 percent of cat owners and 27 percent of dog owners recall receiving a score from their vet.2 Let’s be honest, this is not a comfortable conversation to have with clients, and it is okay to admit that. However, data tells us the apprehension of having body condition conversations with our pet owners is unfounded. Almost 70 percent of pet owners feel comfortable speaking with vet professionals about their pet’s body condition, and the vast majority believe you feel comfortable, too.2 Here are some ways to help communicate with your clients when speaking about body condition: Empathy. Being empathetic is the first step to connecting with clients. This is not only true when your patient needs to lose weight, but also when discussing any subject that may be sensitive. Using phrases, such as, “I understand how hard it is to not give that hamburger to Diesel” or, “It can understandably feel hard to know how much to feed your cat” gives the owner a sense that you have been in their shoes and know how they feel. Be a teacher. Showing them a body condition score chart can help you facilitate the conversation with a client (Figures 1 to 3). Who doesn’t like props? Many nutrition companies can provide you with tools to help make conversation a bit easier and fun. Teach your clients about body condition score charts to help them understand the ideal body weight of their pets. Photos courtesy Royal Canin Teaching them what it should feel and look like when a pet is in good body condition will guide them as they progress along their pet’s weight loss journey. Ask your nutritional vendor representative for any tools they may have to help facilitate those conversations. Come bearing facts. Every pet owner wants their pet to live a long and healthy life. Excess weight contributes to a multitude of diseases–diabetes, lower urinary tract disease, and arthritis. All these diseases can lead to increased long-term costs for a pet owner, as well as a decrease in the life expectancy of their pet. Numerous studies have shown that overweight pets live around 1.8 years less than those that are lean-fed.5,6 Utilizing this knowledge can help educate pet owners on the importance of their pets maintaining a healthy body condition. Employing these three tips can help make these conversations easier, more effective, and more meaningful to our pet owners. A team-based approach These conversations also take time—a commodity we all want more of. Many of us shy away from these conversations not due to their uncomfortable nature, but also from the time investment that accompanies a weight loss regimen. You might take the time to have the conversation around body condition, only to have an owner reject treatment or drop out of the program. A team-based approach to managing the disease could be the way to go. Many of us realize how woefully underutilized our licensed veterinary technicians are in practice. Nutrition and weight loss are perfect areas for our technicians to oversee in our practices. A recent forthcoming white paper shows technicians completing Royal Canin’s Pet Nutritional Advisor Program (PNAP) stayed in practice longer and drove nutritional recommendations more than the control practices.7 Empowering our technicians to have these body condition conversations, creating weight loss plans, and following up through phone calls, emails, texts and recheck appointments, can increase practice efficiency and client experience. It is important that the entire practice staff understands the weight loss protocol for patients and can support the veterinarian’s recommendations. Reinforcement of the message is critical to long-term success for the pet owner and patient. Compliance challenges Once you have overcome the misconceptions pet owners have about body condition, had the conversation around pet obesity in the exam room, and put a weight loss plan in place, the real challenge begins with compliance. Why do clients fail to comply with treatment plans? Usually, it is due to the plan being too difficult to understand, requiring a set schedule, like parasiticides, or seeming difficult to administer. In the case of weight loss plans, it is often due to the time it takes to see results, that clients relate food to love, and relent when their pet begs. Here are some suggestions on how to improve client compliance with weight loss: Create a weight loss plan that is easy and sets expectations. Many food manufacturers have programs that your staff can use to create weight loss plans that tell owners exactly how much to feed daily and the rate of weight loss that can be expected. These programs also help save time vs. calculating everything yourself. Use a therapeutic weight loss diet. Many of the therapeutic diets use a range of fibers to help satiate cats and dogs and reduce begging behaviors. A 2016 study looked at a line of weight management diets and found the fiber blend therein significantly reduced begging as perceived by pet owners.8 Coaching and competition can also help keep pet owners motivated and compliant. Regular follow-up from the staff and creating a community for peer accountability can be helpful for compliance. While these tips may help with client compliance, there is no one silver bullet. Get creative and make weight loss fun for both your clients and your staff. Starting early Pet obesity continues to be a growing disease state in our patients and one of the most challenging to manage. From the misinformation that confuses our clients, to a lack of recognition that their pets are overweight, it can feel like an uphill battle. While these tactics focus on weight loss, an additional place to start is with prevention. Starting the conversation early, especially post-neuter or spay, can help prevent these scenarios. Pet food manufacturers have tools to support conversations in the exam room and figure out the ideal weight loss program for your patient. As for Diesel’s weight loss journey, he managed to lose 15 lbs. through intervention and implementation of a weight loss plan. With these strategies, practices can work to create a better world for pets, one conversation at a time. Todd East, DVM, began his journey in the veterinary industry as an associate veterinarian after graduating from Michigan State University in 2003. With experience as an associate veterinarian, practice owner, relief vet, and now 15 years at Royal Canin in various positions, Dr. East brings a unique perspective to our industry. Currently, he serves as the director of Veterinary Affairs at Royal Canin and resides in Nashville, Tenn., with his wife, son, daughter, and two dogs. References American Animal Hospital Association. (n.d.). Is my pet overweight? Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://www.aaha.org/resources/is-my-pet-overweight/. Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. (2025, April). 2024 Pet Obesity & Nutrition Opinion Survey. https://www.petobesityprevention.org/2024-survey Royal Canin Consumer Multi-Market Survey conducted with Censuswide, 2025. PSOS RC Path to Purchase, October 2023 Carina Salt, Penelope J. Morris, Derek Wilson, Elizabeth M. Lund, Alexander J. German. Association between life span and body condition in neutered client-owned dogs. JVIM 2018;10:1111 Kealy, R. D., Lawler, D. F., Ballam, J. M., Mantz, S. L., Biery, D. N., Greeley, E. H., & Stowe, H. D. (2002). Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 220(11), 1315–1320. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.2002.220.1315 Royal Canin data on file Linder DE, Datz C, Freeman LM. Owner assessment of satiety and begging behaviors in overweight dogs. J Vet Med Res 2016;3:1046.
