Purina Aims to Increase Pet and Owner ActivityNestle Purina, Purina pet food, Purina veterinary, Purina Misty May, Misty May-Treanor, pet weight loss, pet weightAfter a survey found 64 percent of pet owners want to spend more active time with their pets, Nestlé Purina tapped Olympic gold medalist and pet enthusiast Misty May-Treanor to help steer pets to veterinarians for weight-loss advice, and the company is also hosting an essay contest for veterinarian staff trained as Purina Certified Weight Coaches.After a survey found 64 percent of pet owners want to spend more active time with their pets, Nestlé Purina tapped Olympic gold medalist and pet enthusiast Misty May-Treanor to help steer pets to veterinarians for weight-loss advice.newslinePurina Aims to Increase Pet and Owner ActivityPosted: April 27, 2012, 4:05 p.m. EDTAfter a survey found 64 percent of pet owners want to spend more active time with their pets, Nestlé Purina tapped Olympic gold medalist and pet enthusiast Misty May-Treanor to help steer pets to veterinarians for weight-loss advice, and the company is also hosting an essay contest for veterinarian staff trained as Purina Certified Weight Coaches, the company reported today. The contest, which runs through June 15, 2012, encourages Purina Certified Weight Coaches to write a short essay about what it means to be a weight coach and why they joined the program. The winner will receive a five-night California spa experience for two. Olympian and pet enthusiast Misty May-Treanor is teaming with Nestlé Purina to help pets and owners increase activity and shed pounds.“Veterinarians understand that proper nutrition and exercise are the keys to a healthy body condition for pets, but we also need to help owners feel motivated while supporting them in their journey to find their happier, more energetic pets through diet and activity,” said Grade Long, DVM, M.S., M.B.A., director of veterinary technical marketing with Nestlé Purina PetCare. “An opportunity exists for veterinary staff to offer weight counseling as a unique and personalized service for their clients, so that together they can achieve these goals.” According to the survey, commissioned by Nestlé and conducted by Ipsos, showed that 75 percent of respondents believe their pets are happier or more content when they exercise regularly. Forty-two percent of owners said regular physical deepened their bond with their pet. Jobs and family demands represented the largest hurdle for pet owners to reach their goal of spending more active time with their pets, with 42 percent of respondents choosing jobs and family demands as the top barrier to fitness. Other top responses included health (14 percent), need for guidance (13 percent), and 25 percent of respondents were satisfied with their current activity levels with their pets. About half of respondents consider themselves and their pets to be “regular Joes,” receiving some form of exercise or activity time every day. Twenty percent of owners view themselves consider “resting” to be their favorite activity, and 26 percent place their pets the same category. Those who “seldom sit still” comprised 13 percent of pets and 7 percent of owners, while 19 percent of owners consider themselves “weekend warriors,” compared to 6 percent of pets. Just 4 percent of owners and pets consider themselves “active athletes.” The most popular form of activity shared between pets and owners was playing ball or “fetch,” with 15 percent of respondents choosing it as their top activity. Other popular activities included chasing a string or feather toy (11 percent), taking leisurely walks (11 percent) and going on brisk walks, hikes or runs (8 percent). Other reasons respondents felt pets benefitted from exercise included weight management (41 percent) and higher exercise and activity level achieved by owner (33 percent). This initiative follows on the heels of Nestlé Purina's Project: Pet Slim Down partnership with Jenny Craig. Project: Pet Slim Down, which ran through March, teamed pet owners with veterinary professionals to create an individualized feeding and exercise program to help pets reach a healthy weight.<HOME>http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/images/article-images/mistymay-250px.jpg4/27/2012 1:12 PM
