VNA Level II
Module 6: Communicating
Therapeutic NutritionLearning Objectives
Weight Management
Learning Objectives
After completing this module, your basic understanding should include:
• Why proper pet weight control is an important part of responsible pet ownership and
health care team concern.
• How to assess, with veterinary involvement, Body Condition Scoring (BCS) and relate
the importance of maintaining a BCS of 3/5 throughout a pet’s lifetime.
• Ways to set up an effective weight loss program.
• The features and benefits of Hill’s® Prescription Diet® w/d® Canine, r/d® Canine,
w/d® Feline, r/d® Feline and m/d® Feline.
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Introduction
VNA Level II Module 6:
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Introduction
Effectively communicating the importance of proper pet nutrition with clients is an
extremely valuable service veterinary health care team members can provide.
Remember, of the three main factors affecting the health and longevity of dogs and
cats, (genetics, environment and nutrition) nutrition is the area we have most direct
control over. This fact is especially important when considering the detrimental,
long-term ramifications of excessive weight, (Body Condition Scores, [BCS] of 4/5
and 5/5). Confidently, competently and comfortably discussing the benefits of
proper weight maintenance and weight loss for pets is a key area of advocating for
the pet’s best interest. This module of VNA is designed to provide you with a
variety of communication points, to help in conveying your concerns about weight
issues in pets. Emphasis will be placed on the proper use of Hill’s® Prescription
Diet® pet foods designed to aid in the management of weight reduction and weight
control.
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Preventing The Proliferation Of Pounds In The First
Place
VNA Level II Module 6:
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Preventing The Proliferation Of Pounds
In The First Place
Before addressing the management of weight reduction, (related to excessive
caloric intake) and weight control, let’s reflect on our ability, AND obligation to
influence proper weight throughout a pet’s life.
All of us involved in veterinary medicine have a particular responsibility regarding
the pet’s nutritional best interest. This means that we have to find ways to
successfully deal with the oftentimes touchy subject of excess weight. If not us,
who? Pets are dependent upon owners to make decisions on what, when, how and
how much to feed. In turn, clients are dependent on veterinarians and veterinary
health care team members for guidance, firm recommendations, specific pet food
products, and encouragement on proper feeding protocols.
The main functions of the kidney include
excreting waste products of metabolism,
regulating the body’s concentration of
water and salt, maintaining a slightly
alkaline body environment, reabsorbing
vital body molecules, and secreting
various hormones.
Figure 1. One of the simplest,
yet most comfortable and
effective ways to discuss a pet’s
weight, is to stand next to,
instead of across from, the pet
owner. That way, your attention
is directed towards the pet, NOT
the pet owner.
Throughout this Veterinary Nutritional AdvocateSM educational experience, we have
discussed the importance of your not only understanding proper pet nutrition, but
also your ability to communicate your understanding. Emphasizing the importance
of an optimal body condition score of 3/5 throughout a pet’s life, is an area
members of the veterinary health care team can have significant impact, where
everyone involved benefits!
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Preventing The Proliferation Of Pounds In The First
Place
VNA Level II Module 6:
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Preventing The Proliferation Of Pounds
In The First Place
Think about all the puppies and kittens that visit your veterinary practice in the
course of a year. These new pets are usually brought in multiple times their first
year of life. A lot of information needs to be effectively communicated during those
visits. Ancillary materials also need to be provided to augment and reinforce points
you and other members of your health care team deem critical to convey.
As discussed in Level II, Module 2, one of the most influential ideas to continually
stress is the importance of young pets growing and developing at a controlled,
rather than rapid rate. While this approach has several benefits, especially for
large- and giant-breed puppies, a major benefit is often one of clients realizing the
necessity of proper, not excessive nutrient, (including caloric) intake. Establishing
the positive “habit” of working with the veterinary health care team and being
cognizant of optimal foods and feeding practices, can help set the tone for a
wonderful, long-term relationship. The main beneficiary of such concern and
teamwork: The pet!
