Why can t I get my dog to lose weight

How to Help Your Dog Lose Weight

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In the U.S., 56% of dogs are overweight or obese, and that excess weight is tied to an astonishing array of health problems. When it comes to preventing dog obesity, or even the slow creep of excess pounds, simple awarenessknowing what your dogs weight should be, and keeping on top of any fluctuationsis the first step. Just a few pounds can make a big difference.

You can seek your vets counsel on your dogs ideal weight, but a quick way to assess good canine condition at home is to ask:

• Does your dog have an hourglass shape when you stand behind them and look at them from above?
• Do they have a waist?
• Can you easily feel their ribs?

If youre answering no for all three, theres a good chance your dog needs to lose weight. Now what? Here are some vet-approved tips for helping your dog safely shed excess pounds and keeping them in good condition.

The Food Factor

For dogs, as for humans, losing weight really comes down to two things: food and exercise. And for a dog owner trying to manage or reduce their dogs weight, food is most important by far.

Weight loss begins and ends at the food bowl for dogs and cats, Ernie Ward, DVM, and founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), tells us. Weight loss for humans and dogs is 60-70% diet and 30-40% exercise.

For dog owners who have active lifestyles, its easy to overestimate the impact of physical activity on weight maintenance. So even for active dogs, its important to establish clear guidelines for daily caloric intake.

Get Specific With How Much Youre Feeding

Heres where things can go sideways. Humans may or may not choose to count calories as a guide for what theyre eating, with some opting for other methods of keeping to a healthy regime (Do my pants fit? Great!). But when it comes to the long-term management of your dogs weight, its essential to establish a concrete benchmark for how much to feed. This means determining the number of calories your dog needs every day.

Its not a good idea to rely on the feeding guidelines on the average pet food package. There are many factors that will influence your dogs dietary needs, including breed, size, activity level, and whether theyre spayed or neutered. Standard kibble-bag feeding ranges are generally too broad for your dog, and many owners end up over-feeding based on too-generous and too-vague suggested portion sizes, typically measured in cups and scoops.

The feeding guidelines on pet food packages, says Ward, are based on active adult dogs for all life stages. Spaying or neutering, for example, reduces energy requirement by 20 to 30%, he says. So, if your pet is spayed or neutered, and not particularly active, you can already be overfeeding by 20 or 30% or more.

When it comes to determining the ideal caloric intake, its important to consider a number of factors. We take a couple of things into considerationwe look at body condition score, we look at muscle condition score, we look at lifestyle, and any concurrent medical conditions, Dr. Ward says. We start by determining, OK, how many calories should you be feeding?

As a starting place, there are also many tools online to provide rough feeding guidelines based on weight and breed. You might start by consulting the guide published by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.

For at-home calculating, you can use the Resting Energy Requirement (RER) formula. Take your dogs weight in kilograms, multiply by 30, and add 70 (or, take their weight in pounds, divide by 2.2, multiply this figure by 30, and add 70). You can then factor in a metabolic energy requirement (MER), depending on things like health and whether theyre spayed or neutered.

Typical MER factors include:

• Weight loss1.0 x RER
• Neutered/ Spayed Adult1.6 x RER
• Intact Adult1.8. x RER

Ask your veterinarian about the MER and calculating and determining how your dog can lose weight safely. Tools like the MER multiplier table on the web provide estimates, but every dogs metabolism is different, so be sure to keep monitoring your pets weight.

You can also sign up for a fresh-food plan (like the ones offered to customers of The Farmers Dog). A plan like this makes it easy to determine the correct total caloric intake and food portions based on your dogs very specific requirements, and also makes it easy to adjust daily calories based on changing weight-management needs.

Food Quality Is Also Key

In addition to calorie counting, another important part of weight maintenance or weight loss is feeding lower-carb, whole, fresh food.

Many ultra-processed dog foods are full of carb-based fillersas Dr. Ward has noted, when you actually break down the ingredients on the label, many of them top out at over 60% or more carbohydrates. Fresh diets provide quality protein, but also the fiber and moisture that can keep your dog satisfied, without carb-y fillers.

Feeding nutrient-dense, bioavailable food will keep your dog healthy as they reduce their overall intake of food.

