The weight management of a pet is a whole-family effort and anyone who has contact with the animal should be on board with the plan in order for it to succeed . VNs should advise an owner to put the animal in a different room when people are eating a meal , to lessen the urge to give in to a begging dog . When explaining to the owner , it can be useful to use a human scenario as an illustration . For example , a dog ' s two or three kibble meals a day could be considered a threecourse meal , with additional treats the equivalent of eating an extra takeaway . Do they really need both ?

A pet ' s recommended food intake for 24 hours could also be weighed out by the owner each day for a couple of days , rather like meal prepping for dogs . This enables the owner to familiarise themselves with how much food their pet actually needs , and they can then divide the pre-weighed food into two or three meals for that day . If clients are adamant their animal must have ‘ their lunchtime snack ’ or their ‘ bedtime toast ’, they should be advised to substitute this for a handful of the preweighed dog food , so the animal is still getting only the total recommended amount across the 24 hours .

It is important that owners understand that if their animal is neutered , it is more at risk of gaining weight . Removing an organ means the dog needs fewer calories , as it is not fuelling the body part any more , and also has a reduced metabolic rate due to hormonal changes ^{[ 6 ]} . Often , clients understand this when it is explained , but it is not necessarily something they may have considered .

There are a multitude of reputable brands offering specialist diets for ‘ sterilised ’ or ‘ neutered ’ pets . It is , however , still important to make owners aware of the feeding guidelines for these foods . Just because they are made for neutered pets , it doesn ’ t mean the owner can exceed the recommended feeding quantity .

If an animal ' s weight gain is potentially caused by an underlying issue , a full dietary , exercise and clinical history should be taken by the VN , to eliminate the possibility that the weight gain could be diet-related rather than being secondary to a medical condition .

Once diet has been ruled out , tests may then be organised by the veterinary surgeon ( VS ) to investigate the potential underlying condition . VNs can carry out urinalysis , take and run blood samples , and X-ray or scan the patient , if required . The results from the tests and / or imaging will then be discussed with the client . Annual tests may be required , depending on the outcome , to ensure the condition does not worsen .

How to encourage pet owners

It can help to put yourself in an owner ' s shoes . Often , giving treats and extra food to their pet is seen as a way of showing love , so it is important to support them in finding other ways to express their love , rather than making them feel reprimanded or embarrassed . Encourage the owner to talk you through their animal ’ s

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