Royal Canin Has A Brand New Dedicated Pet Weight Management Team

With almost 60% of dogs and 40% of cats in the UK and Ireland being overweight or obese, Royal Canin has taken its approach to tackling the problem to the next level by establishing a brand new Pet Weight Care Team. The pet food manufacturer already has a proven track record of developing innovative diets to help overweight pets and will now enhance its offering to vet practices and their clients by providing expert advice, information and training. The dedicated team of three specialist advisors will work directly with vet practices to help develop and improve their weight management clinics, client retention and product sales. The advisors will also provide practical training to all members of practice staff on how to recognise weight problems, communicate appropriately and sensitively with pet owners and treat the problem effectively. The first advisor to join the team will be Shelley Holden VN, who brings with her 10 years’ experience as the nurse for the Royal Canin Weight Management Referral Clinic at The University of Liverpool – a referral service for overweight dogs and cats. Shelley has also spent time running successful nursing clinics in general practice and lecturing internationally on the topic of obesity. She has also gained qualifications in companion animal behaviour and nutrition. Shelley explained: “I have spent many years dedicating my time caring for overweight pets, and the number of cases we see is continuing to rise. It’s really important that as obesity specialists we can offer hands-on support to practices to assist them with helping to decrease the number of overweight pets they see. “Our aim will be to offer specialist training through a number of sessions to practices who wish to improve their weight management clinics. We’ll spend time with all members of staff helping them to feel more confident when dealing with owners who have overweight pets. The training will include all aspects of weight management including how to approach owners, Body Condition Scoring and the 30 minute consult. Staff will also be trained on how to support owners throughout the weight loss program and during the maintenance phase.” An important area of the training will also be discussing the prevention of obesity in pets, how to advise owners on the appropriate diets post neutering and how to manage the animal’s weight and calorie intake throughout their lives. Those who have received training will be followed up with on a regular basis to provide further support and training needs. Importantly, the team will also be encouraging weight management assessments to be carried out alongside medical examinations to ensure that this disease is treated quickly and effectively for the long-term welfare of the pet. In addition to working with practice staff, the Pet Weight Care Team will also work with owners outside of the vet practice using Royal Canin’s brand new mobile weight clinic. They will be able to assist owners by raising the awareness of obesity, educating them on the most suitable diet for their pets and offering advice on how to make simple lifestyle changes to make improvements to their pets’ health and wellbeing.

More from

• West Midlands communications agency celebrates quartet of award nominations for work in veterinary sector
• IVC Evidensia assembles expert team to run new £10m referral hospital
• Home delivery service can increase pet health plan sign-ups by 25%
• Research reveals vital clues to help fight anthelmintic resistance
• Lifetime Achievement Award recognises Harrogate vet’s dedication to improving the health and welfare of rabbits