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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 awareness鈥攌nowing what your dog鈥檚 weight should be, and keeping on top of any fluctuations鈥攊s the first step. Just a few pounds can make a big difference.
You can seek your vet鈥檚 counsel on your dog鈥檚 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 you鈥檙e answering 鈥渘o鈥� for all three, there鈥檚 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 dog鈥檚 weight, food is most important by far.
鈥淲eight loss begins and ends at the food bowl for dogs and cats,鈥� Ernie Ward, DVM, and founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), tells us. 鈥淲eight loss for humans and dogs is 60-70% diet and 30-40% exercise.鈥�
For dog owners who have active lifestyles, it鈥檚 easy to overestimate the impact of physical activity on weight maintenance. So even for active dogs, it鈥檚 important to establish clear guidelines for daily caloric intake.
Get Specific With How Much You鈥檙e Feeding
Here鈥檚 where things can go sideways. Humans may or may not choose to count calories as a guide for what they鈥檙e 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 dog鈥檚 weight, it鈥檚 essential to establish a concrete benchmark for how much to feed. This means determining the number of calories your dog needs every day.
It鈥檚 not a good idea to rely on the feeding guidelines on the average pet food package. There are many factors that will influence your dog鈥檚 dietary needs, including breed, size, activity level, and whether they鈥檙e 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. 鈥淪paying or neutering, for example, reduces energy requirement by 20 to 30%,鈥� 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, it鈥檚 important to consider a number of factors. 鈥淲e take a couple of things into consideration鈥攚e look at body condition score, we look at muscle condition score, we look at lifestyle, and any concurrent medical conditions,鈥� Dr. Ward says. 鈥淲e start by determining, OK, how many calories should you be feeding?鈥�
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 .
For at-home calculating, you can use the Resting Energy Requirement (RER) formula. Take your dog鈥檚 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 they鈥檙e spayed or neutered.
Typical MER factors include:
- Weight loss鈥�1.0 x RER
- Neutered/ Spayed Adult鈥�1.6 x RER
- Intact Adult鈥�1.8. x RER
Ask your veterinarian about the MER and calculating and determining how your dog can lose weight safely. Tools like the on the web provide estimates, but every dog鈥檚 metabolism is different, so be sure to keep monitoring your pet鈥檚 weight.
You can also sign up for a fresh-food plan (like the ones offered to customers of ). A plan like this makes it easy to determine the correct total caloric intake and food portions based on your dog鈥檚 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 fillers鈥攁s 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 it鈥檚 fun to see the excitement they generate. But it鈥檚 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 you鈥檙e 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 dog鈥檚 health (use apple and banana in smaller amounts due to higher sugar content).
As for peanut butter, make sure it鈥檚 truly a special (rare) treat, and doled out in limited amounts; this dog鈥攁nd human鈥攆avorite has a hefty 100 calories per tablespoon. Also, ensure that the peanut butter you鈥檙e using doesn鈥檛 contain Xylitol, which is toxic to dogs. For a lighter, and perhaps better, substitute, try plain canned , which weighs in at just five calories per tablespoon.
It鈥檚 also worth stepping back and considering why you鈥檙e 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. 鈥淚 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,鈥� says Alex Schechter, DVM. 鈥淭here are many ways to show love and bond with your pet. It doesn鈥檛 have to be all about food.鈥�
Safely Increase Exercise
Food is key, but no weight loss plan, or health maintenance plan, is complete without . The most obvious, and important, activity for your dog is walking. Regular walks don鈥檛 just exercise your dog鈥檚 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 that鈥檚 none, or barely any, start with short intervals of walking. If you鈥檙e already exercising, try lengthening your walk or other activity by 10-20%.
Ask your vet about the best types of activities based on your pet鈥檚 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 hours鈥攖oo-vigorous, or repetitive activity can put your dog at risk of joint problems. Also, keep weather conditions鈥攍ike high sun鈥攊n mind if your activities are outdoors. The sun creates the potential for heat stroke and burnt paw pads.
Rule Out a Medical Condition
If you鈥檝e established and are staying within caloric boundaries and you鈥檙e 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 Cushing鈥檚 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 you鈥檙e overfeeding, work with your veterinarian to create a weight-loss schedule based on the appropriate calories so that your dog doesn鈥檛 lose weight too fast, which is unhealthy.
Overall, the best weight management strategy is to develop good habits that are applied, consistently, long-term.
鈥淧eople (humans) want to rush weight loss,鈥� says Dr. Ward. 鈥淭hirty days to bikini season! But this is a long process. It鈥檚 years of making small decisions that help. When you鈥檙e 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, that鈥檚 a problem.鈥�
This article was vetted by a vet. Reviewed by Alex Schechter, DVM, founding veterinarian at聽Burrwood Veterinary.聽He was previously founding veterinarian at聽Pure Paws Veterinary Care.
About The Farmer’s Dog
Founded on the radical idea that heavily processed pellets aren鈥檛 the best way to feed and sustain the health of our pets, The Farmer’s Dog has been making fresh, human-grade dog food since 2014. Made for the love and health of dogs, The Farmer鈥檚 Dog food is shipped direct to customers鈥� doors in precisely portioned packs. To date, the company has delivered over 300 million meals nationwide, and continues to apply technology, empathy, and common sense to reimagining how we care for our pets. #LongLiveDogs