Cooking Up Healthier Options for Your Pup Homemade Dog Food for Weight Loss

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

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Recipe: Homemade Dog Food for Weight Loss

Being overweight is just as dangerous for your dog as it is for people. If you're trying to help your dog slim down, thishomemade dog food for weight loss may be just what you need.

Did you know that many of the risks to overweight humans are the same for overweight pets? Diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer, and respiratory issues are all more commonly diagnosed in dogs who are obese.

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, about 59% of dogs in the U.S. are overweight or obese. That is the equivalent of more than 40 million dogs in this country alone that need to lose weight.

What you need to take away from this is thatan overweight dog is an unhealthy dog.If you want your pet to live the longest, healthiest life possible, you need to help him shed the extra weight.

Ask your veterinarian if this homemade dog food for weight loss would be a good solution for your dog's weight problems. They will evaluate your pup and this recipe to ensure it meets his unique nutritional needs.

Homemade Dog Food for Weight Loss

When your dog eats more calories in a day than he burns, it leads to weight gain. That's common sense, right?

The reason I mention this is because you may just need to adjust the portions you're serving your pooch or increase the amount of exercise he gets each day. Your veterinarian will evaluate your pet and help you make some lifestyle changes that will make your dog healthier.

Before you switch your dog to a homemade weight-loss dog food, you MUST consult your veterinarian. They can help you decide whether a change in diet is needed or if it's just a matter of portion control and an extra walk in the evening.

Recipe: Homemade Dog Food for Weight Loss

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This homemade dog food for weight loss recipe is made in a pressure cooker. You can see my review of the Cosori Pressure Cooker used in this video here.

You could also use a slow cooker or make this recipe on your stovetop. I prefer the pressure cooker, because it's fast and easy.

Author: Samantha Randall
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: about 14 cups of food 1x
Category: Cooked Food
Method: Pressure Cooker
Cuisine: Dog Food
Diet: Low Calorie

2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (chopped)
1/2 cup carrots (chopped)
1 cup zucchini (chopped)
1 large or 2 small apples (cored and chopped)

With just four ingredients, this recipe would be a great choice for pups with sensitive stomachs or food allergies. It is as easy to make as it is healthy.

All you have to do is add the ingredients listed above to your pressure cooker. Set the pressure on high and allow the recipe to cook for 40 minutes.

Once it is safe to do so, open the pressure cooker and allow the food to cool completely before serving to your pet.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Calories: 67
Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 27 mg
Fat: 1.3 g
Carbohydrates: 1.4 g
Fiber: .3 g
Protein: 11.8 g
Cholesterol: 31 mg

Serving Size Recommendation

You can serve this food to your dog as soon as it has cooled. I recommend feeding about 1/2 cup of food for every 20-25 pounds of body weight.

This recommendation is for 2 servings per day. So, a 25-pound dog would eat about 1/2 cup in the morning and 1/2 cup in the evening.

This is just a guideline.

The amount of weight your dog needs to lose, his activity level and health condition are all factors in determining how many calories he needs each day.

It's best to consult your veterinarian about the appropriate serving size for you dog. They will also help you evaluate the meal to make sure it will meet your pet's unique nutritional needs.

If necessary, they will assist you in choosing the best supplements and/or multivitamins to add.

How to store

You can store the leftover homemade dog food for weight loss in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or freeze it, and itll keep for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that this recipe includes no preservatives, so it won't last nearly as long as commercial dog food.

For More Information

We publish many homemade dog food and treat recipes every month. For more recipes, pet food cooking tips, and advice, see our Recipes section.

If you're new to home-cooked dog food subject, I recommend you read more about How Much To Feed to understand serving sizes, What Supplements To Use to create well-balanced meals, and How To Store for tips on simple and easy homemade dog food storing in a fridge or a freezer.

Best Homemade Dog Food for Weight Loss

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Dogs LOVE food, so it is not surprising that many dogs struggle with a weight problem. Be sure to check out all our best dog food for chihuahuas posts!

Read on to learn more about our best homemade dog food for weight loss ideas.

NOTE: Please get your vets approval for any recipe you decide to make for your dog.

Its easy for small dogs like chihuahuas to gain weight because well-meaning pet parents think they need more food than they actually do.

Most owners do not realize how serious a few extra pounds can be for a dog. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, being only five pounds overweight puts your dog at risk of developing serious medical conditions.

To effectively help your dog lose the weight he or she needs to lose, a lifestyle change must occur in addition to a diet change. One effective way to help your dog shed the extra pounds is to feed a healthy homemade diet and create a weight loss game plan. Lets discuss how to do this:

Create a Weight Loss Game Plan

If a dog continues to get excessive treats and lives a sedative lifestyle, reducing the calories of your dogs meals will only go so far; weight loss must be a lifestyle change.

To help your dog be successful, the first thing you need to do is evaluate your dogs lifestyle, then create a weight loss game plan to help your dog get his or her beach body back with the guidance of your dogs veterinarian.

Here are some talking points to discuss with your dogs veterinarian:

How much weight does my dog need to lose?

Your dogs veterinarian will evaluate your dog and provide a body condition score. This will help you understand how much weight your dog needs to lose to achieve their ideal weight and what he or she should look like when that goal has been achieved.

