Reframing Pet Obesity

In the UK it is estimated that up to 60% of pets are overweight or obese, and first opinion vets and vet nurses discuss weight management multiple times a day. In this theory course Eleanor Raffan will reframe obesity as a genetic and endocrine disease of disordered homeostasis and use that to outline how we can prevent and treat obesity more effectively in clinical practice.

The course will discuss how obesity can exacerbate and cause other clinical problems and you’ll learn evidence-based techniques to improve owner compliance using human psychology. We’ll conclude by discussing how to construct effective weight loss programmes.

Topics to be covered include:

• Causes and consequences of obesity and why this matters.
• Introduction to the nervous and hormonal control of energy balance and its implications for weight management.
• Obesity as a cause of other clinical problems.
• Understanding human behaviour - evidence-based tactics to improve owner compliance.
• Practical tips and tricks to improve your effectiveness and that of owners you are helping. 
• Why preventing weight gain matters and practical ideas for how to improve this in your practice pet population.