Life Expectancy as a Client Motivator for Pet Weight Management

In the Literature

Davies AR, Sutherland KA, Groves CNH, Grant LE, Shepherd ML, Coe JB. Impact on life expectancy was the most important information to clients when considering whether to take action for an overweight or obese dog. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2024;262(6):808-817. doi:10.2460/javma.23.12.0697

The Research …

Excess weight is a prevalent form of malnutrition, with ≈59% of dogs in the United States classified as overweight or obese.¹ Discussing obesity with clients is important because of the negative health outcomes (eg, comorbidities, decreased quality of life, reduced lifespan) associated with excess body fat^2-4; however, obesity-related conversations are often avoided, with less than one-third of clients receiving information that excess weight can negatively impact overall pet health.⁵ Many clinicians acknowledge difficulty managing obese patients.⁶

This study used discrete choice methods, a marketing tool for determining client and customer preferences that has been used in medical research, to identify information dog owners find most important and compelling when deciding whether to pursue a weight management plan for overweight pets. Dog owners completed 1,108 surveys. Life expectancy was the most important weight-related consideration (relative importance, 28.6%), followed by timeline for development of arthritis (19.2%), future quality of life (18.9%), change in cost of food (18.9%), and future mobility (14.3%).

… The Takeaways

Key pearls to put into practice:

• Focusing discussions on what clients value can help communicate and highlight positive aspects of weight management and encourage action.

• Findings of this study can be helpful when proactively incorporated in preventive weight discussions. Client education should be prioritized when patients are young, emphasizing the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight for life expectancy and quality of life.

• Arthritis is prevalent in dogs and a concern for clients. A lifespan study in Labrador retrievers found diet and feeding to maintain a lean body condition were the most critical aspects of osteoarthritis prevention and management.⁷ These findings should be leveraged in preventive and weight management discussions. Educating clients that unhealthy weight is linked to arthritis, reduced mobility, and poorer quality of life may increase engagement in maintaining and/or achieving a healthy weight for patients.

• Use of discrete choice methods to examine other client preferences could improve communication and help veterinary teams and clients effectively reach shared decisions for patient care.