How to Help Your Dog Lose Weight
I know my dog will not appreciate me discussing her weight struggles. I fully anticipate her confronting me about this once she reads this post. I’m banking on the fact that she won’t, as she finds most of my writing trite and derivative.
Anyway, about a year ago, my dog’s vet informed me that she needed to lose 2 pounds. Now, that seems relatively easy to accomplish. However, to put it in perspective, my precious pup was only 12 pounds, so to lose that amount of weight is pretty darn tricky.
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Through trial and error, my furry friend managed to lose the weight in about six months.
You may be asking what’s Ruby’s weight-loss secret? With her vet’s help, I was able to determine that feeding her 66 grams of kibble a day was the perfect amount. I also take her on 40-minute walks daily. In addition, I rarely give her packaged dog treats, as they tend to be higher in calories. Instead, she’ll get some bite-sized pieces of low-calorie options like carrots, cucumber, or blueberries.
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Now, neither my dog nor I are medical professionals. (She has told several people that she is – but that’s part of an elaborate scheme that I’m not even going to get into.) For this reason, if you notice that your dog has put on some weight recently, please take your furry friend to see their veterinarian.
Once at the vet, it can be determined if your pet’s weight has changed for medical reasons, like hypothyroidism and Cushing's disease, as reported by VCA Animal Hospitals. In addition, your vet will give their recommendation as to how many grams of a specific food your dog should consume daily and how much exercise they need. While speaking to the American Kennel Club in February 2023, Dr. Ernie Ward, DVM, stated that a vet “take[s] a couple of things into consideration” when coming up with what is right for your dog.
“We look at body condition score, we look at muscle condition score, we look at lifestyle, and any concurrent medical conditions. We start by determining, OK, how many calories should you be feeding?” explained the vet.
VCA Animal Hospitals also recommended limiting your furry friend’s treats, increasing their water intake, and utilizing a kitchen gram scale during their feeding time, to ensure they lose some weight.
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