The Purina Institute is sharing talks from its recent BVNA symposium on owner behaviours around pet weight management, bringing the recorded sessions online to reach a larger veterinary audience.
Presented originally at the BVNA Congress in Telford in October, the talks feature psychologist Prof Thomas Webb, pictured left, from the University of Sheffield, together with behavioural science researcher and Purina corporate affairs manager, Hugues du Plessis.
In the recordings, both expert speakers will present insights from their recent research and explore how psychology and behavioural science could provide innovative ways to help veterinary professionals engage with owners on managing the weight of their pet.
The event will run from 7:30pm-8:45pm on Wednesday, December 15, though registration will remain open after this date with the session available on demand.
All interested vets and nurses can register here: https://www.veterinarywebinars.com/institute-symposium/
The talks will give a short overview of key aspects of the ‘COM-B’ approach to behavioural change, before exploring how veterinary professionals could engage with owners of overweight and obese pets in a collaborative approach based on the model.
The event will be hosted by Purina scientific affairs manager and vet, Dr Libby Sheridan, who explains how behavioural science might hold the key to managing pet weight more successfully:
“Nutrition and exercise are well-known elements of pet overweight and obesity management, but it’s often difficult to achieve a long-lasting impact without owners changing their routines or behaviour in some way,” she says.
“For vets and nurses in this situation, insights from behavioural science can really make a difference, as they help us understand how to support owners to alter their habits, which is necessary both for weight loss and maintenance of optimal weight in the longer term.”
