Free nurse weight assessment for dogs and cats with free starter bag of food
You will also receive an information pack and continue to support to help them reach their target weight! This this continued regular support is free of charge.
Our nurses run weight management clinics. Patients are referred to the nurses by the vet team. They will assess each pet, weigh them and this is the most important bit - body condition score. This score is out of 9, we are aiming for 5/9 - this will give your pet a lovely trim waistline!
From this we calculate their target weight and daily calorie intake, work out the chosen food daily amounts and schedule regular weigh-ins to support you and keep your pet on track. Where your pet's body condition score is 10% or more overweight, we will recommend a veterinary weight management diet. This works differently from pet shop low calorie or light diet options and focusses on providing the required nutrients. Just reducing your pet's portions is not always advisable - reducing both the necessary and unnecessary nutrients and leaving them short of what they really need.
Book your nurse appointment via Petsapp - use your Petsapp or the blue Petsapp icon at the bottom of the page.
Body condition score your pet today!
Head over to our Facebook page for our video of how to body condition score your pet. The principles are the same regardless of breed. We recommend using the freely available, illustrated body condition score charts for dogs and cats. Use the separate Pug body condition score chart (we use this for our French Bulldogs too).
- Dog and Cat body condition score charts, click here
- Pug body condition score chart (use for French Bulldogs too) researched and designed by University of Cambridge, click here
Helpful hints!
- All pet's metabolism are different!
- Weight gain is often evident after your pet is neutered - food intake (especially treats!) need monitoring. We recommend weighing 2-4 times a year.
- Human food treats can be very calorific and play a significant part in your pet's weight gain - what may only look like a small amount to you can still be too much for your pet, e.g.15g of cheese is the equivalent of 2 burgers and 1 small 80g of tuna is the equivalent of a massive 3 1/2 burgers!!
- Consider treating your pet from their daily feeding amount. Adding pet or human food treats means extra calories and can equate to a couple of extra meals each week!
- Dogs and many cats will happily eat the same diet and same flavour of food throughout their whole life. Don't feel bad about this! Human minds work differently from our pets so don't be tempted to chop and change - you could be left with a very fussy eater which can be very stressful for you as the owner!
- No-bowl feeding is a great way of spicing up meal times and make it more enjoyable. Dogs are scavengers by nature and cats hunters - pet food bowls were designed to make meal times easier for humans!! While there are many great interactive feeding toys on the market - why not get creative too, even scatter feeding can be a more interesting for them. And if your pet is on a diet - what better way than to encourage physical and mental exercise. Give it a go!
- You will be surprised! Cucumbers and courgettes are practically a calorie free option - some cats like their courgettes lightly grilled and served warm, dogs aren't so choosy and will eat them as they find them!
- Published weight ranges for dog and cat breeds are an average and while useful, they are not specific to your pet.
- Feeding guides on pet food are again an average and not specific to your pet
- You will not regret committing to your pet's weight loss journey. Investing in the time and cost of weight management food will help your pet reach their target weight quicker; will be nutritionally balanced; save you money in the long-term as your pet will be less likely to develop serious illnesses as mentioned above and you'll be surprised how much more energetic and fitter they will be - back to their old self. So let us help you and your pet!
- Contact us and make your pet's weight assessment consultation appointment today. Normally £20.72 for our nurse consultations, during September this will be free of charge. All subsequent weigh-ins are free of charge as is the case throughout the year.
- We usually use the Hills Metabolic weight management diet range. Hills offer significant discounts on their food, through their loyalty scheme (click here). Your pet's food can be ordered through us or via the Hills loyalty website - they also offer home delivery.
Please note: the free weight management food