After following the steps to check your dog's weight, you may realize that your dog is overweight. It’s important not to dwell in the guilt of having a chubby dog, and more important not to stay in denial about it! While pudgy pooches can be cute, an overweight dog is no laughing matter. Dog’s struggling with weight issues can have serious health problems, the most common being diabetes. Low immunity due to chronic health problems can shorten the life span of your dog, which is a heartbreaking thought for any dog lover. Not to mention the joint issues that will show up later in life due to the pressure from the excess weight. The good news is it’s never too late to get your dog healthy!
A huge part of our dog obesity epidemic originates from commercial dog foods. They are laden with grains, corn and indigestible proteins that pack on the pounds for our poor pooches. Even the “healthier” kibble is still filled with fillers like pea protein and white potatoes. We assume that if it’s sold at the store, it must be safe and healthy for your pup. While they do meet nutritional guidelines, so does a school lunch, but we all know that can’t be right, ha-ha! Unfortunately regulation is scarce in the pet food industry, even when you think you’re buying a high quality food, something called ingredient splitting can trick you into thinking your dog is getting a higher protein food than you actually are. Read more about ingredients in my Nutrition section. Getting your dog off kibble is an ideal first step. I know it isn’t completely reasonable for most people, especially those with multiple large dogs, but even supplementing some kibble for fresh food helps tremendously. Just make sure you take away from the kibble what you’re adding in fresh food!
Overfeeding is a common issue ailing plump pooches. The old idea of “free feeding” is more than outdated. It’s likely if a dog can free feed themselves, they probably don’t like their food very much! Plus, if you’re feeding extra treat portions on top of feeding a high grain food, your dog is sure to have some cushion no matter how active they are. Thinking your dog is still hungry is a very human trait, I’m Italian so I was born with it! And just so you know I’m not fat dog shaming you, this entire journey of mine started with coming to terms with my Tater Tot being a pudgester.
Dogs can seem like they’re starving for various reasons: Some dogs are truly lacking nutrition in their food and feel hungry even though they just ate. Most foods are high in sugar and salt content along with empty carbohydrates, so shortly after they eat they feel they need more. Switching to a better food with a correct balance of fiber, will solve these problems, as well as give you piece of mind in feeding the appropriate portions.
Some dogs just love to eat, well, most dogs that is, and they will always be ready for the next meal or the next treat. As an owner to these dogs, you have to set boundaries, and knowing they are getting the proper nutrition and portions will help you feel sound in saying “that’s it for now”. For the hungry hippo dog, I always recommend feeding twice a day (splitting the daily amount) and giving size appropriate raw beef bones in between to satiate the hunger pangs.
Treats treats and more treats. Don’t we just love to dote on our dogs! I 100% support treats, I think cultivating joy is the spice of life and what’s better than your dog’s favorite treat?! However, it’s important to snack smart! More owners put their dogs in the “overweight category” just by feeding too many treats. Not to mention that most treats on the market are all carbs and sugars. Those little biscuits your dogs love so much are just like the bag of chips you know you shouldn’t eat. So make sure to read your labels, even store bought jerky can have added salts and sweeteners, giving your dog LBs where you could avoid them!
It’s very important when giving treats to account for them as part of your dog’s daily food intake, so it’s a simple solve…decide how many treats your dog gets in a day, and set them into a measuring cup. Remove that amount from their daily food amount, and voila! You have solved the treat dilemma, look at us…parenting. I recommend giving an all protein treats, or a digestible grain like oats. My dogs get a few chicken jerky pieces a day and I just allot for it during meal time so they don’t over eat!