As we have reiterated throughout VNA,
what better way to have regular face-toface dialogue with pet owners, than to
have them purchasing their pet’s Hill’s®
pet food products from your practice?
Encourage clients to bring their pets in
and weigh them during these visits.
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Preventing The Proliferation Of Pounds In The First
Place
VNA Level II Module 6:
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Preventing The Proliferation Of Pounds
In The First Place
The best way to deal with the problem of excessive weight in pets is to
prevent it in the first place! Maintaining the proper weight of dogs and cats is not
only prudent health-wise, it is also easier on the pet owners and the health care
team. Don’t abdicate your responsibility in this critical area. Each pet’s weight
should be discussed with the client AS WELL AS entered into the medical record
on each visit. Praising family members for keeping their pet at a BCS of 3/5 is great
positive reinforcement. That being stated, if there is a need to address a pet’s
weight as being over-optimal, be sure your health care team approaches client
discussions in a unified, consistent fashion. Even though it is ideal to prevent
excessive weight gain in pets in the first place, working with pet owners in helping
them reduce their pet’s weight is extremely rewarding.
If you have been working closely with a
client and monitoring her puppy or kitten’s
weight, and the pet owner and family have
followed your advice, then the pet’s weight
at about one year of age, (~18 months for
giant breed dogs) should be close to
optimum (BCS 3/5). Unless otherwise
indicated, this is the weight the pet should
be maintained at throughout its adult life.
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VNA Level II Module 6:
Why Pets Need Some Fat
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Why Pets Need Some Fat
Fat is an important body tissue. It serves as a portable energy storehouse, allowing
pets to eat intermittently and still have continuous energy for normal activities. Fat
also cushions vital tissues and organs, insulates against temperature extremes and
can be a reservoir for the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and fatty acids. Pets
at ideal body weight and condition have between 15 to 25% body fat, which
correlates to a BCS of 3/5.
More, (excess) is NOT better as it relates
to fat in a pet’s diet. As with all nutrients,
“balanced is better!”
Recall from Level I of the Veterinary Nutritional AdvocateSM that proteins, fats, and
carbohydrates in pet food supply energy and body building blocks. Energy not
needed immediately is primarily converted to body fat. To accomplish this task
efficiently, fat cells can increase their diameter by 20-fold and their volume by
several thousand-fold. A pound of fat stores 3,500 kilocalories for later use, and
contains millions of cells and up to a mile of blood vessels. So, while pets need
some fat, the statement: “More is not better, balanced is better” is extremely
appropriate regarding this nutrient.
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Causes Of Weight GainVNA Level II Module 6:
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Causes Of Weight Gain
Think of calories eaten vs. calories used as a balance beam or scale. For pets at
ideal body weight and composition, the number of daily food-ingested calories
closely matches the amount of calories, (energy) expended by the body for various
functions, so the beam remains balanced. Because excess energy is stored as fat,
pets that eat more calories than they expend unbalance the beam and, over time,
become overweight or obese. Some common causes of weight gain include:
• Overeating: Pets ingesting calories in excess of body needs will gain
weight.
• Feeding method: Pets that are fed free choice are more prone to
becoming obese.
• Genetics and metabolism: Recall from Level I that pets of the same size
may have markedly different energy needs.
• Lack of activity: Physically active pets expend more energy than
sedentary pets. Conversely, inactive pets require fewer calories for weight
maintenance.
• Age: Relatively speaking, older pets are often less active compared to
their activity level in their youth. Older pets usually also have reduced
muscle mass. Muscle burns, (expends) more calories than fat, so older
pets may be at a greater risk for progressive weight gain.
• Spaying/neutering: These are responsible procedures, but lower
metabolism and caloric needs.
• Breed: Some breeds such as Labrador retrievers, Cairn terriers, cocker
spaniels and mixed-breed cats are prone to weight gain.
• Disease: Some medical conditions predispose pets to weight gain, but
these are far less common than other causes of obesity.
