Is your dog overweight? Unfortunately, it can happen faster than you’d like. A treat here, a bit too much food there, and then a lot of rain, resulting in shorter walks than planned – and there you go. Unfortunately, those extra pounds on the scale can cause health problems for your dog, so you should take action. We’ll give you tips to help you. But first, some important information.
What are the consequences of obesity in dogs?
When your dog is overweight, the visual deviation from the norm is entirely irrelevant. What’s worse is that obesity promotes many diseases and can even make your dog unhappy.
Examples of diseases favored by dog obesity:
- Diabetes
- Arthritis, general joint pain
- Skin diseases
- Breathing problems
- Digestive disorders, and more
As you can see, obesity in your dog can have effects on various areas. You certainly wouldn’t want that. The good news: It’s entirely in your hands to reduce the risks. Therefore, it’s best to act against those extra pounds right away. Because in the end, if your dog doesn’t lose weight, not only will their quality of life decrease, but their life expectancy is likely to decrease as well.
Is your dog overweight?
Now the question arises: When is a dog actually overweight? Giving weight in pounds is challenging because even within the same breed, dogs differ in shoulder height, neck circumference, back length, and body structure. For example, there are Golden Retriever females who are quite slim and delicate. But there are also Golden Retriever females who can hardly be distinguished from a male. If both females now weigh 75 pounds, one may already have a few pounds too much, while the other is absolutely within the normal range. Nevertheless, such weight tables provide a rough guideline to get a sense of the breed weight.
You can find out if your dog is overweight without a scale:
- View from Above: Look at your dog from above. Seeing your dog’s slightly arched belly is no cause for concern. However, this arch should become significantly narrower towards the back. So, a waist should be visible. If the belly continues thickly, this is a sign of overweight.
- Side View: Also, from this angle, a waist should be visible. The belly should, as it goes towards the hindquarters, take a clear curve upwards. If the belly remains straight or even hangs down at the back, excess pounds are involved.
- Feel Your Dog: Especially with fluffy four-legged friends, it’s sometimes hard to see where the fur starts and ends. Therefore, stroke over their ribs. Can you feel them well under a thin layer of fat (which is normal) and feel each rib? A good sign. If not, your dog has accumulated too much fat. By the way, fat pads can also form on the back. If you can’t feel the individual vertebrae of their spine, this can also be a sign of excess weight.
As mentioned, weight tables are only a small guideline. Personal control is more important. To give you a rough overview, we have compiled the average weight of the ten most popular dog breeds in the United States:
| Dog breed: | Weight: |
|---|---|
| Labrador | 55 – 79 lb |
| French Bulldog | 17 – 30 lb |
| Chihuahua | 3 – 7 lb |
| Golden Retriever | 55 – 74 lb |
| Australian Shepherd | 35 – 70 lb |
| Jack Russell Terrier | 14 – 17 lb |
| German Shepherd | 48 – 88 lb |
| Bolonka Zwetna | 4 – 11 lb |
| Havanese | 10 – 15 lb |
| Yorkshire Terrier | 4.5 – 6.5 lb |
Why Is Your Dog Overweight?
First things first: This is not about assigning blame or pointing fingers. It’s about figuring out why your dog is overweight. The better you understand the causes, the better you can address them. Dogs being overweight usually has one of these three causes:
- Lack of Exercise: Like owner, like dog? This proverb is often true. Your lifestyle has an impact on your dog. If you find walks boring and prefer to end the stroll as soon as your dog has done its business, your dog will likely become more sedentary and unfortunately, probably gain weight.
- Excessive or Wrong Food: How much food does your dog actually need? Many dog owners initially concern themselves with the ideal amount for their four-legged friend but rarely adjust it. The calorie requirement can indeed decrease, for example, as your dog gets older and becomes less active. Moreover, we tend to pour the food into the bowl roughly. It’s easy to end up with 10 percent too much in the bowl. Over time, this naturally makes a difference. And then there are the treats on top of that. Who can resist those loyal dog eyes?
- Neutering, Illness, and/or Medication: Not always is lack of exercise or improper feeding the cause. Diseases or specific medications can also be the reason for overweight. As well as neutering. After all, sex hormones are involved in regulating appetite and metabolism. When these hormones are absent, the appetite-suppressing effect is lost. This can lead to a spayed female eating more. In males, neutering also alters hormone levels. Spontaneous activities controlled by hormones are now eliminated. The male becomes calmer and, as a result, moves less.
Additionally, the breed plays a role. Some breeds, like Labradors or Beagles, are said to be greedy. Whether this is actually true is another matter. However, it is a fact that they tend to gain weight more quickly than other breeds. Many small breeds are also prone to overweight. The main reason: They quickly get a treat because of their cute appearance. However, as small dogs, they require significantly fewer calories than, for example, large dogs. A rather bad combination.
