Most pet owners not think twice about their furry friends’ weight. Even worse, many are in denial about their dogs fat body and neglect to take action. Simple things like switching up the dogs food or hiring a dog walker can provide dramatic results. Unfortunately, these steps are overlooked and dogs get fatter
and even more unhealthy. If you are wondering about your dogs body weight and if your dog has a fat body, than this article is for you.
When analyzing your dogs weight, it is important to consult a vet to see what an appropriate weight for the bread should be. There are other factors, including age, that will come into play when determining what a healthy weight should be for your dog.
Just like with humans, some dogs are predisposed to weight gain and have a tougher time shredding pounds. With these dogs it is even more important to give them high quality dog food that does not slow them down. Foods like Honest Kitchen dehydrated foods are a great option since they are made from whole foods. In fact, the food is human grade, meaning that it meets the Federal guidelines for what food companies are required to meet when it comes to making food for people.
Since post pet owners treat their dogs like royalty as it is, these food options are great for the pet parents looking to give their dogs the best food. While the price tag is a bit higher on these human-grade dog foods, the long-term benefits are well worth it. Rather than buy them that random $30 toy at PetCo, splurge on the pet food and give your dog added nutrition that they crave.
What A Fat Body Dog Looks Like
To figure out if your dog is too fat, you need to look at their profile as well as from above. Luckily, there are organizations dedicated to preventing obesity in dogs and they provide a wealth of knowledge on analyzing your dog’s Body Condition Score – see image below.
Image courtesy of: https://petobesityprevention.org/pet-weight-check
Looking at the chart, you can see that the middle number, five, between 1 and 10 is the ideal weight for your dog. There is not too much fat on the hips but enough to where they are not overly visible. On the far side you can see that the hips are not defined at all and dog looks overly bloated in the middle.
When you look at the under ideal range you can see the hips really showing through and the hip bones are overly visible through the skin. This is un-healthy and could lead to malnourishment and other health issues.
If your dog is on the under ideal range, you need to start to slowly increase your dogs intake of food each day. It is important to do this slowly as it gives your dog time to expand their stomach. Over feeding after under feeding can lead to other health issues.
On the other side of the chart, your dog needs to start to reduce their food intake, and/or, exercise more. Again, slow and steady is the name of the game. If you are going to switch foods, do so very gradually while also slowly lowering the amount that you are feeding them. This combination should do the trick on reducing weight.
Reduce Your Dog Fat
If you are reading this and wondering what the next best step is, you are in luck! We have dealt with fat body dogs and helped them reduce their weight and get back the top quality of life. When looking at weight loss options, most [bad] companies will push supplements like pills to achieve weight loss. I will tell you right now, this isn’t going to work. And even if it surprisingly does, there are likely a laundry list of negative health benefits that will go along with it.
We hope that this article helped shed light on the proper weight of dogs and how to reach those goals. If you are interested in getting your dog at the correct weight, please reach out to our team so we can help. Thank you for reading.