Helping Your Dog Slim Down Strategies for a Balanced Diet

How to Help Your Dog Lose Weight

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In the U.S., 56% of dogs are overweight or obese, and that excess weight is tied to an astonishing array of health problems. When it comes to preventing dog obesity, or even the slow creep of excess pounds, simple awarenessknowing what your dogs weight should be, and keeping on top of any fluctuationsis the first step. Just a few pounds can make a big difference.

You can seek your vets counsel on your dogs ideal weight, but a quick way to assess good canine condition at home is to ask:

• Does your dog have an hourglass shape when you stand behind them and look at them from above?
• Do they have a waist?
• Can you easily feel their ribs?

If youre answering no for all three, theres a good chance your dog needs to lose weight. Now what? Here are some vet-approved tips for helping your dog safely shed excess pounds and keeping them in good condition.

The Food Factor

For dogs, as for humans, losing weight really comes down to two things: food and exercise. And for a dog owner trying to manage or reduce their dogs weight, food is most important by far.

Weight loss begins and ends at the food bowl for dogs and cats, Ernie Ward, DVM, and founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), tells us. Weight loss for humans and dogs is 60-70% diet and 30-40% exercise.

For dog owners who have active lifestyles, its easy to overestimate the impact of physical activity on weight maintenance. So even for active dogs, its important to establish clear guidelines for daily caloric intake.

Get Specific With How Much Youre Feeding

Heres where things can go sideways. Humans may or may not choose to count calories as a guide for what theyre eating, with some opting for other methods of keeping to a healthy regime (Do my pants fit? Great!). But when it comes to the long-term management of your dogs weight, its essential to establish a concrete benchmark for how much to feed. This means determining the number of calories your dog needs every day.

Its not a good idea to rely on the feeding guidelines on the average pet food package. There are many factors that will influence your dogs dietary needs, including breed, size, activity level, and whether theyre spayed or neutered. Standard kibble-bag feeding ranges are generally too broad for your dog, and many owners end up over-feeding based on too-generous and too-vague suggested portion sizes, typically measured in cups and scoops.

The feeding guidelines on pet food packages, says Ward, are based on active adult dogs for all life stages. Spaying or neutering, for example, reduces energy requirement by 20 to 30%, he says. So, if your pet is spayed or neutered, and not particularly active, you can already be overfeeding by 20 or 30% or more.

When it comes to determining the ideal caloric intake, its important to consider a number of factors. We take a couple of things into considerationwe look at body condition score, we look at muscle condition score, we look at lifestyle, and any concurrent medical conditions, Dr. Ward says. We start by determining, OK, how many calories should you be feeding?

As a starting place, there are also many tools online to provide rough feeding guidelines based on weight and breed. You might start by consulting the guide published by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.

For at-home calculating, you can use the Resting Energy Requirement (RER) formula. Take your dogs weight in kilograms, multiply by 30, and add 70 (or, take their weight in pounds, divide by 2.2, multiply this figure by 30, and add 70). You can then factor in a metabolic energy requirement (MER), depending on things like health and whether theyre spayed or neutered.

Typical MER factors include:

• Weight loss1.0 x RER
• Neutered/ Spayed Adult1.6 x RER
• Intact Adult1.8. x RER

Ask your veterinarian about the MER and calculating and determining how your dog can lose weight safely. Tools like the MER multiplier table on the web provide estimates, but every dogs metabolism is different, so be sure to keep monitoring your pets weight.

You can also sign up for a fresh-food plan (like the ones offered to customers of The Farmers Dog). A plan like this makes it easy to determine the correct total caloric intake and food portions based on your dogs very specific requirements, and also makes it easy to adjust daily calories based on changing weight-management needs.

Food Quality Is Also Key

In addition to calorie counting, another important part of weight maintenance or weight loss is feeding lower-carb, whole, fresh food.

Many ultra-processed dog foods are full of carb-based fillersas Dr. Ward has noted, when you actually break down the ingredients on the label, many of them top out at over 60% or more carbohydrates. Fresh diets provide quality protein, but also the fiber and moisture that can keep your dog satisfied, without carb-y fillers.

