Understanding and Preventing Dog Obesity

We all love our dogs, and our dogs love us, but the only thing they might seem to love more is food. Not every dog is like this, of course, but there are plenty of dogs out there for whom it seems there is nothing better in life than the next meal or scrap they can get their jaws around.

This food drive is instinctual, as the ancestors of dogs were never able to rely on a consistent meal. As a result, their brains tell them: “keep hunting for more, and eat what you can while you can get it.”

A high degree of food motivation can make it easier to convince dogs to fall in line with expected behaviors and routines. Unfortunately, this food drive also combines poorly with our modern society, where calorically rich foods are anything but scarce.

Dogs’ role in our social fabric has seen them drifting from being primarily a working animal to steadfast companions. Not only does this new role mean less guaranteed exercise, but it also means that dogs are nearly always close at hand when tasty human meals are around.

If you’re struggling with a dog who may be overweight or whose appetite seems to be doing them more harm than good, know that you’re not alone. A 2022 survey by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) found that 59% of dogs (and 61% of cats!) are considered overweight or obese by their vets.

To help owners keep their canines from having too much of a good thing, we’ve provided these guidelines for understanding dog weight as well as some tips for dog obesity management.

What Is a Healthy Weight for Dogs?

Weight is often the go-to marker for physical health when it comes to managing fat and obesity in dogs.

“Extra body fat causes extra body weight,” VCA Animal Hospitals explains quite succinctly, “so we can measure weight to determine whether a dog is overweight or obese.” They add that this method “is easier than measuring body fat.”

The tricky thing, though, is that every dog is different. Breed and genetics will dictate a target healthy weight for your dog to a degree, yet even dogs in the same litter may have different ideal weights according to their actual size, level of activity, quantity of lean muscle mass, and other factors. 

A few other indicators of whether or not your dog is maintaining a healthy but not excessive level of body fat, other than weight, include their:

• Body shape, including whether their middle ribs can be felt easily through their sides and whether they have a belly that visibly protrudes when viewed from the side or above
• Level of activity; dogs that are more active can afford to maintain a little more body fat, but too much fat can affect their ability to perform activities, so if you notice a dog struggling with apparent joint pain or basic tasks like jumping into the car, consider helping them lose weight
• Biological markers, including blood triglycerides and certain enzyme levels, all of which can paint a clearer picture of health when combined with data on their weight, activity, and physical appearance
• Special health needs, as some dogs may need to target a lower weight than is typical than their size/breed, such as if they’re suffering from advanced arthritis or diabetes. Additionally, some dogs may be better off carrying slightly more weight than the “ideal,” such as if they have chronic kidney disease or certain cancers that put them at risk of wasting.
• Body fat assessments, which can be performed using methods like pinch or float tests but are usually only used when assessing health through weight alone, are inadequate.
• Simply put: there is no single “perfect weight” for your dog. So even though weight is a good marker of body fat, it should not be the only thing under consideration.

You will need to refer to your vet for an ideal target, and you should expect that this target may move slightly according to your ongoing results as well as factors like the dog’s age.

As a general rule, dogs are considered overweight once they are 10%–20% in excess of their current weight target, and they’re classified as obese when they are over 20% of their target.

Why Is Obesity a Problem for Dogs?

Obesity can cause major health issues for dogs for a few reasons.

First, dogs that have excess body fat may also be lacking in protein and other essential nutrients because of a poor diet. Foods rich in fat — especially human foods — lack the nutrition needed to help dogs live long, healthy, and physically active lives.

Second, research has discovered that fat cells can have a cumulative negative effect on the body. Not only can excess fat slow your dog’s metabolism, creating a cycle where they’re less active and less able to burn off fat, but the fat cells themselves actually secrete hormones that increase inflammation and oxidative stress in the body.

Because of this biological effect, dogs that are obese are more likely to develop conditions like:

• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Osteoarthritis
• Hip dysplasia
• Heart disease
• Urinary tract infections and disorders
• Skin conditions

Finally, the weight itself can act like an anchor, weighing dogs down from performing the movements and activities they need in order to thrive within their routine. Every additional pound of weight can shorten their lifespan while creating additional wear and tear on joints and other organs, increasing the risk of limited mobility once the animal advances in age.

Treating and Preventing Dog Obesity: 4 Highly Effective Strategies

Getting your dog in proper shape — and keeping them that way — requires a consistent routine. It also takes discipline on both sides of the equation. 

Use the following strategies to help your dog reach a healthy weight while boosting their overall health, strength, and ability to get the most out of life.

