Can I fast my dog for weight loss

How Can I Get My Dog to Lose Weight?

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By Dr. Sarah Wooten

Have you been frustrated because your dog doesnt lose weight, no matter what you do? Obesity in dogs is one of the biggest health concerns that veterinarians and pet guardians battle.

Sometimes, when it comes to weight loss for dogs, the answer is easy: reduce calories, increase exercise, and BOOMthe pounds come off. Other times, it isnt so simple.

If you have had your dog on the diet train and nothing is moving, try these five veterinarian-approved recommendations to tip the scales back toward a healthy weight.

Be Religious About Daily Calorie Limits

If you want to help a dog lose weight, then there are two non-negotiables that are necessary for success: you must have a daily calorie limit that has been calculated, and you must stay under that number.

A cheat day every now and then is okay, but in order to get the fat to burn away, the ins must be less than the outs, and the total daily calorie count matters. This is especially true for small dogseven an extra kibble or two every day or will add up to unhealthy weight.

Not sure what your dogs daily calorie limit should be? The easiest way is to ask your veterinarianmany vets are happy to calculate this number for you. They can also tell you what your dogs ideal weight goal is.

You can also visit Pet Nutrition Alliance and use their online calculator to calculate the calories. Once you have this number, then you will need to divide it by the kcal/cup number that is on your dog food bag. This will be on the back, in the AAFCO nutritional statement. If you cant find it, ask your veterinarian or veterinary technician for helpthey can point it out to you.

Once you divide the total daily calories by the kcal/cup, that will give you the number of 8-ounce cups of food to feed per day. If there is a decimal, round down to the closest measurable number, such as , or . If you feed treats, make sure to include those in the total daily calorie count as well!

No More Doggy Dishwasher

One overlooked source of excessive calories is people food. Yes, feeding dog treats and sharing food is an important part of the bond you share with your dog, but your heartwarming goodies might be sabotaging your weight-loss efforts.

If you feed any people food, include it in the daily calorie count. Dont forget to add calories consumed from licking plates clean! Many people let their dogs lick their plates after they finish eating or while they sit in the dishwasher, but this is where sneaky calories hide, even in BBQ sauce remnants.

Either stop letting your dog wash the dishes, or include it in the daily calorie count.

Super Sleuth Serial Food Sneaking

Do you have kids? Do they drop food? Does your dog snarf up crumbs? This could be a source of excess calories. Do you have grandparents that drop by with dog biscuitsin their pocket? This is also a source of excess calories.

Do you have multiple pets? Is your pup finishing other pets food? This is another source of excess calories.

You may have to do a little sleuthing to see if somebody is secretly feeding your dog extra food or if your dog is a serial food sneaker. People are often surprised at how far their enterprising pooches will go to find food.

It can be challenging to stick to the total daily calorie count when there are multiple people or children feeding one dog. Have a family meeting, decide who is going to feed the dog, and get everyone to agree to not feed extra.

The best practice is to set out what your dog will eat for the day in baggies, and when it is gone for the day, it is gone. No. More. Food.

Utilize a Therapeutic Diet

Food technology has come a long way, especially when it comes to therapeutic diets. In particular, Hills Prescription Diet metabolic weight management dog food has been a miracle product for many dogs that arent losing weight.

If the needle wont budge even though you have cut back calories and increased exercise, try feeding a therapeutic weight control dog food, like Metabolic diet, instead of your dogs regular maintenance diet.

There are ingredients, like L-carnitine, that help ramp up fat burning, and the food still delivers a complete and balanced diet even though calories are restricted. The same cannot be said for feeding restricted amounts of regular dog food.

Have Your Dogs Hormones Checked

Most dogs should be able to reach their weight-loss goals within three to six months.

If you have followed all of these instructions and been religious about the weight-loss program and still arent seeing results, then maybe your dogs hormones are to blame. Just like people, dogs can have hormonal imbalances that lead to weight gain and having difficulty losing weight.

Conditions like Cushings syndrome (hyperadrenocorticism) in dogs and a sluggish thyroid are common hormonal problems that will make it difficult for a dog to lose weight. If you are several months into the weight-loss program and are not seeing results, then schedule an appointment with your veterinarian and ask to have your dogs hormones checked.

If your dog has one of these hormonal problems, prescription pet medicationis available to correct the condition and get your dog back on track to a healthy lifestyle.

Follow these veterinarian-recommended tips, and you should see success with your dogs weight loss.

Why Your Dogs Losing Weight and What to Do

Its normal for a dogs weight to vary a little bit over time. If you change their diet to one that isnt to their liking, theyll probably lose a few pounds. Or maybe they are staying inside more during the winter; in this case, theyll probably gain a little.

But what about a dog that keeps losing weight and you dont know why? Unexplained weight loss can be the first sign that a health problem is brewing.

Why Is My Dog Losing Weight?

Weight loss in dogs has many causes. Problems with a dogs diet, environment, and health could all be to blame. Here are a few of the most common causes of unexplained weight loss:

• A problem with their food: Dogs may eat less when there is something they dont like about their food. A change in diet may be to blame, or perhaps a large bag of food has started to go bad before your dog has finished it. Feeding too little or giving your dog low-quality dog food can also lead to weight loss.

• Stress:A dog thats anxious or stressed may find it hard to relax and eat because they feel like they always need to be on alert.

• Exercise: Dogs that start exercising more but dont take in more calories will lose weight.

