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Dog Needs to Lose Weight?

Is your dog overweight? Then your vet will have advised that your dog should lose weight. According to studies, 20 to 40 percent of dogs are overweight. This applies in particular to dogs living in western industrialized nations.

Being overweight has serious health consequences. A few love handles too much, a beer belly and even obesity are diseases of civilization, not just for us humans. We eat too much, we eat wrong. This results in an excess of nutrients. This excess is deposited as fat in the body. And obesity is not just limited to us.

If you love your dog sometimes you feed it too much

After the death of their dog, my grandparents considered for a long time whether it would be justifiable to adopt another animal at their age. They finally decided to get a dog from the shelter.

We were all so excited to finally meet Topsy. She was six months old at the time and just looked funny. The legs were long and thin, the body was elongated, and the head was almost a little too small.

Topsy had a wonderful dog life with a huge garden, lots of exercise exercisesmily who adored her. But there was the catch. Because Topsy was allowed to eat whatever she wanted in addition to her daily portion of dog food.

Fat dogs suffer

Unfortunately, this menu was a disaster. Topsy drank fresh, warm milk in addition to a latte. Grandma got the milk straight from the farmer, so it wasn’t skimmed either.

Cakes, whipped cream, and bacon were among their delicacies, as were scrambled eggs and leftovers from the grill.

Any attempt to explain to our grandmother how bad this diet would be for the dog was in vain. Grandma thought Topsy would be happy because everything tasted so delicious.

The result was a really fat dog. The already idiosyncratic body soon began to look like a small cylinder. Topsy managed to walk through town with difficulty and hardly wanted to play anymore.

Every climb was a challenge and if the snow was higher, she had to be freed because she could no longer support her weight. It’s a small miracle that Topsy lived to be 15.

Obesity has serious consequences

Unfortunately, many dogs feel the same way as Topsy. The owners mean well and feed them too much and often the wrong food.

Obesity develops, which puts a lot of strain on the dog’s internal organs. This can lead to heart disease, breathing difficulties, reduced liver function, digestive problems, skin diseases, joint problems, and diabetes.

Fat dogs have a problem with heat. This is related to the insulating effect of the thicker layer of skin.

Anesthesia can become high risk and the resistance to diseases is significantly reduced. Excessive body weight thus affects the life expectancy of the dog. Rarely do very overweight dogs grow as old as Topsy did.

How do recognize symptoms of obesity?

There are some signs to recognize obesity in dogs:

  • In an ideal weight dog, you should be able to feel the ribs slightly under the skin. If your dog has short hair, you should be able to see it clearly when it moves.
  • The abdomen must not sag and there must be no layers of fat along the backbone and around the base of the tail.

Dogs with weight problems usually eat frantically and constantly demand more. These dogs are hardly active anymore. They’d rather sleep than play.

They find it so difficult to run fast that the dog begins to pant even with slight physical exertion. Steps inclines and slopes are difficult for them to cope with.

Nutritional advice for dogs on a diet

If your dog is overweight, you should put him on a diet as soon as possible. In this case, you must immediately reduce the amount of food and, above all, treats. Special diet products are commercially available.

It is very important to ensure that your dog gets plenty of exercise. Only the combination of more exercise and fewer calories helps to melt the excess pounds again. I’m sorry if I don’t have better news. You will only be successful in the fight against the kilos if you consistently help your dog.

Ideally, you should clarify which nutritional advice is right for dogs with your veterinarian or a nutritionist. Because every dog ​​has different needs and also loses weight differently. The diet must be planned accordingly.

Further information can be found on the following pages. That helps with weight loss. Here you can read tips on how to best put the feed together.

In addition, you should ensure that the pounds on your ribs melt off quickly with sufficient exercise. Eat consciously and count the calories. A change in diet is the only thing that will help your dog in the long term.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my dog getting fat?

In most cases, obesity in dogs is caused by errors in feeding, for example… feeding too often without adjusting the daily amount to the dog’s nutrient requirements. feeding too large portions at each meal. feeding too many calories with too little exercise.

What can I do to make my dog lose weight?

So that your dog can lose fat and build muscle, high-quality, low-calorie dog food is important. Proteins, vitamins and minerals, calcium, magnesium, taurine, and phosphorus must be present in the right amounts. The crude fiber content should be as high as possible and the fat content as low as possible.

Which vegetables for dogs to lose weight?

In principle, the proportion of fruit and vegetables can be increased as desired, the only decisive factor is how much your four-legged friend accepts and tolerates. The following are particularly low in calories: lettuce, cucumber, Chinese cabbage, chard, spinach, celery, tomatoes, fennel, peppers, and zucchini.

Where do dogs accumulate fat?

Some experts describe 10% overweight as incipient obesity and dogs with 15% excess weight on their ribs as obese, others only draw the line between overweight and obesity at a 20% increase in weight.

Why is my dog not losing weight despite dieting?

If your dog doesn’t lose weight despite a diet, it can quickly become frustrating. But often neither animal nor owner can do anything about it. Be sure to have your dog examined by a veterinarian. He may have an illness that prevents or inhibits losing weight.

Which fruits and vegetables are good for dogs?

Pears and apples are particularly healthy fruits for dogs, as they ensure balanced digestion with a high proportion of vitamins and the fiber pectin. Pineapple and papaya are also well tolerated due to their enzymes. Most nuts are well tolerated by dogs.

What keeps dogs full for a long time?

For this, you can use so-called feed cellulose, which is a special raw fiber concentrate. Alternatively, you can simply add a boiled, mashed potato to the food. It stays longer in the dog’s stomach and intestines and ensures that it stays full longer!

Why is my dog losing weight even though it is eating?

Weight loss can be a sign that your dog is suffering from one of many possible gastrointestinal disorders. Other symptoms to look out for include chronic diarrhea or constipation, vomiting, dehydration, and lethargy.

 

Mary Allen

Written by Mary Allen

Hello, I'm Mary! I've cared for many pet species including dogs, cats, guinea pigs, fish, and bearded dragons. I also have ten pets of my own currently. I've written many topics in this space including how-tos, informational articles, care guides, breed guides, and more.

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