Feeding nutrient-dense, bioavailable food will keep your dog healthy as they reduce their overall intake of food.

Treats Count, So Count Them

Another way to help your dog drop some extra weight is by controlling, and possibly reducing, their treat intake. Here, again, quality and quantity matter.

Nobody wants to deny their dog treats, as they are often helpful training aids, and its fun to see the excitement they generate. But its important to keep a close eye on how many treats your dog actually eats in a day and what their caloric impact is. Treats should be factored into, and comprise no more than, 10% of total daily calories.

Dog owners who feed their dogs healthy food, yet still feed them highly processed, high-carb, high-calorie treats, are potentially missing a big source of weight gain and health issues. And if you feed your dog too many treats (more than 10% of their daily intake of food), you can undo the benefits of the balanced diet youre feeding.

Many vets recommend using single-ingredient treats like fresh veggies and fruit. Baby carrots, celery, broccoli, green beans, cucumbers, blueberries, apples, and bananas all make healthy treats and, unlike mystery-meat treats, can contribute to your dogs health (use apple and banana in smaller amounts due to higher sugar content).

As for peanut butter, make sure its truly a special (rare) treat, and doled out in limited amounts; this dogand humanfavorite has a hefty 100 calories per tablespoon. Also, ensure that the peanut butter youre using doesnt contain Xylitol, which is toxic to dogs. For a lighter, and perhaps better, substitute, try plain canned pumpkin, which weighs in at just five calories per tablespoon.

Its also worth stepping back and considering why youre giving your dog treats. Our bond with our dogs is so special, and every dog owner wants to see the happy excitement a treat brings. But you can get that joyful response with healthy treats, or with smaller portions. I typically tell owners that dogs get the same enjoyment, and you can get the same reaction, from a small piece of a treat as you can from the whole thing or a handful, says Alex Schechter, DVM. There are many ways to show love and bond with your pet. It doesnt have to be all about food.

Safely Increase Exercise

Food is key, but no weight loss plan, or health maintenance plan, is complete without exercise. The most obvious, and important, activity for your dog is walking. Regular walks dont just exercise your dogs body; they provide crucial mental stimulation and that all-important opportunity to sniff. The amount of walking your dog needs, or wants, depends on their breed and general health. But while conventional wisdom says that some dogs need less exercise than others, all dogs need to move.

While the recommended minimum of daily exercise is 20 minutes, twice a day, many dogs will need much more. For many breeds, an hour of exercise a day is a good target. If your dog needs to lose weight, try to increase the amount of exercise they currently do. So, if thats none, or barely any, start with short intervals of walking. If youre already exercising, try lengthening your walk or other activity by 10-20%.

Ask your vet about the best types of activities based on your pets breed, age, gender, and current physical condition. Introduce new activities slowly to avoid injury. And, unless your dog has been trained for or slowly introduced to these kinds of activities, leave the extreme sports to your own weekend hourstoo-vigorous, or repetitive activity can put your dog at risk of joint problems. Also, keep weather conditionslike high sunin mind if your activities are outdoors. The sun creates the potential for heat stroke and burnt paw pads.

Rule Out a Medical Condition

If youve established and are staying within caloric boundaries and youre still not having any luck helping your dog lose weight, a visit to the vet could be in order to rule out a medical condition. Weight gain and lethargy can be symptoms of conditions like hypothyroidism and Cushings syndrome. The latter, also known as hyperadrenocorticism, usually occurs in older dogs, and can also cause frequent urination, hair loss, and weakness.

Weight Loss (and Maintenance) Is a Long Game

If you determine that youre overfeeding, work with your veterinarian to create a weight-loss schedule based on the appropriate calories so that your dog doesnt lose weight too fast, which is unhealthy.

Overall, the best weight management strategy is to develop good habits that are applied, consistently, long-term.

People (humans) want to rush weight loss, says Dr. Ward. Thirty days to bikini season! But this is a long process. Its years of making small decisions that help. When youre deciding on sharing your pizza crust with your Pomeranian, if you do it once, OK. But if you do it once a week for five years, thats a problem.