How many calories does my dog need?

You can check out this calculator to determine your dogs caloric needs. You may be shocked by how little they actually need. For example, my Ziggy weighs 5 pounds. He only needs 148 calories a day.

How much exercise is my dog getting daily?

Depending on your dogs breed, age, and fitness level, their exercise needs will vary. However, all dogs do need exercise.

For a tiny Chihuahua, this could mean a lap around the block in the morning and at night, or for a large pit bull, this could mean an hour walk in the morning and a lap around the block at night.

Daily walks are not only important for dogs but they are also healthy for humans.

Some dogs may also enjoy playing with toys, which is another way to help them be active and offers a bonding opportunity for people with their pups. If you have a dog who is particularly sedate, consider separating their meals into several small bowls around the house so that they must hunt for their meal.

You may also consider finding a food puzzle toy to put their food into so they must exert more effort to get their food.

How many treats is my dog eating daily?

A treat is anything a dog is getting to eat other than their meals. This includes treats made specifically for dogs and snacks from the table.

It might not seem like a big deal to give your dog a little one-ounce piece of cheese, but according to Hills Pet, a one-ounce piece of cheese is equivalent to eating one and a half hamburgers for a twenty-pound dog!

In large families, this can really add up; not everyone is aware of what the dog has had to eat and therefore everyone might offer a treat. While your dog certainly would not want this to be discovered, they will never lose a sufficient amount of weight to improve their health if it continues.

To be able to continue offering your dog treats while working toward their weight loss goal, consider feeding apple slices (core, seeds, stem removed), baby carrots, green beans, strawberries, or blueberries instead of manufactured dog treats or table scraps which are usually the highest calorie offenders.

You can also portion out their daily food and set a small portion of it as a treat allowance.

Portion out these healthy treats on a daily basis and be sure that everyone in the family knows that the dog may only have that amount, and when the container is empty, no more treats may be offered. Be sure to save chicken and other meaty savories for training sessions because high-value snacks are needed for training and these items will lose their value if they are fed daily.

How much food is my dog being fed daily?

Keep an eye on your pups portions. If fed by a heavy hand, switching to a low-calorie diet will not make much of a difference.

If children are assisting with feeding, ask them to show you how much they are giving the dog.

To communicate to everyone in your family that the dog has been fed, a dog feeding chart magnet may be useful.

You can also pre-portion your dogs meals for the day ahead of time and the family member in charge of feeding them only has to set out their portion to eat for that meal.

Your dog might not want you to know this, but their meals should always be measured out. Never fill the entire bowl unless that is what the correct measurement is. Filling the bowl nearly guarantees that your pups portion will be excessive.

Measuring cups and food scoops are often inaccurate so if you want to be sure you are giving your dog the correct amount of food, you can use a food scale.

Best Homemade Dog Food for Weight Loss

If you will be making your dogs food at home, be sure to discuss the recipes with your dogs veterinarian to ensure that all of his or her nutritional needs will be met with the recipe and that all the ingredients are safe for dogs. For reference on what fruits and veggies are dog safe, here is an article by the American Kennel Club (AKC) that contains a comprehensive list.

Balance It is also a great veterinary recommended website for home food formulations.

Here are some of the best reduced-calorie homemade dog food recipes to discuss with your veterinarian:

Mama Porkpies Dog Food for Little Fatties by Just a Pinch**Exercise caution with parsley, as some varieties are not safe for dogs. Discuss this recipe with your dogs veterinarian.

Chicken, Rice and Vegetable Homemade Dog Food by Dog Slim**Exercise caution with broccoli. Discuss this recipe with your dogs veterinarian.

2 of Our Favorite Dog Food Recipes for Weight Loss

NOTE: I would give your dog a daily dog multi-vitamin just to make sure they are getting everything they need.

TunaSurprise2 5 oz. cans of tuna packed in water1 small sweet potato, scrubbed and diced1 small zucchini, diced6 oz. green beans (fresh or frozen)2 t. coconut oil or olive oil

Steam veggies and stir in a bowl with tuna and oil.
You can store this in the fridge for 4 days or freezer for 3 months.
This whole recipe has about 600 calories so use this calculator to figure out how much you should feed of this a day to your dog.

Chicken and Rice with Veggies1 skinless, boneless chicken breast5 oz. brown rice2 oz. carrots (fresh or frozen)2 oz. peas (fresh or frozen)2 oz. green beans (fresh or frozen)2 t. coconut oil

Steam or bake chicken until done and then shred.
Steam veggies and cut into bite-size pieces if needed.
Add oil and stir everything.
Store in the fridge for 4 days or freezer for 3 months.
This whole recipe has about 550 calories so use this calculator to figure out how much you should feed of this a day to your dog.

Closing Considerations

Helping your dog achieve and maintain a healthy weight has the potential to contribute to an improvement in their overall health, which has the potential to extend their life span. Take this journey seriously, because it could mean more time with your dog in the future.

Use your dogs weight loss game plan as an opportunity to help your whole family achieve a healthy weight and healthier habits. The book Get Fit With Your Dog can help guide you on this journey.