You can help research pet obesity

(Photo Getty Images)How overweight are America's pets? Your veterinary practice can help gather the data to find out.

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention will conduct the 10th Annual Pet Obesity Awareness Day survey Wednesday, Oct. 12.

The organization's founder, CVC educator Ernie Ward, DVM, is asking veterinary clinics in the United States to record simple information for each pet that receives a routine examination on that day. How many pets and the detail of information you obtain are up to you.

CVC educator Ernie Ward, DVM"Obviously, more is better, but our goal is to determine as accurately as possible the number of pets in the United States that are overweight or obese," Ward says. "If you can't conduct the survey that day, any time during October is fine."

Ward says past survey days demonstrate that adding an extra one to two minutes to your normal physical exam routine should be enough.

Click here for the APOP website to sign up.