Impact on life expectancy was the most important information to clients when considering whether to take action for an overweight or obese dog.

Objective: To determine dog owner preferences for information communicated during veterinarian-client obesity-related conversations within companion animal practice.

Sample: Dog owners recruited using snowball sampling.

Methods: A cross-sectional online questionnaire was distributed to dog owners.

Information about life expectancy related to obesity is most important to cat owners when deciding whether to act on a veterinarian's weight loss recommendation.

Objective: To determine the relative importance of information communicated to cat owners during veterinarian-client obesity-related conversations.

Sample: Cat owner participants recruited via snowball sampling.

Methods: A cross-sectional online questionnaire was distributed to cat owners who owned cats of any weight status.

Qualitative analysis of small animal veterinarian-perceived barriers to nutrition communication.

Objective: Nutrition is important in preventing and managing disease. Veterinarians are an important source of nutrition information; however, nutrition communication between veterinarians and pet owners is relatively infrequent. The purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative review of barriers to nutrition communication and possible solutions, reported by small animal veterinarians.

Effect of food toys on owner-perceived quality of life of cats during a prescribed weight loss plan.

Objective: To determine the effect of a food toy on owner-perceived quality of life (QOL) of overweight cats during a weight loss plan.

Animals: 44 adult cats, 1 to 10 years of age with a body condition score (BCS) ≥ 7/9.

Procedures: Cats were randomly assigned to the food toy or food bowl group.

Survey of owner motivations and veterinary input of owners feeding diets containing raw animal products.

Background: The practice of feeding of diets containing raw animal products (RAP) to pets (dogs and cats) is discouraged by veterinary organizations and governmental public health organizations. Nevertheless, the practice of feeding RAP to pets is increasing in popularity. Pet owner motivations for feeding RAP diets to pets have not been explored and the benefits of RAP diets remain largely anecdotal.

Fibre digestibility, abundance of faecal bacteria and plasma acetate concentrations in overweight adult mares.

The purpose of the present study was to compare digestibility of grass hay, faecal and plasma volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, and faecal bacterial abundance in overweight and moderate-condition mares. Five overweight adult mixed-breed mares and five adult mixed-breed mares in moderate condition were housed individually and limit-fed orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) hay at 20 g/kg body weight (as fed) daily for 14 d. Forage DM and fibre digestibility were determined using AOAC methods; digestible energy was measured using bomb calorimetry; plasma and faecal VFA concentrations were determined by use of GC and MS; faecal Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus flavefaciens and total bacteria abundance was determined by quantitative real-time PCR using previously designed phylum-specific 16S ribosomal RNA gene primers.

Characterization of the fecal bacteria communities of forage-fed horses by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA V4 gene amplicons.

The diversity of the equine fecal bacterial community was evaluated using pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Fecal samples were obtained from horses fed cool-season grass hay. Fecal bacteria were characterized by amplifying the V4 region of bacterial 16S rRNA gene.