New toolkit provides obesity materials and education

Veterinarians know well how important healthy weight is for our patients, and sometimes we’re challenged to find new ways to help clients understand their role and prioritize weight management. A new toolkit is available exclusively to help AVMA members do this.

The Animal Obesity Toolkit provides resources to help you educate clients about the risks associated with obesity, and how they can help prevent or manage it. The toolkit was developed with the help of the 2017-2018 class of AVMA Future Leaders, as part of their Promise Campaign to end animal obesity.

Downloadable client materials include:

• Questionnaires for dog, cat, and horse owners to assess their pets' weight
• 30-Day Pledge for clients to commit to new habits or behaviors to improve their pets’ weight
• Handout with categories of alternatives and substitutes for pet treats
• Weight management video to play in your clinic or hospital
• Equine obesity handout
• An explanation of the risk factors associated with obesity in dogs, cats, and humans
• Kids activity page

These materials will help you educate clients on the impact that extra weight can have on their animals’ health and quality of life, and motivate them to work with you on weight management.

Materials for veterinary staff include:

• Guidelines to help your staff interpret clients’ answers to the downloadable assessment questionnaires
• Communication tips to help staff address – with sensitivity – their concerns related to a patient’s weight

These resources are available free of charge to all AVMA members as a benefit of your membership. They were unveiled last weekend during AVMA Convention 2018. The full Obesity Toolkit also includes links to other resources that can help you and your clients combat obesity.

Special thanks to Zoetis Animal Health for its support of the AVMA Future Leaders Program.