Achieving a Healthy Weight for your Dog

Nearly 35% of dogs are overweight. Many dog owners don’t realize that they are overfeeding their pets or giving them a type of food that could cause weight gain. If left untreated, overweight dogs may experience potentially life-threatening health issues. Implementing a successful weight loss program for your dog may be a challenge, but is worth it because obesity isn’t just something that affects your dog’s appearance — it negatively affects your dog’s quality of life.

Choosing a clinically proven food to achieve healthy weight

Not all foods are alike when it comes to controlling your pet’s weight. Your veterinarian will work with you and recommend the best food for your dog to achieve an ideal weight based on size, breed, and sex. If weight loss is needed, a clinically proven veterinarian-recommended weight-loss food will allow healthy weight loss in a controlled, predictable manner when these foods are fed in the right amounts. To maintain an ideal weight, a veterinarian-recommended weight-maintenance food will provide a healthier alternative to commercial foods that can put your dog’s health at risk because of the abundance of calories and too much of some minerals such as sodium. Be sure you know what your dog’s ideal weight is by asking your veterinarian. If your dog is overweight, a weightloss program is the first step toward getting your dog back on track to a healthy weight.

Tracking weight-loss success

Weighing your dog regularly and tracking weight loss on a simple chart will help make a weight-loss program go smoothly. It’s also a good idea to take pictures and video of your dog to record progress. Regular trips to the veterinarian provide necessary tracking and recording of actual weight loss, and adjustments to the amount or type of food can be made if needed at these visits. Your veterinary health care team is an excellent resource for help with a weight-loss program and can answer any questions you might have about feeding your dog. When your dog returns to an ideal weight, be sure to work with your veterinarian to ensure that he or she maintains a healthy weight by eating the right weight control food (see Feeding tips for maintaining a healthy weight).

Providing a healthy activity level

Make sure your dog gets a healthy amount of physical activity with a regular schedule of outdoor activities. These should be varied to keep things interesting for both of you. For example, a regular walk can be enhanced by finding obstacles such as benches, ditches, or logs for your dog to jump over, crawl under, or balance on. A game of fetch can be made more challenging by doing it on a hillside or stairs. Some dogs, especially those with arthritis, will benefit from hydrotherapy or swimming.

To start a new food, gradually introduce it over a 7-day period by mixing the new food with the old (some foods may require a longer transition period).

• Days 1-2 Feed 75% old food mixed with 25% new food.
• Days 3-4 Feed 50% old food mixed with 50% new food.
• Days 5-6 Feed 25% old food mixed with 75% new food.
• Day 7 Feed 100% new food.

Feeding tips for maintaining a healthy weight

• Avoid leaving food out all day long, feeding table scraps, and unplanned snacks
• Stick to the recommended daily feeding guide
• Measure out allotted food and snacks at the beginning of each day to avoid accidental overfeeding
• Keep your pet in another room when preparing or eating your own meals
• If you have several pets, feed them separately
• Feed complementary calorie-controlled wet foods with dry foods
• Keep veterinary-recommended food on hand during holidays, so you won’t be tempted to substitute with anything potentially harmful
• Introduce a new food gradually over a 7-day period by mixing the former food with increasing proportions of the new food, until only the new food is being fed

To learn more Visit PetFit.com to see tips and training videos and to learn more about a weight loss and activity program for you and your dog. It can be fun for both of you.

 
Sponsored by an educational grant from Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc.