Pet Talk

Today, dogs are fatter than ever. It’s now estimated that 45 percent of all U.S. dogs are either overweight or obese. That’s 35 million dogs.

What’s worse, obesity can be life-threatening, too. An overweight dog is more likely to suffer from a disabling medical condition like diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, lung disorders and others.

A recent study proves that dogs maintaining ideal body weight live almost two years longer (and with significantly less disease) than their overweight siblings. An overweight dog is more likely to die at a younger age

Unfortunately, many owners fail to recognize a fat dog. Veterinarians report that although nearly 50 percent of all the dogs that are overweight, only 17 percent of pet owners agree.

Obesity is frequently indicative that dogs are sedentary, couch potato eating machines burning almost no calories.

The obesity equation is actually very simple. Dogs that consume more calories than they burn, gain weight.

So, to lose weight, a dog must eat less and exercise more.

Start your plan by knowing your dog’s ideal weight. Once you know your dog’s ideal weight, you’ll be able to discover the amount of calories to feed your dog daily to achieve steady weight loss.

While most dogs will experience predictable weight loss when fed this amount each day, others may require even fewer calories. This can depend on a dog’s age and activity level.

Label recommendations are designed for weight maintenance… not weight loss. Following these instructions will likely lead to continued gains.

To control weight, you must know how many calories are in a cup of food. Then, feed according to calories. If the dog is severely overweight, the vet may need to help design a custom weight loss program.

The wrong way to feed a dog is free choice 24 hours a day. So, the dog eats whenever it wants. Free choice feeding is completely unnatural for any mammal. And (just like us humans), a dog will eat when bored — instead of just when hungry.

What’s more, free feeding can contribute to unnatural hormonal changes — which can make weight loss even more challenging.

A dog should be fed two to four small portions a day. And the total number of calories for all meals and treats must equal the number of calories desired for weight loss.

If your schedule makes it difficult to follow this strategy, there are timed automatic feeders that can help your pet get the right amount of food.

And only at specific times.

It’s critical to actually measure your dog’s food. Never guess. Use an 8-ounce measuring cup… not a coffee cup or a food scoop.Then be sure to dispense the exact amount of food called for in your calculations.

Although there are many foods marketed for canine weight loss, not all are created equal. Products described as “diet”, “lite” or “reduced-calorie” may not be the best choice.

Many of these recipes replace meat content with high levels of carbohydrate fillers. This creates a low-calorie, bulky food that helps your dog feel full for a short time. These products can lead to dogs who are constantly hungry. Pets may even gain weight due to the difficulty of staying on track in the face of persistent begging.

A higher protein content helps a dog feel more satisfied with less begging and help combat muscle loss. Lower calories allows the dog to eat more and still lose weight.

Weight loss is often easier to achieve by adding canned food to your dog’s feeding regimen.

Canned products usually have higher protein, lower carbohydrates and fewer calories compared to a similar sized quantity of kibble.

It’s also possible to achieve a good high protein weight loss diet by combining a high-quality commercial dog food with low-calorie home-cooked foods. This should be accomplished with the help of your veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist.

Forty percent of American adults do not participate in any leisure time physical activity. So, no doubt our dogs are just as sedentary. Provide at least 30 minutes of brisk exercise every day to facilitate weight loss.

Monitor your dog’s progress by weighing at least every 1 to 2 weeks. Using the recommended guidelines, overweight or obese dogs should lose about 1 percent to 2 percent of their body weight each week.

If your dog is not losing weight, the daily calories may need to be reduced.