• The environment: Dogs require extra energy to stay warm when they spend lots of time in the cold. Conversely, hot temperatures can reduce a dogs appetite.

• Reproduction:Pregnancy and lactation (nursing puppies) put extra nutritional demands on dogs. If they dont take in more calories, they will lose weight.

• Dental disease and other oral problems: Any problem that makes chewing and swallowing painful or difficult will discourage a dog from eating.

• Intestinal worms and other parasites: Parasites get their nutrition from their hosts, which can lead to weight loss in dogs.

• Cancer: Cancer cells use energy to grow and divide, and this means that the energy is not available to the dog, so they often lose weight. Cancer can also directly affect a dogs digestive system and appetite.

• Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders: Problems that affect the functioning of the digestive tract can reduce a dogs appetite or their ability to digest and absorb nutrients. Inflammatory bowel disease, lymphoma, adverse food reactions, or partial intestinal blockages could be to blame.

• Nasal problems: Any condition that affects a dogs ability to smell their food can lead to a reduced appetite.

• Diabetes mellitus: The changes in glucose metabolism seen with diabetes mellitus frequently lead to weight loss in dogs, even when they have a good appetite.

• Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI): When dogs have EPI, they dont produce enough of the digestive enzymes needed to break down food and absorb nutrients.

• Infections: Bacterial, viral, or fungal infections can directly affect the GI tract and lead to weight loss. Fighting an infection anywhere in the body requires extra energy, and if dogs dont eat more, they will lose weight.

• Kidney and liver disease: When the kidneys or liver dont function properly, waste products of metabolism build up in the bloodstream, which can make a dog nauseated and not feel like eating. Dogs with kidney disease may also lose protein in their urine, which can lead to weight loss.

• Heart disease: Weight loss is common as heart disease progresses. The exact causes of this are unknown, but the condition goes by the name cardiac cachexia.

• Addisons disease:Dogs with Addisons disease (hypoadrenocorticism) dont produce enough of certain types of adrenal hormones, which can lead to poor appetite and weight loss.

• Hyperthyroidism: Although hyperthyroidism is rare in dogs, it can increase their metabolic rate and lead to weight loss.

• Neurologic conditions: Any disease that adversely affects a dogs ability to eat and swallow can result in weight loss.

Is My Dog Too Skinny?

Regularly checking your dogs weight by using an accurate digital scale is the best way to monitor for weight loss or gain. However, evaluating a dogs body condition score can also help you determine if your dog is too skinny. In general, a dog might be too skinny if:

• You can easily see their ribs or other bony points.

• When looking down from the top, they have a very pronounced waist.

• When looking from the side, they have an exaggerated abdominal tuck.

When to See Your Vet About Your Dogs Weight Loss

A little bit of weight loss isnt always an emergency. As long as your dog doesnt have any other signs of illness, you could try to change their diet or environment to see if it solves the problem. But there are times when you should get your dog to a veterinarian ASAP:

1. Puppies shouldnt lose weight! As they grow, puppies should be gaining weight, so call your veterinarian immediately if your puppy is losing weight or getting too skinny.

2. Weight loss in a dog thats older or has an underlying health problem is always concerning. The risk of serious diseases that cause weight loss increases as dogs get older.

3. Weight loss combined with symptoms of illness is never normal. Make an appointment with your veterinarian if your dog has difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, weakness, lethargy, increased thirst and urination, or any other worrisome symptoms. If your dogs symptoms are severe, call a vet immediately to determine if you should head to the clinic right away.

4. Rapid or pronounced weight loss should always get your attention. Any health problem can lead to serious weight loss. Make an appointment with your veterinarian if your dog has lost more than 10% of their normal body weight or is losing 2% or more of their body weight per week. Heres what that can look like for dogs of different sizes:

Serious Weight Loss in Dogs

How Do Vets Treat Unexplained Weight Loss in Dogs?

A veterinarian will start by asking you a lot of questions about your dogs diet, appetite, environment, behavior, medical history, and any current medications (including parasite preventives) or supplements that you are giving. They will also determine how many calories your dog is taking in each day and if this amount should be meeting their energy needs.

Next, they will perform a complete physical examination and use the information they uncover to recommend treatment or further diagnostic testing. A basic laboratory workup includes a fecal examination, bloodwork, and a urinalysis. Additional testing can involve x-rays, ultrasound examinations, specialized lab tests for specific health problems, endoscopy, exploratory surgery, and tissue biopsies.

Whenever possible, veterinarians will recommend treatment for a dogs weight loss that aims to cure or at least improve its underlying cause. For example, they will prescribe a dewormer if a dog has intestinal parasites, dental care for damaged teeth, or antibiotics for a bacterial infection. Oftentimes, a change in diet can also help dogs regain the weight theyve lost. Options include:

• High-calorie, nutrient-dense dog foods for generalized weight gain

• Highly digestible diets when GI function is impaired

• Dog foods with added fiber may be appropriate for some types of GI problems or for dogs with diabetes

• Hypoallergenic dog foods made from novel ingredients, hydrolyzed proteins, or individual amino acids for food allergies and intolerances

• Disease-specific diets like those designed to help manage kidney or liver disease

The right food and other treatments will depend on the specifics of your dogs case. Dont wait too long to get your dog the care they need. Its easier to manage a dogs weight loss when it hasnt had a chance to progress too far.

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