![]() Please know that the charts normally recommend a daily amount of food. Working with your vet to determine exactly how much your dog should eat in a day is essential to not overfeed and hinder weight loss progress. Overfeeding is the number one cause of weight gain in dogs and it most commonly happens when pet owners take the feeding charts on their dog’s food and run with it. Portions will vary according to nutritional needs, metabolism, stage of life, breed, temperament and your dog’s environment, which is why it’s super important to discuss how much your dog should eat everyday with your vet–especially if weight loss is the goal. Use the feeding chart as a guide, adjusting as necessary to maintain optimal weight. The charts will include food portion sizes by weight and, if the food is formulated for puppies, also a food portions chart by age. A great place to start is by learning how to read the dog food label on your dog’s bag of food.Īll dog food labels should include dog food portion charts, or feeding charts, to give you an idea of how much of that particular food you should be feeding. Your dog may need to be eating fewer calories to accomplish your final goal. Knowing how much to feed your dog is always important, but it’s even more important when you are starting a weight loss program. Getting your dog out of the house more often, even if it’s just for a daily walk around the block, can do wonders when it comes to helping them lose weight. If your dog doesn’t get out much and are rather sedentary at home, they might not be burning the calories necessary to offset their calorie intake, which can contribute to weight gain. In addition to nutrition, exercise and adopting a more active lifestyle will also be important factors to help shed those pounds and get back to a healthier weight. This number will serve as the end goal to your plan. It’s important to discuss with your vet to determine an appropriate target weight for your dog. Different breeds of dogs have different needs and can be more prone to obesity than others. We suggest making a vet appointment to help tailor a plan specific to your canine pal’s unique situation. Jerry Klein, AKC’s chief veterinary officer. All dogs can be obese, but dogs between the ages of 5 and 12 are more likely to experience obesity according to Dr. Older dogs are more prone to obesity than younger dogs due to an increase in inactivity as they age. In their 2018 research on pet obesity, they found that an estimated 60% of cats and 56% of dogs in the United States were overweight or obese. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention is an organization that researches and spreads awareness about pet obesity levels in the United States. However, if you have an obese dog, a weight loss plan can serve as a structured road map to a healthier weight. If your dog has only a few pounds to lose it may not be necessary to put together an official weight loss plan.
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