Veterinary professionals’ weight-related communication when discussing an overweight or obese pet with a client

Abstract

OBJECTIVE Pet weight may be difficult for veterinary professionals to address with clients, particularly when pets are overweight or obese. The objective of this study was to characterize the communication processes and content of weight-related conversations occurring between veterinary professionals and clients. SAMPLE Audio-video recordings of 917 veterinarian-client-patient interactions involving a random sample of 60 veterinarians and a convenience sample of clients. PROCEDURES Companion animal veterinarians in southern Ontario, Canada, were randomly recruited, and interactions with their clients were audio-video recorded. Interactions were reviewed for mentions of weight, then further analyzed by means of a researcher-generated coding framework to provide a comprehensive assessment of communication specific to weight-related interactions. RESULTS 463 of 917 (50.5%) veterinary-client-patient interactions contained an exchange involving the mention of a single patient’s (dog or cat) weight and were included in final analysis. Of the 463 interactions, 150 (32.4%) involved a discussion of obesity for a single patient. Of these, 43.3% (65/150) included a weight management recommendation from the veterinary team, and 28% (42/150) provided clients with a reason for pursuing weight management. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Findings illustrate opportunities to optimize obesity communication to improve the health and wellbeing of veterinary patients.

Exploring veterinary professionals’ perceptions of pet weight‐related communication in companion animal veterinary practice

“…Reduced odds of an obesity conversation for geriatric pets relative to younger animals were also seen in a recent observational study. 6 Placing less emphasis on weight reduction in older pets suggests that there are missed opportunities to improve quality of life in elderly pets, many of whom may also have arthritis or other conditions that could be improved through even moderate weight loss. 4,35 Given veterinary professionals' obligation to improve animal welfare, they are well positioned to help improve the quality of life of older overweight pets through weight loss.…”

“…A recent observational study of 917 audio-video recorded appointments found that these topics, particularly calorie requirement calculations and discussions of physical activity, received limited attention during weight-related interactions. 6 Clear recommendations from the veterinary team for pet weight rechecks were also infrequent. 6 Participants in the present study may have responded based on a perception of an ideal interaction, as their responses align with some of the recommendations related to nutritional assessments in practice.…”

“…6 Clear recommendations from the veterinary team for pet weight rechecks were also infrequent. 6 Participants in the present study may have responded based on a perception of an ideal interaction, as their responses align with some of the recommendations related to nutritional assessments in practice. 41 However, the discrepancy between these proposed actions and what has been observed to occur in practice suggests that opportunities continue to exist to overcome barriers for veterinary professionals by more consistently applying best practices for nutritional assessments and discussions about pet weight with clients.…”

We need to talk about weight: raising the issue of companion animal obesity during consultations with clients

“…Given the wide‐ranging impact of obesity on animal health and welfare, it might be assumed that conversations about pet weight occur regularly in veterinary consultation rooms. Unfortunately, research suggests that these conversations often do not happen at the desired frequency 8,9 . Furthermore, of even greater concern, a recent survey reported that 82 per cent of dog owners and 78 per cent of cat owners identified their pet as being at an ideal weight, 10 which is at odds with studies assessing the prevalence of pet obesity 1–4 .…”

Small animal general practitioners discuss nutrition infrequently despite assertion of indication, citing barriers

“…For example, the prevalence of veterinary conversations surrounding weight and specifically pet obesity has been studied. 14 Nutritional assessment was reportedly more likely if patients had an existing or suspected health complaint, dietary-related condition, or evidence of malnutrition. 12 Therefore, veterinarians often focus on therapeutic foods as part of their recommendations for medical management of various diseases, but discussion of diet during appointments of healthy pets appears to be limited.…”