The efficacy of veterinary nurse led clinics in managing canine obesity.

here is a lack of primary research on veterinary nurse-led clinics, yet 80.3% of veterinary nurses carry out nurse-led clinics in practice[1]. Canine obesity is a prevalent condition, with between 25% and 59% of pet dogs in the UK considered to be overweight or obese[2–5]. This article outlines the veterinary nurse-led approaches to canine obesity management and reviews current primary literature in the areas of nurse-led clinics and canine obesity. It also makes recommendations for future practice in relation to nurse-led clinics, based on current evidence. A literature search was conducted, using several keywords/terms, inclusion/exclusion criteria and a variety of databases. Seven pieces of primary research were chosen, as they were deemed appropriate and they met all the criteria. These seven pieces of research were analysed, discussed and explored to create a literature review exploring the efficacy of veterinary nurse-led clinics in managing canine obesity. The results indicated that health-related quality of life is reduced in overweight and obese dogs but improves after successful weight loss[6]. For managing weight loss in overweight dogs, dietary calorific restriction is more effective than increasing physical activity[7]. Finally, nurse-led clinics in areas of human medicine such as atrial fibrillation and gout have proved efficacious, and this could be transferred to the veterinary field. The author concludes that canine obesity can be managed via veterinary nurse-led clinics, as many veterinary nurses already offer these in practice. There should be an emphasis on calorific restrictions instead of increasing activity levels, as the studies reviewed show this is more effective. This weight loss will improve health-related quality of life, leading to happier, healthier dogs.