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FAQ Healthy weight clinic (EN)

Frequently asked questions about the Healthy Weight Clinic

Is this the first Healthy Weight Clinic in Belgium?
What is the goal of the Healthy Weight Clinic?
What does the typical patient for the Healthy Weight Clinic look like?
Do animals other than dogs and cats come to the Healthy Weight Clinic?
What is the worst case you have seen so far?
How do patients come to the Healthy Weight Clinic?
What does a treatment programme look like?
How much does the average course cost?
How many sessions are needed to see results?
What is the difference between advice at the Healthy weight clinic versus advice from your own veterinarian?
How long does it take to get an obese animal back to his/her normal weight?
Can you guarantee lasting results?
How is the collaboration with the veterinarians?
What is the ambition of the Healthy Weight Clinic?

Is this the first Healthy Weight Clinic in Belgium?

Our clinic is unique in its kind by combining personalized, long-term follow-up, with academic research based on patient data to better understand exactly what the impact of obesity is on the body, in order to ultimately fight obesity more efficiently as well. This dual approach is unique in Belgium. In this way, we want to contribute to a healthier life for our pets, with the right nutrition, sufficient exercise and a healthy weight.

What is the goal of the Healthy Weight Clinic?

We want to guide pets and owners to a healthy weight and a healthier lifestyle with personalized and long-term follow-up.

For us, knowledge sharing is also a very important factor in combating obesity in animals. Therefore, we think it is very important to involve veterinarians very closely in the treatment and we also want to share the insights from our scientific research with them. We want to give them as many tools as possible to follow up their patients as well as possible and to raise awareness among the owners.

But the ambition doesn't stop there. In time, we also want to develop a community of owners where, in addition to input from the obesity clinic, they can share experiences and inspire each other. Because there is still a lot of ground to be gained there. Although about half of our dogs and cats are overweight, their owners are usually unaware of the problem. While obesity is a chronic disease, with potentially serious consequences. If we can raise that awareness among owners, we're going to be able to do more prevention. Because as with any other disease, prevention is better than cure.

Finally, we also want to continue to learn from treating our patients. We will continue to analyze the data we collect along the way. The goal is to gain further insights into exactly how excess pounds impact the body and how obesity can be managed even more efficiently.

What does the typical patient for the Healthy Weight Clinic look like?

A spayed middle-aged labrador who is not very active and is very food-motivated. Often owners tell us that the dog doesn't eat much and sometimes they add extras to the food to make it more palatable. If we then do the math we find that the dog is taking in many more calories than necessary. In cats, for example, we often see a middle-aged spayed British shorthair that eats and mostly sleeps. We also very often see cats that only live indoors. The labrador and British shorthair are just some of the breeds where we see overweight and obesity more often. There are a lot of breeds more susceptible to this disease.

Do animals other than dogs and cats come to the Healthy Weight Clinic?

We also focus on horses. Here we see a prevalence of about 20-50% depending on the study. As with dogs and cats, certain breeds are much more sensitive than others. Ponies are especially susceptible but we often see overweight in dressage horses, for example.

What is the worst case you have seen so far?

One of my first patients that I treated for obesity more than 20 years ago, I can still remember. It was a crossbreed West Highland White terrier that weighed 11 kg instead of 5.5 kg. The dog could barely walk but reached its ideal weight thanks to the owners' efforts. The treatment took a long time but already after 1 month the owners had a different dog in terms of liveliness and activity. It is something we hear very often from the owners: despite the fact that there is still a long way to go, they already see a clear change in that area. It is also something that motivates them to persevere.

Besides, in the context of the negative impact of obesity on the health and even life expectancy of our animals, we have to consider every case as serious. Therefore, the message is to consult the veterinarian for advice as soon as possible in case of obesity. Because slimming treatment is a long-term course anyway. The good news is that we see that even the first, modest weight loss already has a positive effect on the energy level and well-being of the animals and that the complaints of limping often also disappear at this early stage of treatment.

How do patients come to the Healthy Weight Clinic?

Our patients are referred by their veterinarian. Patients also come to us through colleagues from the clinic here at the university including, for example, colleagues who specialize in physical therapy, and then we set up a joint treatment program.

What does a treatment programme look like?

