APOP launches new pet obesity communication guidelines for World Pet Obesity Month

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention is rolling out updated communication guidelines, free tools and two surveys for World Pet Obesity Month. The effort aims to close a recognition gap around pet body condition and help veterinary teams, owners and media talk about obesity without blame.

Why it matters: - Pet obesity remains widely underrecognized in U.S. clinics, even when the health risk is clear. - Better language and clearer body-condition tools can help owners hear a diagnosis as a medical issue, not a judgment. - APOP is pairing communication guidance with research so clinics can help track how common excess body fat is in dogs and cats.

What happened: - The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention is marking World Pet Obesity Month with updated 2026 Pet Obesity Communication Guidelines, free body-condition tools and calculators, and two surveys. - The campaign is aimed at pet owners, veterinary teams, journalists, marketers and other pet-health communicators. - World Pet Obesity Month runs through October, and both surveys stay open through December 31.

The details: - APOP’s 2022 Pet Obesity Prevalence Survey found that 59% of dogs and 61% of cats assessed at participating U.S. clinics had body condition scores in the overweight or obesity ranges. - Among owners whose pets scored in those ranges, 32% described their pet as “normal,” “ideal” or “thin.” - The organization says that points to a recognition gap, not a lack of care. - The interactive guidelines include wording examples, conversation scenarios and guidance on respectful images. - The guidelines recommend pet-first language such as “a dog with obesity” instead of “an obese dog.” - The document defines overweight, obesity used descriptively, preclinical obesity and clinical obesity. - The preclinical and clinical categories are proposed for veterinary use and are not validated as diagnostic standards. - The guidelines are free at the 2026 Pet Obesity Communication Guidelines. - Pet owners can use free body and muscle condition charts plus food and treat calculators to prepare for a veterinary visit. - The tools are meant to help owners ask about body condition, portions, activity and next steps. - The calculators provide starting estimates, not individual feeding prescriptions. - Those resources are available at pet owner resources. - The 2026 Pet Obesity and Nutrition Opinion Survey asks pet owners and veterinary professionals how they understand and manage body condition. - The survey takes a few minutes, is open through December 31 and includes an optional drawing for $50 gift cards. - The survey is available at the opinion survey. - The 2026 Pet Obesity Prevalence Survey tracks body condition in dogs and cats seen in veterinary practice. - Clinics can choose one full day, two days or one week between October 1 and December 31 to record weight, veterinary-assessed body condition and the owner’s initial impression for every eligible adult dog and cat. - Qualifying U.S. practices receive a stipend for research participation. - Clinics can register at survey signup.

Between the lines: - APOP is trying to shift the conversation from blame to shared problem-solving. - The focus on respectful wording reflects a broader push in health communication to reduce stigma and improve follow-through. - The repeated surveys also give the organization a way to measure whether awareness efforts change how owners and clinics talk about weight over time. - Because prevalence data are collected only every few years, each clinic’s participation matters for a broader snapshot of pet health.

What's next: - Pet owners and veterinary teams can submit opinions through December 31. - Clinics can still sign up to contribute prevalence data through December 31. - APOP will use the survey results to support education, prevention and weight-care efforts. - The organization expects returning and first-time clinics from across the country to broaden the dataset.

The bottom line: - APOP is pairing new language guidance with practical tools and fresh data collection to make pet obesity conversations more accurate, less stigmatizing and more actionable.