Same Pet, Different Calorie Needs: Feeding After Spay or Neuter to Prevent Pet Obesity

October is World Pet Obesity Month! We need your help in collecting pet obesity prevalence data - and you can earn $50 for your team! Visit https://www.petobesityprevention.org/2026-veterinary-clinic-pet-obesity-prevalence-survey Speaking of obesity in dogs and cats: spaying and neutering may be routine surgical procedures for most veterinary professionals and pet parents, but the nutritional shift afterward is anything but. This week, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, talk with Dr. Yuki Okada, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and Virbac’s Veterinary Medicine and Nutrition Manager, about one of veterinary medicine’s most useful obesity-prevention windows: What should we feed growing dogs and cats in the period surrounding spay or neuter? Dr. Yuki explains why appetite may rise while energy needs and activity fall, and why the feeding conversation should begin before surgery rather than get buried in discharge instructions. The team covers moving away from free-feeding, accounting for treat and supplement calories, measuring food with a gram scale, and giving families clear directions everyone can follow. They also unpack the clinical thinking behind Virbac VETERINARY HPM® Spayed & Neutered diets, including higher protein of animal origin to help support lean muscle, coupled with fiber for satiety. The discussion then moves beyond body weight to body condition score, muscle condition score, mobility, activity, and subtle “micro-pauses” that may signal discomfort. The takeaway: preventing unhealthy weight gain requires an early, practical plan that the entire veterinary team can reinforce. Learn more about Virbac nutrition at iVet.com, find the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) pet-owner tools at petobesityprevention.org, and explore the World Pet Obesity Association (WPOA) clinical resources at worldpetobesity.org. #VeterinaryMedicine #VetTech #VeterinaryNutrition #PetObesity #SpayNeuter