The veterinary nurse takes on a variety of different roles within the veterinary practice. Tasks include taking blood samples, monitoring anaesthetics and looking after inpatients in the dog, cat and exotic wards. But, did you know that veterinary nurses can also help your chunky pet lose weight? Most veterinary practices offer nurse weight loss clinics. So let’s dive into the wonderful world of dieting for pets and see what is likely to occur during your nurse consultation.
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The magic number
At the first consultation, the veterinary nurse will do an assessment on your pet to gain an understanding of what needs to be done in order to devise a weight loss plan going forward. It may seem obvious, but the veterinary nurse will weigh your pet. This is so that there is a baseline weight to work from. Once that magic number has been established, a realistic target can then be set of an achievable final weight goal. For patients who are substantially overweight, a 15% reduction in weight is usually set. And it is often achieved over a 5 month period, losing around 1% per week.
Assignment of a body score
A body score is a tool used in the veterinary practice as a way to identify underweight or overweight animals. The score runs between the values of 1-9, with numbers 1-3 being underweight, 4-5 being ideal, 6 being above ideal and 7-9 being overweight. The body score chart gives examples of different views of an animal; usually a birds eye view and a side on view. Different aspects of the anatomy can then be analysed in order to grade the animal’s body.
For example, if an animal’s ribs could be easily felt, had minimal fat covering them and had a waist that was easily noticeable when viewed from above, then this animal may be given a body score of 4; which shows that the animal is of an ideal weight. However, if an animal’s ribs cannot be felt due to a layer of fat, the waist is not visible from above and there are fat deposits over their spine, then a body score of 8 may be given; indicating that the patient may be suffering from obesity. To put it simply, your pet’s body will be compared to a chart and scored depending on how similar they are.
Out comes the tape measure and camera
It’s time to take some measurements to have a value to compare to at each visit. Different areas of the animal can be measured depending on the level of obesity. But common areas include the waist, chest and neck. Don’t be alarmed if a mini photoshoot is also performed. Photos are quite often taken including views of the side and birds eye view of the animal. It’s great to compare photos at each visit to see some results. With your permission, the veterinary practice may share the photos of your animals weight loss journey online so that they can become a social media star.
Bring your pet’s food along to the consultation
It’s important that the veterinary nurse understands your pets current diet and how much food you are giving them. It may be that you’re feeding your pet too much food, or perhaps a different diet might suit them better. For example, an animal that has been neutered should be fed on a neutered diet. After an animal has been neutered, hormonal changes mean that their metabolic rate can decrease, therefore taking longer to burn calories. This change should also be reflected in their diet. The veterinary nurse may weigh out the required food for you to show you how much your pet should be fed per meal.
In some cases, an animal’s food may be changed to a different formulation, allowing them to feel fuller for longer. Alternative treats may also be discussed and unfortunately the occasional cube of cheese will be off the cards!
Let’s start exercising
Whether you’re a dog, cat (or a human!), one key way to burn calories and lose any excess fat is to exercise. The veterinary nurse may discuss different types of exercises for your animal to try and help them burn an extra few calories. You may find that these exercises benefit yourself too, especially if you own a dog! For example, taking your dog on a more brisk walk may really help, offering them intervals of running and walking, along with jumping over logs and onto benches. In some cases, hydrotherapy and swimming may also help. There are even canine hydrotherapy pools where the owners can go for a dip too!
Cats can be trickier as, a lot of the time, they are their own boss and will do what they want to anyway. There are a couple of ways to get cats more active though. One way is splitting their meal into 5 or 6 smaller meals and hiding them around the house. This helps the cat’s natural hunting instinct as well as making them use more energy by searching for the different meals.
It’s going to become a regular trip to the weight clinic
Regular trips to see the veterinary nurse is going to be imperative to the success of losing weight. Usually you will visit the clinic monthly, where the same procedure will take place each time. Think of how rewarding it will be to see your pet’s waistline come down in size and knowing that all your hard work and commitment is paying off.
See it as a positive experience
Nothing about a weight clinic should be a negative experience. No one is there to judge you or tell you that you’ve been looking after your pet wrong. The veterinary nurse can help guide you and change your animals eating habits for optimal results, as well as supporting you and your pet along the way. Once the animal has reached their weight goal, we can all do a little jump for joy!
The support won’t end there though. In a few months time, you will be welcomed back to the clinic to ensure that your pet is keeping the weight off. And help is always there if you need advice from your veterinary nurse.
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