Welcome to January! In my profession, this month isn’t just about new beginnings, it’s also about the world’s largest veterinary conference in the world: The North American Veterinary Medical Convention (NAVC) in Orlando, Florida.

In fact, it’s for three reasons –– fat dogs, fresh starts, and the teeming veterinary masses –– that I elected to “soft launch” my very first mobile application so close to the Magic Kingdom. I mean, where else would I have access to so many positively inclined veterinary faces to help me test out The Fat Dog Diet?

Such singular veterinary positivity is probably why, by all accounts, The Fat Dog Diet’s first test run managed to get off to an amazing start!

But why should veterinarians at NAVC have all the fun? Now it’s time for YOU to get the app I promised you’d get –– for free! –– when you registered here. Click here to go to iTunes and download the app (through Sunday, January 27^th).

Then all you have to do is …

#1 Enter your dog’s personal information: name, breed, gender, weight, size, spay/neuter status, food and treat preferences, target weight or shape (there’s a neat feature that’ll help you out with this).

#2 Receive a customized list of daily goals including feeding amounts, treat quantities, and recommended minutes of exercise.

#3 Record your dog’s daily doings (optional) and weekly weights (not optional!).

See? It’s as easy as 1-2-3 !

But that’s not all. Once you’re on your way to weight loss, you’ll start to see graphs detailing your progress. At this point, you’ll also have the opportunity to send your veterinarian a note detailing your dog’s progress.

And, if you’re so inclined, you’ll also get the chance to donate your dog’s data (anonymously) to me so that I can use it in a study I’m conducting on the efficacy of mobile applications on client compliance. (Which I hope you’ll help me with.)

As excited as I am about the Fat Dog Diet, please remember … this is still a “soft launch.” Which means the app still has some bugaboos I’d like you to help me flush out. So PLEASE let me know if there’s anything wonky, confusing, or just plain annoying about it.

I WILL be updating the app on a regular basis as issues arise so don’t be shy about letting me know what works for you and what doesn’t. After all, if the goal is something as confounding as weight loss, you can be sure there’ll be a need for plenty of communication to get things just right.

The good news is that there are plenty of ways to communicate!

Check out The Fat Dog Diet’s Website.
Follow the Fat Dog Diet on Twitter.
Like the Fat Dog Diet’s Facebook page.

Now that you know there’s a tool to help curb your dog’s calories, you can help me get the word out on behalf of fat dogs everywhere. Thanks for everything you do to help conquer canine obesity.