Patients come to the clinic, usually through a referral from their veterinarian. Our course begins with an in-depth intake, where we thoroughly analyze the situation in order to identify the problem. Often we see that the diet itself is ok, but the extras are causing problems. Of course, there are also a number of other factors that come into play, such as the breed, whether the animal has been spayed and whether there are any underlying disorders. Once all this is mapped out, we will work out a concrete and personalized plan to get the animal back to a healthy weight. Usually this is a longer-term course of action. For example, if we treat a labrador with a starting weight of 45 kilos (of which the ideal weight is around 30 kilos), you have to count on about a year to get rid of the 50% of excess weight permanently. The good news, though, is that even the first, modest weight loss has a positive effect on their energy levels and well-being.

How much does the average course cost?

For the first consultation you should allow at least an hour. This consultation costs 115 euros. A first follow-up consultation is recommended about 2, maximum 3 weeks after the start and costs 30 euros. If everything goes well, the next follow-up consultations can be a bit further apart and can also be done at your own veterinarian. Once the dog or cat is almost at the ideal weight, we follow up again more intensively. It is not always easy to estimate the ideal weight in the beginning and sometimes it needs a little adjustment. And, of course, the goal is to keep the animal at its ideal weight. How many calories the dog or cat needs for this varies individually. We then increase the energy intake very gradually until we reach a stable ideal weight.

How many sessions are needed to see results?

This of course depends on the degree of excess weight but in principle we should assume a weight loss of 1% per week. Usually it is a longer term trajectory. For example, if we treat a labrador with a starting weight of 45 kilos (whose ideal weight is around 30 kilos), you have to count on about 33 weeks or 7.5 to 8 months to permanently lose that 50% of excess weight. The good news, though, is that even the first, modest weight loss already has a positive effect on the animals' energy levels and well-being.

What is the difference between advice at the Healthy Weight Clinic versus advice from your own veterinarian?

The relationship between the veterinarian and our Healthy Weight Clinic can be compared to that between a general practitioner and a specialist. In more complex, or in this case literally more severe cases, the veterinarian can refer to our clinic. Afterwards, the patient can also be further followed up by the veterinarian.

It's also usually the initial consultation - or intake - that takes a lot of time because there are a lot of factors to look at. It is not always easy to fit this into a veterinarian's busy schedule. So we sometimes get referrals of less complex cases.

How long does it take to get an obese animal back to his/her normal weight?

That depends on the degree of obesity and any other additional factors, such as underlying conditions. But of course, you have to keep in mind that this is a gradual process that usually takes quite some time, especially when you know that we assume a weight loss of 1%/week. For example, if we treat a labrador with a starting weight of 45 kilos (whose ideal weight is around 30 kilos), you have to count on about 7.5 to 8 months to permanently lose that 50% excess weight. The good news is that even the first, modest weight loss has a positive effect on the animals' energy levels and well-being.

Can you guarantee lasting results?

We have already achieved very good results with this team. But we cannot guarantee lasting results. That is in the hands of the owners. We help them get their animal back to a healthy weight and we give them the tools to maintain that weight once the process at the Healthy Weight Clinic is completed. Experience also shows that animals that were obese in the past often have permanently lowered metabolisms and thus usually require a permanently modified diet. Research showed that when obese dogs remain on a slimming diet after reaching their ideal weight instead of switching to a maintenance diet, they are much less likely to experience a yo-yo effect. Such a yo-yo effect should, of course, be avoided at all costs. That is why the permanent follow-up of the veterinarian has a great added value and why we also want to set up a community from our clinic where owners can go with their questions and where they can inspire each other.

How is the collaboration with the veterinarians?

The veterinarians play an important role in the treatment of obesity in our pets. That's why we want to work very closely with them. This interaction is very important since they refer patients to us and also continue to follow them up after they complete their course in our clinic.

What is the ambition of the Healthy Weight Clinic?

We want to bring down the prevalence of obesity in our animals and thereby improve their quality of life.

In the coming years we want to develop a community where owners can interact with us and with each other and find useful tips and inspiration about a healthy lifestyle for their animal. Furthermore, we want to deepen our collaboration with veterinarians in order to raise awareness and eventually to do more about prevention. We will also focus on research projects to generate scientific data and insights.