On Wednesday, October 12, 2016, the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) will conduct their 10th Annual Pet Obesity Awareness Day survey. The APOP is calling on U.S. veterinary clinics to record simple information for each pet that they perform a routine examination on October 12, 2016. The founder of the APOP, Ernie Ward, DVM, wrote in an email to Veterinary Practice News, “How many pets and the detail of information [veterinarians] obtain is up to [them]. Obviously, more is better, but our goal is to determine as accurately as possible the number of pets in the United States that are overweight or obese. If you are unable to conduct the survey on October 12, any time during October is fine. Our past experience demonstrates that this should add no more than 1 to 2 minutes to your normal physical examination routine. If you are interested, simply complete the form [found here] and we will contact you with handouts and instructions to complete the study. This study is independent of any and all corporate sponsorships or involvement. It is important that this study remain neutral to protect the integrity and interpretation of results … We'll also be giving away a free iPad Mini to a lucky clinic! For every 20 adult pets you collect data on, you'll receive an entry into a drawing for a FREE iPad Mini!" For any questions, contact 910-620-5756 or drernieward@gmail.com. For more about APOP, go to www.petobesityprevention.org.