Treats Count, So Count Them

Another way to help your dog drop some extra weight is by controlling, and possibly reducing, their treat intake. Here, again, quality and quantity matter.

Nobody wants to deny their dog treats, as they are often helpful training aids, and its fun to see the excitement they generate. But its important to keep a close eye on how many treats your dog actually eats in a day and what their caloric impact is. Treats should be factored into, and comprise no more than, 10% of total daily calories.

Dog owners who feed their dogs healthy food, yet still feed them highly processed, high-carb, high-calorie treats, are potentially missing a big source of weight gain and health issues. And if you feed your dog too many treats (more than 10% of their daily intake of food), you can undo the benefits of the balanced diet youre feeding.

Many vets recommend using single-ingredient treats like fresh veggies and fruit. Baby carrots, celery, broccoli, green beans, cucumbers, blueberries, apples, and bananas all make healthy treats and, unlike mystery-meat treats, can contribute to your dogs health (use apple and banana in smaller amounts due to higher sugar content).

As for peanut butter, make sure its truly a special (rare) treat, and doled out in limited amounts; this dogand humanfavorite has a hefty 100 calories per tablespoon. Also, ensure that the peanut butter youre using doesnt contain Xylitol, which is toxic to dogs. For a lighter, and perhaps better, substitute, try plain canned pumpkin, which weighs in at just five calories per tablespoon.

Its also worth stepping back and considering why youre giving your dog treats. Our bond with our dogs is so special, and every dog owner wants to see the happy excitement a treat brings. But you can get that joyful response with healthy treats, or with smaller portions. I typically tell owners that dogs get the same enjoyment, and you can get the same reaction, from a small piece of a treat as you can from the whole thing or a handful, says Alex Schechter, DVM. There are many ways to show love and bond with your pet. It doesnt have to be all about food.

Safely Increase Exercise

Food is key, but no weight loss plan, or health maintenance plan, is complete without exercise. The most obvious, and important, activity for your dog is walking. Regular walks dont just exercise your dogs body; they provide crucial mental stimulation and that all-important opportunity to sniff. The amount of walking your dog needs, or wants, depends on their breed and general health. But while conventional wisdom says that some dogs need less exercise than others, all dogs need to move.

While the recommended minimum of daily exercise is 20 minutes, twice a day, many dogs will need much more. For many breeds, an hour of exercise a day is a good target. If your dog needs to lose weight, try to increase the amount of exercise they currently do. So, if thats none, or barely any, start with short intervals of walking. If youre already exercising, try lengthening your walk or other activity by 10-20%.

Ask your vet about the best types of activities based on your pets breed, age, gender, and current physical condition. Introduce new activities slowly to avoid injury. And, unless your dog has been trained for or slowly introduced to these kinds of activities, leave the extreme sports to your own weekend hourstoo-vigorous, or repetitive activity can put your dog at risk of joint problems. Also, keep weather conditionslike high sunin mind if your activities are outdoors. The sun creates the potential for heat stroke and burnt paw pads.

Rule Out a Medical Condition

If youve established and are staying within caloric boundaries and youre still not having any luck helping your dog lose weight, a visit to the vet could be in order to rule out a medical condition. Weight gain and lethargy can be symptoms of conditions like hypothyroidism and Cushings syndrome. The latter, also known as hyperadrenocorticism, usually occurs in older dogs, and can also cause frequent urination, hair loss, and weakness.

Weight Loss (and Maintenance) Is a Long Game

If you determine that youre overfeeding, work with your veterinarian to create a weight-loss schedule based on the appropriate calories so that your dog doesnt lose weight too fast, which is unhealthy.

Overall, the best weight management strategy is to develop good habits that are applied, consistently, long-term.

People (humans) want to rush weight loss, says Dr. Ward. Thirty days to bikini season! But this is a long process. Its years of making small decisions that help. When youre deciding on sharing your pizza crust with your Pomeranian, if you do it once, OK. But if you do it once a week for five years, thats a problem.

This article was vetted by a vet. Reviewed by Alex Schechter, DVM, founding veterinarian atBurrwood Veterinary.He was previously founding veterinarian atPure Paws Veterinary Care.

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.

Featured Image: iStock/Capuski