How to Talk about Pet Nutrition without Sounding like a Salesperson

A nutritious diet and healthy body condition is the foundation of good health for our pet patients. So why do so few veterinary clinic staff discuss pet food and products with their clients? Perhaps they fear being viewed as “salesy” or inadvertently offending a pet parent? It’s time we learn how to talk about pet products and supplies without sounding like a salesperson using narrative nutritional history.

The fact is that many veterinary team members struggle to educate and convince clients to begin or sustain a weight loss program for their pets. Team members often lack communication training or educational tools to effectively implement change within their clinics. Veterinary clinics often have few standardized medical or communication protocols, increasing the likelihood for inconsistent patient care and incomplete client service. Veterinary teams need to present a consistent, pet-specific approach to effectively treat pet obesity and overcome these clinical challenges.

In this informative and interactive session, Dr. Ernie Ward, founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) (www.petobesityprevention.org) shares his narrative nutritional history-taking technique to help veterinary teams have more impactful conversations about pet food and products in a more natural, collaborative, storytelling manner. Dr. Ward offers tips on overcoming client communication obstacles, how to control clinical conversations, improve exam efficiency, and obtain the essential medical history needed to provide better recommendations and achieve successful outcomes. If you struggle with discussing pet food or products with pet parents, this session will help you become a more confident and capable communicator.