1. Keep Them Active

Every second that dogs spend being active helps them burn fat, build muscle, and regulate their hormones. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found a perfectly inverse relationship between the number of steps dogs take and their level of obesity.

In other words, there’s no minimum amount of activity needed to see healthy results from walks, games, and other activities. Every step counts. The healthier you want them to be, the more steps you guys should take together.

As for motivating activity, it’s easier than it sounds. The trick is to find a game they like or an environment they enjoy exploring — or both.

Dogs are talented at a wide number of tasks, and cleaning a plate is only one of them. Most are also great at going on long walks or participating in games like fetch.

Even dogs that aren’t exactly distance runners can enjoy a leisurely stroll filled with smells, though, as this experience still stimulates their natural drive while fitting a few steps into their routine.

If you have a severely obese dog or one with major joint issues that make activity difficult, consider booking them for a few underwater treadmill sessions. These may be pricey, but they allow your dog to build a baseline of physical capability, and you’ll go home with instructions from your therapist on how to build from those gains.

2. Pick a High-Protein, Low Fat Diet

Diet and activity level are the two most important factors in maintaining a healthy physique for your dog, especially when they are puppies. You will want a diet that is not only well-portioned, but that also maximizes the nutrition provided.

That means plenty of lean protein (which has the added benefit of making the dog feel full) and a minimum amount of carbohydrates. 

Since cheaper dog food brands tend to use grains as filler, and meat is an expensive commodity, expect to shell out more for your higher-quality diet. But the good news is that the portions should be able to sustain your dog for longer, meaning you can reduce the portions you give — even if they try to persuade you otherwise.

Refer to your vet for guidelines on a good diet to select and advice on portioning.

3. Cut Portion Sizes, and Introduce More Feedings

How you feed your dog can matter just as much as what you feed them. More frequent meals in smaller portions can help boost their metabolism and keep them energized without having to increase the overall quantity they eat. 

Keeping up with multiple meals can be a handful, though, so aim for at least 2–3 a day, preferably right before or after exercise. If you can increase that number, consider giving meals around times when the dog is likely to burn off the calories they just ingested; e.g., avoid feeding them just before bedtime.

Thinking about it another way, if you currently feed your dog just once or twice a day, they may act like waiting for that feeding time is torture. They’re more likely to harangue you, beg for your food, or be less enthusiastic about things like exercise.

Keeping the overall volume of their diet the same but splitting it up into more feedings spaces out these moments, helping meet the dog’s cravings without introducing extra calories. As a bonus, reducing meal sizes can also allow you to introduce their regular kibble as a reward for responding to commands and exhibiting desired behaviors — a win-win for everyone!

4. Say “No” to Human Food

For humans, it’s hard to eat healthy these days. Most of us tend to gravitate towards foods that have plenty of fat, carbs, sugar, and sodium without any of the plant-based fiber and nutrients we need to round all that out. 

That’s not universally true! Some of us are very disciplined in what we eat.

But what is absolutely true is that most human food is not good for dogs. Feeding it to them risks not only obesity but also pancreatitis, liver issues, or accidental toxicity.

That comes with a small caveat since things like chicken, rice, and sweet potatoes can be good for your pup. Any dog food you want to prepare in your kitchen, though, should likely be boiled, left unseasoned, and kept free from any oils or other fats usually used to help the dish cook.

Coach everyone in the family to not sneak food scraps to the dog during mealtime. If you really want to give them a small piece of something as a “special treat,” it should be given in the same fashion as regular feedings: away from where humans are eating.

This practice teaches the dog that the supply of table food is going to be very limited, while also reducing the risk that they are fed off multiple plates by the time the meal is done.

Get Help Training Your Dog and Getting Them Active at Greenlin East in Middletown

If your dog is a bit of a couch potato or has trouble getting into physical activity, you can enroll them in dog training at Greenlin East in Middletown. Not only are these sessions good opportunities to get them active, but your trainer can customize their curriculum to make them more capable of enjoying walks, games, or other activities.

At the end of their program, you will receive hands-on demonstrations as well as suggestions for things to practice at home, potentially including therapeutic exercises or games that appeal to your dog’s specific personality.

Getting your portly pup out of the house is also an easy task when they have Greenlin’s dog daycare in Middletown for them to look forward to. We separate dogs into play groups by size and temperment, so if they’re not quite at their peak athleticism, we can still put them into a group they’ll have a blast playing alongside.

Find out more about how to help your dog get active and shed excess fat when you call our Greenlin Pet Resorts East location in Middletown at (717) 944-9848 or contact us online.