How to tell if a Husky is overweight

8 Reasons Why Your Husky Is Overweight (And What To Do)

If you suspect your husky is overweight then this is the article for you.

The most common reason for a husky being overweight is a lack of exercise or simply eating too much food. In some cases, it can be due to hormone-related problems or simply genetics, but it should always be the owners responsibility to monitor and keep in the correct range.

In this guide Ill share the best tips for keeping track of your huskys weight, what causes your husky to be overweight in the first place and what to do about it. Lets get straight into it.

How To Tell If Your Husky Is Overweight

There are three ways to check if your husky is overweight:

• Check your huskys ribs If you cant feel the ribs then your husky is overweight, and if you cant see a waistline then your husky is likely obese.
• Consult with your veterinarian Sometimes we arent the best judges of weight, and speaking to your vet can give you the reality check that you might need.
• Use weighing scales Male huskies should weigh between 45-60lbs (20-27kg) when fully grown, with females weighing 35-50lbs (16-23kg). If your husky is not mature yet, use the chart below to see the average weights with age.

Remember that these are just average figures your husky may just be built differently from another and weigh more without having excess fat (more muscular, for example).

Is It Bad If Your Husky Is Overweight?

If your husky is overweight it is not ideal for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, being overweight will put your husky at a higher risk of health problems like cancer, heart disease and many others. Secondly, huskies have a strong history of being working dogs that are capable of running over 100 miles when trained properly.

This means if your husky becomes overweight it will not be able to exercise as much which can make them depressed and possibly develop destructive behaviors.

8 Reasons Why Your Husky Is Overweight

Here are 8 of the most common reasons why your husky is overweight.

1. Lack Of Exercise

Huskies have a super high requirement for exercise (2+ hours per day), so its no surprise that a lot of husky owners dont meet this requirement every day.

If this exercise requirement isnt met theres a good chance your husky will put on weight, assuming you continue to feed them as normal. It can also cause other issues relating to behavior as well.

2. Too Much Food

When was the last time you checked how much the label on your dog food recommends feedingyour husky?

If youre anything like me then it was probably a long time ago. This isnt necessarily a problem, but it can become one if you increase the amount of food without realising it.

3. Too Many Treats

Were all guilty of treating our dogs, but sometimes we can overdo it without realising it.

You should only treat your husky during training or exercise, and avoid giving them any human food as it is very hard to judge how many calories there are.

4. Old Age

As your husky approaches old age, they wont be able to exercise or be as active as they would when they were younger.

This is completely normal, but sometimes it can be difficult for us owners to reduce the amount of food and treats that we provide as we often use this as a replacement tactic for keeping them happy if they cant exercise as much.

As health problems become more likely to occur during old age, its important to keep their weight in a healthy range as we dont want to increase the risk of any health-related problems.

5. Hormones

Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) is a problem that huskies are prone to, and can result in weight gain amongst several other symptoms.

It causes a decrease in the production of thyroid hormones and as a result, slows down the rate at which a husky burns calories by affecting its metabolism.

Treatment for this is usually quite straightforward and involves hormone replacement tablets.

6. Personality

Most huskies love to exercise and burn up their energy, but there are huskies that can be stubborn and lazy.

While there can be underlying issues responsible, sometimes it can simply be due to the personality of your husky.

7. Weight Gain Due To Neutering

Neutering has been proven to increase weight gain if there is no change to diet at the time of surgery.

Neutering alters the hormonal balance of huskies and reduces calorie consumption.

Changes in hormonal balance slow down the metabolism and reduce energy requirements. It has also been studied that neutering increases the dogs appetite.

Your veterinarian should be able to assist with a feeding plan during this time to prepare for any rapid weight gain that may occur, so if you are unsure about this then just ask them.

8. Illness

Other illnesses such as heart or liver disease can also trigger weight gain.

This typically happens rapidly, and if you suspect anything is wrong with your husky then speak to a veterinarian.

How To Help Your Husky Lose Weight

The first step to helping your husky lose weight is to accept responsibility.

If there arent any medical issues to blame, it is likely your fault either due to too much feeding or not enough exercise. Luckily, these are easy to fix but just require some effort.

Portion Control

The easiest thing to control is how much you are feeding your husky every day.

We recommend using a complete dog food for your husky (one that meets all nutritional requirements), and you should first look at how much you feed your husky versus what is recommended on the label. It can be very easy to ignore this and feed your husky too much, so the first step is to ensure you are feeding roughly the right amount.

These values are just estimates, however, so if you are feeding roughly the recommended amount then you should reduce it by around 10% and monitor the changes to your huskys weight over the next few weeks this will allow for a gradual change in weight.

If you are feeding a raw diet, reduce the amount by a similar 10% with each meal and monitor the weight again.

Exercise

As I mentioned before, huskies need around 2 hours per day of intense exercise and can easily handle more.

When youre first starting out with an overweight husky, they might not be interested in exercise right away so its important to increase it gradually. It can also put too much stress on their joints and muscles if you suddenly increase exercise from one day to the next.

Here are some ideas for exercising overweight huskies that are gentle on their bodies:

• Walking/Hiking -Walking or going for hikes is a great way to introduce gentle exercise to your overweight husky. Start off small and gradually increase this every week.
• Swimming Swimming is super low impact and a great way to exercise huskies, especially if they are obese.

Aim to increase overall exercise time by around 10% per week until youve made it to that 2-hour mark, and remember that gentle exercise should be increased first until your husky has lost enough weight to start doing more intense exercise such as running or playing fetch.

Dog Treats (In Moderation)

We all love to feed our dogs leftover food from our lunch or dinner, but this can quickly add up in calories.

Instead, you should purchase some healthy dog snacks instead and feed them as rewards during training or exercise. For example, you could play fetch with your husky and use the treats as a positive reinforcement when they retrieve the ball.

Huskies love to work for rewards, so this is a great way to increase mental stimulation while still treating them to a snack without worrying about weight.

Use Toys

Dog toys are a great way to increase the overall activity of your husky.

Chew toys, such as the Kong stuffable, are great because you can hide a treat inside and leave your husky to it. If your husky is able to play fetch then toys that allow you to throw the ball further are another great option.

How Long Does It Take For A Husky To Lose Weight

Huskies should lose 2-4% of their body weight each week at a healthy rate; anything bigger than this is too fast.

Once they reach their target weight (see tables above) you can increase the portion sizes to maintain weight.

Balancing Exercise And Food

When it comes to helping your husky lose weight the idea is to make small changes over a long period of time to see results.

By gradually increasing exercise and slowly reducing food intake it allows you to monitor the weight of your husky to ensure that they arent losing weight too fast. You can always adjust things as you go; for example, if you decide to take your husky on a particularly long walk you should increase food to account for the energy burnt.

When To See A Veterinarian

You should consult your veterinarian if your husky starts to either put on or lose weight rapidly without a change in diet or exercise schedule.

These types of weight loss are usually signs that there is a health-related issue affecting your husky, so you should schedule an appointment with your veterinarian right away.

Overweight Husky Help Guide (4 Reasons Why + How To Help)

Do you have an overweight husky? Check this husky size chart if youre not sure. Typically, huskies are naturally fit and lean, but in rare cases, some may become overweight.

Your huskys weight depends on its diet and overall health.

If you are wondering why your husky is overweight, its essential to know that various factors can affect their physical appearance. The primary causes of fat huskies are excessive calorie intake, lack of physical activity, and certain medical conditions. All of which can reduce a huskys lifespan.

Husky Essentials

Siberian Husky Essentials

We understand that huskies are unique and require special care, so weve created this one-stop shop to help you find the must-have items for your furry friend.

Supplies:

• Grooming Tools
• Dog Food, Treats & Supplements
• Toys & Enrichment
• Training Aids
• Comfort & Safety

Husky Supplies

Why is My Husky Overweight?

Your husky might appear cute with its squishy cheeks and chubby body, but its generally not a safe space for your dog. Being overweight can make your dog lazy, uncomfortable and at risk of a range of health problems including diabetes.

Numerous factors can influence the weight of our dogs, some of which often go unnoticed. In the case of huskies, excess weight can be attributed to various reasons, which include:

1. Too Many Calories

Excess food is one of the major causes of overweight huskies. Pet owners need to know the correct amount of food to give their dogs.

Like each human, each dog require a specific amount of food to grow to a healthy weight. But we tend to just pour dog food into their food bowl based on what we feel is enough for them without knowing the number of calories they need, which might cause your dog to overfeed at the end of the day.

Excess processed carbohydrates in your dogs diet can lead to unhealthy fat gain and overproduction of insulin which might lead to diabetes.

As a responsible dog owner, it is essential to understand your huskys nutritional requirements, preferably from a professional in animal nutrition, to ensure your dogs healthy growth and development.

2. Not Enough Exercise

Exercise helps to keep everyone fit. The same goes for dogs; they tend to grow weak, lazy, and fat if they dont exercise.

Your husky can become overweight if they eat a lot and barely exercise. Physical activity is needed to burn any excess calories consumed from all of their food chomping!