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Some Definitions
VNA Level II Module 6:
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Some Definitions
The authors of the chapter on Obesity, (William J. Burkholder and Philip W. Toll) in
Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 4th Edition, subdivide overweight dogs and cats into
three categories, (see Table 1) with terminology, roughly corresponding percent
total body fat and Body Condition Scores:
Table 1. Relationship between % over optimal body weight, the descriptive term,
total body fat % and body condition score (BCS).
These designations will be used throughout this Module.
Over Optimal Body
Weight
Terminology
Total Body Fat %
Body Condition Score
1% - 9%
“above optimal”
15% - 25%
3/5
10% - 19%
“overweight”
26% - 35%
4/5
20% +
“obese”
> 35%
5/5
Source: Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 4th Edition.
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Some Definitions
VNA Level II Module 6:
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Some Definitions
A BCS of 3/5 takes into consideration slight fluctuations in body weight, but for the
most part, the pet’s weight is maintained as close to “optimal” body weight as
possible, and definitely not over 9% of what has been determined to be ideal. It
may be difficult to define an exact “optimal” body weight for a mixed breed, and
even in purebred pets, especially dogs. There may be “accepted” variations, based
on such things as body type and lineage. For example, the American Kennel Club
lists an “average” weight for a female Golden retriever at 55-65 pounds, and for a
male, 65-75 pounds. So, even for a purebred dog or cat, your insights in defining
the best weight for each particular pet is important. BCS is a helpful tool for the
health care team to utilize and will be discussed in more detail below.
Body Condition Scoring is a helpful tool in
identifying what category, (1-5) a pet falls
into. Ideally, assess a pet several times a
year at your practice. A great time to weigh
a pet and perform a quick BCS evaluation
is when the pet owner comes to your
practice, (with the pet) repurchasing the
appropriate Hill’s®
product.
Figure 2. Example of a dog
with a BCS of 5/5.
An “overweight” pet is one that is, on average, about 15% over optimal body
weight, correlating to roughly 30% body fat and a BCS of 4/5.
An “obese” pet is 20% or more over optimal body weight, with over 35% body fat
and a BCS of 5/5
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VNA Level II Module 6:
Health Risks Of Obesity
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Health Risks Of Obesity
A study published in the veterinary
literature in 2002 showed that Labrador
retrievers fed 25% less food lived
significantly longer and had a delayed
onset of chronic diseases than littermates.
Many diseases and conditions are associated with being overweight or obese. Fat
deposits on the chest wall and within the chest and abdomen can make breathing
more difficult, (dyspnea). Fatty deposits around the heart exacerbate this problem.
Furthermore, the heart must work harder to push blood through the extra blood
vessels in excess body fat. These factors combine to make anesthesia and surgery
more challenging for the health care team and surgeon, and stressful for obese
pets. Table 2 lists some additional problems related to obesity, (BCS 5/5).
Figure 3. Lateral abdominal radiographs of a normal cat (BCS 3/5, left) and
an obese cat (BCS 5/5, right). Note the enlarged abdomen and ventral fat
deposition in the obese cat. Source: Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 4th
Edition.
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VNA Level II Module 6:
Health Risks Of Obesity
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Health Risks Of Obesity
Table 2. Diseases associated with or exacerbated by obesity.
Metabolic alterations
Functional alterations
Hyperlipidemia
Insulin resistance
Glucose intolerance
Hepatic lipidosis (cats)
Anesthetic complications
Joint stress/musculoskeletal pain
Dyspnea
Hypertension
Dystocia
Exercise intolerance
Heat intolerance
Decreased immune function
Endocrinopathies
Other diseases
Hyperadrenocorticism
Hypothyroidism
Diabetes mellitus
Insulinoma
Pituitary chromophobe adenoma
Hypopituitarism
Hypothalamic lesions
Source: Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 4th Edition.
