A new set of tools, called the Healthy Weight Protocol, have been developed to help veterinarians and pet owners select a petfood and determine the correct amount to feed their pet.

Hill's Pet Nutrition and the University of Tennessee collaborated to develop the tools, which help veterinarians to more accurately diagnose overweight pets and create a feeding and monitoring plan for pet owners to follow.

The tools use a veterinarian’s measurements of six parts of a cat’s body or four parts of a dog’s body to calculate the pet’s body-fat index and ideal weight. If measurements can’t be taken, a body-fat index risk chart can be used. The program then produces a detailed feeding and weight-loss plan that can work with a combination of dry petfoods, canned petfoods and treats.