This article was vetted by a vet. Reviewed by Alex Schechter, DVM, founding veterinarian atBurrwood Veterinary.He was previously founding veterinarian atPure Paws Veterinary Care.

How to Help Your Senior Dog Lose Weight

Depending on the breed, when your dog is seven yearsor older, he may be considered a senior.

With old age comes various issues that can negatively affect your dog's health.

Unplanned weight gain in senior dogs is one of the more common issues.

As your old dog becomes more overweight, this can lead to many other related health problems.

Studies show how senior dogs will experience a decreased metabolic rate, reduced immune capability,and signs of arthritis.

They become less active and subsequently become more susceptible to infection.

They have a reduced capability to regulate body heat (thermoregulation), and their organ systems will undergo profound changes.

One of the leading causes of health problems in senior dogs is excessive weight gain.

It is a normal aging process but can also be caused by underlying issues.

It is up to you to take your pet for regular check-ups at the veterinarian to rule out any of the diseases that plague older dogs.

But you can still help your old dog maintain a healthy weight with a regular regime of exercise and an appropriate senior dog diet.

It'sbeen proventhat obesity puts severe strain on your dog's body and will contribute to bone and joint problems like arthritis and hip dysplasia.

Senior obese dogs are also more prone to skin and urinary tract problems.

There are quite a few other diseases that are caused by being overweight.

Thus you need to address this problem immediately and keep an eye on your dog's weight to prevent other illnesses.

ASK A VET:How to Put an Overweight Dog on a Diet?

Weight Loss Basics for Senior Dogs

The main reason for weight gain in senior dogs is their level of activity decreases.

Joint problems and general muscle weakness may cause them to avoid exercise.

If this happens to your dog, it's time to look at your pet's nutrition plan to increase his quality of life and prolong his lifespan.

Before making any dietary adjustments and switching tosenior dog food recipes, take the dog to the vet to test for any age-related illnesses.

Keep an Eye Out for Hypothyroidism

If your dog suddenly gains weight despite eating the same amount as before, or if your dog'sappetite decreasesbut still gains weight, it could be anunderactive thyroid.

You may also notice your pet being lethargic with a dull coat.

A complete thyroid panel is needed to identifyhypothyroidism in dogs.

Your vet will put your dog on thyroid supplementation and ask you to bring him in for periodic re-testing.

If all goes well, he should slim down and get back some of his energy, keeping in mind that senior dogs aren't as active as when they were younger.

If your dog's underactive thyroid is left untreated, it can significantly decrease its quality of life.

The thyroid gland regulates the metabolism of all cellular functions.

If not managed, hypothyroidism will progress over months and years, eventually resulting in end-stage disease.

Beat the Bulge

Before we look at ways to beat the bulge, it is time to get real. Dogs are fatter than ever.

It'sestimated that 53% of all dogsin the US are overweight or obese.

That's more than 40 million dogs.

There are so many overweight dogs in the world that when we see a dog that is at a healthy weight, we immediately think she is too skinny and unhealthy.

Ask your vet about your dog's weight if you're unsure.

But it's easy to learn how to assess a healthy weight in dogs.

If you can't easily feel your dog's ribs and shoulder blades, if she has no waist or if there's a roll of fat at the base of her tail, it is time to face reality and start your dog on a diet.

Studies show thatobjectivelyassessing your dog's weightmeans increased lifespan.

7 Ways to Slim Down Your Senior Dog

Here are 7 ways to slim your senior dog down if you're in the dark about where to start.

Count those calories

Every weight-loss plan is based on a straightforward principle: calorie intake vs. calorie output.

To lose weight, a dog must consume fewer calories than they burn a day.

Start by counting your dog's calories accurately.

Instead of feeding free-choice' or giving your dog one or two meals a day, change to feeding your dog several small meals a day.

That way, you'll be able to control and monitor how much they eat.

Reduce portion sizes

Building on the above point, reduce your dog's food meal portion size.

Weigh your dog the day you start and again in two weeks.

If she has yet to lose weight, reduce the food.

You can continue gradually reducing her food until you see a difference on the scale, then continue feeding that amount.

Slow and steady changes to your dog's diet are more likely to result in long-term success.

