ST. LOUIS — The Purina Institute is hosting a webinar series designed to empower veterinary health care professionals in their pet nutrition discussions with pet parents. The webinar series, “Creating Collaborative Care Through Nutrition Conversations,” will be offered May 15, July 17, Sept. 11 and Dec. 4.

According to Purina Institute research, veterinarians are considered to be a pet owner’s most trusted source for nutrition advice. In addition, 78% of surveyed pet owners rated nutrition expertise as an “important” or “extremely important” factor in their satisfaction with their veterinary clinic.

“Even though veterinarians clearly play a critical role for their clients, only one in five surveyed veterinary professionals say they proactively offer nutrition advice during most client visits,” said Natalia Wagemans, Ph.D., global head of the Purina Institute. “This suggests that many veterinarians may not realize how important nutrition is to their clients, and they are missing critical opportunities to counsel clients about their pet’s diet.”

The Purina Institute originally launched “Creating Collaborative Care Through Nutrition Conversations” webinars in 2021 to help educate veterinarians on ways to engage with pet parents on the subject of pet nutrition. Now an annual series, the webinars deliver practical advice on how to communicate with dog and cat owners about nutrition.

The 60-minute webinars scheduled for 2025 include:

  • May 15 — Don't Forget the Diet: Incorporating Diet into Daily Dermatology Case Management, with insights fromDiane Delmain, DVM, DABVP, Feline Practice; and Jackie Parr, DVM, MSc, DACVIM, Nutrition.
  • July 17 — Comprehensive Management of Feline Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): Part 2, with insights fromJessica Quimby, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, Small Animal Internal Medicine; and Lindsey E. Bullen, DVM, DACVIM, Nutrition.
  • Sept. 11 — Implementing a Successful Weight Loss Program, with insights fromMaryanne Murphy, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, Nutrition; and Tamberlyn Moyers, LVMT, VTS, Nutrition.
  • Dec. 4 — Nourishing Bonds: How to Prevent and Address Food Aversions in Pets, with insights from Julie A. Churchill, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, Nutrition; and Sandra Lyn, Ph.D.

Each webinar is approved for one hour of continuing education credit by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards’ Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE).

“The Collaborative Care webinars are a unique collection that differ from traditional didactic programs,” said Andrew Sparkes, Ph.D., an independent veterinary consultant and series moderator. “During each webinar, two veterinary specialists or pet care experts discuss a specific health-related topic, typically based around one or two clinical cases. Speakers provide an overview of medical and nutritional case management and share how veterinary health care teams can connect, communicate and collaborate with pet owners or carers, especially about nutrition.”

Interested parties can register for the webinar here.

Read more about pet food and treat industry events.