“Spaying or neutering, for example, reduces energy requirement by 20 to 30%,” he says. The feeding guidelines on pet food packages, says Ward, are based on active adult dogs for all life stages.
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. There are many factors that will influence your dog’s dietary needs, including breed, size, activity level, and whether they’re spayed or neutered. It’s not a good idea to rely on the feeding guidelines on the average pet food package. This means determining the number of calories your dog needs every day. But when it comes to the long-term management of your dog’s weight, it’s essential to establish a concrete benchmark for how much to feed. Humans may or may not choose to count calories as a guide for what they’re eating, with some opting for other methods of keeping to a healthy regime (Do my pants fit? Great!). Get Specific With How Much You’re Feeding So even for active dogs, it’s important to establish clear guidelines for daily caloric intake.
“Weight loss for humans and dogs is 60-70% diet and 30-40% exercise.”įor dog owners who have active lifestyles, it’s easy to overestimate the impact of physical activity on weight maintenance. “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. And for a dog owner trying to manage or reduce their dog’s weight, food is most important by far. The Food Factorįor dogs, as for humans, losing weight really comes down to two things: food and exercise. Now what? Here are some vet-approved tips for helping your dog safely shed excess pounds and keeping them in good condition. If you’re answering “no” for all three, there’s a good chance your dog needs to lose weight. Does your dog have an hourglass shape when you stand behind them and look at them from above?.You can seek your vet’s counsel on your dog’s ideal weight, but a quick way to assess good canine condition at home is to ask: Just a few pounds can make a big difference. When it comes to preventing dog obesity, or even the slow creep of excess pounds, simple awareness-knowing what your dog’s weight should be, and keeping on top of any fluctuations-is the first step.
In the U.S., 56% of dogs are overweight or obese, and that excess weight is tied to an astonishing array of health problems.
It can also be helpful to use a measuring cup for your dog’s food so you know exactly how much you’re giving him instead of just eyeballing it.This Is a Paid Advertisement for The Farmer’s Dog “It's a great place to start but should be adjusted as needed to maintain a healthy body condition.” Your vet can help you figure out how much of your dog’s food you should be feeding him daily. “I think about it the same way as a 2,000-calorie recommendation on human food packaging,” Dr. Keep in mind that these are only guidelines, and you may need to adjust them based on your individual dog. “These recommendations will tell you how much of the food you should be giving every day.” “Pay close attention to the feeding recommendations on your pet's food,” Dr. Dogs can easily become overweight if their owners feed them too much food, which is why it’s important to follow the feeding guidelines on your pup’s food packaging. If your dog’s been gaining weight, it’s possible you’ve been feeding him too much at every meal (a scoop and a half instead of one scoop, for example).
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