Reducing the amount of food your dog eats per day too drastically might slow your dog's metabolism, making it more difficult to lose weight.

Increase protein intake

Feed more protein and fewer carbohydrates.

Your dog generally needs minimal carbohydrates, most of which should be high in fiber.

The best diet for any dog, especially senior dogs, is one high in protein, low in carbs and moderate in fat.

The protein and fats will also make your dog feel more satiated and energetic.

Replace carbs with fats

Feed fats to beat the fat.

As you decrease the number of carbs, you can add a little more fat to the dog's diet.

Dietary fat is not adipose tissue fat; it does not make your dog (or you) gain extra layers of body fat.

However, remember that fat is higher in calories than carbs or protein, so only a tiny increase (if any) should be considered.

Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA from fish itself or fish oil supplements promote weight loss and will make your dog feel more satisfied.Omega-3s are also healthy for dogsin many other ways and particularly important for seniors.

Switch to different treats

Change the treats you give.

We dog owners can't go without rewarding our pets with a treat or two.

But it's essential to look at how many treats and what kind of treats you give your dog as they can quickly add up to a lot of calories.

Consider giving your poochhealthy dog treatsor low-calorie smaller treats, especially if you reward your dog during training on a regular basis.

You can also find better alternatives for any natural treats.

For example, choose leaner meat instead of fatty pork or beef meat.

Make sure the meat is lower in fat and calories, such as turkey.

You can also use low-fat organ meats like heart or liver.

Your dog is sure to lick its chops for those healthy niblets.

Finally, if the treats are getting in the way of your dog's weight loss, use some of your dog's daily food as a treat.

Consider a homemade diet

If you want to know what and how much your dog is eating, consider feeding her homemade dog food.

If you consult with a vet and educate yourself on appropriate ways to do this, you have a good chance your overweight senior dog will slim down.

Use lean meats, low-fat dairy, and vegetables in your dog's diet.

Mixing your dog's food at home means you can also cut out grains and starches from his diet to make losing weight easier.

Lamb, pork, and other fatty meats should be avoided or fed on rare occasions.

Focus on feeding enough protein and healthy fats to satisfy your dog and prevent protein deficiency that would otherwise cause muscle loss.

Replacing a large portion of his diet with vegetables because you think it will make him feel satiated is unwise.

Just adding bulk is not enough.

Keep your senior dog moving

Exercise is essential no matter the dog's age.

It might be difficult for your dog to get up and go for a walk if he is overweight and suffering from joint pains due to extra weight, but every little bit counts.

Even if you play fetch for a few minutes, it will positively affect your dog's journey to weight loss.

Maintenance Stage

After the pounds have melted off, you cannot return to the old diet as the weight will return.

Continue monitoring your dog's weight on a bi-weekly basis.

You may need to adjust after the ideal weight has been reached.

Consult with your vet for the maintenance diet for your senior pet, and be sure to weigh the food you give per day to make tweaking amounts easier in case of future weight gain.

How To Help A Senior Dog Lose Weight: Summary

Now we've given you some great tips on how to help your senior dog lose weight.

Senior dog weight loss is crucial for their quality of life if you have noticed some of the signs that they are overweight.

When they are heavier the pressure on the joints is a huge difference.

Imagine if you or I am in our 60s-80s and we are 50 lbs overweight. I'm just giving an example, but let's say your dog is 20 lbs. Your dog's ideal weight is about 12-13lbs.

And you have successfully completed a phase where you gave them the best diet for old dogs and followed the regiment we went through.

Now your dog is 12 lbs. So they lost 8 lbs. 8 lbs of 20 lbs is 40% of their body weight.

Okay, now to give you a human weight so you can compare.

Let's say I am 6 tall and weigh close to 300 lbs. bc to me at my size that is overweight.

40% of my body weight or 120lbs. If I lost 120lbs, I would be probably feel amazing.

At 180 lbs I would feel lighter and more comfortable with my weight.

I could run and jump much faster and higher and runlonger distances because I lost all that weight.

That's the difference and why keeping your senior dog's weight at a normal range is so important.

Let us know in the comments what you all think or if you have a personal story to share!

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