How can I help my dog lose weight?

As a loving dog owner, keeping an eye on your dog’s weight is important to ensure that your dog is healthy  for its age and breed. Excess weight can lead to other issues, such as joint and heart problems.

If you need to help your dog to lose some extra pounds, here are some ideas how you can do so:

Weigh their food

The amount of food your dog eats is obviously a factor in how much they weigh. Most owners will decide how much they feed their dog by what ‘looks right’ in their bowl. However, this means that you can never be sure how much you are giving them. In order to ensure that you are giving your dog the correct amount of food each time, it is important to weigh it. This way you can know exactly how much you are giving them, and adjust it accurately as you need to.

Most pet food brands will give you a handy feeding guide on the back of the bag, like this one:

Increase their activity

Exercise and activity levels will undeniably affect your dog’s weight which means that, if your dog has weight to lose, their activity levels need to increase. Simply increasing the length of your dog’s walk by 10 to 15 minutes each day will have a positive effect on their weight. If, for whatever reason, longer walks aren’t possible (they may be harder in the winter months) then you can simply play with your dog in the house. Anything that gets them moving and raises their heartbeat counts!

Check out our blog Fun indoor games for dogs for inspiration.

Be tactical with treats

It’s only natural to want to reward your dog for good behaviour. However, if your dog’s weight is an issue, you need to be more selective with when you give them treats and what it is that you give them. Save your dog’s favourite, perhaps unhealthy, treats for when they really do deserve it. At other times, replace typical dog treats with vegetables or small amounts of lean meat, or even just with a big fuss. Your dog will still appreciate these and realise they have been good, but without the added calories!

Reduce carbs

Most dogs don’t require a large amount of carbohydrates in their diets, yet many are still overfed them. Unlike with humans, it is not that easy to know where to cut carbs out of a dog’s diet, as they wouldn’t eat a bowl of pasta for lunch. However, you should read the ingredients of your dog’s food carefully if you are looking to reduce their weight as many dog foods are actually very high in carbohydrates. Swapping their food for a lower carb, higher protein option, could help your dog to lose weight.

As with any health issue, it is important that you consult your vet before making any changes to your dog’s diet or lifestyle. Though rare, it is possible for weight gain in dogs to be caused by underlying health issues. You don’t want to worsen these by increasing exercise or reducing their food. If your dog does need to lose weight, your vet will discuss the safe ways of doing so, specific to your pet’s individual case.