Dog weight loss can cause previously fat dogs to live up to 2 years longer.
Two years!
This is significant not only because of the increased lifespan but because so many dogs could benefit... as many as half of all dogs are obese, and that the percentage is climbing.
What's more, between 60 and 70% of the owners of fat dogs dont think their dogs are obese, according to the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Could you be one of the 3 to 4 out of 5 owners of overweight dogs who dont recognize that their dog is fat?
Dont put this off.If you dont already know, pick up the phone right now and call your vet to determine the ideal weight for your dog.Well wait right here
got the number?How does it compare to your dogs current weight?
If your dog could stand to lose a few, keep reading
We hate to say it, but your dog is probably overweight because of you, but there is a chance that other factors are contributing....
The equation is the same for pets as it is for humans:
If calories consumed are greater than calories burned, your dog will gain weight.
From a diet perspective, too many sweets or fatty foods fill your dogs belly without having the right amount of protein, enzymes, vitamins and minerals.Your dogs instinct will be to eat more to obtain these essential nutrients, and they will get fatter and fatter in the process.
As far as exercise goes, dogs were first domesticated as working companions.The couch potato companion dog is a relatively recent phenomenon, and even the healthiest of diets need to be burned off by adequate exercise.
There is a chance that your dog is obese because of metabolism or hormonal problems such as hypothyroidism and hyperadrenocorticism (also known as Cushings disease) that can cause uncontrollable hunger.
Take your dog to the vet to make sure one of these is not the issue before proceeding.In addition to following our advice further down the page, your vet will most likely offer special treatment to get these conditions under control.
Another factor to consider is the aftermath of having your dog spayed or neutered.Several studies have proven that there are higher rates of obesity in dogs that are no longer intact, which is probably due to a change in hormone levels.
Keep a close eye on your dogs weight after they have been spayed or neutered.
If extending your dogs life by two years isnt enough to get you motivated, then take a look at the other negative health effects of dog obesity:
Pretty scary stuff.And the longer you wait, the worse it will get.
Lack of sleep and limited exercise create even more hormonal problems, which in turn increase the risk of the above issues, which in turn limits the ability to sleep and increases the pain of exercising, and on and on and on.
Heres some extra motivation before you get started: An Ohio State study concluded that dog weight loss programs are extremely successful and achieve a mean weight loss of 15% body weight.
Now that you really, really motivated, let's discuss...
The 3 legs of an effective dog weight loss program are:
See the following pages for more about feeding your dog fruits, vegetables and raw meat:
If one of these 3 legs is removed, your dog weight loss table will fall over. Be sure to set a plan that adheres closely to all three.
We have 2 recommended dog weight loss recipes further down the page.There are also many specially formulated dog weight loss dog foods on the market, but work with your vet to help you choose a good one.
To get started, set a goal and stick to it. Work with your vet to determine your dogs ideal weight and have them recommend and sign off on a diet and exercise plan. Confirm that there are no underlying health conditions as discussed above.
Do NOT simply run to the store and buy low-fat dog food.Often times commercial dog foods are not specially formulated for active weight loss.If you dont want to prepare your own food as discussed in the next section, have your holistic vet recommend a good product.If your dog doesnt like it, continue getting recommendations until you find one that suits you both (a dog nutritionist can also be recommended by your vet).
Next, you know what they say, you cant manage what you cant measure!Weigh and document your dogs weight each week.Check in with your vet periodically to discuss progress along with your dogs general overall condition.
Finally, BE PATIENT.As long as your dog is continually losing weight even very small amounts per week they are on the right track.
Shoot for a loss of 1 to 2% body weight per week.Anything more could mean that your dog is losing muscle, in which case you may need to up the exercise.
There are tons of dog foods out there claiming that they will help your dog lose weight, but only a very small percentage of them will keep your dog in optimal health.
The following foods pass theHealthy Label Test dog food ratings with a "5 out of 5", so you can be confident that they will keep your dog healthy while shedding the extra pounds.
If you're still not sure whether your dog needs to lose weight, tell our veterinarians about your dog and submit a picture through our My Online Vet ask-a-veterinarian service.
Be as thorough as possible about your dog's situation, including current and past diet and exercise habits and your dog's breed, gender, age and weight. We'll get back to you right away to let you know if there's an issue and whether anything needs to be changed for your dog.
Dr. Pitcairns Natural Health for Dogs and Cats recommends the following 2 recipes for dog weight loss.Use this table to determine how much to feed per meal based on your dogs ideal weight:
30% protein, 12% fat, 53% carbohydrates + 2,500mg of added calcium from Animal Essentials supplement
The following diet is better suited for smaller dogs because it uses relatively higher amounts of meat:
26% protein, 15% fat, 56% carbohydrates + 2,500mg of Calcium from Animal Essentials supplement
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Dog Weight Loss : How to Manage It Safely & Effectively
