Hey, guys. This week, especially since it’s coming up on winter and it’s lazy time, we are going to talk about obesity in dogs. Obesity is often thought of as being adorable, but there is so much stress on your dog’s body when she isn’t fit.

When a person wants to lose weight, we often keep track of our calories and add more physical activities to our daily routine. The same is true for your dog. If your dog is getting a little heavy, it might be a good idea to start limiting her food and fitting in some extra time for exercise.

We obviously want to do this in a healthy way. If you feel your dog is obese, you should talk to your family veterinarian and see what he or she thinks. Each dog is unique and has her own requirements.

Weight Loss

Dogs who are overweight are more susceptible to health issues like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other medical problems. Putting on extra pounds can affect your dog’s quality of life. The added weight can put an intense strain on the dog’s back and joints (eventually leading to arthritis). In order to allow your pet to live a long and healthy life, it’s important you make sure she is at her ideal weight.

Visual Test

A simple visual test can help you determine if your dog is putting on too much weight. Check your dog’s body profile from the side and above him. His waist should be obvious when you observe the area in front of his rear legs. There should also be a definite difference between the dog’s chest and abdomen.

If you check your dog’s body profile from the side, you should be able to tell the difference in size of her abdomen and her chest. Her abdomen should be closer to her spine rather than her chest. If you notice her abdomen is sagging, she is likely overweight (unless she’s a Mama- then we know her belly might be a bit ‘saggy’). It’s best to check with your vet.

Meal Plan

The key here is looking at your dog as an ‘individual’ case. Every dog is different and there are so many questions that need answered when making a meal plan. For example, why is your dog gaining weight? Is she exercising enough? Does he eat too much? Is there an underlying medical issue that needs addressed ASAP?

Once the answers to the questions are collected, your veterinarian will help you decide the type of food, portion size, etc. Your veterinarian may also have recommendations regarding treats. If you provide a lot of treats to your dog, that could be packing on a ton of calories each day.

Stick To The Plan

If you are helping your dog lose weight, it is important stick to the plan you and your veterinarian (or veterinary nutritionist) lay out.

Your vet may have already prescribed a type of dog food to buy. If she did, make sure not to stray from that dog food. She (or he) has picked that exact food for a reason.

Also, be sure to measure your dog’s food portions properly. Buying a special type of food would be pointless if your dog is still overeating.

You may notice you and your vet tweaking this a bit. There’s a sort of balance here. We don’t want to feed too little, but we don’t want to feed too much either.

Physical Activity

Exercising on a regular basis will do wonders for your dog’s health (and yours by the way). Exercising improves muscle tone, reduces weight, and helps boost metabolism. All of these lead to weight loss; plus, the release of serotonin in the body (happy, happy).

This is something you may want to talk to your veterinarian about too. There are some dog breeds who just aren’t meant for continuous or strenuous exercise. Some breeds may be recommended one long walk per day whereas others may need a significant amount of exercise time.

That is why it is always a good idea to talk to your pet’s veterinarian before adding more physical activities to your pet’s schedule. Going on a short walk every morning or afternoon may be a good starting point, especially if your dog is out of shape. You can gradually increase the speed and distance by observing how much your dog can tolerate. You can also incorporate exercise into your games. Playing fetch is a good game for this purpose.

It’s definitely easier said than done for both our dog and us to keep fitness in our routine. I try to wake up every day at 5 a.m. to exercise before I work, but I am also a mom, so I am sure you know how that goes. Late nights mean late mornings sometimes. But, if you don’t get your walk in or exercise in during the morning hours, you can always try at night.

Until next time.