Degenerative joint and orthopedic disease
Cardiovascular disease
Transitional cell carcinoma (bladder)
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VNA
Level II Module 6:
Detecting Overweight/Obese
Pets
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Detecting Overweight/Obese Pets
Some pets are, on average, more muscular or have larger frames than similar type
dogs or cats that weigh less. Still others may have metabolic or medical conditions
that cause, for example body fluid to accumulate. Most overweight/obese pets
however, have simply ingested more calories than they have expended, the result
being extra body fat deposition. Recall, a pet with a BCS of 3/5 has about 15%25% body fat, whereas an overweight pet, (BCS 4/5) has ~26% to 35% of their
body weight as fat. Obesity is defined as an excess of body fat of ~35% or more,
(BCS 5/5).
Figure 4. Some dogs and cats require less energy, (calories) than others to maintain their body
weight. Therefore, feeding dogs of initially equal body weights the same amount of calories can
lead to obesity. This is true in cats also. It is important to use pet food label feeding guides AS A
STARTING POINT, monitoring and adjusting the food amount accordingly. Source: Small Animal
Clinical Nutrition, 4th Edition.
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VNA
Level II Module 6:
Detecting Overweight/Obese
Pets
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Detecting Overweight/Obese Pets
Body condition can be subjectively assessed by a process called Body Condition
Scoring, (BCS). In general, this process assesses a patient's fat stores and, to a
lesser extent, muscle mass. Fat cover is evaluated over the ribs, down the topline,
around the tailhead and ventrally along the abdomen.
BCS 1: Very Thin
BCS 2: Underweight
BCS 4: Overweight
BCS 3: Ideal
BCS 5: Obese
Figure 5. Canine Body Condition Scoring.
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VNA
Level II Module 6:
Detecting Overweight/Obese
Pets
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Detecting Overweight/Obese Pets
BCS 1: Very Thin
BCS 2: Underweight
BCS 4: Overweight
BCS 3: Ideal
BCS 5: Obese
Figure 6. Feline Body Condition Scoring.
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VNA
Level II Module 6:
Detecting Overweight/Obese
Pets
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Detecting Overweight/Obese Pets
Here’s how to use body condition (BCS) scoring: For dogs and cats always
determine the amount of fat covering the ribs. Feel the areas between ribs to get
the most information. Palpate the tailbase in dogs (area in front and to the sides of
where the tail attaches to the body) and the areas over the backbone and hipbones
in cats for more information. Then, review the profile of the abdomen from the side
and top. Dogs and cats, when viewed from the side should have a concave waist
(also called tuck). Dogs should have an hourglass figure when viewed from the top.
Assess the amount of fat in the abdominal fat pad (also called apron) along the
bottom of a cat’s stomach.
The ribs of overweight, (BCS 4/5) and obese, (BCS 5/5) cats and dogs, are difficult
to feel because they are covered with fat. Overweight dogs have a smooth-tothickened tailbase and it’s difficult to palpate bones. The back of obese dogs may
be markedly wider than usual and the spine may appear in a depression.
Overweight dogs and cats have little or no abdominal waist. Cats with body scores
of 4/5 and 5/5 have moderate to marked fat deposits along the abdominal wall.
Body condition scoring should be
incorporated into the physical examination
of each patient each time it is seen, AND
recorded, (documented) in the pet’s
record, along with comments on
discussions with the pet owner.
Body Condition Scoring is one of the most
obvious and visible evaluations you can
demonstrate on a pet in front of the client.
All members of the veterinary health care
team should periodically practice evaluating
BCS on a variety of pets, under the
supervision of a veterinarian. Discuss your
observations.
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VNA
Level II Module 6:
Detecting Overweight/Obese
Pets
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Detecting Overweight/Obese Pets
Anthropometry is the science that deals with body measurements, such as
height, weight, and proportions. It is used to assess body fat and protein stores.
For example, in people, triceps skinfold and arm circumference are measured and
recorded. Zoometrics is an equivalent animal term. Body weight is the most
common technique used in small animal practice. As mentioned above, weight
over time coupled with body scoring techniques (palpation) is very useful for
estimating fat and protein stores in pets.
