The roles were reversed on my recent visit to Royal Canin Canada.
Visiting my friends at Royal Canin Canada
I’ve joined Royal Canin over the past few years at veterinarian conferences and events where professionals discuss weight management in pets. I bring Edie to these events to show off the results of a dog that was once overweight.
What do you mean you want my Humom to speak and not me?
On this occasion I was asked to speak to a group of veterinarians about what its like as a pet owner to have/had, an obese dog, and how I felt being told by my veterinarian that my dog was obese.
I Didn’t Take My Veterinarian’s Advice the First Time
I discussed:
- Why I didn’t take my vet’s recommendations the first time I was confronted with Edie needing to lose weight
- What made me change my mind
- What did and didn’t work for Edie’s weight loss
- How Edie’s vet supported me and made me feel comfortable with the decisions that I made along the way
Why would these veterinarians want to hear this information from me?
Surprisingly, many pet owners take offence or simply do not see the problem of having a pet that needs to lose weight. The topic of weight management can and does put a strain on the vet/client relationship.
We All Want What’s Best For Our Pet
Trust me, I understand what it’s like being told something that can be perceived as a negative comment about your pet. But as I’ve said over and over again, I think we can all agree that:
- We all want what’s best for our pet
- We all want a healthy pet
- We all want a happy pet
Above all!
- We want a pet that will be in our lives for as long as possible!
And guess what?
Our veterinarians want this for us as well!
Consequences of Obesity in Pets
Studies have shown that “Obesity Could Take Almost Two Years Off A Dog’s Life”
Waiting with Casey and Mouse for our Body Conditioning Scores
Of course Edie is never one to be left out. She is in her glory being the center of attention, even if that attention is coming from a room full of vets 😉
There were to be no needles or nail trims on this day, but she, along with Casey and Mouse kindly offered themselves up so the vets could conduct body conditioning scores.
Body Condition Scoring
I’m pleased to say that Edie was given a body condition score of 5 which is optimal.
Has your vet conducted a body condition score on your pet?
If so, do you know what the score was?
