How to Help Your Pet Lose Weight

Pet Health Articles

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First, you identified that your pet has a weight problem. Now, you need to find out how you can help your pet lose weight.

Although intimidating, reversing your pet’s weight gain isn’t the most challenging process out there. In many cases, weight loss can be achieved by changing up your pet’s daily routine and by monitoring the calories they consume versus the calories they burn.

Before taking any action, keep in mind that you’ll want to bring your pet in for a visit with your local veterinarian to rule out other underlying health issues that may mimic weight gain. Once health issues have been ruled out, you and your vet can move forward with developing a weight loss plan.

Develop a Weight Loss Program for Your Dog

Put your dog on a diet

Dieting is naturally going to be the strongest component of weight loss, keeping gradual loss and safety top of mind. Typically, feeding your pet according to their RER (resting energy requirements) should be sufficient in achieving ideal weight. RER is a benchmark of the caloric intake needed by your pet to maintain essential body functions. It is calculated as follows:

RER = 70 * (Pets weight, in kilograms)3/4

For example, if a dog needs to be 25 kilograms (55 pounds) to be their ideal, healthy weight, they should eat approximately 780 calories per day. When calculating this, be sure to go off their ideal weight, not their current/overweight number on the scale.

Of course, this measurement is very generalized. Determining how much you need to feed your pet will be unique to their size and starting weight relative to that of their ideal weight. Your veterinarian will incorporate these factors when providing recommendations on what type of food and how much to feed your companion.

Once you start your pet on a diet, it’s important to benchmark their weight over time to ensure that the diet is working effectively and in a safe manner. For dogs, aiming for 3-5% body weight loss per month is healthy. Under ideal circumstances, your pet should be able to reach a healthy weight in about 6-8 months. You’ll want to continue monthly check-ins with your veterinarian to monitor this progress and your pet’s health.

Develop an exercise routine

The second major component of any weight loss program is exercise. In general, dogs should be going on a 30-minute walk twice per day with ample time for fetch and other activities in between.

It’s important to note that if you are looking to specifically increase weight loss for your dog through walking, you will have to move at a quicker pace than your average leisurely walk with the goal to elevate your pet’s heart rate. You’ll know you’re walking fast enough for your dog when you’re breaking a small sweat and their breathing increases.

If your pet can’t quite muster the energy for that amount of fitness, you can work your way up to it. The key is to encourage activity as much as possible.

Change up treats

While reducing the amount of treats you should give your pet is a no-brainer, consider altering what those treats are. If you haven’t tried it already, you’ll find that most dogs love fruits and veggies, like apples, bananas, blueberries, carrots, celery and broccoli. The crunchier the better!

Move the bowl

Along the lines of encouraging movement, change the location of your pet’s food bowl. Placing it in different rooms and moving it around will keep your companion active. Even better, incorporate a puzzle feeder so your pet must work to get their food.

Alter meal size

Instead of feeding your pet twice or three times per day in larger quantities, give smaller meals frequently. This will allow you and your pet to better pace their eating and keep them more satiated throughout the day.

Don’t give in!

Unfortunately, reducing food intake will likely magnify any begging behaviors that your pet currently employs to get you to feed them more. Stay strong! And try your best to not feed your dog the table scraps at the end of the night.

 

At Pet Butler, we want your pet to feel and be their healthiest and happiest. Free up your time spent doing chores so you can have more quality time with your furry companion. We’ll take care of your dog’s waste removal on a weekly, every other week or monthly basis.

 

How to Avoid Obesity in Dogs

Pet Health Articles

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Did you know that 55.8% of dogs were classified as clinically overweight in 2018? That means an estimated 50 million dogs are unhealthily heavy, based on 2018-2019 pet population projections from the American Pet Products Association (APPA). And these numbers are likely an underestimation considering the surge in pet ownership during the COVID-19 pandemic; many have been guilty of hibernating with our pets, packing on the additional pounds along with our furry friends.

To further shed light on National Pet Obesity Awareness Day, here are 4 tips on how you can prevent your dog from gaining unhealthy weight.

4 Tips to Avoid Obesity in Dogs

1. Talk to your veterinarian

The best way to prevent your pet from becoming overweight is to start with gaining an awareness of their body condition. To do this, speak to your veterinary professional about your dog’s current health, find out about exercise and activity requirements and ask how many kilocalories (kcal) they should intake daily based on breed, age and lifestyle.

2. Find the right food for your pet

Not all breeds require the same type and amount of food. Be sure to consult your vet for various food suggestions for your dog.

The “right” foods to maintain a healthy weight also depend on your pet’s particular circumstances. Age, breed, pre-existing conditions, activity level and even environmental temperature can all affect your pet’s nutritional and caloric needs. Controlling portions is key for all pets, regardless of how “low-calorie” a food may be. In general, younger pets tend to be more active and require food higher in caloric density vs. older, more sedentary pets. A good quality protein source is important for all life stages.

Most veterinarian-approved foods meet the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards for testing, nutritional content, labeling, guaranteed analysis and ingredients. It’s no small or inexpensive undertaking to create a safe, effective, palatable and nutritionally complete pet food. Some mom-and-pop shops that use colorful logos, promise “real” or “fresh” food and sell terms that are merely descriptive that can mean any number of things should be avoided unless approved by your veterinary health care professional.

For pets with specific dietary needs such as a low-fat diet for pancreatitis-prone patients, your vet may advise a calorie-controlled, prescription food to prevent obesity and manage pre-existing disease.

3. Treat them wisely

Who doesn’t love giving their pet a tasty treat in between meals? They’re always excited for treats, and you’re always delighted to offer them. However, remember that treats are not nutritionally complete and balanced. As such, they should contribute to no more than 10% of overall kcal intake.

If you’re unsure what store-bought treats your pet should have, consult your vet for recommendations. You can also serve your pet fun, human-friendly options too! Healthy snacks for your dog can be apple slices, frozen yogurt “pup cups”, bananas, carrot sticks or frozen blueberries. Some owners even reserve a small portion of their daily kibble ration to be dispensed as treats. Your pet won’t know the difference, and you can effectively control intake while offering more treats throughout the day.

4. Develop healthy habits

Just as humans can develop unhealthy habits, our pets can, too. It’s imperative to your pet’s health that you help them create beneficial daily habits. Develop good routines such as a long morning walk, or for senior pets, several short daily walks.

Other dogs may enjoy playing fetch, a run at the dog part or a game of hide and seek, which involves hiding a toy in the yard or house to be sought after. To mix things up, you can even try hiding so your pet can find you! For elderly pets, swimming is a particularly healthy activity that aids sore joints.

So, why should we be evaluating our pet’s weight throughout their life and ensuring they maintain an ideal weight? We witness the same physiological changes in our heavy pets that we do in overweight humans. Obesity leads to an increase in joint pain, generalized inflammation, diabetes and other metabolic issues and respiratory disease, as well as heart and kidney functional changes. It reduces life expectancy and is a financial drain on pet owners to treat obesity-related conditions. And most obviously, it compromises our pets’ ability to participate in exercise or activities with their owners, which decreases their quality of life.

At Pet Butler, we want your pet to feel their best and be their healthiest. That’s why we specialize in caring for your pet by scooping up their waste. Learn more about our services or call 1-800-PET-BUTLER to learn how we can make your pet’s life happier, healthier and cleaner.

To continue learning about obesity in pets, check out our articles on how to determine if your pet is obese, how to help your pet lose weight, obesity in senior pets and more!

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