Figure 7. Measuring abdominal
(pelvic) circumference.
Source: Small Animal Clinical
Nutrition, 4th Edition.
You may apply what you’ve learned about body scoring and zoometrics in
weight-loss programs for pets. For example, you might use a tape measure to
measure the circumference of a dog’s abdomen immediately in front of its back
legs, in the flank area. Because dogs on an effective weight-loss program will lose
lumbar (back) fat as they lose weight the circumference should decrease. Like
decreasing body weight, a decreasing abdominal circumference
measurement helps convince clients they are doing a good job with a weight-loss
program for their pet.
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VNA
Level II Module 6:
Detecting Overweight/Obese
Pets
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Detecting Overweight/Obese Pets
Using Patient Records to Spot Weight Trends
Because pets have different skeletal sizes, body weight by itself has limited
usefulness as an indicator of obesity. However, trends in body weight can be very
significant. A dog that weighed 20 pounds at one year of age and weighs 25
pounds at 10 years of age, is likely overweight or obese. Pets, like people, tend to
lose muscle mass as they age. So, it is possible that this five-pound weight gain for
a dog that isn't active may be a three-pound muscle loss and an eight-pound fat
gain! As an estimate, pets should weigh no more when they are older than they did
when they were full-grown young adults (usually 12 months of age for cats and
most dogs; giant breed dogs should weigh no more than they did at 18 months of
age) in ideal body condition. Always review the medical record to
determine whether a pet's weight has crept up over the years.
An effective way to easily find and record a pet's weight in its record, on each visit,
is to develop a simple chart as depicted in Figure 8
Date
Age
Weight
Food
Discussion/
Recommendations
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VNA Level II Module 6:
Addressing The Extra Pounds
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Addressing The Extra Pounds
A pet that is overweight or obese, (as the result of excess caloric intake over time)
has a condition that is very treatable, IF there is total commitment by all involved.
On the surface, weight loss is simple: the pet must eat fewer calories than it
expends. But, getting family members to adhere to your practice’s weight reduction
plan for their pet may not always be easy, but it is an important issue to advocate
on behalf of the pet.
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VNA Level II Module 6:
Addressing The Extra Pounds
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Addressing The Extra Pounds
Weight-loss programs have the best opportunity for “success” when the pet’s
family agrees to most, if not all of the following:
• Recognizing that the pet needs to lose weight to help avoid potential
problems.
• Committing to the weight-loss program designed by the veterinarian and
veterinary health care team.
• Agreeing on an established optimal body weight for the pet.
• Feeding ONLY the right food in the right amounts. For example, Hill’s®
Prescription Diet® r/d® Canine pet food products for dogs and
Prescription Diet® r/d® Feline or Prescription Diet® m/d® Feline for cats
respectively.
• Feeding the daily food allowance in several smaller meals rather than one
or two large meals. Pets that eat several small meals daily expend more
energy.
• Feeding pets enrolled in weight-management program separately from
other household pets.
• Safe exercise/play programs for the pet. Exercise helps expend calories
and maintains muscle mass, which burns even more energy.
• Having the pet reevaluated regularly as recommended by the veterinarian.
• Placing the pet on the appropriate long-term weight maintenance dog or
cat food, for example, Hill’s® Prescription Diet® w/d® Canine or w/d®
Feline respectively.
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VNA Level II Module 6:
Addressing The Extra Pounds
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Addressing The Extra Pounds
Figure 9 shows an example of
a Weight Reduction
Monitoring Form. It will be
important to provide this type
of written guidance for pet
owners, as well as continual
encouragement and effective,
frequent communication.
Do not allow cats to consume less than
80% of the feeding amounts listed in the
r/d® Feline section of the Hill’s® Key To
Clinical Nutrition.
Figure 9. Example of a weight
reduction monitoring form.
Source: Small Animal Clinical
Nutrition, 4th Edition.
