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Dogs can get fat in much the same way that humans can.  However, unlike us humans, dogs don’t generally have a whole lot of control over the situation. Simply put, if you feed your dog too much food and let them lay around the house all day, they are going to eventually become obese. As your dog ages, the situation can escalate even more quickly; your dog will lose energy and seek food more often.

 

If you want your dog to live a long, healthy life, all that excess weight is going to need to go. The risk of cancer, diabetes, or organ failure increases dramatically in obese dogs versus those with a healthy weight.  Take care of this issue early, and you can reduce the chance of health problems many times over.

 

The First Step: Your Dog’s Diet

 

The very first thing that you can do for your dog is to make sure that their diet is appropriate. An overweight dog usually ends up that way as a result of too much daily food intake. The exact amount your dog is fed is probably going to vary slightly from one day to the next, but here are some general recommended guidelines that have been offered by Veterinarians:

 

Less than 10 Pounds - 1/3 to 1 cup a day

10-25 Pounds – 1 to 2-1/4 cups a day 

25-50 Pounds - 2 Cups to 3 Cups a day

50-75 Pounds - 3 Cups to 5 Cups a day

Over 5 Pounds – 5 to 8 Cups a Day

 

Keep in mind, the above figures are for dry food and the weights listed assume a healthy-weight dog. So, if your dog is already overweight, you will want to consider what a healthy dog for their breed would approximately weigh.  Here is an example: a Labrador Retriever that weighs 105 pounds is likely over weight (their average size is around 60 pounds). So food quantities should be based on a 60 pound weight, not 105. 

 

To cut out the extra food, you’ll want to start by feeding your dog only twice a day. Split the total amount of daily food in half and feed your dog in two sittings.  What tends to happen in many households is that people will just put food down and continue to refill the bowl whenever it is empty.  This is the easiest way to make your dog obese.

 

Don’t forget about treats and table scraps, either. Treats can work wonderfully as a training tool, but they should not be given to your dog constantly throughout the day (which undercuts their training value anyway). One or two treats a day are not going to cause a problem, but treats throughout the day for no particular reason can be dangerous. Table scraps are almost always bad as well.

 

Step Two: Adding in Some Exercise

 

Just like with humans, dogs will not lose much weight by dietary changes alone.  Every good weight loss routine should be a combination of diet and exercise, and this is no different for dogs. Luckily, most dogs tend to be perfectly happy to exercise.

 

Unless your dog is already old and is no longer as energetic as it once was, it should generally be excited to get out and go for a walk or run. The important thing is to give your dog the opportunity to do these things. Don’t assume, just because your dog is doing nothing but lounge around the house all day, that it does not want to go outside.

 

If you don’t have the opportunity to go outside for a walk or run, try to at least play indoors to keep your dog active. Play fetch, wrestle with your dog, and teach them to chase down toys throughout the house. Playing indoors is even easier if you own a small dog. You really don’t even have to get up to play fetch with them – you can do it from a chair or sofa.

 

Even if you are dealing with a lethargic dog, what you will find more often than not is that shifting their diet and exercise schedule will have a pretty profound impact on their energy levels in no time.  Start taking your dog outside in conjunction with shifting their diet, and you’ll see them start to have a greater desire to become physically engaged.

 

Finally, if your dog is extremely obese or unhealthy, make sure you see a vet before making any dramatic changes to their lifestyle. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make changes, but in very extreme cases you may need to take a gradual approach – so as not to put undue stress on their bodies too quickly.

 

For additional thoughts on handling and preventing dog obesity, as well as many other potential health problems, check out The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health

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