![]() If you currently feed your dog a specific diet for a medical condition, or a sensitive or delicate formula, make sure you talk to your vet before making any dietary changes. Successful weight loss in dogs is a slow and steady process, and the secret to success is patience. Your vet’s practice might also offer a weight-reduction group for dogs, which will help you to monitor your dog’s weight as well as provide lots of tips and advice. If your dog fails to lose weight despite increased activity and reduced calories, speak to your vet again, who may want to investigate any underlying medical problems that can cause dog weight gain. Never ever ‘starve’ your dog or restrict their food without veterinary advice.Your vet may suggest reducing the amount you are feeding, or a special lower-calorie diet.Try dividing their food into smaller portions and feed those more frequently to help reduce hunger and begging, and always keep track of what your dog is eating.Even when meant with affection, this still counts as cheating! If you have several dogs, feed your overweight dog separately to stop them stealing any leftovers. Table scraps and treats are often high in calories, so cut these out and make sure everyone else in the family does the same.To help your dog lose weight, increase the amount of energy they burn off (through exercise and play) and reduce the amount of energy they eat.It’s important your dog is weighed and checked over for any underlying disease or health issues before you start fighting the flab, as their weight gain might not be caused by over-eating after all. The ideal Labrador weight, for example, will always be different from the ideal weight of a Toy breed, so you should know what weight you are aiming for. Talk to your vet before making any changes to your dog’s diet, as they’ll be able to advise you on the ideal weight for your dog and how it can be reached. Checking your dog’s body condition is quick to do and allows you to spend even more quality, hands-on time with your pet. ![]() ![]() This will be more difficult for larger dogs, so if you have a bigger breed of dog, you may wish to stick to your vet’s scales!įor a more in-depth assessment, use our body conditioning tool. First weigh yourself, then pick up your dog and get back on the scales to measure the difference. Your vet will be able to tell you during their regular assessments if your dog is overweight, but it’s quite simple to weigh a small dog at home using bathroom scales. Obese and overweight dogs are much more likely to develop health problems such as diabetes, respiratory conditions, arthritis and even behavioural problems, so it's easy to see why monitoring your dog's weight and body condition carefully is important. A staggering 35%* of all dogs in the UK are overweight – and most owners don't even realise it until they take their pets to the vet for a related illness. Just like us, it’s not hard for dogs to put on a few extra pounds, especially as they get older and exercise less.Īs excess weight and rates of obesity in dogs increases, so do the risk of developing related health problems. ![]()
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