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VNA Level II Module 6:
Addressing The Extra Pounds
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Addressing The Extra Pounds
Prescription Diet® r/d® Canine and r/d® Feline
Key Product Characteristics include:
•
•
•
•
Added L-carnitine
Low calories
Low fat
High fiber
These products help reduce body weight and caloric intake by providing a food with
very low calories. Insoluble fiber increases gastrointestinal bulk and reduces
hunger while lowering fat and calories. Added L-carnitine helps dogs and cats burn
fat while maintaining lean muscle mass. This helps achieve optimum weight for
effective weight loss.
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VNA Level II Module 6:
Addressing The Extra Pounds
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Addressing The Extra Pounds
Prescription Diet® m/d® Feline
Key Product characteristics include:
• Low carbohydrate, high protein formula (clinically proven to alter a cat’s
metabolism resulting in effective weight loss).
• Highest levels of L-carnitine (helps burn fat while maintaining lean muscle
mass).
• Appropriate fiber levels (helps cats feel full while losing weight).
• Reduces stool volume (compared to competitive product)
The science behind Prescription Diet® m/d® Feline:
Cats utilize soluble carbohydrates in the form of glucose as their first available
energy source. When the intake of soluble carbohydrate is sufficiently restricted,
metabolism changes from using carbodydrates, (glucose) to burning, (utilizing)
dietary protein and fat, (lipid) as the primary energy sources. With fat as the major
energy source, it delivers energy via ketones, just as carbodyrates deliver energy
via glucose. This change in metabolism results in weight loss and glucose and lipid
control.
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VNA Level II Module 6:
Addressing The Extra Pounds
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Addressing The Extra Pounds
Prescription Diet® w/d® Canine and w/d® Feline are excellent choices for obesity
prevention for dogs and cats respectively.
Ketosis (metabolic control) is elevated
ketone levels in the blood and tissues
casued by fasting, exercise or high fat/low
carbohydrate intake. This is a positive
aspect of a product like Prescription Diet®
m/d® Feline.
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VNA Level II Module 6:
Weight Loss Options
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Weight Loss Options
Hill’s® now offers two proven choices for feline weight control, (Prescription Diet®
r/d® Feline and m/d® Feline pet food products) backed by Evidence-Based Clinical
NutritionSM Studies/ Veterinarians now have two nutritional options in addressing
feline weight reduction:
• Calorie Restriction with r/d® Feline
• Alter Metabolism with m/d® Feline
Pets eating a higher fiber food will produce
more stool volume.
The increased bulk of the fiber helps the
pet feel fuller, which is a positive attribute
to effectively communicate to the client.
Finding the right solution means every overweight feline patient has the opportunity
for improved quality of life. In addition, weight reduction often makes health risks,
such as diabetes, more manageable.
All Hill’s® Prescription Diet® products have this guarantee:
Hill’s guarantees Prescription Diet brand pet food for quality, consistency and taste.
If you are not completely satisfied with any purchase of Prescription Diet brand pet
food for these reasons, simply return the unused portion to your veterinarian for a
full refund or replacement.
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VNA Level II Module 6:
Weight Loss Options
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Weight Loss Options
For more information on the benefits of a successful weight loss program, visit
www.PetFit.com.
Without your help, many pet owners may lack the discipline to feed the appropriate
foods in the appropriate amounts, and to implement an exercise/play program for
as long as it takes for a pet to achieve its ideal body weight. In general, overweight
pets can safely lose between 0.5 and 2.0% of body weight per week. You can help
pet owners by conveying the health hazards of obesity and the importance of a
weight-management program.
Here are two hypothetical examples of anticipated weight loss time frames,
(feeding guidelines mentioned for Hill’s® products based on information provided in
the Hill’s® Key To Clinical Nutrition):
Dietary supplementation with calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, bone meal,
or vitamin D may result in excesses.
When discussing “cups” of dry food to
feed, be sure the client understands you
are talking about an 8 fluid ounce
measuring cup. Ideally, have an example
for the client to see, and possibly have.
Otherwise, pet owners may use any
number of different types of containers
and give the pet more or less than what is
considered appropriate, compromising the
success of the weight loss program.
