ABSTRACT OF THE WEEK

The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Small animal practice
Volume 44 | Issue 4 (July 2014)

Pet obesity management: beyond nutrition.

Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. July 2014;44(4):789-806, vii.

Deborah Linder¹, Megan Mueller²

¹ Department of Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA. Electronic address: deborah.linder@tufts.edu.; ² Center for Animals and Public Policy, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.

Abstract

Excess weight has been associated with many clinical and subclinical conditions that put a pet's health at risk. Successful weight management programs extend beyond standard nutritional management and incorporate an understanding of human-animal interaction. Understanding the processes and dynamics of human-animal relationships can be a useful tool for practitioners in developing successful treatment plans for their clients. Obesity is a nutritional disorder requiring lifelong management; however, when veterinarians go beyond standard treatment to include an understanding of human-animal interaction, it is also one of the few conditions in veterinary medicine that is completely preventable and curable.

Keywords

Client communication; Human-animal bond; Human-animal interaction; Nutrition; Obesity; Weight management;

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