Overweight Dogs: A Nutritional Guide

 

Is your dog carrying extra weight?

What difference does it make?

What causes canine obesity?

How can i help my dog lose weight?

How do you know if your dog is overweight? Between 25 and 40 percent of dogs are, but often owners don’t know it until they take their dog to the veterinarian for another reason.

Even veterinarians can’t tell if your dog is fat just by its weight. Ideal weight varies by breed, and quite widely within breeds. There’s no ideal weight chart for all dogs!

You can judge your dog’s condition by placing your hands on each side of his rib cage. Are the ribs protruding? Your dog may be too thin. Can you feel individual ribs easily, and is your dog’s abdomen slightly tucked up when viewed from the side? That’s the sign of ideal weight. If you can’t feel the ribs easily, your dog has no waist and his abdomen drags, he’s overweight. Your veterinarian can help you further evaluate your dog’s weight.

A good way to begin a weight loss program for your dog is to reduce caloric intake based on label recommendation, then decrease the intake every 2-3 weeks until a 1% weight loss per week is achieved. This means that if your dog weighs 30 kg, a 1% loss would be about 300g.

If you feed one large meal a day or keep food available at all times, try dividing the daily ration into several small meals (at least two meals a day) and pick up what has not been eaten 30 minutes after each meal.

Dogs gain weight for the same reason that people do—they eat more calories than they use. Today’s dogs share another problem with their owners—lack of activity. Most owners are gone all day, and come home too tired to play with the dog.

As dogs age or after they are spayed or neutered, their metabolism may slow, causing them to require less food.

Owners may give frequent high-calorie treats. Sometimes more than one family member may be feeding the dog—and the dog isn’t telling!

Losing weight isn’t easy. Changing your habits and your pet’s is the key. Here are some ways you can help:

• Do a family survey to be sure who feeds the dog, what and when. (Don’t be embarrassed to admit you give your dog treats. Dogs are expert beggars.)
  Substitute affection for treats. Give a pat or throw a ball when he noses your hand.
  Take your dog for a walk more often. Even 10 minutes a day can help.
  Feed him more often. It takes energy to digest food. Dividing your dog’s daily ration into 2 or 3 feedings will help.
  Reducing your dog’s regular food amount by 25 percent should bring results.
  
• If your dog is more than 15 percent overweight, your veterinarian may recommend a special diet. Diet foods should be low in fat (under 20 percent of calories from fat) and high in carbohydrates.
  
  
• Your goal is to make your dog healthier, so select the diet food carefully. Some diet foods just add fibre to help the dog feel full. This can result in reduced digestibility, large stool volume, frequent trips to the backyard, and decreased skin and coat condition because the dog isn’t getting enough fat and nutrients.
  
  
• You’ll want to find a food that has normal fibre levels to keep your dog’s digestive system working properly. It should have high-quality protein so your dog doesn’t lose muscle tone, and essential fatty acids to help keep his skin flexible and coat glossy throughout the dieting process. Once your dog reaches ideal weight, select a maintenance food to keep weight steady.
  
  
• One Iams® Company product designed to help your dog reach and maintain ideal weight is Iams Adult Light.
  
  
• Remember, your dog needs your help to lose weight and stay healthy. Your efforts to follow the program recommended by your veterinarian can make a real difference in your dog’s health and lifespan.