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VNA Level II Module 6:
Weight Loss Options
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Weight Loss Options
A 25 pound, 6 year old spayed female dog that weighed 20 pounds at one year of age.
• Five pounds over “optimal” weight, (25-20). BCS 5/5.
• Current food: A national grocery store brand of dog food, (provides ~570 calories/day) PLUS a variety of table food and
snacks.
Note: This is a great example of why it is important for the veterinary health care
team to be involved in the pet’s nutrition, and ideally have the dog on a Hill’s®
pet food product from your practice!
• Discussions with the dog’s family members on exercise, health issues of obesity and the importance of keeping their
dog on the weight reduction program.
• New food: Prescription Diet® r/d® Canine dry dog food. Amount to feed based on the desired target weight rather than
current weight. Suggested starting point range for a 20 pound, (the determined “optimal” weight) dog is between 1 1/3
and 2 cups. Let’s start with 1 2/3 cups/day. An eight fluid ounce measuring cup = ~220. 1 2/3 x 220 calories/cup = ~365
calories/day. This is ~ 205 calories/day less than previously fed, (570-365) not including the extra calories from the table
food and snacks.
• Calorie loss, considering the dog food products only. Additional calorie loss will occur by stopping the feeding of the
people food, (which is difficult to determine calories from): 205 calories/day x 7 days = ~1,435 calories/week, which is
~four tenths of a pound, or about 2% of body weight.
• For this dog to lose five pounds, it should take about three months, (five pounds = 17,500 calories, [3,500 x 5] divided
by 1,435 calorie reduction per week) provided the veterinary health care team communicates and reinforces the
importance of weight loss!
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VNA Level II Module 6:
Weight Loss Options
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Weight Loss Options
A 13 pound, 5 year old neutered male cat that weighed 10 pounds at one year of age.
• Three pounds over “optimal” weight, (13-10). BCS 5/5.
• Current food: A national grocery store brand of cat food, (provides ~ 247 calories/day) PLUS various meat leftovers.
Note: This is a great example of why it is important
for the veterinary health care team to be involved in
the pet’s nutrition, and ideally have the cat on a
Hill’s® pet food product from your practice!
• Discussions with the cat’s family members on exercise/play activities, the health issues related to obesity and the
importance of keeping their cat on the weight reduction program.
• New food: Prescription Diet® r/d® Feline dry cat food. Amount to feed based on the desired target weight rather than
current weight. Suggested starting point range for a 10 pound, (the determined “optimal” weight) cat is between ½ and
¾ cups. Let’s start in the midrange which is 5/8 cup, (an eight fluid ounce measuring cup) = ~263 calories/cup x 5/8 =
~164 calories/day. This is ~83 calories/day less than previously fed, (247-164) not including the extra calories for the
table food.
• Calorie loss: 83 calories/day x 7 days = ~581 calories/week, which is about 1.6% of body weight.
• For this cat to lose three pounds, it should take about 4.5 months, (three pounds x 3,500 calories/pound = 10,500
calories divided by 581 calories per week, provided the veterinary health care team communicates and reinforces the
importance of weight loss!
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VNA Level II Module 6:
Communicating Therapeutic
Nutrition-Weight Management
Summary / Are you ready?
Summary
Excessive weight gain in dogs and cats is a major health concern, with about one
out of every four pets visiting a veterinary practice being overweight or obese.
Effective communication early on, about obesity prevention should be stressed.
Weight reduction, appropriate nutrition and implementation of successful weight
management programs is a great area for the veterinary health care team to excel
in. Being an advocate for the pet’s best interest regarding proper weight is of
significant value to you personally, the pet owner, the practice, and of course, the
pet. Hill’s is there to assist you in your efforts in helping to enrich and lengthen
the special relationships between people and their pets!
Are you ready?
To continue, you will need to complete the quiz for this module. When you are
ready, click on the forward arrow below to take you to the quiz.
Your progress is saved. Slide 28 of 28
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