3. Obesity & Mobility
369,00 €
This is the third module of Vet Clinical Nutrition Academy.
The full bundle of 60-hour program (12 modules) is available here: Vet Clinical Nutrition – 60-hour course
In this module, we focus on obesity as a clinical disease and on the comprehensive assessment and management of overweight and obese dogs and cats. The module covers both the nutritional science behind weight reduction and the practical strategies needed to guide patients through safe, sustainable weight loss.
Key topics include:
• Accurate assessment of the obese patient, including body condition, muscle condition and metabolic risks
• Diets suitable for a structured weight loss protocol
• Implementing and monitoring a weight loss plan to achieve consistent success
• Managing obesity with comorbidities, including endocrine, orthopedic and gastrointestinal disorders
• Nutritional considerations for obese patients in intensive care
• Weight control strategies for large breed growing dogs
• Diet and nutraceutical options supporting joint health and mobility
LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completing this module, you will be able to:
• Design weight loss plans that preserve lean mass and maintain safe, evidence based rates of weight reduction.
• Select appropriate diet characteristics, including energy density, protein level, types and amounts of fibre, as well as suitable activity targets.
• Evaluate patient progress using data from scheduled rechecks and revise weight management plans accordingly.
Schedule:
8 Jan 2026 – Pre‑recorded material (2 h)
22 Jan 2026 – Live: cases + Q&A (2 h)
29 Jan 2026 – Live: cases + Q&A (2 h)
Total ~6 h
(Live sessions take place at 7:30 p.m. CEST via Google Meet.)
Live meetings include case discussions and small-group workshops. The course also includes supporting literature, practical tools, knowledge-check quizzes, and access to a private Facebook community.
It is conducted in English.
This is a fully online program that you can complete from anywhere, at your own pace.
This module provides a comprehensive and evidence based overview of obesity as a pathological condition in dogs and cats. Participants learn how to accurately assess obese patients, including evaluation of body condition, muscle condition and identification of obesity related risks. The sessions explore which diet types and nutritional strategies are most appropriate for structured weight reduction, and how to select formulations that support satiety, lean mass preservation and metabolic health.
The module also guides participants through the practical implementation of weight loss plans. This includes setting realistic goals, establishing safe rates of weight reduction, monitoring progress, communicating effectively with owners and adapting the plan based on clinical data from follow up visits.
Special attention is given to complex obesity cases, where comorbidities such as endocrine disorders, orthopedic disease or gastrointestinal problems influence dietary choices and management strategies. The lecture also covers nutrition for obese patients in intensive care, highlighting unique challenges and monitoring needs.
Finally, the module discusses mobility support, including weight control in large breed growing dogs, selection of appropriate diet characteristics and the role of nutraceuticals and dietary components that may support joint health.
By the end of this module, veterinarians will be equipped to manage a wide range of obesity cases confidently and effectively, applying structured, safe and individualized weight management strategies.
Dr Kerstin Gerstner, DVM, Dr. med. vet., Dip ECVCN
She obtained her veterinary degree by the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany in 2009. Her doctoral thesis – at the Institute of Veterinary Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland (“Disturbed eating at high altitude”, Dr. med. vet., 2012) was followed by one year as a postdoctoral research assistant. She was the first resident completing a standard residency program of the European College for Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition at the Institute of Animal Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Zurich (EBVS® European Specialist in Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition, 2018). As a research assistant at the Institute of Animal Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Zurich until 2021 Kerstin focused on clinical nutrition provided by the veterinary nutrition consultation service, was involved in teaching of students, veterinarians as well as pet owners and was part of various research projects. From 2022 Kerstin follows her passion in clinical nutrition and dietetics, spreading scientifically based knowledge to support pet’s health by healthy, individually suitable nutrition as veterinary specialist in Marigin Zentrum für Tiermedizin, a big veterinary clinic and referral centre in Feusisberg, Switzerland. “My daily motivation is to impart scientifically based specialized veterinary knowledge in order to support our pets with balanced nutrition as an essential basis for life and health. It fascinates me that even with more than 10 years of experience in this field, every day brings something new, no two cases are the same and every animal benefits from an individually adapted diet.”
The VCNA course has been designed primarily for veterinarians who wish to deepen their expertise in the dietary management of canine and feline diseases.
It is also suitable for veterinary technicians, animal nutritionists, veterinary students, and pet food professionals interested in the clinical application of nutrition.