Vet Check:
The good news: You can help your dog lose weight. But before you start, you should have a thorough check-up with the vet. As mentioned, diseases or medications may be behind it. The further steps should be well coordinated with the vet. Once your vet gives the green light, you can start. To ensure that only your dog loses weight and not your wallet due to vet costs, we recommend a dog health insurance.
Tips to Get Your Dog to a Healthy Weight
If there are no objections from a veterinary perspective, the weight loss program can begin.
Take Your Time:
The weight loss process is not a sprint but a marathon. After all, the weight didn’t land on your dog’s ribs overnight. So, take enough time for the adjustment. And always remember: Your dog will surely find the transition easier than you.
How Much Weight Loss Is Realistic?
The first question, of course, is: How much does your dog weigh? Especially with our furry friends, the differences are enormous. For example, a Chihuahua may weigh only 4.5 pounds, while a Labrador can weigh up to 66 pounds – not to mention a male St. Bernard with around 176 pounds. Therefore, statements like “1 lb per week” are unrealistic. Instead, the figure is given in percentage terms. 1.5 to 2.5 percent per week is a healthy and realistic range. Example: If you have an overweight Jack Russell weighing 22 pounds, the weight loss goal would be between 0.3 to 0.5 lb per week. It sounds like little, but in just under three months, your dog would reach a healthy weight. And what are three months when you then have a fit and happy dog again?
Considering Feeding Amount:
You can’t just put your dog on a crash diet. After all, the food contains essential nutrients that your dog needs. Instead, you should adjust the amount of food to his actual needs. For accurate determination, it’s best to consult your veterinarian. While you can find dosage instructions on the packaging, as mentioned above, these are very vague and should only serve as a rough guideline.
Once you know how many calories your dog needs, weigh the food. Don’t just pour it into the bowl, but actually weigh it. It may seem tedious at first, but it becomes routine quickly.
Tip: For dry food, after the initial weighing, you can pour it into a container and mark the level up to which the container is filled. Or you can buy a specific measuring cup for dry food from a pet store. This makes it even easier.
Switching the Diet:
Does your dog only eat dry food? Then a switch to wet food or a combination of both may be an option. Wet food has a lower density than dry food due to its water content. This allows your furry friend to eat a larger quantity of wet food than dry food – and still intake fewer calories.
Many pet food manufacturers already offer diet food for dogs. This can assist you in transitioning your dog. This food is well-balanced and suitable for dogs, ensuring that your dog remains satisfied despite reduced calorie intake while receiving all essential nutrients. Check with your local pet store for information.
Involving Everyone in the Household:
Children, partners, or roommates: Does someone else live in the house with you? Then all of you should definitely be on the same page. Coordinate among yourselves who will feed the dog and how much. Otherwise, double feeding can quickly occur. This applies especially to treats. If each of you gives your dog something outside of the regular meals, it can become excessive.
It’s best if one person is responsible for feeding alone. Perhaps that’s you. In this case, you can also prepare the daily treat ration in a cupboard in the morning. If someone else in the household wants to give your dog a treat, they can check the cupboard to see if there’s anything left. The rule is: when it’s gone, it’s gone.
Reducing Treats (Using a Ball as a Reward):
Resisting begging dog eyes is already challenging enough. If the four-legged friend is also especially sweet and obedient to “sit” and “stay,” we tend to give out treats even more quickly. However, as much as a dog loves to eat, and as much as you want to do something seemingly good for them, love doesn’t necessarily have to go through the stomach. Instead of a calorie-laden treat, opt for something like a big praise.
Does your dog enjoy playing or fetching? Then you can try using a new small ball as a reward. Keep this ball in your pocket and only throw it when your dog deserves praise. He gets to play with it for a short while before the ball goes back into your pocket. Wait and see, your furry friend will soon be as excited about the ball as he would be about a treat. And the ball has zero calories. On the contrary, it even encourages your dog to move around.
More Exercise:
Don’t worry, you don’t have to sign up for dog sports right away (although that can be fun, of course). For starters, it’s enough to extend your everyday walks. Just adding 5 minutes in the morning, noon, and evening already amounts to an extra 15 minutes of exercise per day. Who knows, maybe you’ll eventually turn it into a 10-minute extension per walk. Or you could join a dog playgroup. Or how about trying Dog Dancing, Agility, or even dog swimming?
Keep a Diary:
The resolutions are there. But how do you go about implementing them? Often, we misjudge ourselves, and over time, bad habits creep back in. A diary can help you stick to your dog’s diet. Regularly record the weight there. Also, note what your dog has eaten and how long you went for a walk. If the weight isn’t heading in the right direction, you can better understand what might have caused it and adjust the variables a bit.
Conclusion
If your dog is overweight, it can harm his health and overall joy of life in the long run. Therefore, it’s important that you take action. Because you are the only one who can help. You control how much food he gets and how long his walks are. Managing your dog’s weight will take some time, but it’s not rocket science. We hope the above tips can assist you. So, let’s get started.
