Compromise plea over pet weight cases

Veterinary professionals have been urged to “compromise” with their clients to help reduce the impact of obesity on pets.

BSAVA Congress delegates were also told that progress is being made in developing weight loss drugs for dogs, although they are still likely to be many years away.

But University of Liverpool weight loss clinical lead Georgia Woods-Lee warned clinicians they should not try to push clients into confronting issues they are not yet ready to address.

She told the 20 March session: “If we are prepared to compromise, we can improve the quality of life for these patients.”

Growing concerns

Concerns have grown in recent months about both the scale of the pet obesity problem and a growing division between the perceptions of veterinary professionals and pet owners.

Although more animals are thought to be overweight now than a decade ago, analysis published by UK Pet Food last autumn indicated just 4% of owners thought their pets were in that group.

Half also admitted they had never sought veterinary advice about their pet’s weight.

Mrs Woods-Lee said that while the causes of obesity are complex, issues such as snoring may be signs of a clinical case.

Weight loss drugs

But she argued that the key to making progress in addressing the issue was to achieve a consensus with the client that their pet was above their ideal weight.

She also urged delegates to motivate their clients, celebrate their achievements and make themselves available to discuss issues outside of scheduled consults.

Asked from the floor about the possibility of weight loss drugs for dogs, she admitted progress had not been as fast as hoped, but insisted they “are coming”, suggesting such a product may be available within the next five to 10 years.

However, she suggested that special diets may also be needed alongside them.