Dog obesity – 5 Tips for weight loss in dogs

If your dog needs to lose weight because he’s obese, you might already be aware of the dangers of dog obesity. 

• Diabetes 
• Heart problems 
• Long problems 
• Joint problems 
• Lowered immunity 
• Shorter life expectancy 

Fortunately, you’re already looking for tips to have your dog lose weight and the health issues stated above can be prevented by having your dog lose weight. Losing weight is different for dogs than for humans, so read these tips to make your dog lose weight responsibly.

• More exercise 
• Measurements are important 
• Keeping track 
• Advise 
• Diet food

More exercise 
Dogs build their stamina just like athletes. If you are used to a daily walk of 30 minutes with your dog, then it might be time to expand your walks to 45 minutes.

Find an activity that suits both you and your dog so you can do that activity together. Some examples of activities are to play fetch or frisbee, but you could also go biking, skating, running, or even dancing. By doing an activity together you’ll strengthen your bond and your dog will love it. Swimming is also a healthy sport for dogs, especially for older dogs or dogs with joint pain. 

Measurements are important 
Do you measure the amount of food for your dog? It might be a good idea and especially if your dog needs to lose weight. By measuring the food you’ll always be sure your dog gets enough and not too much. There’s usually a label on the packaging with information about the amount of dog food you should give. And let’s not forget to subtract the daily amount of treats, rewards and bones off. Some dogs get way too much extra food in that way!

Example 
Dog weight is 25 kilo
– The recommended daily amount of food (with normal activity) is 340-350 gram. 
– The daily amount of rewards, treats, and other snacks is 120 gram. 

230 gram food is enough as daily quantity of dog food for this dog. 
230 gram food = 350 gram (food) – 120 gram (treats).

This might seem boring and very strict, but dogs are natural opportunist and so they’ll always eat when they have the chance. Because they don’t know when the next opportunity appears when they can have food again. That’s why dogs will keep eating, no matter how much you feed them.

Keeping track 
Regular weigh-ins and keeping track of your dog’s weight gives clarity and can be motivational. Keeping track of your dog’s weight keeps you up to date and you can adjust the diet when your dog needs it. Your vet can also help with this and help you professionally with the diet plan. 

Advise 
Ask your vet for advise with the diet plan. He can help you weigh-in and give you a responsible approach. He can also teach you how to feel for fat around the ribs and how it should feel. 

Diet food  
There’s special diet food for dogs. Dogs can’t diet like humans do, by restricting what they’re already eating because that’s dangerous for their health. Specialized diet food is designed so you don’t have to limit what your dog’s eating, you can serve a normal sized portion. And it will help to let your dog lose weight in a healthy manner. 

Never limit the amount of food you’re feeding your dog, because he will miss important nutrients. As a result, your dog might beg at the table, or find ‘food’ elsewhere or even become aggressive. So a specialized diet food is the better choice here. 

Vigor & Sage’s specialized diet food is safe to feed your dog when he needs to lose weight. The unique herbs stimulate weight loss and turkey contains proteins and little fat. Your dog won’t even notice he’s on a diet because the food tastes so good! 

Lotus Leaf Weight Control from Vigor & Sage for dogs