Failing to tire out your husky from sufficient exercise may result in the calories they consume to be stored as fat. This can cause your husky to gain excessive weight, which according to the AVMA increases risk of various diseases including:

• Diabetes
• Respiratory disease
• Kidney disease
• Some cancers

It is essential to ensure your husky gets regular exercise to help prevent such health issues.

As much as your dog needs to exercise regularly, its important to note that the size and age of the husky will determine what type and amount of exercise to carry out.

Huskies have a high endurance level. The kind of exercise you choose for them should be challenging. Taking your husky on a walk is really only a warm-up. Youll need to put them under more strain to help them burn more calories.

3. Cushings Disease

Cushings disease is a chronic disease that can also cause huskies to gain weight. This disease is more common in female breeds, neutered dogs, and middle-aged and older dogs.

A husky with this disease has excessive production of cortisol by their adrenal gland, thus an increase in appetite which leads to being overweight.

Older huskies can benefit greatly from eating the best dog food for senior huskies.

4. Hypothyroidism

Another thing that can lead to an overweight husky is the disease hypothyroidism.

The thyroid gland is found in the neck region and is responsible for the production of hormones that influence several functions in different parts of the body. Unfortunately, this gland can experience a condition in which it shrinks, known as thyroid disease.

This disease occurs more in middle-aged dogs and medium to large breeds. There is lower production of thyroid hormones in dogs with hypothyroidism.

The thyroid hormones assist in balancing metabolic processes, and reduced production of these thyroid hormones in your huskys metabolic processes (breaking down food, digestion, and food conversion) will slow down, leading to weight gain.

Weight gain is only one symptom of hypothyroidism in huskies and dogs.

Other symptoms include:

• Fur thinness
• Cold shivers
• Thickness of skin
• Skin infection
• Decreased activeness of the dog
• Hair loss (not to be confused with husky shedding)

How to Help My Overweight Husky Lose Weight

Here are some ways to help your overweight husky lose weight.

1. Decrease Calories

If your husky is eating more calories than they are burning each day, they will of course gain weight. So, the best way to help your husky lose weight is to feed them less calories than they burn during the day.

Try to avoid assuming the amount of food your dog can eat, and instead make sure you know exactly how much huskies should eat.

You should also try to be mindful of the human snacks you give to your dogs. The calories contained in these can quickly add up. Processed human food and snacks arent good for dogs anyway!

2. Increase Exercise

Incorporating exercise is a recommended solution to assist your husky in losing weight. The type of exercise provided should align with your huskys current fitness level, health and age.

Its important to note that simply taking your husky for a walk, while nice, may not be enough physical activity for them. So make sure you know how much exercise your husky needs.

Here are some exercise ideas:

• Take them for a walk
• Take them for a jog alongside you
• Take them for a hike
• Play fetch with them
• Take them to a doggy park

If you havent been exercising your husky, simply start exercising them on a daily basis. This will help them lose weight. If youve already been exercising them, either swap for something more intense or increase the duration. e.g. take them for a jog instead of a walk, increase from 30 minute walk to a 1 hour walk, etc.

Knowing how to run with a husky can also help.

3. Improve Food Quality

Another way to help your overweight husky lose weight is to improve the quality of food you feed them. Most dog food brands are full of highly processed ingredients and unknown chemical additives. Most of which is making your dog unhealthy.

The first step is finding a dog food brand that is recommended by veterinarians. But if you are serious about your huskys health and weight, we recommend finding dog food made with fresh human grade ingredients. This will help prevent overweight and skinny huskies!

We believe the best dog food for huskies is made from whole food ingredients.

Other ways to help control the weight of your husky include:

• Inspect your dogs health frequently to ensure they do not have diseases or infections
• Take them for regular vet checkups
• Include fiber in your dogs diet (from real food ingredients)
• Ensure your dog has sufficient clean water to drink
• Dont reward your dog with highly processed food or snacks

Final Thoughts

The well-being and physique of your husky rely heavily on the diet and care you provide.

By decreasing their calories, increasing exercise, providing better quality food and ensuring they dont have a disease that causes weight gain, you can be sure your overweight husky will start to lose weight.

Is your husky overweight?

Comment below.

Further reading: How big do huskies get?

How to tell if your husky is overweight?

You can tell your husky is overweight if you cant easily feel their last few ribs. This is just a general rule of thumb though. If you are concerned about your huskys weight, take them to your vet.

Best dog food for overweight husky

The best dog food for an overweight husky, or any husky for that matter, is quality dog food made from real food ingredients, not highly processed food with chemical additives.